{"id":39143,"date":"2022-05-29T17:12:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T17:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kmatest.com\/?p=39143"},"modified":"2024-09-30T04:44:11","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T04:44:11","slug":"knoxville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kmatest.com\/en\/2022\/05\/knoxville\/","title":{"rendered":"Getaway around Knoxville"},"content":{"rendered":"

My \"wish list\" of destinations to visit is huge and Knoxville<\/strong> just isn't there. Neither had it located on the map, nor was there anything in the area that caught my attention. But I had a personal event and I decided to spend three days there.<\/p>\n

I flew, with a small American company, from Newark International Airport (New Jersey)<\/strong> to McGhee Tyson Airport<\/strong>, located in the south of Knoxville<\/strong>. Two hours of flight separate both airports. Due to the enormous distances of the United States<\/a>, this flight is relatively fast.<\/p>\n

Once there and with the rental car loaded, I took the road towards Harrogate<\/strong>. It is necessary to go around Knoxville<\/strong> and go north. In an hour of driving, I already realized that this is deep America. It's the real Tennessee<\/strong> we've all seen in the movies.<\/p>\n

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First stop could not have been more successful. The appetite tightened and that roadside restaurant was perfect. Without looking at the menu or prices, I knew it was the place to eat. \"Lil's Jo's BBQ<\/a>\" is a wooden restaurant where country music is heard from the same parking lot. A giant \"Open\" and a pig invite you to enter. Inside it seams time has stopped. The tables are for 4 people, the chairs are high benches that give some privacy. An elderly lady recommended me the star dish. Obviously, I listened to her without understanding what she was talking about. She brought me a combination plate that I would never eat again, but that tasted like heaven to me: a kind of pork with fries, onion rings and toast. \"Wherever you went, do as you saw.\" First stop: total success.<\/p>\n

Half an hour from the restaurant, after crossing Maynardville<\/strong> and before reaching Tazewell<\/strong>, is the Airbnb<\/a> house we rented. The house is beautiful. It's made of wood and has a porch with swings! It is quite large: three double bedrooms and three bathrooms. The dining room and kitchen are huge. It must be very cool to go in winter with the snowy garden and the fireplace lit. If they had it a bit cleaner, it would be perfect.<\/p>\n