How are we getting known?

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by EagleI

Thanks for the info. I'm looking for something more esoteric, though, as I'm just finishing a B.S. in Business. I'd like to learn local plant/bird identification, roots of bluegrass music, beginning quilting, stuff like that. Anybody know of a bird watching or hiking club in the Tri Cities area?

Don't know how far it is from you but you might want to check out the Smoky Mountain Field School, which is sponsored by the National Park and UT- Knoxville, for the outdoor stuff. The sessions are typically on a Saturday or Sunday outdoors in the park. For example, in May and June, these are the sessions they are offering:

May

Geology of the Smokies
Incredible Edibles and Traditional Medicinals
Birding in the Smokies
*Totally Buggy
Backpacking with Confidence
*Birding with the Family
*Exploring Stream Life in the Smokies
Fly Fishing in the Smokies

Note: Asterisk indicates it's a family program

June

Salamanders in the Smokies
Nature Sketching: Watercolor or Pencil
The Light Show in the Smokies
Early Summer Wildflowers and Ferns
Incredible Edibles and Traditional Medicinals
Day Hike to Mt. LeConte
Culture and History of the Smokies
The Light Show in the Smokies
Basic Visual Tracking
Mt. LeConte Hike and Overnight in the Lodge
Backpacking the AT
Wildflowers and Ferns of Roan Mountain

Here is their schedule of sessions through October and their home page:

http://www.outreach.utk.edu/smoky/schedule.html

http://www.outreach.utk.edu/smoky/default.html

[Shenandoah]

Originally Posted by LauraC

May

Geology of the Smokies
Incredible Edibles and Traditional Medicinals
Birding in the Smokies
*Totally Buggy
Backpacking with Confidence
*Birding with the Family
*Exploring Stream Life in the Smokies
Fly Fishing in the Smokies

Note: Asterisk indicates it's a family program

June

Salamanders in the Smokies
Nature Sketching: Watercolor or Pencil
The Light Show in the Smokies
Early Summer Wildflowers and Ferns
Incredible Edibles and Traditional Medicinals
Day Hike to Mt. LeConte
Culture and History of the Smokies
The Light Show in the Smokies
Basic Visual Tracking
Mt. LeConte Hike and Overnight in the Lodge
Backpacking the AT
Wildflowers and Ferns of Roan Mountain

Now, a few of those look pretty interesting to me. Flyfishing in the Smokies for one. My ex bf is a pro steelhead fly fisherman, and recently emailed me that he was planning a trip to go fly fishing in the Smokies. Backpacking, and Incredible Edibles and Traditional Medicinals, Culture and History of the Smokies. Most likely we won't be in that area of TN, but either in the Cookeville general area or south of Nashville.

blessings, Shen

[EagleI]

[quote=LauraC;633544]Don't know how far it is from you but you might want to check out the Smoky Mountain Field School, which is sponsored by the National Park and UT- Knoxville, for the outdoor stuff.

Thanks, LauraC. That's just the type of continuing ed I'm looking for. I've driven all over WNY for rock climbing, kayaking & white water rafting classes, but am ready for tamer outdoor pursuits.

[ccourtenay]

4 years ago we lived in Asheville, NC..first place I lived since my family moved to S. Florida in 1959. Loved the seasons..but missed the "big city" life. My daughter was getting married, so we moved back to S. Florida...as soon as we came back I wanted back out..the change in the 6 years living in Asheville was horrible..so I got on a website that compared cities. I looked at the 7 states where there is no state income tax and started to compare cities to the city I am living in Florida. Most of those states were either too cold or too hot...except for TN. We had driven thru Knoxville going on vacation a while back and I said this would be a great place to live..the mountains on one side and the "big city" on the other..so the city comparison showed better living conditions compared to FL. Therefore Knoxville was "the place" This decision was made 2 years ago..sorry we didn't move there sooner..I see the place has become quite popular and the prices sure have shown this!!

