In 2017, I started a new travel blog called Tuesday Trekkin’. I take Tuesday off of work so my husband and I can spend some time together and travel around East Tennessee. So far, we’ve gone to Clinton, Norris, the Foothills Parkway, Burlington in East Knoxville, and Lenoir City.
Clinton was the first official Trek. Clinton is an adorable little town with tons of antique shops. I also recommend a trip to the Green Mcadoo Cultural Center.
Green McAdoo Cultural Center Sculpture
Downtown Clinton Tennessee
Hoskins restaurant sign
Historic Clinton TN
Clinton downtown
Clinton Antiques
The next Trek was to the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. A beautiful drive up the mountain with gorgeous views.
Dangerous Waters
Foothills View
An old road side store in rural Tennessee. It’s old, rotting, falling apart, but the flag still stands.
The back porch is overgrown with weeds, as the cover threatens to fall in.
The side doors stand open, hanging from the hinges, threatening to fall off at any time.
Norris, TN was our third trek. We timed this just right. The leaves were amazing that day!
He stood very still, showing very little fear of us.
It was closed for the season. But we were able to look around.
Orange and Yellow leaves create a fiery bed around the historic Rice Grist Mill in Norris Dam State Park.
Stone steps at the Rice Grist Mill in Norris Dam State Park. The autumn leaves have fallen and the recent rain gave them the feel of an orange water fall.
A heron sits still and quiet by the stream in Norris Dam State Park in the fall.
Norris Post Office sits among the fallen autumn leaves.
The colorful autumn leaves are reflected in Norris Lake on the quiet, still water.
I snuck in a weekend trek to Nicholasville, KY on Thanksgiving weekend.
The Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville, KY looks different from most other American courthouses.
A small church just off of the main street in Nicholasville.
An old cafe sign I found in an alley in Nicholasville, KY.
The Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville, KY is an unusual Gothic architecture.
The Lunch House in Burlington is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch.
Greenlee’s Drug Store has long been closed for business.
Ace Building Golden Gloves Arena in Chilhowee Park
The Homer Hamilton is an amphitheater in Chilhowee Park. It is used for concerts during the Tennessee Valley Fair.
Our final trek of the year was to Lenoir City. The best thing about Lenoir City was the Le Noir Restaurant. Downtown was quiet with a few antique shops.
One of the best meals we’ve had on a Tuesday Trek so far.
A warm interior with a little retro feel. The food was great and service perfect!
This sign is modern with a retro feel. It felt a little out of place since it’s so new compared to everything else downtown
A lit barbershop pole in downtown Lenoir City, TN.
The long shadows at sunset and the Christmas bow give this that small town feel.
The flag blowing in the wind with the Used Books sign grabbed my attention immediately.
The side entrance to the firehouse feels very retro and looks inviting in this early sunset photo
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The weekly photo challenge is to post my most meaningful image taken in 2017. I’ve decided to post a gallery of my favorites. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.
A composite map of Budapest with an antique map and a recent photo of the Budapest Parliament Building
Time for the train is a collage of pocket watches and a photo of a steam train. Trains and pocket watches go together.
City Glass & Mirror is located in downtown Clinton, TN. Faded and chipped but still readable the sign drew my eye.
I love this photo! I love this version. It glows, it’s warm, it’s inviting.
Budapest Night Lights
Sunset Cruise Prague
Waiting at Europa
The flag blowing in the wind with the Used Books sign grabbed my attention immediately.
It’s Tuesday! That means it’s time for trekkin’. Last week’s trek was to Lenoir City with a brief drive through downtown Loudon.
After being unable to trek for a couple of weeks, we finally got back on the road. We started out later than usual. We usually get on the road bright and early in the morning. But we had early afternoon appointments, so we had to wait until after that to leave.
