Ready or not, spring break is here! We decided to put together a list of family friendly things to do here in the Knoxville area! Be sure to check your school coupon book and online for any available coupons/promotions to maximize your fun-budget this spring break! Groupon also has a lot of great local deals on everything from entertainment to food!

[All Park Information provided by KnoxCounty.Org]

“The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department oversees roughly 2,700 acres of parkland, including more than 40 parks; some 25 miles of greenways and unpaved bike trails; dozens and dozens of sports fields and a number of splash pads, golf courses, beaches and dog parks.” (Knox County Parks and Rec, 2018)

You are sure to find somewhere near you for the kids to get outdoors and play! Here are some of our favorites!

Carl Cowan

Park Size: 30 acres
Paved Trail: 0.3 mile loop
Natural Trail: 0.4 miles one-way
Difficulty: easy
Hours: dawn till dusk

Entrance: 10058 Northshore Drive

Website: www.outdoorknoxville.com/places/parks/west/carl-cowan-park

Lake Shore

Park Size: 185 acres
Paved Trail: 4 mile loop
Hours: dawn till dusk

Entrances: Greenway: 5908 Lyons View Dr
Park: 6410 S. Northshore Drive
Website: http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/places/parks/west/lakeshore-park

New Harvest Park

Park Size: 43 acres
Paved Trails: 2 – 0.25 mile loops
Natural Trail: 0.5 mile loop
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Hours: dawn till dusk

Entrance: 4775 New Harvest Lane

Website: http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/places/parks/north/new-harvest-park

315 acres of nature make it easy for people of all ages and abilities to get out and explore! Whether you want to take a hike, get out on Meads Quarry in a kayak, canoe, or on a SUP, coast on 9 miles of beginner level bike trails, walk or jog on 12 miles of natural surface trails, or take in the beauty of the ponds, meadows, and everything in between, a trip to Ijams will not disappoint! If you want to add a little extra fun into the equation, check out Navitat Knoxville’s tree-based adventure park at Ijams Nature Center!

[photos provided courtesy of Ijams and Aimee Rayfield]

Ijams Hours: https://goo.gl/v7J1yb

Let your imagination blast off in the U.S.S. Muse Planetary Explorer, visit the STEM Station, explore musical talents, go outdoors and visit the Science Garden or the playground, lear about airflow and the circulatory system in A-Mazing Airways, or challenge yourselves to tinker and create in the “Make Space” room with the always changing materials that are provided! A trip to The Muse will prove that learning can be fun!

[photos provided courtesy of The Muse Knoxville and Jaclyn St. John]

The Muse Knoxville Hours and Pricing : https://goo.gl/fw7QFC

Need a really good belly laugh? Grab some skates and hit the ice at the Ice Chalet!

[photos provided courtesy of The Ice Chalet]

Ice Chalet Hours & Pricing https://goo.gl/ERWUkm

Parents of teenagers rejoice! The Spring FunPass, which starts $14.95,  lets your kids can play all day at the Main Event!  All-you-can-play bowling, billiards, laser tag, gravity ropes and more! You can also add an hour of arcade time for an additional $10! Come to think about it, the adults just might enjoy this one just as much as the kids!

[photos provided courtesy of The Main Event]

The Main Event Hours and Pricing https://goo.gl/4Fc83e

Wall to wall trampolines, black light mini-golf, and extended Spring Break 2019 Hours!

Monday: closed
Tuesday: 4pm-9pm
Wednesday: 1pm-9pm
Thursday: 1pm-9pm
Friday: 1pm-11pm
Saturday: 10am -11pm
Sunday: 12pm-7pm

[photos provided courtesy of Max Air]

Max Air Regular Hours and Pricing https://goo.gl/jGxnN5

“The new Healthy Living exhibit is great fun and is our newest exhibit” says Executive Director Beth Shea, it opened in 2017 and features a Farmer’s Market and an exercise area to encourage children to make good choices in eating and staying active. Every Friday from 11 -1, the museum hosts Fitness Friday in the exhibit with some special exercise options like yoga! In addition to the Healthy Living exhibit, you can visit the model train exhibit  “World of Trains”, learn about birds in “The Bird Room”, see how toys have changed over the years at the “Century of Toys” exhibit, take a nature walk, play in a life-sized dollhouse,  and so much more!

[photos provided courtesy of CMOR]

ORCM Hours and Pricing: https://goo.gl/VSRSNY

Home to over 800 animals, Zoo Knoxville offers a day full of fun! From learning about the animals, feeding giraffes,  to petting goats and sheep in Kids Cove, riding the carousel or a real life camel, to watching a bird shows, playing in one of the indoor play areas, or taking a ride on the Zoo Choo, the kids are sure to have a fun and memorable day!

