The Sevierville Buc-ee’s just lost its accolade for being the biggest in the world Well. It was good while it lasted. After roughly 11 months at the top, the Sevierville Buc-ee’s is no longer the largest convenience store in the world. That’s right, there’s a new largest Buc-ee’s in town. Although, I say that as more of an expression as
A New Wave of Taco Restaurants Puts the Classic Mexican Dish on the Frontline of the Smoky Mountain Culinary Scene For decades, the Smoky Mountain dining scene has been dominated by the ubiquitous pancake house, all following a similar mode. Open for breakfast and lunch with menus featuring familiar breakfast favorites and a handful of sandwiches and burgers. The model
Celebrating the Unique Dining Spots in the Smokies Mimicry in the Smokies is king. Success breeds imitation. That’s why everywhere you look, it’s pancake houses and go-kart tracks and mountain coasters as far as the eye can see. But the Smokies isn’t all about imitation. Some folks eye the landscape and decide to carve their own path. When everyone else
While many Smoky Mountain Restaurants are marketed as being a ‘mom and pop,’ these are as authentic as you’ll get As a writer, I sometimes become attached to the literal meaning of words or ideas. You spend your life mulling the minutia of second and third definitions – or fourth or fifth – and you can get a little lost
Which Smoky Mountain Water Park is Best? We’ve written about several of these head-to-head battles in Sevier County before – including The Peddler vs Alamo, Anakeesta vs Ober Mountain, Pirates Voyage vs Dolly’s Stampede and Lumberjack Feud vs Hatfield and McCoy. But today, we want to compare two of Sevier County’s most popular summertime attractions: Dollywood’s Splash Country and Soaky
A Smoky Mountain Expert Weighs In on Which Mountain Park Is Most Deserving of Your Money The best views in the Smokies remain free. You can drive up to Kuwohi – formerly Clingmans Dome – and soak in the natural wonder that made our ancestors see the mountains as something worth preserving. A drive along Newfound Gap Road offers several
A chef-driven restaurant is changing the possibility of what dining in the mountains can be I’ve thought a lot about the right words to use about my new favorite restaurant in the Smokies. Words that can convey the experience without seeming like they’re hyperbole or exaggeration. I’ve thought a lot about the peculiar combination of artistry, science, passion, and expertise
A Local reviews Forbidden Caverns one of America’s most spectacular caverns If you think the Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful above ground, you should see what’s below. Tennessee’s vast network of caves is hardly unknown. There are tourist locations all through East Tennessee promising underground adventure and sightseeing, but it is often, I think, under-appreciated. Forbidden Caverns – located near
Who is responsible for creating the GSMNP? The one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is approaching on the horizon. It’s nearly impossible – or at least for me – to truly understand life in the mountains before the national park. Imagine a time when interested parties across a wide-ranging spectrum of experiences and ideals
Did you know an entire rentable Harry Potter-inspired village is hidden near Gatlinburg, TN? In the Smokies, we have a grand tradition of thumbing our noses at things like laws. We have traditionally eschewed the idea that outsiders can come here and tell us what to do. Especially up in the mountains where we are free and hard to find.