Since we were leaving late, we thought we would go somewhere nearby. Lenoir City landed at the top of the list. After our previous attempts at finding a good place to eat, I was feeling a little doubtful that it would ever happen. Today was the day. I found Le Noir Restaurant and thought the menu looked interesting. It’s a Belgian Style Bistro with some southern, comfort dishes added in. They had several Belgian style beers on the shelf. We tried the Abbey Ale from the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. I had a chorizo burger. OMG! It was awesome! I don’t eat a lot of meat or bread, but this sounded great, so I went for it. Totally worth it! My trekkin’ partner had the Sausage with Red Cabbage and potatoes. It was pretty yummy, too! After eating, we walked around downtown a bit. It was cold as hell, so we weren’t interested in doing too much walking. We stopped in the Ugly Mug Coffee Shop for some hot beverages to warm us a bit. The museum in town was not open on Tuesday, so we couldn’t check it out. So, we decided to head back out. We drove through downtown Loudon. We will definitely head back to Loudon after the holidays.
One of the best meals we’ve had on a Tuesday Trek so far.
A warm interior with a little retro feel. The food was great and service perfect!
The sign is still visible from the C.W. Harvey Grocery store in downtown Lenoir City. The ghosts of yesteryear.
A lit barbershop pole in downtown Lenoir City, TN.
The long shadows at sunset and the Christmas bow give this that small town feel.
This sign is modern with a retro feel. It felt a little out of place since it’s so new compared to everything else downtown
Lenoir Rexall Drugs and Prescriptions. Sunset casts heavy shadows and gives this a soft look.
The drugstore on the corner. Every small town has one.
The firehouse in downtown Lenoir City was formerly the Lenoir City Utilities Board
The side entrance to the firehouse feels very retro and looks inviting in this early sunset photo
This sign with a backlit flag and a little sun flare on the car. It’s what Tuesday Trekkin’ is about.
It’s Christmas in small town America. The historic Loudon Courthouse is decorated and picturesque.
The Weekly Photo Challenge is Ascend. To get to the top, you have to work for it sometimes. Take the stairs, the elevator is broken.
A spiral staircase is visible through an open door in a building in Cuba
Stone steps at the Rice Grist Mill in Norris Dam State Park. The autumn leaves have fallen and the recent rain gave them the feel of an orange water fall.
The shadow of the scroll work on the railing is highlighted on the stairs.
This week’s uploads are a hodgepodge of images that needed worked. They are mostly images that have been worked before but I wanted to revisit and give them new life. Enjoy! Feedback is always welcome. Be sure to sign up for email notices so you don’t miss anything!
Cathedral of St. Vitus Eastern facade where the Gothic architecture is most visible with its flying buttresses and great stained glass windows.
Glass ornaments filled with colorful ribbons hang in a shop window in Budapest. The glass balls reflect the whole building across the street, while the window reflects just part of it.
Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville, KY is Victorian style architecture, finished in 1879. It felt very Gothic to me, so I finished it with a spooky sky and vignette.
Rural Gas Station Black and White. We found this empty gas station in rural East Tennessee. There are still items inside but the floor has fallen in, so we could not go in.
Cat sister, Mavis and Maya, play together. The two brown and white tabby girls are about 7 months old.
Bicyclists on the streets of Budapest, Hungary.
Time for the train is a collage of pocket watches and a photo of a steam train. Trains and pocket watches go together.
The Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial in downtown Knoxville, TN depicts 3 of the leaders of women suffrage campaigns in Tennessee.
Jackson Warehouse Apartments is located in the historic Shockoe Bottom district of Richmond, Virginia. The tall red brick building with the sign painted on the side is what city life is all about.
City Glass & Mirror is located in downtown Clinton, TN. Faded and chipped but still readable the sign drew my eye.
We’ve been having a hard time getting out of Knoxville the last few Tuesdays. It seems Tuesday has become errand day. Maybe after the holidays, we can get started up again. Today’s gallery is from the Burlington area of Knoxville, TN.
