Carl Dean has more than one cute nickname for his famous wife Dolly Parton is known by a myriad of nicknames. Some nicknames reference her incredible career in country music, like the Leading Lady of Country and the Queen of Nashville. Other names refer to her East Tennessee roots, such as Smoky Mountain Songbird, Backwoods Barbie and Appalachian Queen. Additionally,
Local offers tips for spending spring break in the Smoky Mountains When visitors plan a vacation to Gatlinburg, most of them don’t realize that spring break can be just as busy as the summer months. I live here in Gatlinburg and I can tell you that it’s quite a shock seeing the flock of tourism during this time. This year
Gatlinburg captures the hearts and minds of millions of visitors every year. Many folks dream of moving to the Smoky Mountains, thinking it will be the breath of fresh air they need. While that is certainly true in my case, it doesn’t come without its costs. Of course, vacationing here gives you an idea of what to expect in terms
A local talks about how to safely hike in and around Gatlinburg and recommends three of his favorite trails I’ve never had a safety issue and I’ve been around the Smoky Mountains for more than 30 years. So, I don’t think of the Smokies as dangerous. But as someone who has also lived on this planet for nearly five decades,
These are the biggest tourist traps in the Smoky Mountains, according to a local We certainly didn’t invent the tourist trap here in the Smoky Mountains. But we’ve dang sure come close to perfecting it. For 35-ish years, I’ve given more than my fair share of money to Sevier County tourist traps. I’ve paid money to low-rent museums celebrating the
The Smoky Mountains can be a dangerous place, even when you know what you’re doing I don’t think of the mountains as dangerous, and I’ve been around them for 30 years. Generally, I think as long as you exercise even a modicum of judgment, you’ll be fine. However, that doesn’t mean the Smokies are without danger. In this article, we
Move over Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg – There’s a new foodie scene in Sevier County There is a movement afoot in Downtown Sevierville, a changing of the culinary guard. It is a movement of artisanal burgers, of top-shelf barbecue and homemade bacon. It is a movement of locally sourced, high-end elevated mountain cuisine. And it is a movement of lobster. As
The different kinds of lightning bugs and fireflies Lightning bugs were a fairly reliable source of entertainment when I was growing up. And I thought lightning bugs – or fireflies as we also called them – were ubiquitous. It wasn’t until I was an adult and met a friend from the arid, dry parts of Oregon that I discovered that
Here are three things not to do when you’re visiting Sevierville, TN As someone who has lived in the area for decades, I can remember when Sevierville was the boring part of Sevier County. If Sevier County was a mullet, Sevierville was the business in the front part. But things have changed over the years. Sevierville is now a destination
Local offers cheeky tips to get out of a presentation So you took the plunge and traded your precious time to save money on lodging during your vacation. I mean, 90 minutes listening to a timeshare presentation for three days and two nights of free hotel? That’s a deal. Or is it? Your desire to get back to your vacation