Is it still worth it to plan a holiday shopping trip to the Smokies? I’ve always been a fan of Black Friday shopping. There’s a little twinge – for some people more than a little – of competition in getting to the store, getting in line and getting the best deal. For years, my plan would be to scour the
Christmas at a Water Park? Wilderness at the Smokies offers a plethora of holiday happenings Many years ago, a young Hoosier in the wilds of Northern Indiana, I knew how to ice skate pretty well. I was never graceful at it, in fact, I was a plow horse on the ice. But I could get around, play a little hockey
The best places in the Smokies to give – or get – a gift card from I’ve never been much for etiquette. Never drank tea with my pinkie finger out, never called my elders ma’am or sir and never worried about whether or not it was the right season to wear white – in my case, it’s never the right
Should you visit higher-elevation attractions when it’s cold? I spent the formative years of my youth living in Northern Indiana where the winter wind whips across the flatland and creates chill factors that feel like frostbite is only moments away. When we moved south to Tennessee 35 years ago, my cold weather immunity followed. While my fellow Tennesseans were shivering
Banana Ball is coming to the foothills of the Smokies in 2026: Here’s how to see America’s new baseball sensation In a matter of speaking, the Savannah Bananas are coming to the Smokies after all. Back when the Tennessee Smokies were in their final days at their Kodak facility and preparing to move back to Knoxville in the brand new
A Smoky Mountain local offers recommendations for Christian shows in Pigeon Forge Various church-centered conventions bring in thousands of young and faithful each year to worship, praise and enjoy bond-building fun in the tourist-friendly small towns. Religious attractions have always played a big role in the fabric of the area. But the face of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is ever-evolving.
What restaurants offer wild meats in the Smokies? I remember the first time I ever had wild game meat as a kid. Importantly, I didn’t come from a hunting family. But I’m sure we had cousins out in the wilds of Indiana hunting rabbits and squirrel and other such critters, varmints and such. The details are somewhat fuzzy, but the
Here are the top 5 reasons to visit the Smoky Mountains in the winter, according to a local In the Smokies, we often experience a relatively mild December. But January can have bit of a kick to the shins in winter. It’s can be quite cold, and whatever snow and ice we have even if it is not much, does
Finding excellent Bavarian dining in Western North Carolina I was surprised, while doing a little bit of research for this article, to find Germans were the second largest European group to settle in the Smoky mountains behind the Scot-Irish. I spent a portion of my youth living in Northern Indiana, where German culture and Germanic people were common. But, having
The Shutdown goes on but the Great Smoky Mountain National Park will be fully open Friday afternoon, the Sevier County government announced that the park – thanks to efforts of multiple government agencies – will fully reopen on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 4. The affected parts of the park – including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove, the Cades