Dollywood has big things planned for the future. Here’s what we know so far If the 40-year history of Dollywood has taught us anything, it’s that the park’s leadership does not believe in allowing the park to stagnate. When Dolly Parton partnered with Herschend Family Entertainment, Silver Dollar City, as the park was known, received an instant investment infusion of
A Smoky Mountain local shares his favorite spots to visit in North Carolina As someone who’s been to Gatlinburg hundreds of times over the past 35 years of living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I’ll admit it will always hold a special place in my heart. Especially when it comes to magnificent views of the Smokies. But some
Top 10 Indoor Things To Do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge The point of coming to the Great Smoky Mountains is to get outside and enjoy the mountains. But sometimes the weather isn’t cooperative. Whether it’s cold and snowy in winter or there is a storm blowing through in the spring, summer or fall, the mountains are notorious for weather
The Best Smoky Mountain Playlist Building a perfect road trip playlist is part art and part science. But you also need some alchemy. You want the songs to fit around a certain theme to help build the hype. For example, some Beach Boys music for a beach trip. A little Sinatra for New York. Some Disney Magic if you’re heading
How early does Dollywood open in 2025? Over its 40 years of existence, Dollywood has become one of the truly great American theme parks. It is a worthy rival to Universal and Disney and has passed other parks like King’s Island or Six Flags. At least in my opinion. However, Florida theme parks have an advantage over Dollywood in that they
An all-new racing mountain coaster is coming soon to Pigeon Forge, TN Success in the Smokies is often built on the shoulders of those who came before you. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s also a pretty good business model in the Smokies. Often, someone comes in with a new idea like a go-kart track, mini-golf
A local offers his advice on 5 things not to do when booking, attending dinner shows in Pigeon Forge Dinner and a show. Sounds like the perfect night out – or matinee – in Pigeon Forge. Dinner theaters have long been part of the fabric that is Pigeon Forge. But it’s only in recent years that everyone wised up and
A little-known man by the name of Melville Milton Murrell flew decades before the Wright brothers I’m old enough to remember being taught in school that Christopher Columbus was the first European to “discover” America. Back then, in the medieval times of the early 1980s, there were inklings, whispers and wild rumors that others had arrived in the Americas before
A local offers 5 romantic date ideas for Valentine’s Day in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Romance is in the eye of the beholder, or maybe more accurately the eye of the beholder’s partner. I have performed a grand romantic gesture or two in my life. For instance, proposing to my now-wife in Paris (France, not Kentucky or Tennessee) comes to mind.
A local offers advice on mistakes to avoid to make the most out of your next trip to Ober Gatlinburg I had given up on Ober Gatlinburg in the autumn a couple of years ago. In the days after Halloween, the park hadn’t transitioned from fall to winter. It was understaffed and underfunded. Then Joe Baker and his partners stepped