Knoxville
Knoxville is the practical East Tennessee city: a zoo, a riverfront, World's Fair Park, and the gateway to the Smokies an hour east. It is an easier family base than Gatlinburg if you want ordinary restaurants and a grocery store.
Things that are always there
3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr, Knoxville, TN 37914
The family's half-day. Adjacent to a city park.
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810 Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
The 1982 fair leftover. Observation deck, playgrounds, and festival lawn.
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2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920
River trails and a quarry. Free to walk.
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2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716
Half an hour north. Cabins, instruments, and heritage days in October.
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Hotels
531 Henley St, Knoxville, TN 37902
Downtown, near World's Fair Park.
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1706 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916
Campus edge. Livelier on football weekends.
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Restaurants
540 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
A downtown diner for breakfast. Cash-friendly, fast.
Market Square, Knoxville, TN
Burgers on the square. Fine with children at lunch.