Tag Archives: Tuesday Trekkin

Americana, Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Tuesday Trekkin’ – 021318 Loudon Tennessee

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You may recall that we made a quick stop in Loudon on a previous Tuesday Trekkin’. I decided we should go back during the day and check out the town. We decided to try the back way into town and got a little lost. But it wouldn’t be a Tuesday without a little diversion.

A great lunch

Once we arrived, we had an excellent low key lunch at Annabell’s Emporium. We both had soup and quiche. He had the Italian Wedding Soup. I had the tomato bisque. Both were spot on.

A large mural is painted on the side of Annabell’s Emporium. Inside there is a small cafe and plenty of beautiful antiques.

Around Town

After lunch, we made our way around town. We found some interesting empty buildings. It always breaks my heart when I go to these small towns and see so many empty shops and buildings. And these were some pretty cool places that are just begging for love and art.

An old caboose is parked at the historic train depot in Loudon, TN
A boutique in Loudon, TN.
There has been a funeral home at this location in Loudon since 1916. It is currently owned and run by the McGill family
The Lyric Theatre in Loudon, TN
The historic Loudon Courthouse
The Friendly Florist seems to be closed for good.
The Acme Hospital Equipment Co. is also closed for good.
A gorgeous, brick building in Loudon, TN. It is empty but full of potential.
The Loudon Train Depot houses the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce and also has a cool caboose out front.

More Empty Places

After seeing these historic brick buildings, we rounded a corner and saw this place. It is the old Bacon Creamery / Hosiery and later Hutch Manufacturing. But now it is empty and falling apart. I appreciate beauty in decay. However, I wish it were full of people working and building and making.

A very detailed, metal awning on the now empty Hutch Plant in Loudon
One of several covered walkways between the buildings of the Hutch plant in Loudon
a different view of the Hutch plant
Empty water tower frames in Loudon, TN.
Exterior Sprinkler Alarm on the old Hutch Manufacturing Plant in Loudon
The company will not be responsible for loss or damage to cars or contents while parked on company property.
Hutch is no longer in business. The plant is empty and rotting. But the offices seem to be used by the local utility company.

Tuesday Trekkin’ is fun for us. We see so many new and different things. Places that I did not know existed and would never have found if we didn’t just start wondering around. We will be taking a little break. But hope to be back trekkin’ soon!

Prints are available from all of the Tuesday Trekkin’ blogs here.

Americana, Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Tuesday Trekkin’ Cades Cove and Elkmont

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We finally got back on the road for Tuesday Trekkin’. My Tuesdays have turned into take the cat to the vet day. We have 6 cats and 4 of them are seniors, so vet visits are a way of life. Anyway, back to the real reason we’re here.

Plans? What plans?

We had been planning to go to Jonesborough, the first town in Tennessee. However, plans are more like suggestions for us, so that didn’t happen. It was cold and I didn’t fancy walking around outside in the cold. We decided a car ride might be a better option. We could see things and still enjoy the heated seats. There was also the lure of possible snow in the mountains. Snow can make pretty pictures.

Lunch

We planned to eat at a bbq place in Townsend, but we got there and it was closed for the season. We found a great little Italian place, Brianna’s Italian Restaurant and Cuisine,  just down the road instead. It proved to be a happy accident. Walt had the stromboli and I had the eggplant parmesan. Both were excellent! We will definitely be going back.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove was a bit of a disappointment as there was only a bit of snow here and there. Winter in the mountains is brown. Cades Cove is a valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The road is an 11 mile loop where you can see tons of wildlife, some old historic cabins, and a few old churches. We took the shortcut though and saw none of that. Onward we went.

They just blew a whole in the mountain and made a tunnel.
The trees are bare and there is a dusting of snow. You know that water is cold!
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is full of trails and paths
Winter in the Cove is quiet.

Elkmont

Walt decided we might try Elkmont, but the sun was setting fast. We weren’t sure we’d make it in time. They close a lot of the roads after dark due to possible hazardous conditions in the winter. But we made it! I had not been there before and found it pretty cool. It’s a small resort community in the mountains where people could stay in the summer. Most of the leases were up in 2001. After that, it became a ghost town. The Wonderland Hotel was once in this area, but in 2005 it collapsed. Most of the historical items were removed and a small annex was left. The annex burned down in 2016.

Several houses in the Elkmont Community are still standing and in decent shape.
A log cabin in the Elkmont Community
A summer cabin in the Elkmont resort community
The steps to the Wonderland Hotel
Sitting on the steps that go up to the ruins of the Wonderland Hotel
The chimney of the Wonderland Hotel stands alone at sunset in Elkmont.
An old sink from the ruins of the Wonderland Hotel.
Americana, Tuesday Trekkin', Weekly Photo Challenge

Weathered in Tennessee

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The Weekly Photo Challenge is weathered. I have many versions of weathered buildings and places. This gallery is from a Tuesday Trekkin’ trip in 2017.

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.
An old road side store in rural Tennessee. It’s old, rotting, falling apart, but the flag still stands.

 

Tuesday Trekkin'

A look back at Tuesday Trekkin’ 2017

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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.

One trek kept us close to home with a drive around Burlington in East Knoxville. 

