Knoxville, TN

One of the reasons to get out of Charlotte was to escape the heat.  This has not work.  It's as hot as blazes here in Knoxville.

This morning we drove out to Ijams Nature Center, to see what was out at the park.  A quick visit to the Visitor's Center, before checking out Navitat, the ziplining activity in the trees.  It's booked out today, but we are going to come back tomorrow on our way out of town.  We then headed down to the Tennessee River to hike along the boardwalk.  I was aware that the boardwalk had been washed away but some of it was still accessible, I didn't realize how little we could walk.  The river is not very pretty here, and still, and it's just a battle against heat and insects so we didn't stick around long.  I do hope one day they repair the boardwalk, just for something different to walk around than your usual trail.  We went over to see Mead's Quarry Lake, but we are not prepared for swimming, so we sit a while, mouths agape, as others cool off in the man made lake - floating around in tubes, or kayaking.  I really didn't prepare for this very well.

B&L, Boardwalk, Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, TN

A few neighbors attended UT, and said we had to eat at Calhoun's, so this is where we stopped for lunch because....BBQ.  An hour and a half wait to sit inside, so we took a seat on the the giant deck, right near the equally giant fan, where we cooled off and enjoyed lunch overlooking the Tennessee River.

After lunch we headed over to the UT Campus to go to the McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture.  This free, and practically empty, museum provided respite from the heat and the boys really enjoyed it, particularly the Native American exhibit.  Once we got back to the hotel it was straight to the pool for the boys.  For all we did, this may have been the highlight of the day for them.

For dinner we decided to go to Babalu in downtown.  There used to be one in Charlotte, and it was a favorite of ours, but I'm not sure it is the same brand.  I'm not sure if we'd just had it, but tonight's meal seemed painful for the boys, and I end up eating most of the food.  At least the ice cream at Kilwins rescued the night.