I go on vacation to Knoxville, and this happens back in my hometown. Let's see, vacation was fun: I visit my brother in Knoxville, which seems like a cool place, not too big or small (city keyword is "scruffy", apparently), old, traditional, beautiful, fun, et cetera. They even hosted the 1982 World's Fair.
Of course, there's way too many dangerous hills in the rural-esque suburbia, narrow roads, crazy drivers, et cetera. It didn't seem as depressing as suburban Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti was, and there were cool things to see: the Smokies! An old Taco Bell! A Publix this far from Florida! Super Target! Trader Joe's! A cool downtown! The list went on and on. There was even a less-welcome sight: right in the middle of a somewhat upper class suburban area was one of these sleazy "adult video" establishments, except it had windows (yikes), though despite a few scantily dressed mannequins, there wasn't anything too explicit (from the outside, that is).
It was great seeing my brother (and Die Hard), eating lots of good food (gourmet pizza, omelets, blueberry pancakes, Memphis-style barbecue, et cetera), hiking in the Smokies (no bears, sad to say), and more, but it's great to be back home.
It's also pretty sad that what the establishment offered was the same best-selling book sold in "real" bookstores. Since when did this type of thing become socially acceptable?
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