Summer is upon us and the seasonal roads through the backwoods and the high country are (mostly) open for exploration Spring is all but gone and summer is upon us? What’s that mean? It means it’s time to get into the Smokies and explore. Luckily, it also means all the seasonal roads in the Smokies are open and ready to be travelled.
My GPS suggests I take a shortcut through the mountains. Should I take it? We ran a story in my newspaper – or I should say the newspaper where I work my day job – probably 12-15 years ago about a woman whose GPS rerouted her in the mountains up near Cocke County, in Hartford, I think. She followed the
The best places to check out model railroad displays in the Smokies and beyond You ever wonder about the paths your life could have taken? Had you made a decision or two differently, your life could have ended up in a very different place? There are big ones like what if I hadn’t moved to East Tennessee in high school.
The Rampant Lion: An honest review It’s easy to forget that there’s more to Gatlinburg than the strip. That there’s more to the mountain village than celebrity restaurants and various activities associated with the Ripley’s Believe It or Not enterprise. It’s actually not hard to get off the beaten path in Gatlinburg. When you do, you can frequently discover that
The plan to revive a historic site and beloved state park When Hurricane Helene arrived in the Smokies, it unleashed a torrential hell that claimed dozens of mountain lives. Communities were wiped out because some mountain waterways had been rerouted. It was an unprecedented combination of storm and timing. It hit on the heels of what would have been, under normal
Best places to take in celestial wonders in the Smoky Mountains I don’t know that we can fully comprehend the beauty that exists in, above, and below the Smoky Mountains. From the wonders of the cave formations below the mountains, to the natural beauty of the deep greens of summer, the cornucopia of color in the fall, the view of
A Smoky Mountain local shares a few hidden gems and things to do in and around Pigeon Forge, TN Pigeon Forge, Tenn., isn’t exactly a place for subtlety. The competition for tourism dollars is fierce. To be relevant and successful, you need to stand out from the cacophony of neon lights and the dazzling array of sound and fury. However,
With the Biltmore Championship in Asheville, the PGA Tour is bringing the best golfers in the world to Western North Carolina From the category of “this is such a good idea, I can’t believe it’s just now happening,” the PGA Tour, Biltmore and the Explore Asheville tourism group announced that in the fall of 2026, the tour is returning to
We tried the “Design Your Own” kiosk at Goo Goo Clusters on the parkway and we’d do it again I couldn’t help but think of Willy Wonka.The kids had finished designing their candy bars at the kiosks in the next room and were ready to watch the Goo Goo artist, like a Subway sandwich artist, but with candy – bring
Dolly Parton sets the stage for epic competition with Buc-ee’s 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 is brewing on the interstates of Tennessee. Queen Dolly Parton is prepping to take on the current King of convenience stores, Buc-ee’s for the hearts, minds and maybe