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

Be sure to follow me so you can follow Tuesday Trekkin’ as well as see my other art and travel blogs.  Feel free to share your blog link in the comments, too!

Keep Trekkin’!

Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge

2017 Favorites

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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.
Americana, Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Tuesday Trekkin’ Lenoir City

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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.

Do you do a weekly trek? Share your blog below?

Americana, Tuesday Trekkin'

Tuesday Trekkin’ Burlington

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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?
Americana, Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Weekend Trek

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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.

 

Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Americana in Black and White

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Colorful Bird Houses oustide a shop in Clinton, TN.
Historic Clinton, TN is full of quaint shops and great vintage signs.
Clinton Train Depot in East Tennessee.
Downtown Clinton, TN is lined with antique shops and small home town shops.
Historic Home in Dandridge with the flag in selective color.
Jefferson County Courthouse is located in downtown Dandridge, TN.
Tinsley-Bible Drugs is located in Dandridge, TN. The marquee is classic Americana.
The Trackside Grill in Ashland, VA. The sun has gone down and the street light glows on the corner.
Norris Post Office with its bright red door.
The side doors stand open, hanging from the hinges, threatening to fall off at any time.
The back porch is overgrown with weeds, as the cover threatens to fall in.
An old road side store in rural Tennessee. It’s old, rotting, falling apart, but the flag still stands.
Mighty Tennessee Theatre Black and White

There is no Tuesday Trekkin’ this week since I was out of state for work last week. I decided instead to bless you with some black and white versions from previous travels.

All photos are available as prints here.

 

 

Americana, Photography, Tuesday Trekkin'

Tuesday Trekkin’ – Norris, TN

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Tuesday Trekkin’  – November 7 – Norris, TN

We changed plans several times for this Tuesday Trek due to weather concerns. We were originally going to go to Norris, then on up to Rugby. After checking the weather and the rain possibilities were looking good, we decided to just go to Norris, since nothing in Rugby would be open anyway. Apparently Tuesday is an off day for everybody! This morning we got up and it was a pretty steady rain, so we decided would stay in Knoxville and maybe go downtown for lunch and an afternoon movie. We’ll have a leisurely coffee and hang until about 11am then head downtown for lunch. Uh, yeah, the coffee pot is broken. So, my packrat husband found his grandma’s old percolator and we made coffee with that. It was fine coffee, if not a little messy.

Our coffee pot this morning.
Rural King in Halls
Boots, boots, boots

 

After a bit, the rain stopped. So, we debated whether we should try for Norris or stick with the movie plan. We decided to go to Norris, skip Rugby, and go to a movie when we get back into town. On the way to Norris, we stopped at a place called Rural King so the husband could buy some oil for his car, he likes to change his own oil. We were taken with the place, but didn’t buy much. I did have to drag my husband out. We finally made it to Norris. I found a little cafe in town that was supposed to be great, we went straight for it. They had some interesting appetizers, trout cakes with butter cabbage (?) and a pecan cheeseball, on the menu that we wanted to try. But guess what? They were out of both. No worries, we ordered some sandwiches. I ordered a Philly Cheesesteak and Walt ordered the grilled cheese with bacon and pickles (blech). The philly was fine. He liked the grilled cheese okay, too. We haven’t hit any home runs in the food department of Tuesday Trekkin’. But I think Tuesday seems to be an off day for most places. We will keep trying.

We should have tried the pizza
Sweet Cafe in Norris next to the Post Office and a general market.
Lots of bread. The bread was great, though!
Pickles….

After lunch, we walked around the small town square for a few minutes. We found a museum connected to the library. So, it’s only open on Tuesday and Thursday, but it doesn’t open until 2pm. It was 1pm. We had to laugh about it. We left town to go to see Norris Dam. On the way, we spotted the Norris Musuem and around the corner an old Grist Mill and Barn with a thrasher, both moved piece by piece from other locations. The museum was closed, of course, the mill and barn were locked but we were able to walk around and get some great pics!

It was closed for the season. But we were able to look around.
A very picturesque threshing shed.
He stood very still, showing very little fear of us.
A piece of the largest Trigonia Elm found in the US. It was cut down by TVA in 1980 after it was fatally damaged by lightening.
It’s Solar Powered and they provide power cords!
They even provide power cords!
Norris Dam
One of our favorite local pizzeria in downtown Knoxville

We finally made it to the dam where we met a nice man showing off East Tennessee to his visiting family. I had to take some pics of the visitor center with it’s midmod architecture. We made it back in town in time for Walt to take a quick nap before heading out to the movie, Thor 3: Ragnarok. The movie was great! It was patently ridiculous and silly, but I loved it. Afterward, we picked up pizza from our favorite pizza joint, Dazzo’s Pizzeria. It was perfect!

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.
Historic Rice Grist Mill at Norris Dam State Park is surrounded by beautiful autumn leaves.
Orange and Yellow leaves create a fiery bed around the historic Rice Grist Mill in Norris Dam State Park.
A rusty metal water tub at the threshing shed in Norris State Park
Threshing Shed at Norris Dam State Park with a blue wagon waiting to be put to work.
The colorful autumn leaves are reflected in Norris Lake on the quiet, still water.
A heron sits still and quiet by the stream in Norris Dam State Park in the fall.

Prints are available here.