Stuff to do in downtown Knoxville

[Scoops]

[SIZE=12pt]MARKET SQUARE DISTRICT[/SIZE] -- from hotel it is a 16 minute walk or a 3 minute drive.

“Conceived in 1853 as a canny real-estate scheme by two young investors expecting to get rich off the idea, Market Square came to be Knoxville’s most public spot, a marketplace familiar to every man, woman, and child in the area. By the 1860s, it was the busiest place in a burgeoning city, a place to shop, work, play, eat, drink, and live.” Here’s a small sampling:

• Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation: 301 S. Gay Street 37902

o *FREE* Thursday at noon – attend the “WDVX Blue Plate Special” : a live, free concert series

o *FREE* Friday 10am – 2pm – enjoy “Uniquely Fridays” : weekly event showcasing local talent from dance to sculpture and everything in-between

o Also available here: free wi-fi, free two-hour parking, maps, brochures

• Downtown Grill and Brewery: 424 S. Gay Street

o best lunch of your life

o ask your wait-staff about the gypsy curse!

• Movies on Market Square:

o *FREE* Sept 24, 8:00 pm 10:00 pm –: family friendly fun; movie under the stars.

• Museum of East Tennessee History: 601 S. Gay Street

o Artifacts chronicling more than three centuries of life in East Tennessee.

o Open 7 days a week

o *FREE* admission on SUNDAYS

• Blount Mansion: 200 West Hill Avenue

o 5 min walk from hotel, 8 minutes (walking) from Market Square

o 1792

o Home of Gov. William Blount, signer of the US Constitution

[SIZE=12pt]EVENTS[/SIZE]

 

[Scoops]

[SIZE=12pt]OTHER PLACES IN AND AROUND KNOXVILLE[/SIZE]

• Knoxville Zoo: I-40 to exit 392

o Admission: Adults $16.95 ; Children (2-12) $12.95 ; Seniors (65+) $12.95

o Sept 24th: Art Gone Wild – an after-hours exhibit of art created by the animals. Enjoy wine and hors-d’oeuvres during exhibit.

• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: 700 Hall of Fame Drive

Admission: Adults $7.95 ; Children (6-15) $5.95 ; Seniors (62+) $5.95

• Lantern and Carriage Tour: Old Gray Cemetery

o Admission: Adults $15.00 ; Children $5.00

o Sept 26th: 4:00 – 7:00 pm

o History becomes alive at Old Gray as you stroll through 13 acres of the Cemetery and visit with Knoxvillians from the past. Through reenactors, you will be introduced to an officially pensioned Civil War nurse, a police chief who died as the result of an accident, a family of probable Melungeon ancestry, a mother of a renowned British children's author, the father of a famous playwright named Tennessee, and a World War II veteran. This family event encourages young and old to enjoy a carriage ride in Knoxville's oldest planned cemetery. Throughout the grounds there will be artists on location and World War II reenactors.

o Rain or shine.

• World’s Fair Park: 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive

o 6:00 am - midnight

o Acres of lawn, cascading waterfalls, placid streams, and many more gifts of natural beauty create an inviting environment for festivals, performances, meetings, conferences, or a quiet moment for personal reflection.

• Tennessee Museum of Aviation:

• Cyclemo’s Motorcycle Museum: 319 East Main Street, Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150

o Thursday – Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

o Private tours available Daily by appointment

• Antiquing

• Muscle Car Museum: Take I-40 to Exit 407 (Hwy 66), South 9 miles to 320 Winfield Dunn Parkway

o Admission: Adults $9.75 + tax ; Children (8-12) $4.00 + tax

o Open 7 days; 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

 

[Scoops]

[SIZE=12pt]And a little bit more:[/SIZE]

• Turkey Creek Shopping Area

o Shopping, dining, entertainment, plus a “5-mile greenway perfect for running, bicycling, walking and skateboarding.

