The Times highlights Knoxvul (the "36 hours in..." series comes to town)

[Fido]

The New York Times features Knoxville, Tennessee, in this weekend's travel section!  How exciting.  Dave, if you're reading this, care to comment?  I'd love to know how well they did in capturing the essence of your city for this feature. 

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/travel/08Hours.html?8dpc

I'm pleased to learn that the airport was named for McGhee Tyson, a pilot who was lost in World War I, and not for someone named McGhee and either Mike Tyson or the Tyson Foods corporation.

[dave from knoxville]

Mostly they get it right, I think; I will try to offer wry commentary when return to my office later this afternoon.

[Fido]

I'm looking forward to it!

I'm also looking forward to exploring that part of Tennessee (admittedly, not so much to visit Knoxville, but to hike the mountains in eastern TN and western NC...). Knoxville seems like a great jumping off point, and probably a great place to visit in its own right.  (Maybe I hold this opinion mostly because of the residency of the estimable Dave?)

[dave from knoxville]

OK, well, they start wrong. Them:

"KNOXVILLE is often called “the couch” by the people who live there."

I have lived here 31 years. I have never once in my entire life heard that nickname. I have also never heard

"Austin without the hype."

but having visited Austin, I could almost see Knoxville as a smaller version of that, but with hills galore. Most everything else in the article I really can't quibble with, although I would given even more importance to Yee-Haw Industries than they do; it's the center of cool in Knoxville, not because they do things to BE or cultivate "the cool", but just because the stuff they do IS.

I was TL's Secret Santa, and he almost got stuff from Yee-Haw after Tom hinted that I should "think local", but I wound up sending him a book about the history of the local college-oriented music scene since the 1970's. The name escapes me. Maybe I will get him again.

Knoxville meet-up! I am seeking tips from Spike on hosting a "basement" party.

[Fido]

Thanks for the feedback Dave.  I will make it to Knoxville before too long. A Knoxville meet-up sounds like a swell idea!  (But if Spike wants pain or domination to be involved, I would not be in favor of that.)