Do it! I have friends who've done the long route, and they had a lot of fun. It was brutal, but fun.

In years past, I've done the weeklong Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee. In fact, the last time I did it, I was more or less in your neck of the woods. I almost have DH talked into it for next year or the year after next. You should consider that if you can; it's a lot of fun. I love riding in Tennessee.