Knoxville ... day 2

Well, the best laid plans .... I had some sights and museums to see in town but everything was closed because of the football game.  As I was told when I inquired .... "they bleed orange for UT."  It was eerie in town .... vehicles parked everywhere and not a person in sight .... like they were abandoned during a scary movie.

I did get a tour of the Mabry-Hazen House Museum (the only one open), which was very interesting.

The Mabry-Hazen House was built in 1858 and was used as a headquarters by both the Union and the Confederate army during the Civil War. The interior of the two story home is decorated as if the original families never left.  The last family member left it to be used "as is" as a museum.

I headed over to the Sunsphere, but couldn't find a place to park. I'll have to plan another day in Knoxville before I leave.

The Knoxville Sunsphere was showcased in 1982 at the World's Fair. The 266 ft. tall tower features five different open areas for visitors to explore.

My last stop ...

The "Rowing Man" sculpture in Downtown Knoxville is a unique piece of artwork. The statue can be seen sinking into the sidewalk while attempting to row his nearly submerged boat.

And then dinner - I must be in the "South" because the only food and drink they have here should come with either a diabetes or a heart-attack warning.  I stopped at Shoney's for dinner - a local chain I'm assuming - my turkey sandwich was served on grilled bread that was still dripping butter and three kinds of cheese with a baked potato.  Although I'm clear to order UN-sweetened ice tea, I still get served the sweet tea - it will send you into a coma - and have to send it back. ha  And they do love their buffets ...

The campground I'm in is quite. They have happy hour every day at 4, a jazz jam session one night, and an ice cream social on Sunday.

I'm still not entirely used to the number of people who "live" in campgrounds.  When I was setting up a boy and girl came over to check me out and visit.  When I asked where they were from, the boy gave me an odd look - they live here because "its cheaper than their house" and he is home schooled.

The days are short ... sunset is about 5 or 5:30pm each day.  Winter hours at the amusements are sometimes only 10-4,and closed a couple days, so it's forcing me to drive back to the same area a couple of times to do what I wanted to do with a long day, or be more selective in what I see.  I have 5 or 6 more areas I want to check out before I leave, so I'll have to get a move on.