Blue Ridge Country March/April 2021 - 55

;  Tazewell Speedway. (Claiborne County,
TN). Come see racing at one of the fastest
tracks in the country. This 1/3-mile oval dirt
track, dubbed " The Taz, " hosts a six-division
program that visitors can watch from the
grandstand or in the pit. There are also 'firstcome, first-served' camping spots available.
Sp-F (tazewellspeedway.net)

visit to this destination. These two artisans
create award-winning pieces of stoneware
and Raku that have been featured on HGTV
and PBS. The perfect opportunity to find
one-of-a-kind gifts and décor for the home.
YR (joppamountainpottery.com)

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISITKNOXVILLE

glass installations in the world, as well
as a contemporary gallery and an East
Tennessee specific gallery called " Higher
Ground. " Additionally, there are quarterly
rotating exhibits so there is always
something new to experience. YR (knoxart.
org)

;  Bush's Visitor Center. (Chestnut Hill,
TN). Schedule a stop at this family location
famous around the world for their baked
beans. Enjoy a short film; stroll through the
museum; visit the gift store; and eat at the
café. With a bit of good timing, you might
just get to sample a new flavor before it hits
the store shelves. YR (bushbeans.com)
;  Windrock Park. (Oliver Springs, TN).
Drive up the ridge to find the country's

Discover paintings amongst the many exhibits
at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

largest privately-owned trail system and
keep your eyes on the horizon. Above the
72,000 acres of wilderness, 300+ miles
of off-roading trails, and a forested nature
trail sweep the massive 139-foot blades
of 18 windmills. This is the only wind
farm in the southeastern U.S., and the
specter of these behemoths appearing and
disappearing on the curvy mountain roads
is astonishing. YR (adventureanderson.com/
listings/windrock-park)
;  Joppa Mountain Pottery. (Rutledge, TN).
Support the ancient functional art of wheelthrown and hand-sculpted pottery with a

WHAT'S NEW?

;  Lilly Pad Hopyard. (Lancing, TN). Enjoy refreshment at this
small batch, craft brewery in a rustic setting that feels like a
friend's backyard party. YR (lillypadhopyardbrewery.com)
;  Tennessee RiverLine. (Knox, Loudon and Roane counties, TN).
Paddle, hike and bike one of the newest trail initiatives in the
state along 652 miles of the Tennessee River. With " a vision for a
continuous, multimodal system of trail experiences, " this project
seeks to connect communities, celebrate river heritage and
encourage exploration of the region. YR (tnriverline.org)
;  Vida & The Vault. (Knoxville, TN). Located in a historic
downtown building, this restaurant and companion 1930s-era
cocktail lounge offer a menu from recipes of seven Latin American
countries and Pan-Latin libations in a swanky atmosphere. YR
(vidaknoxville.com)

;  Little Congress Bicycle Museum.
(Cumberland Gap, TN). Come see one of the
finest collections of bicycles in the world at
this museum. Visitors can see a forty-oneyear collection of the engineering and style
of this mechanized mode of transportation.
Some of the highlights include a 1940
Elgin sold by Sears, Roebuck & Co., a 1950
Schwinn Panther D-27 and a 1968 Lemon
Peeler. YR (bicyclemuseum.net)
;  Museum of Appalachia. (Clinton, TN).
No visit to the area is complete without
a tour of this living history museum.
Decades in the making, there are some
250,000 artifacts reflecting life in the
region through time. Across 65 acres, a
recreated Appalachian community (35 log
cabins, schoolhouses, barns and more)
can be explored via a self-guided tour. YR
(museumofappalachia.org)

;  Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus - Knoxville
Zoo. (Knoxville, TN). This new home will showcase pioneering
conservation, feature revolutionary STEM education and provide
habitats that respect the needs of the occupants. YR (zooknoxville.
org)
;  East TN Axe Throwing. (Lenoir City, TN). Book a session with
an experienced throwing coach to learn this age-old pastime with
traditional targets and state-of-the-art digital shifting projections.
YR Fri-Sat (etnaxethrowing.com)
Paddle hundreds of miles of the Tennessee RiverLine trail.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROANE ALLIANCE

;  Stimpson Seashell Museum. (Loudon, TN). For a rare look at
one of the largest seashell collections in the world, visit this new
museum that houses a good portion of Dr. Peter G. Stimpson's
personal collection. YR (stimpsonseashellmuseum.com)

MARCH/APRIL 2021

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Blue Ridge Country March/April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country March/April 2021
