April 10-14: Knoxville

It was just under 2 hours to reach Knoxville from our Kentucky campground.

[Scuttlebuss Sidenote: We did notice on the drive that running our air conditioning (it was 80 some degrees where we were the 10th, soon to snow in Chicago..) greatly affects the acceleration of the Scuttlebuss. Slows ya way down and takes a long push to the floor to get back up to the speed limit. Also, strange gusts of wind would at times come through at your feet and other spots randomly. Anyone got any tips on that? We also noticed fluid leaking from the air conditioning area and phoned in a mini freak out to PaPa, but he eased our fears. Other than that, she's been a true joy. We love her.]

When we first exited the expressway and rolled up to a spot to a street spot at the start of the downtown strip (Gay St), it was across from a lovely looking venue called Bijou Theater. The marquee advertised a Son Volt performance taking place the 14th. We thought, hey, we know Son Volt. That looks like a nice venue. If it's affordable, maybe we'll stick around for it. It was affordable ($19.50) so we did.

Immediately upon wandering the strip, we "dug it". After seeing the Bijou, this mysterious sinking rowboater was the second sighting. No plaque of information on this fellow, which made me appreciate him all the more. I'm into random sinking mysterious rowboater type art. He is resigned to the situation, not thrilled... but pretty calm and level headed looking about his predicament. Calm tragic acceptance, see?

Then we saw this building, which did have an informative plaque in front of it... describing how the Everly Brothers would play on the third floor for a radio show every week before the host got mean and they stopped. Then went to Nashville and got famous. Neat-o!

 These buildings may have stories (surely they do) but I know not of them. I just likes the way they looks.

We grabbed an iced coffee from an adorable french crepe spot and sat outside with Yoshi. We wandered the streets a bit more, past more picture worthy buildings, the Tennessee Theater and many tasty looking restaurants and bars.

As we walked the streets, just about everyone seemed to want to chat and admire Yoshi's handsome mug. We exchanged many a pleasantry with many a stranger. We are getting good at this "socializing on the road" thing. People seem to love talking to people down here, talking for a good long while.
We were stopped by a woman smoking outside a restaurant, who told us she and her husband have a dog that is identical to Yoshi. She imparted to us the wild tale of their dog's origin: "It rode through the woods to us on the back of a Labrador." Pardon? "Yep. Just rode right up as a tiny pup, like it was on a horse. She's 16 now, and her hair had changed from that beautiful fur to wire hair, but then it all fell out and now it's growing back just like his again! I've gotta go get my husband, this is just too uncanny." So she went in, and he (Mike) came out. She had chatted with us for perhaps a little under a half hour, Mike for probably close to an hour. I asked him again about how this Yoshi-esque (Evelyn) puppy arrived, and he responded similarly "Oh yes, that was pretty weird. She was riding on this black Lab's back. We live an hour from here, far away from everything out in the woods. This lab just brought this adorable little puppy right to us, and we couldn't not keep her. She's been so wonderful." I asked him, "what about the Lab, did it stick around?" He responded, "That was weird too. She came and dropped of this little fluffy puppy, seemed to watch us with it a bit and ensure it would be taken care of, and then took right off back into the woods. Didn't even stick around a half hour." What a beautiful story, eh?
We talked to Mike about lots of things. He gave us some tips on where to go to eat and drink, although by the time we finished conversing with him almost all kitchens were closed. It was a nice chat just the same.
We luckily did find a pub with food (and a patio for Yoshi to join us) in the "Old City" area I think it was called, which Mike had given us directions too. We were a little nervous his directions were off when we were approached in the darkness by a man looking for money, and joked how funny it would be if Mike was really mostly just setting us up for our mugging after all that nice-ness. But Mike was a good man. And we were not mugged. And the food (latkes! .. ish) was good.

After a nice sleep at the trusty local Walmart, we headed to the Visitor's Center, where our friend Mike told us they have a free live performance (streamed on the local radio as well) every day at noon. It just so happened that day's band was in a similar vein to our own... a guy/gal folk duo called The Rough and Tumble. They were really good! I exchanged CDs with them after their performance.

From there, we headed back down to the Old City, which was even more attractive in the daylight.

 

The building below was an Enterprise (I think it's closed down now), but what a waste! I think it would make a perfectly perfect and adorably adorable 50's style diner. Paint the green baby blue and get some nice old broad's in there callin' you hun, slap a sign on it that says "WELCOME TO OLD MARY JOE'S PLACE" and you've gotcherself a spot. Except don't you do it. I want to. If you want to also, we can talk.

That night we decided to see Jurassic Park in 3D at the downtown theater! That was pretty fun.

The next day, the weekend market in market square (the street parallel to Gay St where all the rest of the eating/drinking/merriment goes on) was underway. We had read it was the place to busk, and busking there was. So I convinced KG to get the instruments with me and give it a go. We played 4 songs (beautifully, if I do say so) to no one who felt like slowing their pace. I threw a couple of dollars into our own guitar case, and as the wind blew I realized how perfect it would be if they flew away... and we lost the only two dollars in the case, which were mine.

