During these recent gray cloudy days, my kids and I decided we needed a change of scenery. We took the hour-long trek to Morristown and had a blast. Before we went, I didn’t know anything about Morristown, but what I found was a very charming spot.
Our Day Trip
We started out the day at Morristown Landing.
This recreation and event center is just a little over a year old and is open to residents and non-residents. The Family Aquatic Center costs just six dollars a day for non-residents and opens for recreational swim at 11am. There are two pools: an 11 lane competition pool and a smaller therapy pool. The competition pool also features one-meter diving boards and extends to a depth of 12 feet. The therapy pool includes a splash pad with falling water, dumping buckets, and a small slide. The therapy pool temperature is around 90 degrees which feels great to adults and kids!
There are two thrilling water slides in the aquatic center. My eight-year-old daughter loved the tall twisty slide. This slide has a height requirement of 48 inches. But my five-year-old son didn’t mind – he was having a blast in the splash pad area!
You can come dressed for the pool and, after checking in, walk right onto the pool deck. There are also locker rooms available for changing that have access to the pool. Outside of the swimming area, there is a snack bar with soft pretzels, pizza, chicken tenders, drinks, and more. There is ample seating to sit and take a break.
We decided we wanted to leave Morristown Landing and explore the town a bit.
There are many food options from which to choose, but we landed at Redbud Deli. The menu is full of salads, sandwiches, soups, bowls, and pasta. My sandwich was fresh and delicious. They offer a kids’ menu with grilled cheese, soup, sandwiches, and more. The atmosphere was welcoming, calm, and easy.
As we were driving around town we happened upon a huge park.
Jolley Park is an inclusive playground and has many options for climbing, sliding, spinning, and exploring. My kids’ favorite things were the zip lines and the tall slides! The playground has a smaller area for little kids, too.
After we finished at the park, we headed back to Morristown Landing to try out the Climbing Zone.
The area opens at 2pm during the summer (4pm other times) and costs six dollars an hour. The Climbing Zone is for anyone over three years old and between 25 and 300 pounds. The climbing walls use a self-belay system that my children found to be fairly easy to use. There is also plenty of staff around to help out.
My kids had such a great time on the fun and creative climbing walls. My son had never climbed before, but found some options where we could reach the top!
By the end of the day my kids had swam, slid, played, and climbed. As we drove home, they were asking when we could go back!
Since being back from our day trip, I’ve found other things I want to check out in the Morristown area.
- The Crockett Tavern Museum is built on the site of Davy Crockett’s boyhood home and offers tours and events.
- Panther Creek State Park has 17 different hiking trails which include views of Cherokee Lake and the Cumberland Mountains. There are also opportunities to mountain bike, fish, boat, ride horses, and more.
- Briarwood Safari is a four-mile safari with animals from six continents. It also includes a petting zoo.
- Holston’s Kitchen or Hillbilly’s Cabin look like great dining options.
- The Unkind Raven is a used bookstore in Dandridge that I’d love to visit on a trip from here to Morristown.
