Do you make resolutions every year or are you the kind of person that keeps an ongoing bucket list? Well, no matter what your preference is, we have five things that you must do in the New Year.
Wake Surf on Norris Lake. If you are not sure what wake surfing is, it is where the surfer trails behind a boat, riding the boat’s wake without being directly pulled by the boat. It is the closest you can get to surfing on freshwater. If you’re surfing abilities aren’t quite that advanced, don’t worry, Norris Lake is a great place to ski, wakeboard, tube, paddle or just float. The water is so clean and clear and there are 800 miles of shoreline with many secluded coves, so it is perfect for whatever watersport you are ready to try. Be sure to check out Sequoyah Marina and Stardust Marina; they both rent boats and jet skis. If you prefer something without a motor, visit Norris Lake Paddling Adventures and rent a paddleboard or kayak.
The 256 feet tall windmills look like sentries standing on the top of Buffalo Mountain at Windrock Park. The whoosh, whoosh, whoosh sound that can be heard from the 136 foot blades is hypnotizing. Windrock Park is a 73,000 acre off-road destination but don’t worry, you can drive a vehicle to an overlook to see the windmills or you can rent a UTV from Windrock Park and explore over 350 miles of trails. Make a weekend of it and stay at one of their cabins or in their campground.
While at Windrock Park, check out their downhill mountain bike course. These downhill and cross-country trails are all aggressive and rated difficult to extreme and geared toward expert riders. But, if you are ready to take mountain biking to the next level, this is the place for you. If you are looking for easy to moderate trails, check out Norris Dam State Park or Haw Ridge.
While time-travel has never been proven, Anderson County has the next best thing. It has over 300 years of history on display throughout the county. You can virtually be transported from 18th Century pioneer life in Appalachia to the atomic age to the Civil Rights Era and into the future.
Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue is the perfect place to get up close and personal with just about every animal you can imagine. Be sure to pet their oldest & tallest camel, Carl, the sweetest camel named Charlie, a white rescue named Klondike and their 1 ½ year old baby named Happy. About 98% of their animals are rescues and the children will love the petting zoo.