Dollywood After Dolly
Dollywood after Dolly Parton’s death: a chapel waterfall memorial, a new Dolly Parton Experience portal and plans through 2036. Park leaders share what’s next.
Fall Foliage in the Smokies 2026: When Will the Colors Peak?
2026 Fall Color Update (updated Oct. 10, 2026) What scientists are predicting for this year’s fall colors Science! Forgetting reading tea leaves. Leave the horoscopes at home. Got a Ouija Board? Toss it out the window! Or maybe store it carefully, respectfully in the closet so as not to anger any spirits who’ve attached themselves to cheap, mass-produced board games.
Clash of the Titans in Tennessee: Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop Is Open
Dolly Parton’s answer to Buc-ee’s is open on I-65 It’s Ali vs Frazier. Yankees vs. Red Sox. It’s Godzilla vs Mothra. And now, it’s Tennessee vs. Texas. Yes, there’s a brouhaha brewing on the interstates of Tennessee. Queen Dolly Parton stepped in to take on the current King of convenience stores, Buc-ee’s, for the hearts, minds and maybe the very
Dolly Rebecca Parton (1946-2026) Now “In the Arms of Jesus”
We, at TheSmokies.com, are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dolly Parton. She was beloved by us, and by the world as a whole. I want to tell you that a darkness settled over the Smoky Mountains on Aug. 25th. And that this is true in a literal sense. The sun fell and the stars twinkled above the peaks
Winter Storms in the Smokies: What Visitors Need to Know
What To Do When The Weather Threatens Your Smoky Mountain Vacation A few years ago, I took my family on a Gulf Coast vacation. We started off over by Mobile and then drove around the panhandle to visit family near Tampa. Or at least that was the plan. There was something swirling in the waters of the gulf. It was
Tis the Season for Christmas Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge
Local dinner theaters are getting into the Smokies holiday spirit I have found the key to success when enjoying Pigeon Forge’s dinner theater scene, is not to overthink it. Pirates? Sure. A Kentucky blood feud from the early 1900s? Yep. Lumberjacks sawing logs on behalf of a Team Naughty or a Team Nice? What in the Ho-ho-ho is a-going on
These 7 Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants Are the Best in Gatlinburg
A Smoky Mountain local reveals his top picks for the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Gatlinburg In a world filled with chain restaurants and expensive dining options, sometimes you find the best restaurants where you least expect them. We call them hole-in-the-wall restaurants for lack of a better term. However, we use it with affection. Often, the best places to find
Making More Magic: Anakeesta’s Ambition Continues in the Smokies
What Anakeesta’s $100 million investment means for your future Gatlinburg vacations When Anakeesta launched in the fall of 2017, it was an ambitious project, and it was excellent but somewhat limited. However, even from that opening day, the vision was that there would be more to come. And more has come. Expanded dining options, more rides, more experiences. Anakeesta has
Had Enuff in the Smokies?
Are car shows, invasions and runs becoming too much for Pigeon Forge and the Smokies? Let’s start with this. Trouble with groups of car show enthusiasts in the Smokies is nothing new. Back in 1978 – during the inaugural Shades of the Past event in Gatlinburg – tensions were high between police, area car clubs and a large crowd of
Happy Holiday Dining in the Smokies
Planning to spend the holidays in the Smokies? These are the best places that will be open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Fall is in the air in the Smokies, and you know what that means… that’s right! Time to start planning how to spend your holiday vacation in the mountains. Maybe you’ve got a hotel for Thanksgiving in order to