o located between Lovell Road and Campbell Station Road at exit 374 off I-40 in Knoxville, TN. (15 minutes from downtown).

o Hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (Sunday 12 -6)

• Laser Quest: 8083 Kinston Park

o Live-action laser tag

o Admission $8.00

o Hours -- Thurs:1 pm to 9 pm ; Friday:1 pm to 11 pm ; Saturday: noon to 11 pm ; Sunday:1 pm to 7 pm

• Cradle of Country Music self-guided tour:

o One-hour walking tour

o Brochure available in the Downtown Knoxville Visitor Center 301 S. Gay Street 37902

o Other self-guided tours available here also

This is just a small sampling of things to do (besides ride the best roads in the East).

Inside your swag bag there will be a visitor guide -- on the last page are coupons for:

• Free admission to the Knoxville Botanical Garden (2 miles from downtown Knoxville)
• Knoxville sightseeing tours -- $2.00 off any tour
• Knoxville Visitor Center -- Free small coffee or soft drink
• Rita's (26 Market Square) -- buy one get one free (frozen desserts/snacks)

See you at NAFO!

 

[Scoops]

Here's how to get from the hotel to Market Square. Tons to see along the way:

 

[Fred W]

Wow!! The Aimee Mann tickets are only $26 on Sunday night.

I may score a couple (if it turns out we can stay... )

Looks like the Bijou is only a 1/2 mile walk from the hotel.

 

[Fred W]

:yahoo: Just scored a pair of the Mann tickets. This should be a great show.

Still some very good tickets left. Maybe they don't know much about Aimee down south? I got seats in the center of the second row of the balcony!

For those not aware of it, the Bijou is a historic theater that has only recently re-opened. Should be a fun way to spend Sunday evening.

[edit] and this was made possible by the coordinators convincing Marriott to extend the hotel rate thru Sunday night. Thanks (again) guys!!

 

[El Toro]

If you're venturing as far west as Turkey Creek, you might as well continue on a short bit further and check out Restaurant Linderhoff in Farragut, at 11831 Kingston Pike. 865-675-8700.

The Chef is a Bavarian fellow, the wait staff are in Lederhosen, the menu is an honest Bavarian menu, but there are also often daily specials of things like venison, roast duck, rack of lamb ....

I get over there a few times a year. I took a group of German speaking guests (exchange students from Austria) not too long ago, and it brought tears to their eyes. One ordered the Leberkase, and she said it was just like her mother's.

There are several schniztel options. Also such fare as Schweinhaxen, Fuerstenteller, Bauernschmaus, ....

Das Bier selection on tap is limited. Guenther typically stocks two German sourced lagers. He has an OK selection of German sourced bottled biers, but his bier selection is not the feature of the restaurant. The feature is the menu and its authentic preparation. FWIW, Hard drink pours are very generous.

The one drawback to Linderhoff is that Guenther tends to be in his own time zone. If you go with friends, plan to spend a very enjoyable evening, but don't plan to do much else besides enjoy Guenther's fantasy of Veruckter Ludwig's Bavaria.

The restaurant is in a strip mall, and it looks from the outside like it will be a dive. Once inside, Guenther has tried very hard to make the guests feel as though they are enjoying dinner in a room at NeuSchwanstein.

I should also mention that it is possible to get out for less than $25 if you limit your alcohol intake and pick modestly priced entree's. It is also possible to easily drop $75 or more if you go for several beers, and pick something like a venison special, buy an appetizer, and dessert.

Of the German restaurants that I have visited in the USA, the food at this one is the most authentic I have found.

 

[Scoops]

We've got 90 folks registered for NAFO. :yahoo:

Don't miss out on the fun!!

There's a ton of stuff to do in Knoxville in addition to a ton of twisty roads. :thumbsupsmileyanim: :hyper: :friends: :bike:

 

[Fred W]

Will any GPS ride routes be posted up soon?

This shin-dig is only about a month away!! :yahoo:

And the NAFO web site is still pretty empty lookin...