A local gives his honest opinion on whether or not Gatlinburg is still “worth it” As someone who has been living and working around Gatlinburg for three decades, I understand that the Gatlinburg that most people see isn’t real life. Downtown Gatlinburg – most of what people think of as Gatlinburg – is Potemkin Village, a construction put on for
Local lists top spots to have a great bachelorette party in the Smokies Bachelorette parties come in all shapes and sizes. Some may prefer a calm, peaceful atmosphere. They may come to the national park, stay in a rustic cabin and soak in the natural beauty of places like Cades Cove. Others may like a little more raucous time. And
Smoky Mountain Buc-ee’s remains the largest store, at least for now When the self-styled “home of the world’s cleanest bathrooms, delicious barbecue, freshest food and friendliest beaver” announced plans to build the world’s largest convenience store in Kodak (near Sevierville, Tennessee), it generated a lot of attention. And now, the Kodak location is officially open, and it is the largest
Best activities in Gatlinburg with kids, according to a local dad You wouldn’t necessarily think of Gatlinburg as a town for kids. However, there’s lots of stuff for kids to do in Gatlinburg. Still, compared to the neon Candyland that is Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg is much more geared to older kids and adults, which may be noticeable with all the
What to know about snow tubing in the Smokies: Pricing, reservation requirements and more The Great Smoky Mountains area is a hugely popular winter destination. Though the winter weather may be unpredictable, you can still find places to enjoy snow tubing in Pigeon Forge and the surrounding areas on just about any given day: Rowdy Bear Snow Park (Pigeon Forge,
An honest review with prices, location and parking information from a TN native I’ve lived in East Tennessee for most of my life, and I have fond memories of spending my weekends and summers roaming around the Smoky Mountains. I’ve tried almost every attraction at least once. Except, that is, Earthquake the Ride. Earthquake the Ride is a theme park-style
Looking for something unique you can’t do anywhere else while in the Smoky Mountains? Let me be your guide We come to the Smokies – or any vacation destination – for different reasons. Some of us want the familiar. We want to go back to the places our parents took us or revisit the spots where our family made its
Local offers a sample itinerary for the perfect trip to Gatlinburg I get asked about the ideal length of a Gatlinburg trip a lot. And it’s an important question. All the money in the world is meaningless without another, more ephemeral, resource: Time. Ticking away from the moment you start the car, time is finite. Once you’re out, it’s time to
Local talks about what it’s like to walk across this famous glass bridge in the sky When I was a teen in the early 90s, certain things outside the grunge culture were considered cool. For example, there was the “No Fear” athletic brand trend that sold shirts and bumper stickers in a righteously extreme font. It was an ethos inspired by
A Smoky Mountain local shares his favorite things to do in Wears Valley, Tennessee Growing up, I mostly treated Wears Valley as a negative space. It was a scenic drive at best, connecting the entrance as the quiet side of the Smokies near my home, with Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. It was a place you drove through to get to other