Travel Blog: One Night in Knoxville

Let's spend a night in Knoxville, Tennessee on the latest SoBros Travel Blog!

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As many of you who regularly read SoBros Network know, I tend to run a little hot. I’m always working and I’m rarely taking time for myself. I think it’s just the way I’m wired. Nonetheless, today, I’m writing something I started on November 7th about a trip we took on October 26th. Sue me. I’m way behind on my work. What’s funny is looking back in hindsight, my wife and I took this “night off” in Knoxville before Halloween because we were feeling particularly worn down at the time! We didn’t even realize things would pick up even more throughout November, and that our holiday season would be such a blur.

I’m glad we did it, though. East Tennessee, in my opinion, is easily the most beautiful part of the Volunteer State. We live in Mount Juliet, and I absolutely love that we’re only a couple hours away from Knoxville, and a few away from the majesty of the Smoky Mountains. Usually, it’s Gatlinburg or it’s Chattanooga when we decide we’re overworking and need a weekend away. But, this time, we knew Dusty Slay was going to be playing at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. So, we figured since we’d gone over a decade without spending any time in Knoxville, we’d take the opportunity to catch up. It was the perfect way to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty of the state.

Just thinking about it today, as I sit here three months later, I feel relaxed. That late October through early November window is peak leaf season in the region, and we were reminded of that as the sun rose on our drove out of Mount Juliet. I snapped this when we were somewhere on I40 with the Caney Fork winding beneath bridges we crossed.

By the time we made the outskirts of Knoxville, it was about 10AM and all of the stores were beginning to open. I checked my email and saw that Yankee Candle was running an incredible 4 for $40 deal. Those large jars are usually $30 a pop, so you know we had to stop and take advantage of that. The choices? Enchantress Spell, Stargazing, Autumn Daydream, and Woodland Weekend Memories. Solid options on a solid pit stop. From there, it was on to the Smokies.

We can’t get off the Sevierville exit without a stop at Buc-ee’s. I’ve eaten hundreds of those Texas cheesesteak burritos at this point. We loaded up with snacks for our drive through the mountains. We drove through Pigeon Forge and up towards Gatlinburg. When we opted to forego the usual photo from the Gatlinburg bypass and head straight to Cades Cove, the GPS carried us back towards Pigeon Forge.

Coming out of the mountains, we turned left onto Conner Heights Road. We ended up in Wears Valley, which looked like a beautiful, more quiet, outlet from all of the commercialized chaos of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Antique stores, wineries, and cafes littered the road as we took a leisurely drive through what felt like a side of the Smokies we weren’t supposed to see. Who’s been keeping this secret from us? From there, we made it through Townsend, another quaint mountain town, when we realized that Waze had sent us in the back way to Cades Cove.

Nonetheless, we made it to what has quickly become my favorite part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The views are unmatched. Something about Cades Cove feels like a trip back in time. Maybe it’s all the old churches in the park. Maybe it’s the timeless majesty of the mountains. I don’t know. But, I feel like I’m a million miles from civilization there and that’s one of the few ways I can truly turn my hyperactive brain off.

We enjoyed our stroll through the park and opted to head back through Townsend to explore the area a little more and grab some lunch before heading back towards Knoxville.

It’s an awesome stop – right there on the river with a ton of craft beers on tap to choose from. We got some appetizers and sat for a bit to recharge. We caught ourselves enamored by Townsend, saying that we were due for a quieter trip to the Smokies and that just may be the spot to get it.

It was nearing 2PM at this point in the day, and we knew the drive back to Knoxville would be about an hour or so. Wanting to get in a quick rest, we made our way towards downtown. It was a beautiful weekend to visit Knoxville because the Vols were on a bye so the city was essentially crickets. It was all quiet – no trouble getting into our hotel, no trouble getting to the Dusty Slay show either.

Such a great venue for comedy. We found the streets were pretty bare for dinner too! We strolled over a few blocks to Stock and Barrel. We remembered quickly that it was the Saturday before Halloween as we walked by bars with lines of people in costumes waiting to get in. Oh, to be young again. I remember those days. We cozied up inside Stock and Barrel, where I got a smores old fashioned and then a….brace yourselves….a burger that had a deep fried banana, peanut butter, and bacon jam on it. It’s a heavy sandwich. That’s for sure. But, I found it to be quite rich and enjoyable.

After a good night’s sleep, I wanted to show my wife Old City. Not really thinking it would be popping on a Sunday morning, I figured I’d just show her what I knew to be one of the trendy parts of town, and an area I’d hung out in before. Then, we’d be on our way. It’s changed quite a bit since my last visit, and I was delighted to find Old City Java, where we got our morning coffee fix and picked up a few pastries before the drive home.

I know it’s awfully late to be talking about ‘peak leaf season’ and ‘quick fall getaways,’ but if this travel blog does nothing else for you, maybe it’ll at least put Knoxville on your late October radar for 2025. I know we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on that SEC schedule to drop to find Tennessee’s bye week next season. I can still feel that chill October wind blowing through my hair.

Check out our catalog of travel guides on SoBros Network if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next weekend getaway from Nashville or beyond!

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, third on Football & Other F Words, co-host of The Hot Read Podcast, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.

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