Editorial

the wreckage

The Wreckage From a Famous Movie That’s Hidden in the Smoky Mountains

The Fugitive train wreck: Discovering the movie crash site in the Smokies Déjà vu is the common feeling that you’ve already experienced something even as it is happening. Could it be memories from a past life? Or is it that you’ve watched a movie 145 times on TBS and you’ve unknowingly wandered onto the exact location where it was filmed? When

the hatfield and mccoy building with a snapshot of two musicians performing in the lower right hand corner

Is Hatfield and McCoy Worth It? A Local’s Review of the Show

A Smoky Mountain local offers an honest review of the Hatfield and McCoy dinner show Devil Anse Hatfield was no hero. A cantankerous mountain man, he was unyielding and full of hate. He was at the heart of a West Virginia-Kentucky feud that left members of his own family as well as the McCoy family deprived of life for nothing more

gatlinburg sign in tennessee

Here’s How Many Days You Need To Visit Gatlinburg, From a Local

Local offers a sample itinerary for the perfect trip to Gatlinburg I get asked about the ideal length of a Gatlinburg trip a lot. And it’s an important question. All the money in the world is meaningless without another, more ephemeral, resource: Time. Ticking away from the moment you start the car, time is finite. Once you’re out, it’s time to

a bbq sandwich

These 6 Restaurants Serve the Best BBQ in Pigeon Forge, Says a Local

A local shares his picks for the best barbeque in the Smoky Mountains Throughout the United States, there’s a variety of styles when it comes to good BBQ. But if you want the best BBQ joints, head to my neck of the woods. Tennessee BBQ is slow-cooked, usually over hickory wood. Most commonly we think of brisket and pulled pork

old mill with fried chicken

The Old Mill: An Honest Review of the Famous Tennessee Restaurant

Smoky Mountain native reviews popular Pigeon Forge restaurant I think The Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge is an experience unlike many of its neighboring eateries. As a Southerner, I appreciate that diners can get a home-cooked meal, all done without the commercialism of some national chains that claim to offer home cooking. The Old Mill Restaurant is located in

glass portion of skybridge at skypark in gatlinburg

The Iconic Glass Bridge in Gatlinburg You Need to Walk Across

Local talks about what it’s like to walk across this famous glass bridge in the sky When I was a teen in the early 90s, certain things outside the grunge culture were considered cool. For example, there was the “No Fear” athletic brand trend that sold shirts and bumper stickers in a righteously extreme font. It was an ethos inspired by

The Tail of the Dragon

This is the Scariest Road in the Smoky Mountains and Daredevils Love It

The 11-mile Tail of the Dragon features 318 curves along the side of a mountain When we moved to Blount County, Tennessee and I discovered we had a road known as The Dragon, my interest was piqued. What I found was that The Tail of The Dragon – a section of U.S. 129 – more than lives up to its name.

an ai generated image of a skinwalker

Are Skinwalkers Real? The TikTok Buzz on Sightings in Appalachia

A Smoky Mountain man addresses alleged skinwalker sightings, currently trending on social media As someone who has lived in and around the Appalachian Mountains for most of the last 35 years, I have had the opportunity to fly over the mountains on several occasions, usually on a commercial flight but sometimes on a smaller private plane. The bird’s eye view

remnants from the fugitive's train wreck scene

24 Movies You Didn’t Know Were Filmed in the Smoky Mountains

A local movie buff offers a list (and commentary) of movies filmed in and around the Smoky Mountains Last summer, my daughter and I traveled to Atlanta to see John Mulaney perform. We had a little time to burn and decided to swing by the Marriott Marquis downtown, which was used as one of the main locations for the Marvel TV

These 5 Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants Are the Best in Pigeon Forge

Local reveals his top picks for the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Pigeon Forge My day job is to observe. I look, I listen and I ask questions. Then, I relay the facts as I have learned them through the written word. Most days I like to think I’m good at it. But then there are times when I have a