Knoxville for us?

[hiknapster]

Bradley is waaaaay bigger than McGhee Tyson. It's about twice as big.

[michael49]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Bradley is waaaaay bigger than McGhee Tyson. It's about twice as big.

Wow; that's scary, because Bradley isn't anything to write home about.

One thing I did like when I lived in the Tampa area was the Airport - you could get to anywhere from there, and it was a relatively hassle-free airport.

Thanks again for all of the info guys.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Bradley is waaaaay bigger than McGhee Tyson. It's about twice as big.

In fact, it's a lot more than that. Bradley International has about 7 million passengers per year. Knoxville's airport has about 1.6 million per year.

[hiknapster]

oh, okay! I knew that Bradley was International, with double the amount of airlines, and lots of direct flights, compared to Knoxville. I knew the difference was big!

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by michael49

My wife and I are in our mid 30's, professionals, no kids and currently live in New England. We love the outdoors (hiking, running, camping, biking, kayaking), but the winters here are starting to take their toll. Plus, to be honest, I generally prefer southerners to northerners .

We have considered several areas and some have suggested Knoxville to us. I was at a conference last year in Nashville and we visited Chattanooga, but it seemed incredibly small and quiet (not much going on).

How's the hiking/camping in the area? Are there neat places to hang around downtown or in West/north Knoxville area (coffee houses, breweries, etc)? Does having the University help keep interesting things in the area? (I currently live in a college town).

My wife and I are pretty down to earth. We make decent money but we are not into material things very much; we usally prefer small, cheap bakery/cafe food (Panera type stuff - man I wish there more La Medeleine's!) to a fancy restaurant. I probably spend more money on my photography hobby than anything else. We prefer to spend our time and money on outdoor activities or travelling. Would we fit in here? Any suggestions?

I don't know what they call them in other parts of the country or state, since I had never heard the term "greenway" until I was looking into moving to Oak Ridge. But you might want to check out this page for the greenway trail maps in Oak Ridge (adjacent to Knoxville). If you click on the individual trail links, it tells you the difficulty of the trail.

Greenways Oak Ridge Trail Maps

And here is the info on Knoxville greenways:

City of Knoxville - Greenways

We have a Camera Club in Oak Ridge and a number of members live in Knoxville.

We have excellent state parks in Tennessee, too.

[michael49]

Those Greenways are impressive; thanks again for the info and sorry it took me so long to reply!!

[oldmanbob]

Michael, all the post are great, and right on. We are surrounded by 4 great lakes for boating, fishing, and not to mention all the state parks, several within a hour or two of Knoxville. Also the Great Smoky Mtns, the theme town of Dollywood, I mean Pigeon Forge, and plenty of places to hike, and some great Mountain bike trails. Tennessee sports are big, and with our New Bruce Pearl, we are finally on the world map in Big Orange basketball and another promising year, with Tyler returning, and many great recruits. Like Hiknapster said, good people mostly, even with all the Northerners.