More Shopping and Browsing...Plus Taking a Break

 ...continuing with our visit from Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill.  It was all about spending time together, shopping/browsing and food.  We revisited places I'd written about previously but that we had liked or enjoyed as well as some new locations.   

Roost, in downtown Maryville Tennessee, is one of those places that we've been to previously.  However this home decor store is definitely worthy of another visit and further blogsite coverage.  

I am generally bored by most home decor and furniture stores but Roost is a definite exception.  But this relatively small store reeks style...in my opinion projecting a truly warm and very tasteful overall 'look'.  Fortunately for my wallet, our home is packed with furniture, wall decor, etc. that we've acquired over the years, so other than an occasional small item, Roost is a 'browsing' experience for us.  In addition, changing out our 'look' for the 'Roost look' would require wholesale change, something we aren't contemplating at this stage of our life. 

FYI, Roost isn't just a store, the owner and staff provide interior design services.  Roost is located at 109 East Broadway Avenue in Maryville Tennessee.  Website: https://roosthome.com/.

There is an ongoing effort to improve downtown Maryville and to make it more of a destination for the area than it already is.  It is challenging because Broadway sits at the crest of a rather narrow hill and parking can be problematic.  Progress is being made but that colorful mural currently serves to distract from a building that needs to be reimagined with a new business. 

The adjoining building with the white storefront at 106 East Broadway contains 2 businesses.  The ground floor is occupied by a bookstore named Neighborly Books while the upper level houses an Art Space Gallery for local artists.  The building was constructed in 1910.

This is the old Post Office/Federal Building at 201 East Broadway in Maryville.  It was built in 1916 and it served as the city's main post office from 1917 through 1962.  From 1962 through 1990 it served as a branch post office.  For many years it also served as offices for other Federal government functions.  The building was the first Headquarters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park back in 1935.  Most recently, it was repurposed for dental services.

Our next stop was at the Tellico Village Yacht Club in Loudon County Tennessee.  Although it's close to our home, we haven't been here in some time.  FYI, it is a yacht club in name only.  There are docks for lease by Villagers, lots of boats and a gas pump, but not a yacht or any large watercraft in sight.  We knew that the views were great plus Bonnie and Bill had never been here...

Built in 1983, the Tellico Village Yacht Club features the Blue Heron Restaurant, meeting rooms and, as shown above, a bar.  The Yacht Club is the center of many Village activities and live entertainment is common especially during the summer.  It also frequently serves as a wedding venue, shutting down other services for a couple's special day.

Our objective was to imbibe in an adult beverage and enjoy a couple of appetizers while taking in the magnificent scenery along Tellico Lake.  We ordered House-Made Crab Rangoon Crispy fried wontons that were filled with lump crab meat, cream cheese and herbs, then served with sweet chili sauce. ($14.00) Everyone else seemed to enjoy them but I much prefer the version that many restaurants serve that doesn't include real crab meat.

Our second appetizer/mid-day snack was this order of Thai Chili Shrimp Eggrolls stuffed with shrimp and accented with sweet chili sauce...all wrapped in a thin pastry sheet before frying. ($14.00) I thought that it was OK but not great...not distinctive, but everyone else said that they liked them.

When it really right comes down to the main attraction at the Tellico Village Yacht Club, its all about the views.  This was what we saw from our table in the bar.  The views from the restaurant are even better as it is situated to the left of this photo and it sits closer to the lake with big windows on 3 sides. 

The Yacht Club in Tellico Village is open to the public.  It's located at 202 Chota Road in Loudon Tennessee.  For more information about the Tellico Village Yacht Club and the Blue Heron Restaurant, including the menu, just go to https://www.tellicovillageyachtclub.com/. 

Now to our changing neighborhood...

As I've mentioned before, the lot diagonally across the street from us is the site of a new house.  After the lot was graded and the foundation set, it was time to rough in the framework.  At the start of this particular day, there was no framework, only the foundation.  With the day not quite over, this was what the construction crew had accomplished.  A few of them were still working on the build after 5 PM.

On the next work day after the previous photo was taken, a crane showed up and the joists went up...then the outer wall board and about 80% of the roof was covered.  It stuns us both at just how fast this phase of a new build can progress...from foundation to this stage of construction in just two days! 

That's all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave