Earlier this spring, I had the privilege of presenting a workshop at the College Music Society (CMS) Southern/Mid-Atlantic Joint Regional Conference in Knoxville, TN.

We had a little trouble getting there because of all the winter weather in Tennessee (the University of Tennessee cancelled classes the day before this picture was taken!) but everything worked out in the end.

At the end of the first day, SD and I explored a little bit of downtown Knoxville - walking distance from our hotel. Such a historic city! I loved the old theater signs, lamp posts, and brick sidewalks. We had dinner at Tupelo Honey Cafe - southern food! The tangy BBQ, sweet tea cocktail, fried okra, and goat cheese grits were our favorites.

One the last day of our trip, we spent the morning exploring the city a little further. We stopped in a few adorable boutiques and antique shops, a cute kitchen store, and a bookstore with a charming small-town feel.

We discovered Just Ripe on our walk up Union Avenue and decided to share an egg biscuit and glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice as a late breakfast. The shop was charming - a combination grocery and cafe. As we sat at our bistro table by the window, people came in to pick up a dozen eggs, a loaf of freshly-baked bread, or to order a bite to eat. The food was delicious! In fact, we liked it so much that we went back a little while later to pick up lunch to-go! Who can resist a homemade pimento cheese sandwich?

I hope we make it back to Knoxville sometime soon - perhaps for the International Biscuit Festival!