[photos provided courtesy of Aimee Rayfield]

Zoo Hours & Pricing : https://goo.gl/qrBiwW

Take a short drive to the outskirts of town and visit The Lost Sea Adventure in Sweetwater! Tour the caverns and take a boat ride on America’s largest underground lake! While you’re there, visit the shops in Lost Sea Village or enjoy a nature walk!

[ photos provided courtesy of The Lost Sea ]

Lost Sea Prices & Hours https://goo.gl/qTzEtz

Dollywood is opening back up for the 2019 Season this weekend so pick a day to pack up the kids and make a day of it! There are so many options for kids of all ages, from shows, rides, and games!

(Please note that Dollywood will be closed on Tuesday, March 19th)

Dollywood Hours and Pricing: https://goo.gl/q348X4

If you want to get out of town and are up for a day trip this spring break, we highly recommend the Virginia Creeper! It’s about a 2 and a half hour drive from Knoxville but we promise you that it is sooooo worth it! Here’s a link to FAQs + most of what you need to know to plan your trip!! https://goo.gl/T2wsSe

If your soon-to-be new home is in a new town or on the complete opposite side of town, take some time to research vets in the area. If you don’t have any connections in the area yet, perhaps look for a local Facebook group to join, introduce yourself there, and ask for suggestions! Who knows, you might even make a friend! It’s important to have somewhere picked out so you aren’t scrambling for a place if you and your fur baby ever find yourselves in an emergency situation. Once you narrow it down, we suggest going as far as setting up an appointment to take your pet in to see the vet you’ve selected so they have your pet’s information on file. Be sure to ask your previous vet for any medical records so you can take them with you for your new vet to include in their files! Trust us; this will be especially beneficial when it comes to reminders being set out when it’s time for shots!

Moving is a stressful and often chaotic time in your life and this is especially true for your pet. Try to keep things as normal as possible for as long as possible. Wait to pack your pet’s belongings until loading time. Not only will this make their belongings some of the first to come off the truck, but it will be one of the biggest helps when it comes to your pets’ sense of security, both in packing up to leave and getting settled in the new place.

This one ties into the previous suggestion. Animals, as you know, rely largely on scent for everything from their sense of security, communication, and even the way they see the world since their sense of smell is the biggest way they are aware of their surroundings. We tend to want new things for a new house, which is perfectly understandable, but save it for your personal things like your bedding and bath towels and let your pet keep his/her existing bedding and toys for a while in the new house. Once things have settled and your fur baby seems to have adjusted, then you can start looking at replacing them!

Take some time to look through the house carefully and think from your pet’s perspective too -their line of sight is much different than yours! Look for things like mouse traps or rat/insect poison that may be hiding in corners or under the edges of things like cabinets and appliances, blind cords that could be hazardous, and look the garage over carefully for signs of any antifreeze spills or other chemicals left behind by the previous owners.

Obviously every situation and move is different so we won’t even pretend this one is always an option, especially when you are changing home towns. That said, if it is an option for your specific situation, we highly encourage it! Not only will this reduce the stress of moving day for your pet (and you!) but also decrease the chances of your dog getting out the door or in the way of all the moving furniture. It will also give you time to unpack your pets belongings and find the perfect place for them so that when they do come “home” for the first time, their smell is in the house.

Our first home we bought was a foreclosure and about a month or so after we moved in and got settled, we adopted a dog! As it would appear, the previous owners/tenants had a fit of rage and broke several bottles leaving glass scattered in the very back part of the yard. Unfortunately, our dog found the glass before we did and we found ourselves in a situation where we didn’t have a vet yet. It was late in the evening, he had several gashes on his paws, and we had no clue where to go or who to call. I’m telling you this because I’d tell our story a hundred times over if it showed you the importance of these two steps –finding a vet and carefully inspecting the yard! We spent almost the entire next day cleaning up glass and went back again at night with flashlights hoping the light would catch on any pieces we had overlooked. It was a scary and expensive mistake that we absolutely learned from. While you are checking the yard, be sure to check the fence line too and make certain that there are no loose parts or open holes that they could get out of the yard through or non-pets could get in through. Observe the landscaping. Some plants and trees can be toxic to pets so take a look around your new yard and make sure you have identified everything and they are all pet safe. We also highly encourage you to take your dog outside on a leash the first few times he/she goes out! If he/she were to be separated from you, finding their way back home could be difficult with so many new smells.

Try to keep things as normal for them as you can, it will help them tremendously that some things have stayed the same. Keep their meal times consistent and try to give them just as much attention as you did before. Did you go on a daily walk before moving? Take a break from unpacking and let them sniff out their new neighborhood and familiarize themselves with any new sounds and smells.

