On Sunday, We Checked Out Two More Museums
One of the things that we love about Knoxville is so many museums are free! So, we ate lunch and then zoomed over to UT.
There is usually a construction trade off when visiting a college in the summer. University of Tennessee was no different.
The campus was quiet and shady, but a construction project meant we had to park a few blocks away from the museum (there is a free public parking lot next to the museum). Parking Map
Admission is free for the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture. We passed this smiling duckbill dinosaur(edmontosaurus) and headed inside.
The current summer exhibit is about the Gilded Age. It was a small exhibit, but the curator did an awesome job, both in displaying the objects and the information provided.
We wondered if this 1880's dress might've been worn by a woman in mourning. A fashionable Victorian lady would wear black for a certain period, then she would wear muted colors, like this purple. Although Queen Victoria outdid everybody, by sticking to black for 42 years!
How about these hats? Just the thing to wear while boating in Venice.
There was also an Egpyptian Exhibit, filled with statues,
and smiling canopic jars. We've never seen Anubis so happy.
Does Emperor Qin know one of his terracotta soldiers is now guarding a Victorian window?
There were several Budhist statues in one room,
along side First Nations baskets,
and a pretty impressive temple guardian. Nobody was getting past this guy!
There was also three more exhibits in the basement. One was on Tennessee mussels and the once booming pearl trade, and the second exhibit was on the evolution of man.
To complete the 'theme', the third exhibit was on Knoxville and the Civil War. We certainly hope the United States Army has upgraded how they pack munitions!
Our next stop was the Knoxville Museum of Art. It;s also free, but closed on Mondays.
The museum has a great exhibit called 'Higher Ground', which showcases several under appreciated Tennessee artists. We really enjoyed seeing these artists being recognized, especially Catherine Wiley, who was born in Coal Creek (Rocky Top), Tennessee.
and William Silva, who lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
There was also a contemporary art exhibit, which was awesome. Many of the pieces had been chosen because the art changed depending on where the viewer stood. Our favorite piece was 'Woman and Child', a sculpture by Sam Jinks.
From the third floor balcony, there is a great view of World's Fair Park.
It was a hot July day, and families were enjoying the splash pad,
and the nearby Sunsphere.
We we're the only ones enjoying the great view of the park. This dad and his little girl were clearly have fun watching the going ons below.
On the first floor, there is the Thorne Rooms and a small contemporary glass exhibit. We loved this piece by William Morris
and also the permanent installation of 'The Circle of Life' by Richard Jolley.
Of course, no trip to a museum is complete without food. sp we headed tp Stock and Barrel, on the square.
But first, a review of Blue Coast Bar and Grill which we went to after our trip to the Knoxville flea market. It's right next door, and also on Market Square.
We ordered chicken and waffles, and fish tacos and both entrees were very good. The servings were plentiful and the chicken and fish was fresh and flavorful.
We did feel the prices were a little high, and the staff could have been a little more organized. It took a while for the host to greet us, and our waiter had been assigned more tables than he could comfortably take care of.
This time, we went to Stock and Barrel. Our meal was OK. We ordered chicken and waffles, and the Free Bird, which is a turkey burger, along with fries and mac & cheese. The turkey burger was surprisingly large, and moist, and the french fries were freshly made,
The mac & cheese was good, but could have been hotter, and the chicken and waffles did not have much flavor. Again, we felt the food was a little over-priced, especially since Blue Coast, next door, had larger servings.
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