Burlington is east of downtown Knoxville. It is currently full of empty and run down buildings. But there are quiet a few people trying to rebuild it and bring new life and prosperity to the area.
The Homer Hamilton is an amphitheater in Chilhowee Park. It is used for concerts during the Tennessee Valley Fair.
Ace Building Golden Gloves Arena in Chilhowee Park
Greenlee’s Drug Store has long been closed for business.
The Lunch House in Burlington is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch.
Keeton’s Jewelers sign. I have a thing for clocks on signs. This is a favorite of mine.
Lema’s World Famous Chittlins. The red building stands out and sits next to a small fire house.
OK Furniture I love the faded letters on the front of this building.
Scott’s Place is known for it’s hamburgers and onion rings. But how cool is that giant ice cream cone?
It’s not a Tuesday Trek, but it was still a trek. I went to Kentucky for dinner with my family. Before I headed home the next day, my mom and I headed out to Nicholasville for breakfast. We had delicious breakfast at Cottage Cafe on the edge of town. My current wish is to find a place like this on our Tuesday Trek! The service was great, the food was awesome, and the atmosphere everything I wanted. They also have lunch and dinner. That menu looked pretty good as well.
After eating, we went downtown so I could take photos of the courthouse. The courthouse itself is Gothic in design and looks different from most courthouses. I walked around a bit but I wanted to get home, so I couldn’t get as many photos as I wanted. But I will be back!
Cottage Cafe Sign
Cottage Cafe outside
This is just part of the breakfast menu
The Fiesta omelet with cheese, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, onions.
The Jessamine County Courthouse in Nicholasville, KY is an unusual Gothic architecture.
The weekly photo challenge is transformation. While the original blog discusses weather and seasonal transformations, I decided to go in a different direction.
The entrance to the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Wieliczka, Poland. The mine opened in the 13th Century and worked continuously through 2007. It is now a tourist attraction where one walk down to 210 ft below ground on a very narrow stairwell.
When we were in Krakow, Poland, we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mines. The mines have been continuously active from the 13th century until 2007. I briefly discussed our trip to the mines in my Krakow post. Here you can see some more of the mines and why it’s worth going down 400 stairs to get there.
A lake inside the mine.
A tunnel lined with salt licks for made for farm animals
A salt statue of Nicolaus Copernicus inside the mines.
The majority of the tunnels were lined with wood, but once in a while we would pass an area where we could see the salt seeping from the walls, creating a marble effect. Once in the mine, we started seeing sculptures and scenes carved from the salt by the miners themselves.
The walls in the tunnels are covered with salt, creating a marble look.
Once large scene, carved in the 17th century, depicts the Princess of Kinga. Princess Kinga was reluctantly engaged to Bolesław V. The legend is that she flung her engagement ring into the Maramures salt mine in Hungary. From there, the ring made its way to Wieliczka, Poland where it was discovered in a lump of salt. Thus bringing salt mining to Wieliczka.
The Janowice Chamber is a large sculpture dedicated to Kinga
Throughout the mines, there are scenes like this, just as old. But the most amazing is the Chapel of St. Kinga. It is a testament to the miners’ dedication to their Christian beliefs and acts as a working cathedral. They hold weekly Holy Services, sermons, weddings, etc in the large hall.
The Chapel of St. Kinga still acts as a chapel where masses and other Holy Services are still held.
A Jesus statue inside the St. Kinga Chapel in the mine.
An altar in the Chapel of St. Kinga. The amazing detail in the sculptures is awe inspiring.
A manger scene inside the Chapel of St. Kinga
The mine is on Poland’s official National Historic Monuments registry. It is also a Unesco World Heritage site. There are different routes you can take through the mines. There is a tourist route, a miner’s route, and a Pilgrim’s route. The Pilgrim’s route includes prayers in each chapel and a mass at the end of the tour.
Chapel Salt Mine. A chapel inside the Wieliczka Salt Mines in Krakow, Poland.
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