Do your best to avoid these social faux pas during your next trip to Buc-ee’s As the Buc-ee’s brand is growing across the South, the Texas-based gas station has transformed road-tripping across the nation. I used to evaluate road trips based solely on the time we made. Now? We’re checking for Buc-ee’s stops along the route. If our 10-hour trip becomes
If you visit Gatlinburg during one of these times, you may swear you’re never going back As a local who has been knocking around Gatlinburg for more than 30 years, I’ve developed something of an informal guide system on when it’s a good idea to go to the Burg and hang out. Gatlinburg – unlike its sister city Pigeon Forge
An area Smoky Mountain resident asks visitors to use common sense Cades Cove is the crown jewel of the Smokies. It is a confluence point of natural beauty, mountain history and conservation. However, there are many days I’d rather go to the dentist than risk a trip around the Cove. It’s not the Cove itself mind you. I consider it a sacred, almost
How many state songs does Tennessee have? Nobody seems to know Tennessee has HOW many state songs? Even the state’s official website doesn’t seem to know for sure, listing 11. However, further research reveals three songs that were reportedly added to the list in 2023 and 2024 that don’t make the state’s list. And perhaps two more that may have
Breaking Down the Dialect That Led to the Mountain Term, Holler When I was young and still new to Tennessee, I got a job working at a local grocery store. In those days, grocery stores employed three kinds of people. That would be middle-aged adults for whom the grocery business was their career and youngsters for whom the store was
An insider’s guide on what not to do when visiting Pigeon Forge, the surrounding area As someone who frequents Pigeon Forge, I know too well that when planning a vacation, in the words of a musical maestro, it’s about knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them. When you plan your next trip to the Smokies, I want
The Best Couples Activities in the Smokies Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains are often considered to be a family vacation destination. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a romantic getaway in the Smokies. Here are some of the best ways to spend time in Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas for couples: 20. Enjoy some shopping You don’t
The days of seeing cars lined up with ‘For Sale’ signs along the Parkway are over In my 30 years in the area, Rod Runs meant classic cars lining the parkway adjacent spots in Pigeon Forge. Some were there to ogle the classic cars. Others were there to trade, dicker and deal. However, Pigeon Forge officials, at the request of
A Local Breaks Down the Correct, Approved and Appropriate Way To Say the Name of the Mountain Range in Which the Smokies Are Located I’m a little sensitive about how I pronounce things. I was a big reader growing up – I believe I may be legally obligated to use the term voracious. So, I developed what would be considered
Unusual Popular Attractions in the Smoky Mountains It was the Great Smoky Mountains that turned Sevier County into a tourist mecca. But, the locals found out early on that tourists needed more than motels, restaurants and the great outdoors. As it turns out, there’s only so much nature one Midwestern family can absorb before they need a different level of