Knoxville, Tennessee

The Knoxville area has an abundance of attractions for every traveler. This is sort of like a second home for us and we have spent quite a lot of time here. We are only passing through this time, but there are a couple things I wanted to share just in case you find yourself here in the future.

Rachmaninoff statue in World's Fair Park

Knoxville is a large city, the third largest in Tennessee. Being that size it offers many attractions and services—almost everything from museums to a zoo. The World’s Fair was held here in 1983, drawing visitors from around the world. Today, the area where the fair was held has become a very nice city park. Do I need to mention that this is the home of the University of Tennessee. This is “Big Orange” country and in the fall that is about the only color to be seen around here. One good way to see the city is by doing the Volksmarch which begins at the James White Fort, meanders through the historic downtown area, World’s Fair Park, across the UT campus, and back along the Tennessee River.

There are also fabulous attractions nearby. Although we haven’t been, the Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is highly acclaimed as well as The Museum of Appalachia in Norris. Knoxville is just a short drive from the gateway communities for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and Townsend. Shopping abounds in Pigeon Forge with its numerous outlet stores. Gatlinburg has a more tourist feel with its craft stores, T-shirt shops, and fudge factory. If crowds aren’t your thing, then Townsend might be a better choice for a place to stay for a visit to the National Park.

Cade's Cove Missionary Baptist Church

The National Park has usually been our destination when coming to the area. Other folks seem to like it, too, as it is the most visited National Park in the country. Fall is a very popular time to come and leaf peepers are out in full force. One of the most popular places in the Park is Cades Cove located 7 miles from the Townsend entrance. This was a thriving pioneer community in the 1850s with a population of nearly 700. Today, the Park Service maintains several pioneer cabins, a water-powered grist mill, churches and cemeteries. Many visitors come for the wildlife. It is a rare visit to the cove that you wouldn’t see white tailed deer and wild turkey and some say this is the best place in the park to see a black bear. The 11 mile paved Loop road allows visitors to enjoy the cove from the comfort of their car. However, for the more adventuresome, bicycling is a fantastic way to get a little exercise while exploring the history of this early East Tennessee community. During summer months the Loop road is closed on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to motorized traffic, making a bicycle tour more pleasant. Guided horseback riding tours are also available from April through October. If you want your feet on the ground, there are several hiking trails in the Cove. One of the more popular is a relatively easy 2 ½ mile hike to Abrams Falls.

More on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park tomorrow.