Musician Russell Dickerson says one of the perks of touring is getting to explore.

“I’ve learned so much about history on my travels, even to smaller towns around America,” says the Nashville resident. “Whenever we pull into a new city, we usually look up a little history on that place. It’s cool to learn why this town came to be, like was it coal or oil or a certain good that made this city what it is today? I’ve definitely been getting some history lessons.” Dickerson, who is part of the Summer Plays On Tour with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker, is promoting his album “Yours” and his single, “Blue Tacoma.”

An edited version of our conversation follows.

Q: How did growing up in Tennessee affect your musical choices? And was there a period in your childhood when you thought you wanted to pursue a different genre of music?

A: Being born in a rural West Tennessee town definitely had a lot to do with my musical inspiration, but moving to Nashville at 10 and growing up around so many different genres definitely had a big effect on the music I create as well. So in high school we started a heavy rock band — you know, as any teen would — and that has definitely had a huge influence on my stage presence. There’s no better feeling than going out on stage and just giving the crowd every single ounce of my energy to try to put on the best live show they’ve ever been to.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: As of late, it’s definitely Italy! We tacked on five days to the beginning of our European tour and spent it in Florence and Tuscany. It was the absolute best, because we had no plan other than to eat amazing pasta and drink incredible wine, and obviously Florence and Tuscany delivered. I find myself comparing everywhere we go now to this trip, like, “Where does this rate on a scale of one to Tuscany”?

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. Just after CMA fest, we had four days off, so we loaded up the bus and brought all my band guys’ wives to the one, the only, Disney World! My wife, Kailey, grew up going every year, so it’s always super fun to go with her, because she crushes the planning and we hit everything within a matter of days!

Q: Where is the most romantic destination?

A. Our honeymoon was definitely romantic, but the resort is obviously set up for that environment. A more organic romantic experience was in this little cabin in the woods a couple hours outside Nashville. We just burned a fire all day long, read books, cooked delicious dinners and never even left the cabin.

Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A. My wife’s family always did a huge Fourth of July bash. She has a big family, so the Fourth is one of the rare times the whole fam gets together. We fly up to Wisconsin for the four-day festivities full of parades, Tomaso’s pizza, 200-foot slip ’n slides and Spotted Cow beer, which is only sold in Wisconsin. Definitely lots of memories made!

Q: What is your best vacation memory?

A. Sun Valley, Idaho, was one of our best vacations ever. We went recently for our buddy’s birthday. They rented a gorgeous house minutes from the mountain. We would snowboard all day, and then come back to this beautiful house with incredible food and wine. There was a masseuse, a bartender and a chef, so we just enjoyed some good ol’ fellowship with good people.

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