Page 25 - Vol40 No3 Sept-Oct2022

The Local Landscape Was His Childhood Playground Knoxville Attractions from page 22
He knows the landscape like few others, growing up in that
exact area, “running the fields, playing all up and down Turkey Hiking, Mountain Biking, Kayaking and Bouldering
Creek Road, and fishing every chance I got.” He graduated as Of course, if you want to get away from the buildings and
a Farragut High School Farmer in 1977, worked construction the urban atmosphere, it’s a short drive from Downtown
jobs for a builder, and spent six years chasing gold, silver and to the great outdoors (maybe a five-ten minute drive) to
zinc for U.S. Borax mineral exploration company, drawing Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. It provides easy access to
geographic maps and photographing sites around the East. hiking and biking trails, kayaking, bouldering, mountain
“I got to see fossils what once were ocean critters 2,400 feet biking adventures and more than 85 miles of Greenway.
below the surface,” he said. But in 1986, the company closed Take in history while on the trail at Fort Dickerson Park. See
its offices, and that’s how he found his way to the Town of beautiful city vistas at River Bluff Wildlife Area.
Farragut, first becoming a building codes enforcement officer Ijams Nature Center across the South Knoxville bridge
before creating the official Public Works department. is popular for its meandering trails and river views. Or,
He’s been involved with TCAPWA since the early 1990s and mountain bikers can “catch some air” at Baker Creek
Preserve, which has five multi-use trails and three downhill
has served on the awards committee and in other informal mountain bike trails. The Devil’s Racetrack is the only
roles. But he really enjoys the APWA roundtable discussions double-black diamond downhill trail in the region.
at local meetings and conferences, where he likes hearing A new 1,000-acre property, The Drop Inn , just opened this
about how other towns and chapters solve similar challenges summer. It features two new biking trails and two multi-use
to those in Farragut. trails that connect to some of the most popular spots in the
Put a Fishing Rod in His Hand Urban Wilderness. They can be accessed from The Drop
McKelvey admits he’s a fairly “hands-on” guy, who went 25 Inn property, Marie Myers Park or the Baker Creek Preserve.
years before he had an administrative assistant. And yet, he Combined, the trails span 1.43 miles.
also treasures his “down time” with his family…wife Faye, his The Smokies and...Dollywood
daughter, four grandchildren, and his hobby as a competitive Finally, Knoxville is only an hour’s drive from the Great
fisherman. Smoky Mountains. The tourist areas of Townsend in Blount
“I’ve been fishing competitively all across the Eastern U.S. County, and Sevier County’s Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and
since 1996,” he said. “Put a fishing rod in my hand and point Gatlinburg, all have diverse entertainment, dining and
me toward one of our seven beautiful nearby lakes.” lodging options. And don’t forget Dollywood!!

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