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
Damaged but undaunted, Western North Carolina agribusinesses is back and better than ever In the mountains of Western North Carolina is an agrarian paradise that is the product of perfect climate and the right soil. The mountain fields around Hendersonville are ripe with apples, grapes, pumpkins and cabbages each fall and the cornfields remain tall and green, because of the
Here are some of the best places to celebrate your birthday in the Smoky Mountains What percentage of your birthday celebrations do you actually remember? I consider myself to have a pretty good grasp on key memories, but I’d never really given birthday reflection much of a thought. There was the fifth – that was a big one – celebrated
Where can you go in the Smokies for a family meal without being exposed to alcohol consumption? There have been a lot of changes over the course of my decades in the Smoky Mountains, probably the biggest change has been the availability of alcohol. We are talking by either the drink or the bottle in distilleries and package stores around
The World’s greatest convenience store chain is expanding in states across the South and beyond. Are the mountains of North Carolina on the radar? When I think of things that have taken the South by storm, the list probably starts with General Sherman. Certainly, a close second is Kudzu – the impossible to eradicate vine that devours landscapes like something
Picking which shopping mall is best for your Smoky Mountain shopping spree I remember when Red Roof was king. When It came to outlet shopping in the mountains, it started and ended with the Red Roof Outlet Mall. A wide variety of outlet shops, food and more spread over multiple levels in the heart of Pigeon Forge, it was glorious.
How to plan the perfect day at Dollywood? Let’s start with three seemingly contradictory thoughts. First, perfection is our goal. Perfection is not attainable. However, any day at Dollywood is perfect. When we first conceive of a theme park vacation – or a theme park day as part of our vacation – we must first recognize that there will be
Ranking the regional “chain” restaurants in the Smokies For years, I didn’t realize that lightning bugs were a regional thing. We grew up chasing them, catching them, keeping them in jars and releasing them at the end of the evening. I thought it was a fairly universal experience. I mean, I didn’t expect Alaskans got a lot of lightning bugs
This Iconic East Tennessee gas station and convenience store has a reputation for clean facilities, great milk and lighting people up on social media With a history that goes back almost as far as East Tennessee, Weigel’s (pronounced ‘Why-gulls’) is a thriving regional institution. Locations in Tennessee range from Bristol to Chattanooga and as far west as Crossville. The Weigel’s
Sevier County finds itself on the front line of the battle between two growing gas station chains Buc-ee’s arrived in Sevier County, at I-40’s Exit 407, one of the busiest in the country, with trumpets blazing, massive fanfare and a welcoming fit for king. Casey’s arrived in a different fashion. The Iowa based chain bought 38 Pilot stores in East