Our trip was sponsored by Visit Knoxville so we could explore on our own to show you how to experience and visit Knoxville as safely as possible.
Augustine and I explored Knoxville with my parents a few years ago. From the quarries to the zoo, murals to the BBQ, we had a blast. But Bob wasn’t able to join us. We always joked that it was the best trip and too bad he missed out- always teasing him that he had to come with us next time. Lucky for him, that opportunity presented itself at the end of August and we jumped into planning.
We partnered with Visit Knoxville last month to return to the city for a long weekend trip to rediscover what made it so special, even in a time when travel and daily life looks different, we were able to have one of the most memorable family vacations – and you can too!
Here is our totally do-able, incredibly fun, and safe travel itinerary.
Before you head out, make sure to practice safe travel guidelines and bring a few extra things in your suitcase. We brought a 3 small hand sanitizers per person that we can clip to our backpacks or in our purse easily, our own antibacterial soap to have in our hotel room, several breathable masks, and double checked our itinerary before arriving to be up to date on the latest restrictions or updates from COVID-19.
Day 1:
Arrive to Knoxville and check-in to The Graduate. We had stayed in the Columbia, SC Graduate and had such a fantastic time and felt 100% safe with their new safely precautions that we loved sticking with the brand. One thing that has become clearer in 2020 is loyalty to brands that make you feel safe- and The Graduate is leading the way in the industry. The Graduate is on University of Tennessee’s campus and has great walkability, beautifully designed rooms, and common spaces.
Drinks: Pretentious Beer Co. A great spot for an afternoon happy hour pint, with a cool outdoor patio and plenty of space to socially distance. This area of Old Town has so many amazing restaurants that you could spend your entire trip just dining down there (we practically did!).
Dinner: Kefi Knox. Just a short walk down the road is the Greek restaurant Kefi. While it definitely could be an awesome date night spot, you could easily bring your kid and enjoy yourself. We left Augustine with Bob’s parents so we could enjoy a date night out and loved it. We ordered the cocktail flight- like what?!- I had never even heard of that before and loved sampling each cocktail. Now I know which one to order when we return!
Day 2:
Coffee: Need a cup right when you wake up? Don’t worry, a short walk from the Graduate is Golden Roast and they have freshly brewed caffeine concoctions that are sure to wake you up.
Breakfast: Pete’s, downtown. Augustine loved the pancakes and we loved the simple breakfast staples that were hearty portions. We sat outside in their pretty courtyard with no one around but some squirrels and birds investigating who we were. 🙂
Morning Activity: Zoo Knoxville. Currently the Zoo is operating at limited hours and with advance ticket sales only. This can change as more things open back up, but we found the experience really nice. There was never a crowd near any of the animal experiences. Zoo Knoxville is set up perfectly for families with young kids, who maybe only have an hour and a half in them. We loved seeing some of our favorite animals again, especially the huge anteater!
Lunch: Sunspot. Back on campus, we snagged a table outside under their bright yellow umbrellas. We ordered way too much food but would gladly do it again as everything was so yummy. Don’t leave without trying the queso, the broccoli and coconut fritters, the fried avocado taco, the blacked shrimp taco, and the fried chicken taco. See, we ordered so much food!
Afternoon: The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Truthfully I’ve never been a huge fan of basketball, as I grew up in a football family. But I wasn’t prepared for how much Augustine would enjoy this experience. There is a lot of history and memorabilia packed into this space and true basketball fans could probably spend hours reading each caption. We browsed through them but with a kid who can’t read yet, she mainly cared about the photos and then the huge basketball playing area on the bottom floor. We were given balls from the front desk, wrapped in sanitized bags, and had the whole area to ourselves for almost 40 minutes. We threw the balls in hops, practiced dribbling, and Augustine even made a slam dunk (with the help of Bob). I didn’t realize she thought anything else about it until we were eating out a few days later and a WNBA game was on TV and she stopped us mid-sentence to tell us that all girls were playing basketball- just like she did. It was pretty profound.
Happy Hour: We dropped Augustine off with her grandparents and headed out to Tern Club, a sweet little Tiki bar in Old City. We told the bartender we wanted two of their brightest, most colorful drinks and she delivered.
Dinner: Southern Grit. Again we ordered too much food but also maybe just enough as we ate every single bite! We had the biscuits, the pimento cheese (I can’t say no when that is on the menu), Chicken Pot Pie and Shrimp and Grits. All of it was amazing. Yes, I felt like I couldn’t move afterwards. It was worth it!
Day 3:
Breakfast: French Market. This is where we discovered Augustine loved crepes. So we had to order several more after her first order.
Morning: Ijams Nature Center and Meads Quarry. This area of Knoxville completely surprised me the first time I visited and it did again this time. It’s beauty is unparalleled. It’s just stunning. Plus, it’s super fun for the whole family. We rented kayaks and paddle boards and headed out on the still water for an hour or so. Then we went over to the dock and swam for another hour. On a hot day, there is no where else I’d rather be.
Lunch: SoKno Taco. Right down the road from Meads Quarry is a great little taco spot with cheap street tacos. We each ordered three, even Augustine, and loved every bite. They have a good sized outdoor covered patio.
Afternoon: Shopping, Ice Cream, Mural Hunting in the Square. Don’t miss Rala, Jacks of Knoxville or Bliss for shopping. The Dolly Parton Mural in market square is pretty iconic too. We couldn’t leave without having Cruse Farm Creamery for an afternoon sweet pick me up.
Dinner: Oliver Royale. Make a reservation to dine outside on their patio. You’ll get to people watch (from a safe distance) and enjoy the beautiful weather. We ordered prosecco and mussels and really just relaxed after a long day.
Day 4:
Breakfast: Scrambled Jacks. A little out of the city in the Rocky Hill neighborhood, we passed by a huge beautiful park before arriving at Scrambled Jacks. The food was delicious- huge portions, including the toast flight and the biggest cinnamon roll I’ve ever seen.
Morning: Tour the historic homes. We stopped by Historic Westwood, a 1890 traditional Victorian, and Blount Mansion, a 1792 home with gorgeous crepe myrtles and a reading tree out front. Each historic home offers a tour but all hours are limited at the moment. Make sure to double check before you head out or you can just stop by and tour the outside on your own while looking up the history on your phone.
Lunch: Yassin’s To go, for a picnic lunch. Make sure to pack your own picnic blanket. You could picnic in UT’s campus gardens or Knoxville Botanical Gardens. We chose the latter and picked a pretty shady spot near the visitors center.
Happy Hour: Shulz Brau. We couldn’t leave Knoxville without one of their huge pretzels and a pint of Octoberfest beer.
Dinner: Central Filing Station. A food truck park not too far from Shulz Brau and near a few murals. They had tables socially distanced and spread apart, and live music. For the first time in months, I felt like this was a normal night out, if that makes sense.
