Knoxville: It Just Keeps Getting Better

To be fair, I haven’t lived in Knoxville for more than a month here and there since I moved to college in 2009, but each time I come back, I can’t help but be surprised at how awesome my hometown city is.  Every time I come home I’m taken aback by a delicious new restaurant, a cool yet budget friendly boutique, or a fun festival- Biscuit Festival, that was most definitely directed at you.  

 The only thing that makes coming home to Knoxville even better is getting to see it through new eyes with out-of-town friends.   In similar fashion to the Great Smoky Mountains, I made sure to hit downtown Knoxville with both Sadie and Natalie, because the repetition sure didn’t bother me.

The International [Made for Me] Biscuit Festival

Though the Biscuit Festival is now several years old, for some crazy reason last year was my first chance to go, and let me tell you, I fell in love.  One of the first things I did when I found out I was coming home in May was to check the dates of the 2014 Festival.  Because life is grand and America is amazing, my visit coincided perfectly.   If you’ve been around me very long, you know that Biscuits and Gravy rank right up there will pickles and chocolate as one of my favorite foods, and ALL THREE of those things were to be found and eaten at the Biscuit Festival.  I was obviously in food heaven. 

My dad, Sadie, and I made sure to get to Biscuit Boulevard on Market Square early, but even then it was insanely crowded.  Apparently lots of people love biscuits.  So this is how it works: You buy a $10 ticket good for 5 samples and you have your choice of over 20 vendors.  The only thing that keeps you from buying more tickets is your rapidly expanding belly, because thankfully most of the vendors don’t take the term “sample” too seriously.  It was a tough choice, and certainly line length played into the biscuits I got (who can wait?! I WANT BISCUITS!) but here are the 6 I tried.  If you’re smart you’ll commit to teamwork, because then you can sample DOUBLE the biscuits.  Unfortunately it took until our last sample for Sadie and I to figure that little trick out…

1. The best came first.  This fried steak with tomato and arugula biscuit was southern with a twist, and I was a 100% fan.  It was one of those biscuits that as youj were eating you would hear people say, “Hey, where’d she get that one?!”

2. The Chocolate and Bacon Biscuit.  I’m a chocolate fan, but this one just didn’t do it for me.  It seemed like they just took a mediocre biscuit and drizzled some chocolate sauce on it, which was a little sad. 

3.  The Pickle Biscuit.  If you’re curious, you should check out Southern Living, because they were the providers of this delicious creation.  I only regret spending a sample on it because they were giving unlimited free biscuits later on.

 

4. Some-Fruity-Delicious-Thing-That-May-Have-Had-Pineapple.  Recommended by a friend, this one was a winner; I just wish I could remember the details. 

 

5. A decent but nothing special bacon biscuit with some delicious jams.  That pretty much says it all about this one.

6. Honey-Bourbon Ham Biscuit.  Yep, it was as good as it sounds. 

 

While reflecting on it, I just had the most terrible revelation that I’ll be missing the 2015 festival.  So, some may consider it to early to say, but I can pretty much guarantee I’ll be in attendance in 2016.  That’s only 22 months, right?

Great Smoky Mountains + A Bit of Gatlinburg

Panama is a beautiful, ecologically diverse country that I constantly feel blessed to live in, but man, there is just something about being home.  The Great Smoky Mountains, less than an hour from where I live, are both one of my favorite things about East Tennessee and one of the things I find myself loving even more with each passing year.  The Smokies are full of beautiful sights and activities, and while I was home I was lucky enough to visit not twice, but three times.  Each one was magical, seriously. 

Sadie and I were on our way to the Cades Cove Loop, Sonic milkshakes in hand, less than 24 hours after I arrived in the States.  We took in the crisp Spring weather and took many an instagram-worthy shot before calling my dad to place our orders for BBQ.

Next was touristy but necessary stop in the neighboring Gatlinburg, TN.  Though the town generally avoids the ridiculous getaway antics of Pigeon Forge, it still has some pretty interesting attractions.  If you visit Gatlinburg, you’ll need to visit one of several (legal) moonshine distilleries that line the main road.  Each one offers free tastings of some of their many flavors- Apple Pie may just be my favorite, but I might have to taste again to be sure. 

Since I obviously have a thing for free samples, I also make sure to visit the Old Smoky Mountain Candy Kitchen for some delicious taffy, fresh off the roller.  And because I just can’t let go of some of my childhood favorites, I’ve made a tradition out of their delicious candy apples.

