April 17-21, 2010
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Knoxville has many enjoyable assets; it also has a few rough edges that are still in work. So many of its roads have been modified in the past few years that changes to road signs have not kept up. To visitors like us, it was all too easy to make unintended turns --- even with a recently updated GPS device to guide us.
One of several reasons we had for staying in Knoxville was its Greenway. Although this bike path does pass some utilitarian spots like a sanitation facility, the path is easily located in a city park, is fairly smooth and follows a shady stream to the Tennessee River waterfront. On a fine, sunny Sunday, without the hassle of crowded parking by the river, we rolled along easily from one end of the waterfront to the other on a wide, smooth path:
We passed Calhoun’s Restaurant --- everybody’s favorite, judging from the long line of prospective diners,
and, farther along, the “Star of Knoxville,” a paddle-wheeler that provides river and dinner cruises.
From the waterfront, this splendid extension to the Greenway runs the short distance to “World’s Fair Park:”
The site of the 1982 World’s Fair has been transformed in recent years into a beautiful Knoxville park.
Of the many buildings erected for the Fair, the only ones we recognized from photos were the Sunsphere (the theme building) and the fabric-covered Amphitheater, both visible in the shot above. In the background are a hotel and the convention center. Before 1982, this area was an abandoned railroad yard between the city and the University of Tennessee.
The younger set seemed to find enjoyment in dodging --- or, sometimes not dodging --- these high-flying jets of water:
Those jets are in the distance in this under-the-roadway shot:
Although on bikes, we surely had a chance to see this park at its best on a gorgeous day.
Two days later when we returned on foot, the weather was considerably different. So, what do you do on a drizzly day --- other than wait for it to stop?
You guessed it --- we began our foot-powered exploration of downtown Knoxville, safely dry, in the city’s Art Museum. It is adjacent to World’s Fair Park and clearly in view --- if you know where to look. Locating the entrance, though, was not easy for these out-of-towners. When we finally did find our way in, we discovered the delightful miniature rooms developed by Mrs. James Thorne of Chicago. She so loved doll houses as a child, she simply expanded her passion into a full-blown hobby in her adult years. She hired cabinet makers to craft the surroundings for the tiny pieces of furniture she had collected in her travels. These excellent miniatures depict rooms of both America and Europe in various centuries. However, photographing them through protective glass windows would have been disappointing --- you’ll have to see them in person.
With the precipitation letting up, it was time to ascend the Sunsphere, which is free of charge. From the observation deck, the Amphitheater just below looked like a toy model.
We noticed that not everyone changed their plans due to the showers:
Perhaps to be expected on a rainy day, we had the whole observation platform of the Sunsphere to ourselves.
Guess most folks wait for better weather.
While riding a trolley to the far-reaches of the city, we caught a glimpse of a man rowing a boat down the street! Well, it was only a work of art but we still had to stop the trolley and have a look.
An eye-catching piece of art, don’t you think? It certainly caught ours.
April is Dogwood Festival Month in Knoxville --- one more reason for us to come. However, we were a bit late for the dogwoods. Although still blooming, the trees were also busily leafing out. The city provides many recommended auto routes for viewing the blossoming trees and we tried a few, then decided the results were not worth the effort.
Knoxville was also an attractive destination due to its close proximity to the northern side of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. One of the most heavily visited spots in the Park is the Cades Cove Road, an 11 mile loop through a rustic and isolated valley on the Tennessee side of the Park. To our great disappointment, the road was closed for repaving and not due to reopen until April 24, by which time we planned to be home. As an alternative, we chose to tour Tuckaleechee Caverns, not far from Cades Cove, on a daytrip from Knoxville.
These Caverns are family-owned and run, having been developed by the family so that the public can safely and easily view them. There are many stairs. The two notable features of the Caverns are a football-field-sized “Big Room” and a 200-ft high waterfall (part of which is shown below):
Unfortunately, the Caverns are often heavily flooded and this brings in silt and iron deposits. As a consequence, even though the owners clean up after these floods (and before reopening to the public), crystalline formations tend to have a muddy appearance rather than resembling jewels as in some caverns.
For us, the highlight of our short visit to the National Park was the nearby drive along Little River Road.
The road follows a stream by that name that is remarkably pretty:
It may be even more scenic in the Fall but Spring proved a great time to see it.
After a stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we descended from the Park and, within two miles, were engulfed in the overwhelming tourist trappings of Gatlinburg TN. Mile after mile of every conceivable hotel and restaurant lined the road along with souvenir shops, arcades and amusements of all kinds --- it was like an unregulated beach town gone wild (without the beach). Even though we had read that Gatlinburg and adjoining Pigeon Forge were touristy, the shear density of these trappings blew us away --- and quickly out of town. These places are such a contrast to quiet little Townsend, our entry point to the Park. Of course, the primary reason for so much development near Pigeon Forge is Dollywood, which was still closed in April.
We did stop long enough in Pigeon Forge to photograph what we believe to be a genuine grist mill dating from the early 1800’s:
Today, a restaurant is attached to the mill.
Some of the devices used to attract passing motorists and get them to stop can be amusing. The indoor attraction Wonderworks appeared to have landed upside down on another building. We didn’t stop to photograph it but photos of it are easily found on the Internet --- this one, for example:
Finally ready to leave Knoxville, we have learned a bit more about this audacious little town that suggested it was capable of hosting a world’s fair some 30 years ago and then went ahead and proved it. However, we are still wondering if the city has repaid the $46 million debt it is said to have incurred for the fair.