• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Be a part of University of Tennessee's "Navy" as you pre-game on the river.    (Photo: Courtesy of Volunteer Princess Cruises)

University of Tennessee football games are riotous, unforgettable affairs played out in the 100,000-seat Neyland Stadium that sits on the northern bank of the Tennessee River. Moor up to Calhoun's On The River to sip a microbrew from the Smoky Mountain Brewery on the huge riverfront deck, then join a floating game-day tailgate party, comprised of hundreds of boats tied together, when you book a ride on the Volunteer Princess ($39.95), a two-hour booze cruise complete with hors d’ oeuvre and cash bar. Score still-available tickets to the UT Homecoming game against the University of Memphis Tigers (November 7) on their website, or be there for their matchup against another rival, Vanderbilt, on the 21st. If all else fails, join orange-clad student revelers on bar-strewn Cumberland Avenue, where the newly opened Roaming Gnome is the place to be for its pool tables, video games, and a $4 32-ounce Miller Light game-day deal.

Published on Oct 22, 2009 as a web exclusive.