In Knoxville

MADELYN MUSCHEK City News Editor

Here is a list of some of the best familyfriendly activities to explore all of Knoxville, while also enjoying the last fleeting moments of warm weather in the breathtaking outdoor scenery.

Market Square farmer’s market

The Farmer’s Market in downtown Knoxville’s Market Square offers fresh and local produce and crafts to the community. File / The Daily

Beacon

If you’re looking for something to do around campus before the Saturday football game, the farmer’s market in Market Square is a fun and family-friendly way to spend your time. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday, the farmer’s market takes over Market Square and surrounding streets.

Hosted by Nourish Knoxville, the market features local vendors and music, including fresh produce and artisanal goods, as well as popular Knoxville food trucks. Some vendors that will be there are Three Bears Coffee Company, SoKno Woodworking, Musick Mountain Farm and Extraterrestrial Fungi.

Zoo Knoxville

Perfect for a Sunday family outing, Zoo Knoxville is fun for all ages. Located slightly east of downtown Knoxville, the zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can see red pandas, tigers, giraffes and elephants, to name a few of the zoo’s many animals. There are also activities available during the day.

The Williams Family Giraffe Encounter, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the weekends, allows visitors to feed giraffes up close and personal for just $5.

Tortoise Trail gives visitors the opportunity to feed and touch Madagascar Radiated and Aldabra Tortoises in this guided tour. Tortoise Trail runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $5 per person.

Ijams Nature Center

Ijams is best known for its quarries used as recreational swimming holes. File / The Daily

Beacon

Ijams Nature Center is a great place to explore the outdoors and features family-friendly activities all weekend long. At 7 p.m. on Friday night, Ijams is showing “The Wizard of Oz” for $10 as part of their Movies Under the Stars series. From 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, Ijams is hosting the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association Monthly Jam, where visitors can enjoy local bluegrass in the park.

Ijams also has over 12 miles of hiking trails, a quarry for swimming or kayaking, mountain biking trails and also features animal ambassadors of local Knoxville wildlife.

Parks and greenways

Knoxville is home to thousands of acres of sprawling parks and greenways that take visitors through all the natural beauty that this city has to offer, without heading too far from campus.

Lakeshore Park in West Knoxville has some of the best views in the city, especially of the Smoky Mountains and Fort Loudon Lake. With over 200 acres, this park features playgrounds, baseball fields and open space for picnics or sprawling out.

The Neyland Greenway goes behind Neyland Stadium across the Tennessee River and curves around the backside of campus. This greenway allows for a great view of Neyland Stadium, the river and Thompson-Boling Arena as visitors ride, run or walk along it.

Also, the James White Greenway is on the shoreline of the Tennessee River and gets visitors close to the water with a beautiful view of the riverbanks and surrounding scenic views.

KEENAN THOMAS Staff Writer

staple in the Knoxville community, and they continue to serve quality food.

Knoxville is home to a variety of restaurants, catering to just about every culinary desire. Whether you’re craving Mediterranean, Hispanic, Korean or Japanese food — you name it and Knoxville probably has it.

However, there’s also an abundance of fastfood chains scattered all throughout the city, mostly on the Strip. At times, it can be hard to resist the urge to fall back on something that will be consistent forever, only off ering brief enjoyment in the moment.

In that light, this list off ers several restaurants throughout Knoxville to satisfy just about any craving, whether that’s American or something more worldwide. If you’re hungry but don’t want McDonald’s for the third time this week, these restaurants are great alternatives.

Zen Ramen House & Sushi Bar

If you’re looking for some nearby Japanese cuisine, look no further than Zen Ramen House & Sushi Bar. Located at 1909 Cumberland Ave. on the Strip, Zen Ramen off ers a variety of Japanese meals, as well as some Asian dishes too. Their menu includes several ramen bowls with beef, chicken or roast duck, along with pho noodles and other soups. They have an extensive sushi list with vegetarian options, along with specialty rolls that can only be found there. Zen Ramen is a great spot to get your fi ll of Japanese specialties.

Yassin’s Falafel House

A falafel wrap from Yassin’s Falafel House.

File / The Daily Beacon

For Middle Eastern meals, Yassin’s Falafel House has a simple yet refi ned menu. Located at 706 Walnut St. as well as 159 N. Peters Rd., Yassin’s serves four main options: falafel, chicken, gyro and vegetable. The diff erence is the way they’re served. You can get everything as a sandwich, a salad or a plate in regular or spicy. There are also a variety of sides to order as well. Yassin’s Falafel House has become a

Downtown Grill & Brewery

Downtown Grill & Brewery o� ers a draft sampler for beer enthusiasts. File / The Dai-

ly Beacon

If you want a little bit of everything, Downtown Grill & Brewery can fulfi ll just about any craving you have. Located at 424 S. Gay St., Downtown Grill & Brewery has an extensive menu. From pasta to chicken to burgers, their menu covers just about anything someone might want. They also have a large alcohol menu, with beer that they brew in-house. Downtown Grill & Brewery has something for everyone.

