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
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
Popcorn Sutton always said his name, his legacy and his moonshine would outlive him. He was right. Obscured by the brightly lit neon tourist attractions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, there is a deeper truth about the mountains that I’ve called home for the better part of the last 35 years. It’s a truth we don’t market to tourists or
While short-lived in Pigeon Forge, Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus is fondly remembered by those few who attended It took ten years to find the perfect land for Tommy Bartlett’s Water Circus in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. In 1976, 110 acres of farmland were finally purchased with 450 feet of US Highway 441 frontage. A 20-foot-tall dam was built to hold 8.5
A local ranks cities close to the Great Smoky Mountains As a local, I know a thing or two about Pigeon Forge. For example, I know that several folks come to the mountains looking for some peace and quiet. Then, they arrive in Sevier County and discover a few hundred thousand of their closest friends had the same idea. Dollywood?
A local shares memories of Magic World – a defunct theme park in the Smoky Mountains Imagine reaching into a child’s toy box in the late 70s, past the Star Wars figures and the Godzillas and Bat-people, and pulling out the little bits of molded plastic that didn’t get played with as much as the other toys. Then sprinkle them
Why do people honk in tunnels? A Smoky Mountain native weighs in Growing up in East Tennessee and in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, I’ve noticed that tunnel honking is quite common. I’ve also noticed that for some of my family members, it’s so Pavlovian that they don’t even realize they’re doing it anymore. For example, one time
The original Buc-ee’s will make you look twice with its pint-sized footprint in Clute, Texas Earlier this year, Sevierville, Tenn. officially became home to the country’s largest Buc-ee’s when it opened its doors to a 74,000-square-foot behemoth. As a Tennessean, I am fairly new to the Buc-ee’s phenomenon. Sure, my Texas relatives had been telling me the legendary tale (tail?)
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
Smoky Mountain native recalls some of the biggest unsolved mountain mysteries over the years As someone who has lived in the foothills of the Smokies for a number of years, I’ll be the first to tell you that the mountains are as vast as they are beautiful. But they can also be deep and unforgiving. There are hundreds of thousands