It’s a nice enough little college city, pretty scenery, but I don’t think they’ll ever finish the damn interstate construction on the Knoxville bypass. They’ve been working on it since before Jon and I started dating (Knoxville is on the way between Atlanta and Ohio, where Jon and his family live, so we drive through it often).
They have a giant round thing on a stalk. It’s been there since 1982. They call it the Sunsphere. It’s gold-colored because there’s actual gold dust in the glass. It used to be a restaurant. It was built for the 1982 World’s Fair, the theme of which was Waters of the World.
It’s spread out over many miles of I-40. The surrounding area is pretty, but there isn’t much to do in Knoxville itself unless there’s a Vols game (Saturdays in the fall). There’s a nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge (as in Boys) north and west of town.
Bart Simpson went there once – http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/simpsons.html
We drive through Knoxville once a year on our way to the L. Family Reunion. I always point at the sphere-thing from the World’s Fair and mention the Simpson’s episode.
Then R. quotes his favorite line from that episode, which is when Milhouse says, “I’ve always wanted to go to Macon.”
We’ve been doing this for 10 years……
jaysaint 
Posted by raving_liberal on March 8, 2008 at 7:03 pm
It’s a nice enough little college city, pretty scenery, but I don’t think they’ll ever finish the damn interstate construction on the Knoxville bypass. They’ve been working on it since before Jon and I started dating (Knoxville is on the way between Atlanta and Ohio, where Jon and his family live, so we drive through it often).
Posted by travellight on March 8, 2008 at 8:21 pm
They have a giant round thing on a stalk. It’s been there since 1982. They call it the Sunsphere. It’s gold-colored because there’s actual gold dust in the glass. It used to be a restaurant. It was built for the 1982 World’s Fair, the theme of which was Waters of the World.
Posted by elemess on March 8, 2008 at 9:41 pm
It’s spread out over many miles of I-40. The surrounding area is pretty, but there isn’t much to do in Knoxville itself unless there’s a Vols game (Saturdays in the fall). There’s a nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge (as in Boys) north and west of town.
Posted by jaysaint on March 9, 2008 at 3:09 am
Very interesting. I see there have been many attempts to re-open a restaurant. I will keep my fingers crossed for them.
Posted by jaysaint on March 9, 2008 at 3:09 am
Ah, nuclear reactor. Gross.
Posted by steakums on March 11, 2008 at 1:27 am
Bart Simpson went there once – http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/simpsons.html
We drive through Knoxville once a year on our way to the L. Family Reunion. I always point at the sphere-thing from the World’s Fair and mention the Simpson’s episode.
Then R. quotes his favorite line from that episode, which is when Milhouse says, “I’ve always wanted to go to Macon.”
We’ve been doing this for 10 years……