It was 1987. I was in the 7th grade and our neighbor – a young adult – invited the neighborhood for a cookout. While the adults sat around a fire, I commandeered the boom box. I had VERY strong opinions about music at the time, nearly all of them wrong. I shudder to think what I subjected the crowd to as I
Anakeesta vs. Ober Mountain: Which is better? This is one of the most common questions we receive. But as with most things in life, the answer is subjective, so it is not always simple. Let’s take a look at the differences between Anakeesta and Ober Mountain in Tennessee. Anakeesta vs. Ober: The similarities Let’s start with the basics. Why are
Let’s start with a caveat: The 70s were a simpler time. “Star Wars” was huge. The world loved disco and the Pittsburgh Pirates and “Grease” and “YMCA” – it was arguably a very silly time. Herschend Family Entertainment had purchased Gold Rush Junction in Pigeon Forge from Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell in 1976. And that began the process of
Look, we get it. There’s a lot of competition in the Smoky Mountains. There are a lot of places selling some version of the same stuff you’re selling whether it’s pancakes or T-shirts or whatever. In particular, you have to find a way to stand out. And often that way is through branding or marketing. Maybe you’re a business owner
The Cades Cove Loop, located a few miles beyond the Townsend Park entrance, is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And it’s a great way to experience the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains – drive-thru style. But when it comes to navigating Cades Cove like a pro, there are a few things
It’s not often we get a glimpse into the road not taken. There was a movement in the early 1900s to preserve the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and create the national park. But that movement came with consequences. Whether those consequences were good or bad depends on your point of view. Ultimately, people lost their homes, their land
Worrying about weight limits and ride restrictions can be a bit of a buzzkill when it comes to vacation planning. For instance, it’s never a great feeling to spend your hard-earned cash on an attraction only to find out you can’t participate when you get there. Therefore, having a plan is key. And that brings us to Anakeesta – the mountaintop
Theme park ride restrictions can be a stressful topic for the plus-size community. It’s never a great feeling to be told that you’re too big to ride. Since we often get the question, “Is Dollywood fat friendly?”, we decided to create this handy dandy guide to give you an idea of what to expect before you arrive at the Dollywood theme park.
You haven’t been ziplining if you haven’t been Smoky Mountain ziplining. If you’re visiting East Tennessee or Western North Carolina, definitely consider doing a zipline activity while you’re here. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s a tour in which you’re strapped to an aerial runway with a pulley suspended on a cable, and then you fly through the treetops
Editor’s Note: You must be at least 18 years old to read this article. By continuing, you are confirming that you are of legal age. It’s days like this that I wish I’d studied harder in chemistry or botany. In 2018, among the moonshine distilleries and the pancake houses, other purveyors of “illicit” substances began appearing in Tennessee, including Gatlinburg