Monday, July 10, 2017

A Sunday Ramble in Knoxville (Free!)

A Sunday Ramble in Knoxville 

Or, How Not to Write A Blog Post

After a week of being lazy retired, we decide on a Sunday ride to Knoxville. If we were good bloggers, we would have 1) charged the phone and the camera and 2) actually done some research, so we could make sure to take pictures of the importantly tourist-y stuff.  

 Um, yeah, that didn't happen. Instead, we have random photos taken on my tablet. Once again, our blog may be a bit too aptly named!  The mural above is on the side of the Visitor Center in downtown Knoxville.
The Market Street Garage is just around the corner and parking is free on weekends. We downloaded a map of downtown here, but it turns out we didn't need it. There were kiosks with maps in several locations.
It's great to see a city square that is so family-friendly.  There were several kid-friendly restaurants and a place to get ice cream. There are also two splash pads and when we were there, kids were having a blast.
Here is another ice cream shop. We weren't the only ones people-watching - there was a tiny dog in the upper window doing the same thing.  You could just see the top of his head, turning this way and that. Wonder if his owner sometimes sneaks him ice cream?
We also saw the old courthouse. Like most of Knoxville, it's apparently haunted.There are quite a few monuments on the courthouse grounds. The entrance is a monument to Dr. John Mason Boyd.

Below is the grave of John Sevier and his first wife. He was a signer of the Constitution and Tennessee's first governor. John very inconveniently died elsewhere, so Tennessee dug the poor fellow up and reburied him here.

The smaller grave is that of his second wife, Catherine Sherrill Sevier. There is also a monument to Sarah Hawkins Sevier, his first wife.  At the East Tennessee History Museum, they made sure to point out that Sarah already had seven kids, all under eleven, when she set up housekeeping in what was then a frontier wilderness.


As we rambled through downtown, we also came across seveal sculptures, all part of Knoxville's Art in Public Spaces, which is part of Dogwoods Arts/Dogwoood Trails.

We loved how the sculptures were tucked into the landscape, so you could enjoy both the park and the art.
Dogwood Trails was started by the Knoxville Garden Club way back in 1955 with the intention to beautify the city.
There wasn't time to see the Blount Mansion, but the Knoxville Garden Club also takes care of the mansion's gardens. Talk about some dedicated volunteers!
Two more beautiful sculptures, in an equally beautiful setting.
After strolling downtown for a couple of hours, we went to the East Tennessee History Museum. Admission is free on Sundays. We weren't sure if photography was allowed, but we did sneak one picture of this mural on the hall leading to the main exhibit rooms. 

The museum does an excellent job on focusing on the day to day lives of people in East Tennessee. We especially loved how many quotes and stories from local people were woven into the exhibits.
By the time we left the museum, we were famished! We headed to Calhoun's on the river for a late lunch. 
While you can walk there from downtown, be aware that the last block down to the river is very steep! We skirted around the County's Offices and followed the signs to the Neyland Greenway, where a pedestrian bridge takes you down to the riverfront. 

If you are wondering (like we were) Robert Neyland was a football coach for the University of Tennessee, and also served in the armed forces.
Calhoun's was a tad pricey, but the portions were generous and our waitress was absolutely wonderful.  The ribs weren't quite as good as we had hoped for, but we also know we have incredibly high standards. We lived in the heart of Texas for many years, where barbecue is taken very seriously, and ribs are considered an art form to themselves!

Fed and tired, we ambled back to the garage and the motorcycle - and passed some Sons of the American Revolution! Guess Knoxville really does take history seriously!

Resources

12 Free Things to Do in Knoxville

Another List of Free Things to Do

Free and Almost Free Things to Do 

Knoxville Event Guide

Things to Do in Knoxville



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