This immersive hobbit-inspired village will make you feel like you’re living in a Tolkein novel In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell. Nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat. It
Smoky Mountain native gives an honest review of Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride Growing up around the Smoky Mountains, I often saw it while riding down the Parkway. It’s too large and too cheesy lookin’ to miss. Yes, my friends, today I’m talking about the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. Is it an area icon? Or is it nothing more than a
A local reveals his all-time favorite picnic spots in the Smoky Mountains Though the pirate ships and dinner theatres are alluring, the outlet shopping appealing, the go-cart racing entertaining, the draw of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the park itself. And one of the best ways to enjoy the Smoky Mountains region is with
A once beloved, now abandoned theme park deteriorates through decades of unfortunate events In the days before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, mountain folks were raised with the threats of haints and spirits, of goblins that snatched spiteful, mean or lazy children away never to be seen again. Nowadays, it’s harder to believe in the legend of haunted hollers, in
A Dollywood pro shares her ranked list of the scariest rides in the park I’m always amused watching first-time Dollywood-goers explore Dolly Parton’s namesake theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. It always reminds me how, as someone who grew up with the park practically in her backyard, I often take things for granted. I think people expect Dollywood to be
East TN native lists best indoor attractions for a rainy Pigeon Forge day As someone who grew up just on the outskirts of the Smokies, I can personally tell you that some days it will feel like you experience all four seasons in one day with rain at any given moment. In fact, According to the National Park Service, the
Mysteries and rumors surrounding Biltmore as passed down through generations When I visit Biltmore, I always think about how we are trained to think of great houses as places of secrets and mystery. And when we think of the enormous North Carolina estate, a playground for people with enough money to buy their way out of trouble, the mind tends to wander.
Tennessee native offers tips on black bear safety from Bear Wise There is a lot of wildlife to see in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. I grew up in East Tennessee, and I’ve come across black bears on several occasions. To be honest, I’m never sure that it gets old. However, it also makes me sad to
Local recommends the best food at the Dollywood theme park in TN As someone who has lived within a few minutes of the Dollywood theme park for the past 20 years, I can confidently tell you that the theme park has a lot going on for itself. Great namesake. Excellent rides. Entertaining shows. But among the many Dollywood accolades, it’s
Attractions in the Smoky Mountains that actually make special accommodations for guests in wheelchairs, as recommended by a local I see a change in the Smoky Mountains. The ADA, of course, has been a big driver in terms of improving accessibility for area attractions. But as larger corporations have moved in, it has become a standard course to plan with