University of Tennessee Knoxville Trip

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is located on a college campus where football is serious business and the Lady Vols have made the area proud more than once or twice on the basketball court. Even the Vols Men's Basketball team is beginning to raise eyebrows across the nation. Yes, UT Sports are a great stand-alone reason to visit Knoxville.

UT Football brings in record numbers and when rivalry games are being played at Neyland Stadium, watch out. There's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. UT Pride is evident everywhere. From the flags hanging on automobile windows to the bumper stickers, the fans show what team they support as they pour into town.

Often, getting a room can be quite a task if you want to stay near the action. Both the football stadium (Neyland) and the basketball arena (Thompson-Boling) are on the University of Tennessee campus which is just adjacent to downtown Knoxville.

While there are some great places to stay in Knoxville, I can't really imagine why anyone would want to stay there in the fall of the year after the game. The reason is because of the nearby Great Smoky Mountains.

From Sevierville to Gatlinburg, there are wonderful choices and enough of them that usually it isn't hard to find a room provided that you make an advance reservation about a week before the game. The drive through the mountains is exhilarating in the fall of the year and a must-do if you are going to be in the area for a few days.

A lot of Tennessee Volunteer fans travel to Cherokee, North Carolina after the game. One of the more beautiful drives in the South, the roads leading to Cherokee are full of hairpin curves set in the natural beauty of The Great Smoky Mountains.

Once you're at the top, you'll find some neat shops along with Harrah's Cherokee Casino which is more like a large video arcade -- but some love it. True gamblers will likely be disappointed because everything there is completely video. No live dice or cards can be found.

Back down the mountain, Gatlinburg is home to several mom and pop-type hotels and motels. The Edgewater, one of the larger hotels in the area, is still a favorite full-service hotel and many "Big Orange" fans return there again and again because of the bar, restaurant and great downtown Gatlinburg location.

If you visit the area, be sure to try out The Burning Bush Restaurant and order the bountiful breakfast. A southern tradition; you'll remember it forever.

Speaking of food, the best,absolute best in dining is found at The Regas. Since 1919 when The Regas opened, they've been committed to serving up quality and have never failed to succeed. In fact, many believe you can search the world over and still find only Knoxville's Regas topping the best of the best.

Calhoun's is another choice spot for fans of The University of Tennessee. With choice locations in Knoxville, as well as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, UT fans should find several opportunities to dine where the best ribs in East Tennessee can be found!

University of Tennessee - Neyland Stadium

University of Tennessee fans that do choose to stay close to Neyland Stadium will discover countless hotel chains. Many of these were built when Knoxville hosted the World's Fair in 1982. Long-time Knoxvillians still remember a New York newspaper reporting on the World's Fair, at the time, and reporting that it was being held in the "scruffy" little Southern town of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Anyway, Stay with Choice Hotels, Marriott branded Hotels or the Hilton Brand Family Hotels which include the Hilton and Homewood Suites as well as Hampton Inns.

There are many budget hotels and motels scattered throughout the city. Try to avoid those closest to the stadium because while you get what you pay for, during UT games, you often pay too much for what you would normally choose to avoid.

It's football time in Tennessee -- so make your reservations early and check with some of the online ticket resellers listed at 2007 SEC Football Tickets if you don't have gameday tickets. It's getting harder and harder to buy them outside the stadium!

Check out the Tennessee Vols Fan Store and Tickets

University of Tennessee Knoxville Trip
University of Tennessee Knoxville Trip
University of Tennessee Knoxville Trip

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