Goodbye east TN.

I've been living in central Texas for the last couple of month's. Due to various obligations and commitments the wife and kid will not be able to join me until the end of July or early August. I took a couple day's off and flew back home to see them, being a long distance spouse and parent is difficult to say the least.

Got up this morning with no real plans except the boy said he wanted to go to the park. It was a beautiful sunny morning so we loaded up and headed out. Heading down the road I got to thinking about what I was going to miss most about this area. And the one big thing, which was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to move here in the first place, is the abundance of very good if not great driving roads.

Seeing as how this is likely to be my last chance, I decided to take the long way to the park. We headed south and jumped across the Foothills Parkway. Getting held up most of the way by a group of the slowest metric cruisers on the planet. The Parkway drops you off on 129 just shy of the dragon. We pulled off to give the slow group plenty of time to not hold us because they had no intention of getting out of the way.

I was driving my wife's '12 Elantra, it's not a sporty car by any means and it is an auto but driving up the dragon at 5/10 it proved to be very competent and fun. It turns in with authority and sliding the shifter manual mode it was able hold second unless you get close to the redline then it will upshift on its own. I've never driven this car in a sporting manner prior to today but came away very impressed. Especially with the steering, in normal driving it feels a little heavy and seems to be lacking feel. However upping the pace a little it feels very natural and the car displayed no bad habits at all.

Anyway, I got in behind a guy riding a BMW who seemed to be running the same pace I was. Not pushing it anywhere but going fast enough to feel the character of the road. We caught some slower traffic and they moved out of the way, we pulled out of the way for some faster traffic to pass and slowed enough to not draw any attention from the law that was set up in a couple spots up through the top.

We continued on when we reached the top and decided to come back over the Cherohala Skyway. We stopped at the Thunder Mountain General Store for some hotdogs (talked with the owner for a little while, he is a very personable guy and run it with his wife and daughter, very good people, stop by if your in the area) and then continued up the mountain and down the other side. Got around half way through when we got stuck behind the slowest Civic in the entire world. They would practically stop in the corner and then floor it to the next one. With so many bikes out and with my family on board I decided not to try and pass and suffered the most boring drive down the mountain I've ever had. It was so bad the boy went to sleep.

We got to the park and the boy ran out a lot of energy and as we walked in the house the thunder started rolling and the skies opened up.

So it's days like this that I'm going to miss most about east TN. I don't know if we'll ever be back but it was sure fun while we were here.

You can always go back to visit. I take my daughter to Great Smoky Mountains NP in the summer. She loves going through New Found Gap.

I went from East TN to Southeast Louisiana, mountain roads are the only thing I miss.

I'll probably be leaving E. TN. by spring of next year if all goes as planned. Just this afternoon I rode my Yamaha V Star 250 up to Indian Grave Gap at the NC line and also where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. I was going to try to make it up the gravel road that goes to the top of Unaka Mt. but my back was sore and I couldn't take the pounding the washboard gravel road gave me.

I too will miss these mountains. I grew up here and it will always feel like home to me.

Forgot to mention the cars we saw. A couple Vipers, over a dozen Mini's, two very serious looking newish 911's, a classic 911, a couple Corvettes, 2 STI's, 1 Evo and a classic Mustang fastback. Some amazing bikes out as well, way too many to count.

After living in middle TN for the past 28 years and 1 year now in FL, I miss the great driving roads, creek fishing and Kroger grocery stores, and that's about it.

It's hard to leave things you love behind especially because you seem to focus on their absence. It took me a while to look around Texas and see the good things that were here instead of the things that were missing.

Graefin10 wrote: I'll probably be leaving E. TN. by spring of next year if all goes as planned. Just this afternoon I rode my Yamaha V Star 250 up to Indian Grave Gap at the NC line and also where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. I was going to try to make it up the gravel road that goes to the top of Unaka Mt. but my back was sore and I couldn't take the pounding the washboard gravel road gave me. I too will miss these mountains. I grew up here and it will always feel like home to me.

You from Cowtown?

t25torx wrote: After living in middle TN for the past 28 years and 1 year now in FL, I miss the great driving roads, creek fishing and Kroger grocery stores, and that's about it.

The other stores must be pretty bad if Kroger is the gold standard. I don't dislike it, but it is usually my 5th to 7th choice depending on where I am. If you take out the discount stores (Aldi and Cub), it is up to 4th to 5th.

