kay1234

My husband and I are looking into relocating to the Smoky Mountain area somewhere around Maryville. He is in recovery and has been in the program and sober for over 8 years.

My question is if anyone from this area can tell me if they have a good AA and Alanon program in that area, as that is very important to us? Any help would be appreciated...thank you all

respektingme

Wow, small world. I grew up in Maryville. I didn't have any reason to go to AA or Alanon back then, so I don't know what's available there. That area has grown so much. If you're not from the south, you might want to look at west Knoxville, just about 15 mins. away (taking the Pellissippi Parkway). Lots of transplants in that area. Maryville has grown but still has much of the feel of the south. Didn't bother me at the time, but could be a culture shock for some.

I highly recommend eating dinner at the Lakeside Tavern in West Knoxville. You can eat inside our outside, and watch the sun set over the lake. Lots of people park their boats to come eat.

kay1234

Thank you for that ... We are looking for a big change and we have done a lot of research on Maryville and it seems like the best fit...we don't want to be in a big city. We are going there in September to really check things out.

respektingme

Since I grew up in that area, I am familiar with all the roads going to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I was there recently when my dad told me about Blackberry Farm. I had never seen it, never heard of it and couldn't believe it when my dad told me about it. Apparently it's a high-end luxury resort in Walland. The rooms go for around $1500/night. Bizarre if you're familiar with the area, because while it's beautiful, it has been inhabited mostly by farms and trailer parks for years. It's not advertised because it's so exclusive. Anyway, you can see their website at blackberryfarm followed by a dot and a com.

Check out Townsend while you're there. It's even less of a city feel than Maryville. Maryville used to be a fairly small community but someone tipped off the commercial builders and they can't build strip malls fast enough. It is really a gorgeous place to live. I miss living so close to lakes. Was nothing years ago to have friends who lived right on the lake and to go skiing off their boat docks. Now you have to be able to afford a million dollar home to live on one, at least in West Knoxville.

Good luck in your search.