On Thursday, July 28th, we took another Day Ride to enjoy some of the sites around Knoxville.

We took off from our home at 10:30 with our textile jackets packed (in case of rain) and cameras at the ready.Jeff kicks off the day in this video:

We left our home in North Knoxville and headed toward downtown, stopping in the Old City.

We rode through the Old City and headed toward the World’s Fair Park.

After leaving the World’s Fair Site, we traveled down Cumberland Avenue and turned into the University of Tennessee campus.

Then we went to visit the Pat Summitt memorial.

It was nearing noon and we were ready for lunch. We headed for the riverfront to eat at Calhoun’s.

The food and service at Calhoun’s is always top notch! It’s a great place to enjoy a leisurely lunch while watching the world float by on the Tennessee River.

After lunch, we decided to enjoy the Volunteer Landing Park.

You can find out more information about how Volunteer Landing connects with the Greenway HERE.

After leaving the Volunteer Landing, we headed south toward Ijams Nature Center just outside of downtown Knoxville.

There is so much more to see at Ijams Nature Center and we only showed you the outskirts accessible by road. The Center was hopping with folks enjoying the Nature Center and hiking the trails. From the Ijams website:

Come visit us and find out why people love Ijams so much! Ijams is a wild place filled with rocks, rivers, trees, trails, owls and salamanders. Visitors of all ages and ability can hike, bike, paddle, stroll, learn or simply enjoy the day. Ijams is a sanctuary for all visitors to learn and connect with the natural world and be made better by that connection – a place where living with the earth and caring for the earth become one and the same.

You can find out more information about Ijams by CLICKING HERE.

We left the Ijams Nature Center and continue south on Island Home. Less than a mile or two we turned left into the parking lot of Mead Quarry, a continuation of Ijams park- yet another gem in the heart of Knoxville.

After leaving Mead Quarry, we got onto Chapman Highway and checked out the Fort Dickerson Park. From the Outdoor Knoxville website:

One of the best-preserved earthen forts from the Civil War era rests on a knob just across the river from downtown. Fort Dickerson Park is home to one of 16 earthen forts and battery positions that protected the City of Knoxville during the Civil War days. From this high vantage point, looking to the north, you can span a full view of the city stretching to the high ridges beyond Fountain City, while the southern view highlights the foothills and high peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains. The overlook peers across the placid turquoise waters that pool in the 350-foot deep quarry. There are 2 shelters for enjoying a picnic after walking the interactive trail around the fort which includes 3 authentic replica cannons.

From the Outdoor Knoxville website:

Fort Dickerson Park is part of the 1,000-acre Knoxville Urban Wilderness Corridor championed by Legacy Parks Foundation. We invite you to become a Friend of Legacy Parks where your donations help us build trails and expand this unique urban playground! Teamed up with Ijams, AMBC, TWRA along with the City and County of Knoxville, we are developing the 1,000-acre Urban Wilderness Corridor, that when completed, will connect ten parks, feature thirty miles of recreational trails, three civil war forts, historic settlement sites, and diverse ecological features and recreational amenities. Keep your donations coming and help us continue to grow Knoxville’s uniquely urban playground!

We left Fort Dickerson Park and headed back toward downtown. Just up Summit Hill Drive, we ran into Morningside Park and Haley Heritage Square.

Find out more about the Alex Haley Heritage Square by CLICKING HERE.

Find out more about Morningside Park by CLICKING HERE.

It was nearing 3pm and even though we hadn’t logged many miles, we were getting tired from all the walking and gawking. So we decided to make one last stop before heading home.

Although we didn’t have time to go inside the museum, we have visited it in the past and highly recommend it. You can visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame website by CLICKING HERE.

We got back on our bikes and headed toward our home in North Knoxville. A few drops of rain dogged us as we rode down Broadway but fortunately, we made it in before the storm hit.

Jeff wraps up the day in this video:

You can see our entire list of DAY RIDES by CLICKING HERE.