We now have our TN or bust sign on our vehicles and should be closing on a house in the next 11 days we purchased in strawberry plains..sight unseen..just pictures thru my realtor, which by the way, is a GREAT realtor. We will be officially callling TN home in September when our lease is up here..and can't wait!!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by ccourtenay

4 years ago we lived in Asheville, NC..first place I lived since my family moved to S. Florida in 1959. Loved the seasons..but missed the "big city" life. My daughter was getting married, so we moved back to S. Florida...as soon as we came back I wanted back out..the change in the 6 years living in Asheville was horrible..so I got on a website that compared cities. I looked at the 7 states where there is no state income tax and started to compare cities to the city I am living in Florida. Most of those states were either too cold or too hot...except for TN. We had driven thru Knoxville going on vacation a while back and I said this would be a great place to live..the mountains on one side and the "big city" on the other..so the city comparison showed better living conditions compared to FL. Therefore Knoxville was "the place" This decision was made 2 years ago..sorry we didn't move there sooner..I see the place has become quite popular and the prices sure have shown this!!

We now have our TN or bust sign on our vehicles and should be closing on a house in the next 11 days we purchased in strawberry plains..sight unseen..just pictures thru my realtor, which by the way, is a GREAT realtor. We will be officially callling TN home in September when our lease is up here..and can't wait!!

I used to live in Strawberry Plains and loved it! I hope you enjoy living there, too. I'm a native Floridian who can't stand what's happened to my beloved Florida, too. Best of luck to you.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by ccourtenay

We now have our TN or bust sign on our vehicles and should be closing on a house in the next 11 days we purchased in strawberry plains..sight unseen..just pictures thru my realtor, which by the way, is a GREAT realtor. We will be officially callling TN home in September when our lease is up here..and can't wait!!

Wow site unseen. I have to tell you i had been looking for property also in that area and other parts of East TN. Not to discourage you but we also saw some beautiful pictures that our realtor sent us from TN but when we visited those areas of interest it sure was not what i expected. We finally found our little piece of heaven up there after 3 trips and just closed on it Monday. Good luck to you.

[ccourtenay]

I would be skeptical on buying a property sight unseen..but I have to tell you this realtor is a God send..he went above and beyond...treats me like I'm family and really "gets me"..so I think it will be a good thing..and if it doesn't..I can always sell..bottom line is we're in TN and that is what is important!!

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by Braves_fan

Not trying to be rude, or discourage families from wanting a "change of scenery"

But I'm just curious here...and have a question to you Future Transplants who would ask us Southerners about moving to Tennessee.

Do ya'll just pick out a town on a map that you've never seen before and try to make a visual in your head of living there before you've actually seen it or visited?

I'm asking this because I notice alot of folks who start threads inquiring about "Small towns and what they are like in case they move there" when they have never even been here in the first place to even see what it's like.

I can just visualize the typical Michigan or Ohio family sitting around at the supper table talking about this and then getting out a map or of course getting on the internet and just randomly picking out middle to small sized towns here in Eastern Tennessee, and getting an idea that "hey maybe we should look into moving there, because its totally different then where we are now"

Its mind boggling how all these people even know about our communities in the first place.

for some reason this post seems funny. Alot of people thought of N Carolina, and then (places like Charlotte) sound overcrowded. NC sounds like it is getting too many NY'ers and cookie-cutter developments.

In my case it was:

normal weather (Florida heat all but killed me)
quiet nice suburbs
polite people
husband job transfer.

S.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by ccourtenay

I would be skeptical on buying a property sight unseen..but I have to tell you this realtor is a God send..he went above and beyond...treats me like I'm family and really "gets me"..so I think it will be a good thing..and if it doesn't..I can always sell..bottom line is we're in TN and that is what is important!!

I think all the realtors are going above and beyond to make a sale. I also had a great realtor who worked with us for over a year sending me every MLS listing i needed and any other info. I began to think i was being a pain in the .... but she never once said anything and never pushed the issue of doing things "her" way. We told her what we wanted, we wanted to search the property ourselves and she was just there to provide any addtional info and close the sale for us while we were here in FL. Now she's helping my father in law look for something as well. I just wish we could move sooner but we got to wait a few more years. Good luck on your move and hope it all works our for you.