This one is especially important as you begin to leave your dog home alone in your new home. Pets are curious by nature and depending on your pet’s temperament this may be stressful for him/her leading to destructive behavior as a release. We know life can’t stop completely but do try to ease into leaving your pet alone as much as life allows, starting with shorter increments of time and extending them gradually. When you do leave, be sure to give your pet something to keep them busy – from chew toys to treat-filled kongs.

From dog tags, to vet offices, and microchip profiles take the time do make sure your contact information is up to date with all of these places as a precaution!

Perhaps the most important thing of all is to remember that your pets had no say in this big life change for them and it’s as big of an adjustment for them as it is for you. Give them lots of lovin’ and treats, and a little extra grace too!

Looks like this cold weather is here to stay! This post may come a touch late but with this East Tennessee weather there’s never any telling what’s going to happen! Let’s talk about the attention your home + systems need as the temperatures start to drop!

First things first – the heat source! It’s important to change your furnace’s filter, monthly if possible, during the cold months to keep your energy bill down, your unit from being overworked, and your house warm! That filter is a cheap and quick preventative that not only keeps your airflow clean and steady but could save you up to 15% in energy costs, not to mention the headache of getting stuck with an unexpected repair bill!

If you have a fireplace, we recommend an annual inspection to help ensure that there are no cracks or obstructions in the chimney. An inspection will also help identify any damage that has been cause by high winds or storms that have passed through, especially to the rain cap. If damage has occurred, it leaves room for rain and animals room to get in, the leading reasons a chimney fails. The inspector will also identify a need for a chimney sweep if there is build up or clearance concerns. Keep firewood stored at least 30 feet from the house to avoid a fire hazard.

If you have ceiling fans, did you think they were only for cooling? They can help distribute heat too! Most units have a toggle-switch or button on the remote that reverses the direction the fan blades turn. A vertical switch should be switched up and a horizontal one should be on the right during the winter. To make sure your blades are moving in the right direction, when standing directly under your fan looking up, the blades should be spinning clockwise on a low speed setting. In doing this, rather than creating a downward airflow as it does in the summer, this will pull the cold air up forcing the warm air that has risen to the ceiling back down redistributing the already heated air!

Check your smoke + carbon monoxide detectors to see that they’re operating properly and put fresh batteries in them each year. Do the same with a flashlight and keep it in an easy to find spot in case of a power outage.

Now that you’ve done what you can to help keep the house heated and save energy, we don’t want it to all go to waste! According to the US Department of Energy, drafts can cause between 5% – 30% of heat to be lost! THAT’S INSANE! Drafts are most commonly found where two different building materials meet; check your doors, windows, chimneys, and where wires and pipes enter and exit your home for any. If you find a draft (check here for a tutorial of how to find them) seal it using the appropriate material, whether caulk, weather stripping, a door sweep, etc. You can also use a rolled up towel or a DIY draft stopper to help keep cold air from entering underneath exterior doors.

Protect pipes that are in areas like a basement, attic, or garage since those areas are typically unheated by adding pipe insulation. Find your water’s shut off valve + know where it is so that you are able to turn the water off quickly in case of an emergency. When the temperature drops, leave cabinet doors with hidden plumbing such as in the kitchen and bathrooms open to give warm air a way to circulate in those spaces to help prevent freezing. Make sure that in doing so, you don’t leave cleaning supplies or other toxic products in the reach of small children and pets.

Disconnect outdoor hoses and drain any water in them to prevent water from freezing inside and busting the hose. Use insulated spigot covers to keep ice from forming in/around outdoor water spigots.

Empty gas powered tools such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, pressure washers, etc to avoid damage from freezing temperatures. Take inventory of your tools to make sure you have a good shovel for removing any snow that could come. If you already have one, check to make sure there are no cracks from the previous winter you may have forgotten about. Grab a bag of salt to have on hand in case you need it for your walkways! Speaking of walkways, those can easily hide ice which can be very dangerous, especially with the limited daylight there is during the winter. Check your outdoor lights to make sure all of your bulbs are working and motion sensors are operating properly so you have a higher change of spotting any sneaky ice before slipping.

Inspect your gutters and roof (safely!) to make sure there are no leaves or debris that could ease the formation of ice dams.

If you are thinking about selling, wintertime is a great time to think ahead and have your realtor come out to help you identify the things needs to be addressed prior to listing. Taking advantage of being home more this season by checking these things off the to-do list will ease stress and help your home make a bigger splash when it hits the market! Need a realtor? We would love to put you in touch with one of our real estate specialists – just call our office! 865-560-9401