There are four vehicle bridges connecting downtown Knoxville with South Knoxville. It is a steel…read morecantilever arched design with a concrete deck. Five arched trusses all supported on stone piers. The bridge was completed in 1898 and is the oldest of the crossings in the city. It originally included trolley tracks but those have since been removed. The Gay Street Bridge was designed by Charles E. Fowler, chief engineer of the Youngstown Bridge Company of Ohio. When it opened, the county said it was "for the use of all the world except Spain" which was a reference to the Spanish-American war that was ongoing at the time. It underwent a major restoration in 2001-2004 and looks great for being over 120 years old. Well done! There is no toll to cross the bridge. [Review 19563 overall - 387 in Tennessee - 534 of 2023.]

Visiting and driving through a covered bridge has been on my bucket list and the Knoxville area was…read morejust the place to check it off. Take a scenic afternoon drive through Sevierville and see one of the many covered bridges in Tennessee. Nothing fancy but oh so quaint. Be respectful of the neighbors and pull off on to a small spot for a quick picture. You wont regret the drive.

I love chasing covered bridges and this one in Tennessee didn't disappoint! This king post truss…read morebridge spans over Little Pigeon River and still is used for through traffic. It's nestled off a quiet road so your gps will lead you there. While visiting TN and the Great Smoky Mountains, we wanted to explore a few covered bridges as well! This rustic one has undergone several renovations and restorations and it's on the National Register of Historic Places, I'm glad this gem of a bridge was saved!! It's in a little neighborhood which is pretty cool! The lattice work is beautiful and the stone foundation is impressive! Built in 1875, this bridge is 83 feet long and it was a thrill to drive through it! Now only about 20 vehicles pass through it daily, but it stands as a proud reminder of days gone by and a historic testament of architectural design and a wonderful legacy to those who love to keep the past alive!

Last night we went and watched the 'Pinta' lock through at Fort Loudoun Dam. The lock sees a wide…read morevariety of vessels, from historic replicas, like Sanger Ships, LLC's, traveling exhibit the 'Pinta,' to commercial barge traffic, recreational vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender the 'Chickamauga' out of Chattanooga, even canoe's back in the day. The dam is equipped with a 60' by 360' lock that lifts vessels by the gravity flow of water approximately 70.' There is no charge for locking through for recreational purposes. The lock provides navigable access for commercial traffic as far as the Holston river and the French Broad river; just above the start of the Tennessee River.

Located along US-70 / 25W, this marker point out the history of the city…read more The marker reads, "Permanently settled 1783. Francis Dean built meeting house where Revolutionary Cemetery remains. Jan., 1793, commissioners of County Court, Jefferson Co., Territory South of the River Ohio, located county seat here. Dean donated land & Samuel Jack laid off town. Named for Martha Dandridge, wife of George Washington." Dandridge is the county seat for Jefferson County and is considered the second oldest town in Tennessee (behind Jonesborough). The town was named for Martha Dandridge Washington, the wife of the first president of the United States which may have led to its being saved later. When the Tennessee Valley Authority proposed the Douglas Dam on the French Broad River in 1942, it would have flooded downtown Dandridge, which was situated below the proposed reservoir's high-water mark. Residents of the town petitioned then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, pointing out that Dandridge was the only town in the United States named for the wife of George Washington. The Tennessee Valley Authority constructed a levee between downtown Dandridge and the reservoir. The new levee rises almost immediately behind the Town Hall, and runs roughly parallel to Main Street. This is marker number 1C 41 and it was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. [Review 20101 overall - 457 in Tennessee - 1077 of 2023.]

Since Dandridge was located below the high water mark of the intended reservoir, the construction…read moreof the Douglas Dam on the French Broad River in 1942 proposed to flood practically the whole city. Dandridge is the only town in the country named for the wife of George Washington, and locals successfully petitioned then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to change the plan. Nearly immediately after the Town Hall, the levee begins to rise and closely parallels Main Street. And then, there's the dike which this marker points out. "A portion of the town of Dandridge would have been flooded by the waters of Douglas Lake if the Tennessee Valley Authority had not built a dike. The top of the dike is an elevation of 1009 feet, seven feet above the dam's crest gates. All of the business district, the Jefferson County Courthouse, county jail, and approximately 1000 feet of Highway 92 would have been below the maximum water level of the reservoir." "Dandridge was the center of opposition to the Douglas Dam due to the loss of over 60,000 acres of fertile agricultural land. The Douglas Reservoir was critical to providing the power needed for the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge. Begun in 1942, construction on the Douglas Project was completed within 382 days to capture the 1943 winter rains and to produce the needed hydroelectric power." This is marker number 1C 90 and was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. [Review 20106 overall - 462 in Tennessee - 1082 of 2023.]

All gave some, some gave all is a well done war memorial monument to our veterans that made the…read moreultimate sacrifice that sits right off the extremely popular parkway in Gatlinburg that features millions of tourists and shoppers annually. The memorial features a monument of solider boots and a rifle along with brick paved walkway honoring vets. Overall a wonderful tribute in a place that is bound to get tons of eyes for recognition.

The fascade of the Sevier County Courthouse is truly unique. The small ornate dome can be seen from…read moreseveral blocks away. The galvanized dome towers 75' over the building. Seth Thomas Company designed the clock tower. The Courthouse as built in 1895, completed in 1896. This is the fifth courthouse to serve the county. The Beaux-Arts Classicism structure is constructed of brick and limestone. The building construction cost $21,000 in 1896. A historical marker on the Square indicates that the bricks for the courthouse were made by a local notable African-American mason, Isaac Dockery. The building was expanded and remodeled starting in 1971. During the remodel, the original Seth Thomas clock was removed and repainted. The clock works are on display in the lobby area of the Courthouse. In 1971, the Courthouse became listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I visited the lobby of the working Courthouse. The Sheriff deputies on duty were friendly and offered me information about the building. Several cases of local historical artifacts are displayed in the lobby. A bust of Governor John Sevier, the first governor of Tennessee and county namesake, stands in the lobby. I found free parking around the Courthouse Square. A statue of Dolly Parton stands on the Square. The Courthouse is a great place to visit if you like history.

Beautiful buildings, Very clean and the people in the tag/registration office were very nice. There…read morewas quite a line but they moved it very efficiently and all windows were open.

Part of the 20th century trend of making gas stations look like other things (see my 15000th…read morereview, the Shell Gas Station in Winston-Salem https://www.yelp.com/biz/shell-gas-station-winston-salem?hrid=JbBAsOl2ivCEs6IM2U48Tg), this one is made to look like an airplane. It's completely out of place as there is no airport anywhere in the vicinity and there aren't any airplane related businesses nearby. But that anachronism doesn't make it any less awesome! It was built in 1930 as a service station owned by Henry and Elmer Nickle. It was a full service station with fuel under the left wing and oil changes under the right wing. Back in the day, Highway 25 was a busy roadway but as time passed and I-75 was built, the motorists didn't come as often. In the 1960s it was a liquor store and then a produce store and then a bait shop before it was finally abandoned in 2000. Slated for demolition, the community rallied around the airplane and raised money from bake sales and tourism grants. It has since been recovered and restored to its original 1931 standards. It was barber shop for some time and now... I don't know what but it was being touched up when I stopped by. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is easiest to access if you are heading south into Knoxville. Watch the traffic and pull into the neighboring used car lot, take your pictures, and be on your way. Perhaps it will be back as a business you can patronize. I could have used a haircut! [Review 18217 overall - 306 in Tennessee - 1739 of 2022.]