About Knoxville's East Knoxville

Knox County has several great parks but my new favorite which I visited for the first time today is the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge in east Knox County along the French Broad River.

Located just about 15 minutes from downtown Knoxville, this 360 acres of unspoiled landscapes is a great respite from the regular world.

In addition to the six miles or so of great hiking trails and about two miles of paved road that's closed to traffic; there are 4 miles of river frontage along the French Broad River.

Lots of Canoests and kayakers put in here at the boat launch ramp and go downriver to Knoxville about 19 miles by water. The French Broad and Holston Rivers meet in east Knox County to form the Tennessee River which flows through downtown Knoxville.

The nice wide trails are cut through the fields and there's plenty of room to walk 2 abreast with a hiking companion.

This spectacular view is overlooking the pastoral river bottom land, the River, and the Great Smoky Mountains in the distance.

My wife Charlotte is an avid birdwatcher; she's on the lookout for some feathered friends here.

Below is another view from the Overlook Trail with some of the pastoral river bottom along the river. This bottom land used to grow hay and tobacco. In recent years about 280 acres have been sown with native warm weather grasses to encourage wildlife to use it as a habitat.

On the next pretty day head on out to Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge and get away from the hustle and bustles for a few hours; it'll do you good and you'll return refreshed.

If you would like to live in a great area with parks, rivers, lakes, and moutains in or near your backyard visit KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com to see what we have to offer in housing.

Here's a collection of truly hard to understand traffic signs. I'm sure some of them make perfect sense to area residents but if happen to just be passing through.................watch it.

For instance, does the sign below mean you can't make a left turn unless there are no planes in sight? Only very small planes are landing?

Photo credit flickr

"Aviation" is actually Aviation Street and if a very light amount of cars are on it; you're cleared for a left turn. Roger that tower, turning left now.

This sign below gives instructions on how to make a "Michigan Left" turn..........say what? What the heck is that all about?

Photo credit: flickr

It seems to me that going straight ahead here and then making your left turn onto the northbound street would be much simpler than the convolutions this sign directs you to make.

Maybe some of our fellow Realtors from Michigan can explain how this is supposed to work and why.

"Go down 2 blocks and turn on Montreal."

"Which way?"

"It doesn't matter, you can't possibly miss Montreal."

Photo credit flickr

Bottom line; it's tough to miss your turn onto Montreal

The sign below is, not surprisingly, in Washington, D.C. It explains a lot about how the thoght processes work there.........

Photo credit flickr

Somehow you just know the guy that designed this sign also writes tax preparation instructions for the IRS.

I recommend you don't drive on this street at any time because you know someone is going to be coming straight for you sooner or later.

Below is another great intersection to steer well clear of. This one is located in San Francisco

Photo credit: Flickr

OK, this one has all the turn options covered; you can turn left, turn right, don't turn, and turn around. Somthing for everyone.

OK, I think I see a big traffic circle ahead.

Photo credit: Flickr

But if a wagon train happened to be passing by here and saw these signs they would thing they were in indian country and circle the wagons. This could also be confusing to square dancing fans

Caution, trick riders ahead..........either that or you're supposed yield to people dragging their bikes.

Photo credit Flickr

Believe me if I see a guy doing a backwards wheelie like this sign depicts I'm not only giving him the right of way but a big round of applause too.

That's certainly a collection of strange signs.