MONTEAGLE, TENNESSEE

Driving along the narrow lane past the low-clearance stone gatehouse onto the grounds of the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (1 Assembly St., 931-924-2286, monteaglesundayschoolassembly.org/cottages) is like traveling through a time portal to a bygone era where the modern world falls away in the rearview mirror. It was opened in 1883 and patterned after the Chautauqua Institution at Lake Chautauqua, New York. Known as “the Chautauqua of the South,” the Assembly has conducted its annual summer assemblies for religious and educational programs since its founding. Members gather with their families during the summer program season but rent out their Victorian and early-20th century cottages to visitors. Porch life is big in Monteagle, where face-to-face conversation is more common than screen time, and most people get around on foot or by bike. The speed limit on the grounds is just 14 miles per hour. Book a cottage directly through the Assembly or stay in a room at the Edgeworth Inn ($165 and up, 19 Wilkins Ave., 931-924-4000, edgeworthinn.com) on the Assembly grounds. Dine at Papa Ron’s (402 W. Main St., 931-924-3355, paparons.net), a longtime family favorite just outside the gates of the Assembly serving pizza and Italian fare in a casual setting. Monteagle’s location atop the Cumberland Plateau means outdoor activities abound. Stop in at the nearby South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center (11745 US 41, 931-924-2980, tnstateparks.com/parks/south-cumberland) to get information on the best hikes, views and waterfalls in the region. 161 miles northwest via I-75 to I-24.

COURTESY OF BLAKE GUTHRIE Leave the modern world behind by renting a rustic historic cottage on the grounds of the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly atop the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.