![\"Iconic](\"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2014\/03\/neyland7.jpg\")
<\/a>Iconic Neyland Stadium<\/p><\/div>\n
Most importantly, I was able to peer inside Neyland Stadium, famed for its 100K plus seating and trademark orange-and-white checkerboard end zone markings.\u00a0 (True story: I know a student from Grand Rapids who enrolled at UT, not for its lack of snow, but specifically because of the allure of that iconic end zone!) And yes, UT football legend Peyton Manning\u2019s name is enshrined inside the stadium along with other gridiron heroes. www.utk.edu<\/a><\/p>\n Volunteer Landing<\/b>\u2014 This lovely area along the Tennessee River is only a short walk and segue from the main UT campus. Boasting a visitor center, full-service marina, water play fountains, benches and restaurants, the city-owned Landing offers a refreshing one-mile river walk and stroll. At the marina, one can rent houseboats, pontoons and aqua cycles or book a river cruise. And the historical markers along the promenade are exceptionally well done, several with a literary bent such as one about Knoxville native and novelist Cormac McCarthy, best known for his No Country for Old Men <\/i>which was later made into a film by the Coen brothers.<\/p>\n Volunteer Landing<\/p><\/div>\n Museum of East Tennessee History\u2014<\/b>this is simply a gem. It\u2019s recommended to allot several hours early in your Knoxville visit to full appreciate the impressive displays, narratives and collection. Located in the heart of the walkable downtown, this most affordable ($5) museum is an ideal opportunity to grasp the state\u2019s and region\u2019s rich and fascinating history. With an array of interactive exhibits, it appeals to a wide-ranging audience and covers the Tennessee\u2019s history from earliest Spanish explorers and natives to its pivotal roles in the Civil War, the TVA and atomic energy. Factoids abound such as: Tennessee was the first state (1796) created by the territorial process; it was named for the Cherokee town of Tanasi; in 1887 a huge fire destroyed downtown Knoxville but it was completely rebuilt and transformed into a retail center within a year.<\/p>\n We were also lucky enough to visit a temporary and fine exhibit on the first twenty years of East Tennessee television, allowing us to see the programs and personalities of Knoxville\u2019s early days of TV. www.easttnhistory.org<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Walking history tour<\/b>\u2014if you\u2019re into local history shared by an able storyteller, you ought to consider this 90-minute diversion. Local writer and teacher Laura Still did a commendable job of reviewing the city\u2019s early history with a thorough and entertaining review of its founding figures and notable events. Stops along the way included a historic graveyard, Blout Mansion Gardens, and the Old Courthouse, a real history bargain at $15. www.knoxvillewalkingtours.com<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Market Square<\/b>\u2014One of old Knoxville\u2019s key focal points and now a thriving pedestrian mall with several desirable restaurants and taverns. After leaving snowy Michigan and Ohio one day, we were delighted to dine outside for both lunch and dinner the next day, right on the Square. Using local online sources such as Metro Pulse as well as Yelp, we wisely chose the well-regarded The Tomato Head and Tupelo Honey Cafe, respectively. They exceeded expectations for menu selection, service and ambience.<\/p>\n restaurants, inns and pubs etc<\/p><\/div>\n Entertainment\u2014<\/b>Relying on Metro Pulse, we took in a most pleasant concert on Friday evening by British folk singer David Clifton, bolstered by a superb back-up ensemble, at The Square Room, located fittingly just off Market Square. Opening for Clifton was local singer-songwriter Joey English who showed promise and earnestness in his set. Another bargain at a $10 ticket.<\/p>\n Thanks to a notice in the UT student newspaper (another reason to visit a college campus) we caught a modern burlesque show at the Relix Theatre called the Pretty Things Peepshow. Based in NYC and traveling around the country, the show is indicative of a booming revival of burlesque which had its heyday in the early 1900s and lasted until the \u201860s. Compared to R-rated offerings readily found on\u00a0 HBO, etc., the Peepshow is relatively tame stuff with much camp and humor. Exotic dancers sporting pasties and stage names are mixed with sword swallowers, magic tricks and contortionists. And the emcee, Donny V, displayed a wicked wit and humorous repartee with the young audience. All in all, it was completely different and thoroughly fun stuff and we found it on a Saturday night in Knoxville. Go figure.<\/p>\n Oak Ridge<\/b>\u2014A 30-minute drive from Knoxville, Oak Ridge is known as the \u201cSecret City\u201d for its amazing role in the development of the atom bomb during WWII.\u00a0 Seemingly built overnight, Oak Ridge was transformed in the early 1940s from a sleepy rural area not even on a map into a city with 75,000 people tasked with producing uranium in secret for the Manhattan Project. For a fascinating and comprehensive history of the area, visit the American Museum of Science & Energy. www.amse.org<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Fascinating history at the AMSE<\/p><\/div>\n Briefly<\/b>\u2014other sightseeing options include Civil War driving tours, Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Zoo, Women\u2019s Basketball Hall of Fame, Tennessee Theatre, Blue Plate Special with bluegrass music at the Visitors Center, the Alex Haley Statue, and the Ijams Nature Center. Farther afield, check out Clinton and its antique stores.\u00a0www.visitknoxville.com<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Accommodations<\/b>\u2014The Holiday Inn at World\u2019s Fair Park (in 1982, Knoxville hosted a World\u2019s Fair) was ideal. As they say in real estate, accommodations are often all about \u201clocation, location, location.\u201d It\u2019s also about \u201cservice, service, service\u201d and the Holiday Inn was most admirable on both accounts. Apropos to its proximity to downtown and the UT campus, we arrived and parked our car on Thursday and didn\u2019t need it again until we visited Oak Ridge on Saturday. In the interim, the hotel even provided a free shuttle service to guests to take them to and from downtown destinations. It was a nice perk as the drivers were friendly and efficient and genuinely enjoyed their duties. One driver even patiently waited for my wife to visit the main post office to mail a package. Another time, the shuttle driver transported us to church on Saturday evening and, later, to and from a\u00a0 restaurant outside walking distance. As a pastor might say, what a service!<\/p>\n Centrally located, Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park<\/p><\/div>\n Staying on the Executive Club floor, we relished our well-appointed room with its workplace and desk, multiple outlets, satellite TV, and Wi-Fi. And the view overlooking the World\u2019s Fair Park was scenic. Besides the ample and complimentary continental breakfast, I was also impressed with a couple of small touches about our guest floor and room. One was a nifty nightlight feature in the bathroom (hadn\u2019t seen that before) and secondly, the leaving of fresh towels and shampoo outside our door after we had used the \u201cdo not disturb\u201d hanger.<\/p>\n Roomy and well-appointed<\/p><\/div>\n Located across from the Convention Center, the Holiday Inn is a popular and busy establishment. It\u2019s a full-service, 286-room hotel with 22 meeting rooms, a fine restaurant and bar, a health and fitness facility, indoor pool, and a 24-hour Business Center. In short, it\u2019s a hotel fit for a big city such as Knoxville. But like the many friendly people we met during our stay, it imparted a small-town, neighborly feeling. Heck, even if it snows in Knoxville we\u2019ll be back. Visit www.ihg.com<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>