In my world a fun weekend getaway involves smooth travel, good food and a comfortable clean hotel. Throw in a few good friends and it can become perfect, even in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Don’t get me wrong, Knoxville is a cute little southern town, ya’ll. There are some fun bars and tasty restaurants but when it comes to “tourist attractions” it’s a bit lacking especially without a car. Our main reasons for heading to Knoxville was to drink beer in the company of Allison and Doug at the Knoxville Brewers Jam.
After an uneventful and iPhone entertainment filled 3 hour drive from Atlanta to Knoxville we were ready to to get our Jam on.
We sipped craft brew, mostly southern while listening to music in the southern sun. My favorite brew of the day was a Coconut Porter home brew. It was like an Almond Joy candy bar in a glass.
The next day Allison and Doug headed back to Atlanta leaving Charlie and me to find mental stimulus on our own. After searching the internet for “things to do in Knoxville” I finally landed on what seemed to be our two choices…..Civil War reenactment or Appalachian Festival? I ended up taking a Facebook poll… Costume Masks were suggested to add flair, and the Appalachian Festival won by a landslide.
The festival was held at the Museum of Appalacia (who knew that even existed) which is part of the Smithsonian network. It’s a pioneer farm-village with historic log structures with authentic Appalachian artifacts and farm animals. The grounds were great and the exhibits were fun to see. If your ever in Knoxville its worth the trip (if you have a car). The day was enhanced by the festival’s music and live exhibits.
A trip to the south wouldn’t be complete with a little food porn. Southern food is, well, delicious. Brisket, pulled pork, slaw and mac n cheese, OH MY. Yes, that is butter on those eggs. The grits were rich and creamy. And HOMADE Chips (still a little warm) with sweet onion dip…call me a myocardial infarction waiting to happen.
Such a fun weekend with all the ingredients of an excellent weekend getaway.
It was a good weekend!