Taqueria La Herradura

There are several Mexican restaurants throughout Knox County, and Taqueria La Herradura sticks out. With locations at 2625 N. Broadway and an express at 7063 Kingston Pike, Taqueria La Herradura off ers a ton of food for a fairly aff ordable price. Some items cost less than $3 each, like their tacos and mulitas, whereas most of their food costs $7 or more. But you’ll fi nd some excellent Mexican food, especially the burritos and plates. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s worth it.

Pete’s Restaurant

Finally, there’s nothing like an old-fashioned diner, and Pete’s Restaurant off ers just that. Located at 540 Union Ave., Pete’s Restaurant is open for only a small part of the day from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., so you’ve got to get there early. But what you’ll fi nd is some excellent breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, the diner off ers the classics: pancakes, omelets and signature dishes. For lunch, they have wraps, soups, burgers and platters. And that’s not to mention the daily specials! You really can’t go wrong at Pete’s.

ETHAN STONE Assistant Sports Editor

Relevant football hasn’t been played in Neyland Stadium in over a decade. The Vols have been trying to live up to their past reputation as a national powerhouse since the departure of Phillip Fulmer and look to do so in the foreseeable future.

Still, fossils of a bygone era show themselves every once in a while. Just a few weeks ago, Tennessee became the 10th program to reach 850 wins all-time. It will take several years before the bulk of Division I football reaches that milestone.

Let’s take a break from the present and look back at some of Tennessee’s most notable games of the past 40 years.

This one is a no-brainer for the Volunteer faithful. The inaugural run of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) saw the National Champions clad in Big Orange.

That 1998 run still stands as the greatest season in Tennessee football history. There were plenty of games from that year that could have made their way onto this list, but the finale is always the one that sticks in the memory of Vols fans.

Florida State was stout that season, but stumbled its way into a matchup against undefeated Tennessee. Star quarterback Chris Weinke — a future quarterbacks coach on Rocky Top — was injured heading into the matchup that required a Kansas State and UCLA loss to pair the Vols with the No. 2 Seminoles.

The connection between Tee Martin and Peerless Price was too much for an unmatched Florida State squad, and the rest is history.

College football is the most unforgiving sport in America. Winning a championship, in most sports, is usually reserved for those with the most skill. In college football, the most skilled team always needs a little luck as well.

Tennessee was the most talented team in 1998. The Vols had beaten Syracuse and Florida to start the year, two teams well within the top 25. Another big win against No. 7 Georgia put the Vols at No. 1 with a date against No. 10 Arkansas in Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee’s No. 1 status was in jeopardy late in the fourth quarter. With the score at 24-22, Arkansas only needed one more first down to run out the clock and spoil the Vols undefeated season.

That game, and likely the National Championship itself, wouldn’t have been a Tennessee victory without what happened next. Starting quarterback Clint Stoerner, attempting to run clock, stumbled after the direct snap and fumbled, giving Tennessee the ball with under two minutes remaining and an excellent field position.

Tennessee was in the end zone with a 9-0 record six plays later.

Tennessee’s fourth top 5 matchup with Florida in ten years was another special one for the Vols. Steve Spurrier and the Gators had gotten the better of the Vols the two previous matchups, and Fulmer and the Vols were more than happy to send the “Head Ball Coach” out of Florida with one final parting gift.

The Vols, sitting at No. 5 in the national poll, outdueled the Gators in Gainesville, effectively keeping the red-hot Gators out of the National Championship game later that season.

More than anything, it was a statement win for the Vols. Tennessee went on to beat Michigan in the Citrus Bowl later that season after dropping a heart-breaker to LSU in the SEC Championship.

1998 Fiesta Bowl Tennessee 23, Florida State 16 1998 Stoerner Stumble Tennessee 28, Arkansas 24

2001 Tennessee 34, Florida 32

That 1998 run still stands as the greatest season in Tennessee football.

ETHAN STONE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Other notable games:

1991-Miracle at South Bend: Tennessee 35, Notre Dame 34

1992 — Tennessee 31, Florida 14

1982 — Tennessee 35, (2) Alabama 28

1986 — Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 35, Miami (FL) 7

2016 — Tennessee 34, Georgia 31

File / The Daily Beacon Top Right: Touchdown against Florida. Middle Left: Running back return. Top Middle: Quarterback sack against Florida. Bottom Middle: Running against Alabama.