According to Cherokee legend, the enchanted lake only reveals itself to those who are pure of heart The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is dotted with well-preserved conclaves of cabins and barns. And the occasional mill or silo. Places like Cades Cove or Greenbrier or Roaring Fork serve as reminders of life in the mountains in the decades leading up
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
Gatlinburg was named after a disliked man who lived there for less than 10 years Gatlinburg really should be Oglesburg, Oglesville or maybe Oglestown. I mean, at least, White Oak Flats. The town that became Gatlinburg, you see, was first settled by a South Carolinian named William Ogle in 1802. As one of the first settlers, Ogle found his “Land
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
Bans and trademark disputes add to the colorful history of Tennesee’s beloved fight song As someone who has lived in East Tennessee for the better part of 35 years and attended the University of Tennessee, I reckon I’ve heard the song ‘Rocky Top’ about 700 million times. The most famous version of the song – by the Osborne Brothers –
The ill-fated Polynesian-themed attraction that barely lasted a decade in the Smoky Mountains They imported people from Hawaii and tame deer from “all over the world.” The porpoises? They lived in Mississippi, of course. Children, I’m going to tell you a tale. I certainly wouldn’t blame you a bit if, in the end, you called me a liar. Indeed, I might
Remembering attractions that no longer exist in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Maggie Valley The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country, with an estimated 12.5 million visitors annually. So it’s no surprise that entrepreneurs come to the area with high hopes of building the next big attraction to entice visitors on their way to
A movie fanatic ranks famous flicks filmed at Biltmore Estate in Asheville In Selma, the muddy and mighty Alabama River curves under the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge where the infamous Sunday Civil Rights March took place. I worked in one of those buildings, next to the bridge. Working next to an iconic location you get used to a few things, including
Local recalls everything that made Ogle’s so special in Pigeon Forge Ogle’s Waterpark in Pigeon Forge was once the largest waterpark in the area with six giant water sides, a wave pool, a kid’s play area and snack stations throughout the park. For three decades, it served as a beacon summoning tourists and locals to frolic in the East Tennessee
Local reminisces on old Water Boggan attraction in Pigeon Forge As an East Tennessee local, I’ve seen plenty of Pigeon Forge attractions that have come and gone. Some were products of the time period. It was the 70s and 80s. If you could talk someone into financing it, you could make it a reality. I think, looking back, not every