Cookeville, TN Health and Fitness

Dr. William Fitzgerald, who honed his topnotch dental skills at the University of Tennessee at Memphis, shepherds a squad of skilled technicians trained in a variety of services. Dr. Fitzgerald offers gift cards for services, and the office's treatment rooms feature mounted televisions, iPods, and the ghosts of tartar past, all of which entertain patients during cleanings, porcelain veneers, root canals, and teeth-whitening services. Prior to cosmetic work, Dr. Fitzgerald boots up a dental-imaging software program that shows patients a preview of their results and what they would look like if they had never lost their baby teeth.

Drs. Daniel and Kristi Newton first met in dental school in Memphis. After graduating and getting married, they began their careers in dentistry together on a Navajo reservation in Arizona, where they tended to the teeth of underprivileged patients. Now, they keep mouths in mint condition at Newton Cosmetic Dentistry. No matter the procedure, patients can take advantage of the duo’s comforting amenities, whether they’re watching flat-screen televisions during cleanings or donning wireless headphones that block out the sound of dental instruments or radio signals picked up by a set of braces.

A Touch of a Feather Day Spa owner Connie has loved helping people look and feel their best since she was a child. Today, guided by a focus on her clients' whole experience, she pours that passion into the diverse array of facials, massage, and nailcare services she performs. In an effort to continually expand her abilities, Connie recently added face-lifts and anticellulite treatments to her skill set.

Connie's team lavishes classic spa treatments and specialized services, such as oncology massage therapy, onto patrons in a dimly lit atmosphere. They even allow guests to customize their treatments by using an add-on menu, which includes aromatherapy and scalp massages.

Sprawling across the Cumberland Plateau at 2,000 feet above sea level—the highest point between the Rocky and Smoky Mountains—lie Fairfield Glade Community Club's five courses, showcasing 90 holes of championship golf. Since the first fairways of the 18-hole Druid Hills course opened in 1970, the golf haven has expanded to include two more 18-hole courses and one 36-hole course. The most recent addition, the Stonehenge course, opened for play in January of 2008 and still perplexes archeologists hoping to decipher the meaning of its immense flagstick monuments. Players find themselves amid postcard-worthy wooded terrain as they traverse fairways bordered with lakes and crawling with wildlife indigenous to the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, which nudges the grounds directly to the northeast. The beautiful surroundings and challenging course play have allowed the club to host several prestigious events, including the Tennessee Senior Men's Open and the Tennessee Women's Open.

Set atop a sparsely wooded expanse of the Cumberland Plateau, Lake Tansi Village Golf Club’s 18-hole championship golf course traces an undulating tract buttressed on both sides by Lake Tansi and Hiawatha Lake. Though the course is not particularly long, the course layout demands precision with its rolling terrain, deep bunkers, and multitiered greens that will terrify golf balls who fear roller-coasters. When approaching the tee on the par-4 17th, golfers look out onto a green protected by a frontside pond that forces them to carry the glassy surface with a lofted wedge or short iron.

Perched at an altitude that typically keeps the area an average of 10 degrees cooler than Knoxville and Nashville, Lake Tansi Village complements its golf facilities with a full-service marina, lakeside cottages, and stay-and-play packages ideal for golfers hoping to get away for a weekend after a heated argument with their live-in caddy.

Meadows of wildflowers and towering trees border the Caney Fork River on both sides, providing a refuge for deer, herons, turkeys, and hundreds of other bird species. With a fleet of canoes and kayaks as well as shuttle service straight to the riverbanks, Canoe the Caney makes it easy to explore this river’s natural beauty. Though the current bustles along at a slow and steady pace and the banks are usually 30 yards apart, Canoe the Caney staff still holds safety as its highest priority. The staff provides everyone with life jackets and review safety guidelines before giving paddlers permission to depart.

In addition to 6-mile and 9-mile trips down the river, Canoe the Caney also facilitates more playful adventures, including romantic picnic outings and a pirate adventure that invites paddlers to hunt for Captain JaBez’s long lost contact lens.