Nick, I was going to invite you to hitch a ride to Carolina Motorsports Park with us this upcoming weekend, but I noticed your location had changed. I hope your move offers you and your family plenty of opportunities.
Flight Svc.- You left Morristown, don't hold all of east TN responsible. I grew up there, it's....different, I'll leave it at that.

In reply to windsordeluxe:

I was raised in Erwin, worked in Johnson City, was on a boat race team out of Bristol and my best friend was from Elizabethton.

I know EXACTLY how E. TN is.

mtn wrote:

t25torx wrote: After living in middle TN for the past 28 years and 1 year now in FL, I miss the great driving roads, creek fishing and Kroger grocery stores, and that's about it.

The other stores must be pretty bad if Kroger is the gold standard. I don't dislike it, but it is usually my 5th to 7th choice depending on where I am. If you take out the discount stores (Aldi and Cub), it is up to 4th to 5th.

Ha, I wouldn't call it the Gold Standard.. I really liked the fact that most all their store brand items were on par or better than the name brand stuff though. Winn-Dixie is really the only cheap choice I have down here and it sucks as far as selection and store branded items are not in the same league as Kroger's were.

Oh and BBQ, I have yet to find a place that knows how to make a good pulled pork sandwich down here. Just chain BBQ joints that suck. Moving to Texas at least they will have that covered.

t25torx wrote: Oh and BBQ, I have yet to find a place that knows how to make a good pulled pork sandwich down here. Just chain BBQ joints that suck. Moving to Texas at least they will have that covered.

Nope, they are experts at brisket, but pulled pork I still find Tennessee to be better. Texan are snobs about the meat too. If you cook anything but brisket you don't know how to barbecue meat.

Sad, I would put Ridgewood up against anyone.

BBQ is not really an east tennessee thing. I grew up eating NC BBQ until I spent 3 yrs in Memphis for undergraduate work. What a difference! The funny thing is now Publix and Trader Joe's have moved into Knoxville and are now my "go to" place for groceries.
Sorry to see you leave East Tenn but the economy hasnt recovered here and things have to be better in Texas. My business is down but at least the roads are still there for stress relief.

I love east TN. I wouldn't mind living down there.

In reply to windsordeluxe:

I wish I would be able to go. Thank you for the kind words.

In reply to whenry:

I certainly feel that there is more opportunity out there. While this area maybe hasn't come back all the way yet I also don't believe it ever really bottomed out as bad as other parts of the country. For instance I ended up in TN after looking for a job, any job, in futility for over a year in Ohio living off of my retirement savings and ultimately losing everything we had. There are jobs in east TN, however they are low paying for someone without a degree.

Flight Service wrote:

t25torx wrote: Oh and BBQ, I have yet to find a place that knows how to make a good pulled pork sandwich down here. Just chain BBQ joints that suck. Moving to Texas at least they will have that covered.

Nope, they are experts at brisket, but pulled pork I still find Tennessee to be better. Texan are snobs about the meat too. If you cook anything but brisket you don't know how to barbecue meat. Sad, I would put Ridgewood up against anyone.

yep … seems all they understand is beef "bbq" … which we all know isn't really isn't BBQ

Spoolpigeon wrote: I love east TN. I wouldn't mind living down there.

Agreed. Its one of the few places I've been that I like almost as much as here.

I'll still be here. You guys let me know when you want to come visit. I was an AF brat and then went to school in Boone, NC. App State baby! After that I got married, and we've moved 5 times. I have now lived in East TN longer than I have ever lived anywhere else. We are in Knoxville and I don't plan to move.

East TN pretty much has something for everyone and it is all relatively close to the Knoxville area. Here's some other things that haven't been mentioned that make my area a nice place to live and raise kids:

• Great Smokey Mtn National Park is right out your back door.

• there are also multiple other hiking, hunting or WMA areas nearby

• mtn biking trails, while not the greatest are pretty close proximity to the city. I don't have to load up and drive for 45 mins to get to a trail. I can be at one in 5-10 and another in 10-15.

• Motorsports, what are you into we have it here or closeby. Windrock OffRoad park is a big draw, miles and miles of trails, some pretty crazy stuff. Plus the SCCA has autoX and rallyX here in the area. Charlotte Motorsports park is 4 hours away. Road Atlanta is 3ish hours away. PCA is pretty active in the area and holds their own autoX. In addition, there are Cars and Coffee events throughout the year one at a european garage and another sponsored by a local car dealer that takes over the mall parking lot with all who attend. And we also get a good mix of hot rod shows if you are into those.