The square is pretty cool, very impressive sidewalk chalk art everywhere, which we noticed in the dark... it was rained away before I got the photograph it. Beautiful temporary art. Like theater.

We took turns going up this sphere from the world's fair, that was pretty fun. No one was up there, and it was free. Just how I like my touristy attractions.

 

Already the order of the events is a bit confuzzled, therefore I'll simply throw some more details of the later days at you -- the order may or may not be close to accurate.
At some point a few days in, we headed over to one of the parks, Sequoya....

When we arrived and parked, I realized the great job I'd done at hydrating myself. In short, I had to go. KG said he saw a bathroom just a bit down the road on our way in, we could walk there quickly enough across the riverside park (nice open field with some nice tall trees are adorable dogs running about). So we walked. A mile through the park. And there was no saving grace across the way. Just a fancy house, and I didn't want to bother them with my bladder woes. So I started the job back in the opposite direction, knowing full well there was no public restroom that direction either, but there WAS a "TraveLoo" chemical toilet in my van. For "emergency #1's ONLY". But, it was broad daylight in a park parking lot populated by many a park frequenter. Well, when you must you must. I LOVE the Scuttlebuss blinds and curtain we installed. (Purchased at Walmart, for which I have been reprimanded by an Asheville hippie recently...) Even with the blinds and curtain, it was quite a low low on the journey thus far.

After my dignity was bruised, we let Yoshi play with some cute dogs and decided to continue on to a restaurant recommended from one of the books: "Litton's Market". Kevin's been real into burgers lately, and I hear it was one of the best ever. My chicken sandwich was tasty too.

Then, it felt like time to go see Harmony Karin's new film: Spring Breakers. We both loved it, but you might not. As the ticket selling gentlemen said to us as he sold us the tickets, "It's not for everyone."

Our last full day in Knoxville, the 14th.... started off alright. We went to the botanic gardens, which was the least extensive botanic gardens I've been to but still pleasant for a stroll, of course.

We ended up driving back to the Old City area for cafes, etc. As we were driving, we discussed how neither of us had bathed in about 5 days. We used the solar shower a bit while camping in Kentucky, but that had been it for a while. We decided we'd spoil ourselves our last night in town with a cheap motel. So I tried to get some info from Super 8, but the number I called went overseas and it was turning into a rough conversation. KG asked if I could spot him into the parrallel space, and I said yes... but was pretty distracted on the phone. And as she asked me the same question I couldn't identify for the third time, the Scuttlebuss bumped a bit into the car behind it as I looked away. K felt the eyes of 2 women and a man on the sidewalk the entire experience, glaring, glowering, writing and dialing. As he exited the vehicle, the man approached: "Listen y'all, we watched you hit that car. We gotchor license and called the poh lease. You made a dent in it. If you had left, I want y'all to know that woulda been a hit and run. I did what I had to do and they're comin now." We see, we were going to check, we didn't mean to, we're sorry, we weren't leaving. The metal hitch on the back did seem to have made a dent, and we felt badly about it.
They left and we waited around for the poh lease, who passed us as I waived at them 3 times. 15-20 minutes later, they arrived. Two cars (I'd already noticed the cops always worked in two pairs around there). They asked the details, we explained, they said it was fine. They'd file the report and leave the info with the other car (we could never find the owner), and then it'd be up to them and their insurance to sort it out. They shook our hands and we moved on with our lives, a bit annoyed by the admonishment of the onlookers... we never wouldn't have done right in that situation, and they were the first rude accusatory people we'd met in the south. It bummed us out.

We continued on with our plan to get a drink (the beer there was decent enough micro brews, ridiculously affordable everywhere at $2-$3).

Also that day, we went to the other park, Ijams Nature Center. Way cooler than the other one, it was a path through wilderness -- and they had a room with an eagle fenced in it and a room with an eerily anthropoidal vulture in it.






Witness the beauty of Ijams:

After talking in person to a Super 8 gal who told us their cheapest room was $50, then that we could get a discount if we were AAA members, but since we didn't have a card yet she wouldn't, and then that there was a $6 pet fee (we were thinking of keeping it to ourselves we had a dog, since we knew it was pet friendly.. but she asked).. we wrestled with what to do. I decided forget it, I thought it would be cheaper. After price comparing on the phone to no avail, I finally remembered priceline -- got us a deal ($40 including tax!) at a place "Extended Stay America" with a full kitchen and everything! It smelled terrible, but it allowed dogs and perfectly suited the bill. Except when we checked in (with Yoshi in the car) we saw a sign about an extra $25 dog fee. Since she told us our room was around the back in the basement with the smokers (the dog section also, the sign said) and didn't ask us... we withheld the information. Don't judge us, we checked "with dogs" on priceline and didn't see anything about the huge fee until we were already all payed up and checking in! Anyway, the shower was amazing. Kevin shaved, and I cut his hair. We were revived. We did laundry! We watched TV! Then went to Son Volt.

The next morning, we checked out and hit the road!