As I entered my fourth week as a nomad I also started the first week of my two-week summer vacation. A while ago my family decided to get together for a week after many many months apart, so we booked a house together on a lake in Arkansas (more on that later).
Before I could reunite with my family, I had to drive between Baltimore (where I was / returned to in nomad week 3) and Arkansas. To break this up, I spent a night in Knoxville TN.
In Needlepoint News:
On the drive to Tennessee along I-40 I stopped in Roanoke VA for a few minutes to do a little sale shopping at Yarn Explosion. The nice ladies who run this yarn / needlepoint store are retiring at the end of the July so almost the entire store was 50% off. If you can visit before July 31st you’ll probably find a great deal!
Upon arrival in Knoxville I checked into my hotel and then went right out for a nice walk with Fred. I was staying over by the University of Tennessee (UT) campus so as I walked towards downtown I passed through the World’s Fair Park.
The park has been transformed into a series of water features and green spaces and as I walked through both during the day and later at night, it was clear this is a well loved area. I observed couples having picnics, students practicing sports, and folks walking their dogs, all with a beautiful backdrop. If you’re in Knoxville, definitely take the time to check out this park!
After discovering the park I made my way downtown to the Market Square area. I had been to Knoxville once before, but only as a road trip stop over for lunch. At the time I met up with a local friend still completing his undergrad studies at UT for lunch at Tupelo Honey, which was both tasty and dog friendly at their outdoor patio.
This time around I met up with a new friend from my needlepoint Instagram, Christy (shop coming soon!), and we went to Cafe 4 for dinner, which was incidentally right across the street from where I ate the last time I was in town. I had a similarly lovely outdoor dining experience that was also dog friendly, so overall I would say the myriad of food options along the pedestrian only streets of Market Square are all great options based on location and ambiance alone, not to mention the variety of food choices!
On my way back from dinner I met up with my UT friend (who is now finishing his grad work, congrats on your first conference presentation Andy!) to see some of the campus and the grad student labs where he has spent way too many hours for the past few years. For all of you folks with masters degrees or PhDs out there, you know exactly what I mean when I say the lab becomes your life.
For the rest of us no longer in college, or for those looking ahead to it, the campus is gorgeous and definitely worth a walk through if you find yourself in Knoxville.
Accommodation Spotlight
Since this was my first proper vacation in a while, I decided to treat myself to a fun hotel by using up some handy dandy Chase travel credit card points. I chose the Graduate Knoxville to experience some of the over the top decor in person (don’t worry, it didn’t disappoint), and for its proximity to both the UT campus and downtown. Once I parked my car with the valet I was able to walk everywhere with ease.
Hotel Costs / Fees:
Nightly Rates: see their website or your travel booking service of choice. I used points via chase.
Parking: Valet parking available, $25 a night
Pet Fee: $25 a night
On the decor front, the lobby and rooms are themed to perfection. From the UT colors of orange and white radiating everywhere to the dog wallpaper in the bathroom and a cross-stitched bed pillow, I fell in love with the perfect mix of school spirit and kitsch that the hotel designers were able to achieve.
I grabbed breakfast the next morning at Poindexter, the coffee shop in the lobby, and while it wasn’t amazing (everything is still in to-go containers, thank you Covid), it was convenient and got me on the road at a reasonable time.
I snapped some bright orange lobby photos, along with a little video from my Instagram stories giving you a room tour. Overall I would recommend this hotel if you’re in Knoxville for the ambiance, the proximity to UT & downtown, and for being dog friendly.
Thanks for checking out my short stay in Knoxville. I hope if you find yourself driving across Tennessee that you’ll make some time to explore this beautiful college town.
~ Happy Travels, V ~
All photos taken on a first-gen iPhone SE