Another Wonderful Saturday in Knoxville (Free!)

On Saturday, we packed another lunch and headed off for another day of exploring (free) things on Knoxville.  

Our first stop was the East Tennessee Veteran Cemetery on East Gov. John Sevier Highway. This is the new veteran's cemetery that was recently opened in 2011.

There was a beautiful monument to the families of soldiers near the entrance. Too often, we forget the sacrifices that these families make.

There are already 2500 interments in this cemetery. This is third veteran's cemetery in the area, a sobering reminder of East Tennessee's commitment to volunteering.

 When we visited, there was also a large flock of Canadian Geese resting during their migration. 

We only took a few pictures of this cemetery, since there were family members visiting their loved ones and we wanted to be respectful. More information on Gold Star Family monuments and the organization erecting these can be found here.

Next, we headed back to South Knoxville and Fort Dickerson Park. We stopped first at the Harold Lambert Overlook, which has a beautiful view of the Fort Dickerson Quarry.  Harold Lambert was a long time business owner in Knoxville, and well known for his support of different charities.

Then we continued along the park's road to the site of Fort Dickerson, a Civil War fort. 

 After the Union seized Knoxville, this fort was built on the other side of the Holston (now the Tennessee river) to protect the "back door" of Knoxville.

The fort is gone, but the ditch still remains, along with a depression where the ammunition bunker was, and three cannon.

 It was another gorgeous summer day in Knoxville, but we couldn't help thinking about how cold and miserable the men of both sides must have been in November, when the Confederates attempted (and failed) to take the fort.

It was Saturday but there were very few visitors, so we had one of the large picnic pavilions to ourselves. It was a perfect place to eat lunch and soak in the beauty of this park.

Full, we headed back to the main street to find the quarry. To access it, we had to loop around the park and then cross a set of railroad tracks. Click for directions.

There is a parking lot at the entrance, and beyond it, a gravel road which leads to another parking lot closer to the quarry. Since we were on a motorcycle, we choose to stop at the first parking lot, and walk in.

We were glad we choose to park, because the gravel road is badly rutted.

The road finally turned into a  small parking lot. There is a short walking trail just off the parking lot, or you can head down the main path to the quarry.

 We can see why this is such a popular swimming hole; the quarry is absolutely stunning. 

This was originally a marble quarry that closed in the 70's. Once the quarry closed and the pumping stopped, it quickly turned into a man-made lake.

 Well, we said swimming hole, but there were quite a few floats, too. Here is one  group who clearly takes floating very seriously!  

Know before you go: Both Fort Dickerson Park and Fort Dickerson Quarry are free, and an easy walk (even if you park at the quarry's first parking lot.) Alcohol is not allowed at the quarry, and the quarry is closed to swimming after Labor Day. 

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