Knoxville – Going back to my TN roots and discovery a new gem!

I stayed downtown at the Oliver Hotel, a charming boutique hotel facing Market Square. The three-story hotel has a lot of character with design, two restaurants, and a speakeasy bar (more on that later). My king suite room provided adequate space for me to stretch out, and the bed made me almost miss waking up for breakfast. I also have a fascination with hotel showerheads, and water pressure kept me in the bathroom longer than expected, and I was late for dinner one night. Exploring the downtown and old city was fun. It felt great to be back in Tennessee and also a different vibe. Knoxville and the business community did a great job of preserving the architecture of the old buildings while providing modern-day services to the town.

Maple Hall, an 11-lane bowling alley, is an experience. I say that because not only can you bowl, but there is a sports bar vibe with TVs mounted everywhere you turn, a bar, and a full menu serving delicious eats. You can bring your family out for fun or come to eat and drink with friends.

You can talk a short walk to Old City and pull up a seat at Boyd’s Jig & Reel if you’re out late. You can come for the live music, and if you’re a fan of scotch, you’ve made it to the promised land. Jig and Reels have over 1000 scotches they serve. You could drink a different scotch every day for 2.5 years.

Adventure

I love cities with close proximity to nature, and Knoxville is uniquely made for a person like myself. It sits along the Tennessee River, and it has the highest elevation over the rest of the state’s majority cities. Those two elements allow you to enjoy boating, kayaking, and SUP water activities. There are multiple outfitters along the river to enjoy these activities. I kept my feet on the ground and traveled to South Knoxville to visit the Ijams Nature Center to hike their trails. The trails are accessible for all-level hikers, and it is great to transition into an oasis of nature.

After my hike, I headed over to Navitat, also located at Ijams, for an aerial adventure in the woods. Navitat was epic! They create tree-based adventure trails configured with a mix of zip lines, bridges, swings, nets, climbs, and a few other elements, no spoiler alerts here. While attached to a sophisticated harness system, you are physically challenged to your level of choice, from easy to complex. Growing up, my friends and I had a climbing tree we used to play on, and Navitat brings all of your child-like obstacle course dreams to life.

Food

I’m a professional eater, and I couldn’t come back to the south and not eat soul food. Jackie’s Dream in North Knoxville was satisfied all of my neglected tasted buds. A plate of catfish, mac n cheese, greens, cornbread, and a cup of sweet tea spoke to my love language every time.

Another fantastic meal was at Kefi for dinner. A Mediterranean restaurant in Old City. The hummus with warm butter + pine nuts and the flatbread was a perfect starter. The beef short ribs were slowly braised in wine sauce served over a bed of feta polenta was so tender you could slice it with your fork. The cocktails selections are creative and unique, plus the atmosphere of the restaurant is perfect for a classy night out on the town.

Before I headed to bed, I made my way to Peter Kerns Library, a quaint speakeasy located…well I won’t give you too many details.  You have to visit and enjoy journey to reach this sanctuary of spirits. I went with a Tennessee staple, an old fashion with Restoration Rye Whiskey. After a few rounds all I had to do was make it to the elevator, always drink responsibly!

Knoxville certainly surprised me and added to my appreciation and love for Tennessee. It was great to learn about the city’s history and experience the variety of adventures that get me excited when I travel.