Many entrepreneurs bring their visions to the mountains, and sometimes only a handful of businesses survive. While some are left to rust and be reclaimed by the mountains, others rise from the ashes and offer folks like me a rare glimpse into the past. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, that rare glimpse can be a fully immersive experience. That’s
September is a great time to visit the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. Crowds from the summer months are nearly gone now that the kids are back in school. Plus, it’s still warm enough to enjoy the great outdoors. But it’s cool enough to be comfortable. In and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, scenic drives like Cades Cove
Fall is the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains. The air is cool and crisp, the towns are filled with fall decorations and the trees are on display with different arrays of yellow, orange and red. In fact, countless people visit the mountains to see the beautiful fall foliage each year. If you’re looking for a few additional activities
We took our kids to an apple orchard when they were very young, and it was a surprise hit. They loved the hay ride and even the apple picking. As a result, visiting orchards is now a family tradition. When searching for orchards, we couldn’t locate one on our side of the mountain. However, we discovered the apple orchards located
August is a transitional month in the Smokies. For the better part of the month, crowds are plentiful and the sun is scorching. But towards the end, crowds begin to thin just slightly as kids return to school, and the heat becomes (ever so slightly) less harsh. But while the end of summer is right around the corner, there’s still
Every once in a while, somebody in the tourism mecca that is the Great Smoky Mountains gets a money-making idea. And suddenly, copycats spring up all over. Think pancake houses and go-kart tracks. Then came distilleries, which wasn’t necessarily a new idea. But rather a new way to capitalize on an old one. So what’s the newest copycat idea sweeping
July in the Smokies is all about finding ways to beat the heat and celebrate our American independence. Sure, daytime temperatures are scorching and traffic is thick. However, with so many ways to cool off and so many things to do, no one ever really seems to mind. And of course, the area’s main attraction – the Great Smoky Mountains National
As a runner residing in the North Georgia foothills, I am no stranger to hill work. It’s difficult to plan a route of more than a mile or two without some elevation gain. That being said, sometimes you just need a relatively flat place to run, especially when you’re on vacation in the mountains. Of course, there is no shortage of
The way we’ve built our society, summer is our reward. Even as we get older and our lives are no longer built around school, summer remains a mystical, somewhat mythical time of euphoric release, escape and blessed freedom. And luckily for us, Dolly Parton and her team know how to do summer celebrations well. So that’s where the Dollywood theme park,
June marks the official start of summer in the Smokies. With sunny days galore, the cold winter months feel like nothing more than a distant memory. There are so many fun things to do, including summertime activities like hiking, kayaking, zip-lining, whitewater rafting and tubing. Also, popular area outdoor attractions like Dollywood, Soaky Mountain and Anakeesta are back to their