I was club president there for 3 years 2001-3.
The website is temporarily incorrect. Shoney's on Clinton Hwy closed April 1. We will meet in Oak Ridge this next meeting and I'm not sure from there.
There are many fine members/detectorist there. Usually 40-50 at each meeting. They always have fantastic finds. Most prefer to find CW relics.
If you will be in the area on May 12, that is our Spring Hunt for members only. It is usually the best hunt that I attend anywhere. It is for members only, however if you join ($15) and then pay the entry fee (another $15), then it is still a tremendous bargain. It is usally loaded with old and valuable coins and tokens for prizes. Everything is silver. That is something you may want to consider. You need to email the club president and set that up ahead of time by clicking on the link on this page:
http://www.smartstreasureclub.com/contact.html
That way your money will be used to add more coins to the hunt.
I will possibly be in Florida about the same time that you will be here. So I can't offer to hunt with you. There are plenty of places to hunt just around Sevierville, much less Knoxville. Just make sure you don't accidently hunt in the National park. Other than that, you should be fine.
In this area, there are many old homes and it is usually pretty easy to get permission if you just be honest about what you want to do and just ask.
For relics, you are probably going to have to do your research ahead of time and use your maps to know where to hunt once you get here.
Be aware that the ground is pretty difficult in most places with a high concentration of red clay and high mineralization. Be prepared to get less depth than you probably get in Michigan. 6" on a dime around here is good and 8" in phenominal. My deepest coin find so far was about 2 weeks ago when I dug a very faint and "iffy" target at 12" that turned out to be a "V" nickel thatI found using the new F75. So be aware of depth difference and don't began to question your detector if you don't get the performance that you usually expect.
If you never take the detector out of the car, you will still have a fun trip. This area is a blast. If you have never been, make sure you make it out to Cades Cove and the Cherohalia skyway. You may even try your luck on the world famous "Tail of the Dragon". It is a very popular destination for motorcyclist on Hwy 129 between NC and Tennessee. It has 300+ turns in about 10 miles, most of them are hairpin turns that are banked pretty steep. Hwy 129 comes right through my home town of Maryville, before it's curvy route over to NC. If you try it, watch out for MCs. Most are very good riders, but some are the kind of maniacs that will pass you on a double yellow in a blind curve. Usually not really a problem and fun ride with stunning views.
Enjoy your trip!
HH Alton