True to form, Natalie and I headed straight for beautiful backdrops, still in our wedding attire from a few hours earlier.  Though it took us a little bit to get back into the photographer swing of things, before I knew it we were back to old ways.

And what would the Smokies be without a bike ride ‘round the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop?  Maybe a little more leisurely, but that didn’t stop Andrea and I from tackling it.  If you haven’t yet sensed the theme here, we also gallivanted around the beautiful fields for some fun pictures, but sadly I don't have any to post.  

Oh, America.

Thanks to my mom (thanks again, Mom!) I was able to spend an incredible two weeks in Tennessee. However, as usual, I'm leaving internet and heading back into site with an online to-do list still incomplete. I'll be back out soon though and can't wait to share about my trip home!  

Until then, here are some pictures of food, dogs, and Tennessee beauty.  We all love those things, right?

 Guys, do you even realize how great our peanut butter selection is?!

A Capital Summer: Eastern Market

One of the things I miss most about Europe is the popularity of open air markets throughout the year.  I think it's so neat that you can find such a range of food and products in one location, and in many cases even strike up a conversation with the producer.  

A Capital Summer: My Favorite Monuments

Snowy, cold days in Pittsburgh have got me reminiscing about the long days of summer, which might as well be a world away!  So, over the next few days I'll be sharing some of my favorite spots in the city I spent this past summer. 

In a "One door closes and another door opens" scenario, I wasn't initially selected for my dream internship in New York City but ended up finding an equally awesome opportunity in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. 

A New York Weekend

In addition to the conference, I had a few days to explore New York City this past weekend.  Having only been in the city for a matter of hours before this weekend, it was a great experience.  

For some reason, I never expected to like New York.  Considering that I like so many other large cities and metropolitan areas, I'm really not sure why NYC was shoved so far down on my list, but nonetheless, it was.  Luckily, one of my roommates interned for VH1 in the city this past summer and was a pretty good tour guide for the weekend.  

If you knew me or my friends, it would be no surprise that most of the stops revolved around food.  If we had a little more time (and money...) I'm sure shopping would have been more of a priority, but I'm so glad we got to experience some of the tastes of the city.  To me food is a very big indicator of local culture- even in the United States- and I loved the variety in the Big Apple!  

From frozen hot chocolates at Serendipity 3 and cupcakes from Crumbs to canolis in Little Italy and brunch in Manhattan, we got a pretty good food tour... of the sweets at least.  

I would love to go back to the city and pick up where we left off.  Watching a life taping of SNL is definitely on my to-do list as well!  What recommendations do you have for making the most of NYC?

A peanut butter frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity 3.  These sweets are definitely meant to be shared by at least two people.  

P.S.  Although I don't have any photos, Nice Work if You Can Get It is a great Broadway show, and with student rush tickets for only $37.50, it's a good deal too!  

Exploring Gettysburg

One of my favorite things about college is the ability to take advantage of frequent (and cheap) student trips.  This past weekend I joined two campus clubs in their trek to Gettysburg, PA.  Seeing as though the town is home to some one of the most important battles in our nation's history, and my college is only a few hours away, it's pretty surprising I hadn't made time for the trip yet. 

The dreariness of the day only added to the sadness that you feel as you think about immesity of the battle that was fought here.  While I love visiting almost anywhere, knowing the history of a location really adds to your experience as a travel, whether that be to the collesuem in Rome or the battlefields of Gettysburg.

Like many other popular destinations, some parts of the town are overrun by tourist traps; However, if you go to the right places, Gettysburg can be a really great day trip.  If you visit, make sure to visit the National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.  For about $10, you gain access to a really great museum featuring all aspects of the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.  Coming from a non-museum fan, it actually is worth your time.  After that, take a self guided (driving) tour of important places from the battle.  Not only are these locations specified by signage and audio tours, but there are tons of statues and monuments that, in my opinion, really bring things to life.  

For dinner, we ate at the Dobbin House Tavern, which I highly reccommend.  The tavern is styled to be exactly like a tavern in the 1700s, and not in a cheesy way.  Regarding entertainment, a word to those in search of one of the many ghost tours that happen nightly- do a little research beforehand to make sure you really get what you're looking for.  Our group purchased tickets from the first vendor we came across and honestly wasted our time that evening.  

Lastly, if you do visit Gettysburg anytime soon, be sure to visit the National Cemetary and the town center- the two places I regretfully didn't make it to.  

Do you like traveling to historic places?  I need some good cities to put on my travel list!