• Lots of water if you are into boats or fishing. Big lakes for big boats but there are also small areas for canoes and kayaks as well. Melton Hill lake is a controlled lake and has some very flat smooth sections with no wake. NCAA crew championships are held on one section of that lake. I've seen people out on paddle boards around here too.

• Knoxville has a downtown area if you are into that and its not too big. I mean we have some hipsters if you are into that because it is a college town after all. Plus if you need a big city rush ATL and Nashville are both 3 hours away.

• If you need a craft beer fix Ashville is an hour and 20 mins away. And there is also a Beerfest in Knoxville every year.

• No state income tax

• Cost of living is pretty good

• Good schools if you have kids(depending on where you live) but top 10 in the state in some areas.

• Sking is also close by, not equal to CO or other places, but still nice.

• And weather, we have all four seasons. We get snow in the winter, we get sun in the summer. None of this snow for 9 months crap and two weeks of summer. Plus we usually have pretty good springs and falls which make top down driving FABULOUS!

I'm sure I'll come up with more later but I gotta run.

all of those reasons is why I like WNC …

wbjones said: all of those reasons is why I like WNC …

Me too. We vacation in the mtns of WNC and since I went to school there WNC has always felt like home to me.

But TN has all the amenities of WNC except no state income tax, and we don't seem to have the jacked up gas prices you guys have. I recently travelled from Knox to Fayetteville and gas jumped 35-40 cents a gallon once I hit the NC line. Other than taxes that I think WNC and East TN are very similar.

yep … no state income tax, and lower gas taxes (that's most of the difference in gas prices)

SC is even less gas tax … but no mountains

Ugh i had to go and read this like i wasn't already antsy enough to get down to Fontana for MATG in July.

Tennessee has higher sales tax and actually the average family pay more in taxes in TN than in any other state in the union. This was as of 4 years ago and I am sure it has changed, but don't be stupid and think no state income tax means less out of your pocket. You also have full tax on food, which most states with income taxes don't. If you have a family and don't bring in 6 figures, I would say food is a significant part of your budget, and Tn's lovely tax tags 9.25-9.75% on top of it.

With the exception of a few pockets of growth (Nashville, Chatty), Tennessee has went down hill in jobs. Education has fallen (Hey being top 10 of the second from the bottom is good right? ), the # of kids not graduating high school is one of the highest in the nation, teen pregnancy and drug use is up, especially meth. If you have a child with Autism, you have ZERO supports from schools or insurance. Unless you are on TennCare (Medicaid)(which is insolvent I might add).

Newport TN is considered the Chop Shop Capital of the Country. Those boys can strip a a car quick.

The housing market outside of the growing pockets is still falling, (ask me how I know that one.)

Tennessee is the #2 producer of weed in the country (second to California) I don't care how you feel about it, in Tennessee it's very illegal.

Tennessee ranks in the top 5 for political corruption and in violence year over year. Tennessee salary do not peak as best in any category and are the lower third in most,( If cost of living is 110 on the index you need to make 110 to be even. IN TN your index is 85 you will make 80 so you are losing money being underpaid. But say in California where the cost of living index is 110 you will make 120 so you are making more. IME this is real benefit of understanding your local economy) I lived in East Tennessee most of my life and middle Tennessee for 10 years. I have watched the state go to hell in a hand basket. The people who live there defend it and put on blinders to the issues. Like most people do. They like blaming other people for their problems, just like everyone else. The big issue is the leaders have no clue and will fight you if you try to get one.

I-40 from Nashville to the NC state line is the most patrolled stretch of highway in the country.

To sum it up another lifetime local said it best.

"Tennessee, our kids can't read but we got good roads."

And Yes Western North Carolina and East Tennessee are very similar. Different sides to the same mountain.

Downtown Knoxville is cool, as is Ashville, and Chatty. Outside of that...good luck.

Flight Service, I'm not going to argue the merits of one state over another,that was never my intention. I listed things in TN besides the roads that make it appealling to me. It's not perfect but what place is anymore? There are certain aspects of living here that I don't like but for me it fits what I need right now. I listed the things I like about East TN, and to me East TN is Knoxville. I've been to Johnson City, Elizabethton, Mtn City, Morristown, Bristol, etc they are not the cities I think of when I hear the term East TN. In my opinion, those cities are very different than Knoxville.

Different strokes for different folks man. Happy motoring.