10/21/20 – 10/22/20 – Exploring Downtown Knoxville, TN

Day 40 – 41

Our luck held out and the weather stayed picture-perfect on Wednesday and Thursday, 10/21/20 and 10/22/20. There is no courtesy vehicle at Volunteer Landing marina, but that wasn’t a problem since we were located right downtown. A ride in an elevator and a short hike across a pedestrian walkway got us right to Gay Street, which is where all the action is.

I got around early on Wednesday morning and took advantage of the paved walking/biking pathways just adjacent to our marina. I walked about a mile and a half, all the way down to Governor Ned McWhirter Riverside Landing Park, which is where local rowers put their sculls (very narrow, rowing boats) into the river for practice and competitions. Sculling/rowing is big at Knoxville’s University of Tennessee.

Put-in and take-out point downtown for Knoxville’s rowers. It’s located about a mile and a half east of Volunteer Landing marina along the paved walking/biking pathways along the river.

Idle sculls awaiting their rowers at McWherter Park.

Unlike previous marina’s, the terrain of the walking pathways was relatively flat and straight, which meant I could get some serious power-walking in! My power-walking leaves much to be desired, however, since I’m constantly breaking stride to stop and take pictures of wildflowers.

These wild asters made me miss the ones I had planted in my Franklin flowerbeds.

Very nice, paved pathways directly adjacent to Volunteer Landing marina.

When I returned from my long morning walk, Steve actually put on his tennis shoes and announced he was ready to explore downtown Knoxville! I really got my steps in that day! We walked all the way down Gay Street and back, stopping at Blackhorse Brewery for lunch and Steve sampled one of their own IPAs. Then we walked over to Market Square and I actually got to do some shopping in several boutique stores, while Steve waited outside in the wonderful weather.

Enjoyed a lunch and an IPA at Blackhorse Brewery on Knoxville’s Gay Street.

Views of downtown Knoxville’s Market Square, several blocks off of Gay Street.

On Wednesday night, we walked to Calhoun’s, just west of our marina in downtown Knoxville, for dinner. The food at this Calhoun’s was just as tasty as that we enjoyed at Calhoun’s at Fort Loudon Marina.

Early evening view from our table at Calhoun’s.

On Thursday, we walked back downtown, did some more sight-seeing and enjoyed a terrific brunch at Ruby Sunshine, on Market Square. Afterward, Steve caught an Uber ride to Great Clips and then to Publix. I walked by myself back to the boat to wait for his return, stopping at another boutique shop on the way, of course.