Life’s a climb…but the view is great
For my last ever college spring break, my friend and I decided to go back to our childhood roots and fulfill one of our lifelong dreams: to live out Hannah Montana the Movie. While other people our age were getting tan and sipping daiquiris on the beach, we were perfectly content strolling around Crowley Corners and recreating the iconic “So you’re saying I can never be Hannah again?” TikTok sound in the middle of Tennessee.
Okay, truth be told, Crowley Corners unfortunately doesn’t exist outside of Disney+, but many of the scenes were shot in downtown Columbia, Tennessee. After grabbing a Southern-style breakfast at Puckett’s Restaurant, we set out to take the obligatory photos of us posing in front of the notable movie spots. Luckily, Columbia’s quaint downtown is much smaller than downtown Madison, despite being laid out similarly to Capitol Square, so we were able to walk to each destination in mere minutes.
Our first photo op was 815 Main Street, in front of the blue building with white trim that Miley and her grandma are sitting at when the tabloid journalist Oswald makes himself comfortable between them. While this wasn’t one of the most riveting scenes in the movie, the arched awnings over the stoop were instantly recognizable and it felt very cool to be sitting where Miley Cyrus herself has sat before.
Just a couple buildings up the street at 803 Main Street was the exterior of the Italian restaurant where Miley and Travis have their infamous first date. In real life, the building is a wine tasting parlor, which honestly looked super cute. And hey, they have an abundance of wine at Italian restaurants, so at least they didn’t stray too far from the movie!
The last stop in Columbia was not difficult to find: the Maury County Courthouse, which stands proudly in the middle of town. In the movie, Miley/Hannah runs through the revolving doors of the Courthouse on her way to and from her date with Travis. While it looks like the revolving doors were just a movie prop, the courthouse was still a beautiful building with French doors and towering architecture.
After leaving Columbia, we drove north to Franklin, which we learned is the birthplace of Miley Cyrus! Considering one of the best bops in Hannah Montana the Movie is “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home,” it’s only fitting that the movie producers chose Franklin as the location for Miley’s grandma’s house. As we drove down Carl Road, we marveled at the bright green pastures and the triangle-topped shelter where Miley and Billy Ray sing the heartwarming “Butterfly Fly Away” in the movie. The only thing missing was the house itself. A quick Google search and a Change.org petition informed us that, devastatingly, the pastel yellow house from the film had been torn down two years ago. Maybe we would have been better off Googling that before backtracking to Franklin, but the beautiful scenery was still worth it.
Last but certainly not least was Rutledge Falls, the breathtaking waterfall where Miley and Travis go swimming. As beautiful as it was in the movie, it was even more astounding in real life. After hiking down to the water, we stood there for a few minutes in comfortable silence, basking in the sounds of rushing water. It was the perfect way to end our Hannah Montana journey before embarking on the rest of our Tennessee trip to the Great Smoky Mountains.
If you’re on the hunt for a nostalgic road trip to live out your childhood fantasies, spontaneously recreating Hannah Montana the Movie might be just the thing for you. I can guarantee that Travis knows what he’s talking about when he says, “Life’s a climb…but the view is great.”