Activities

The Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge

What Not To Do at the Old Mill Restaurant

A local offers tips on how to avoid faux pas at Pigeon Forge’s premier historical eatery There’s a challenge that comes with some of the “what not to do” articles. And it comes with an assumption of what you, the reader, need to hear versus what other readers need to hear.  For instance, you don’t need to be told not

apple barn winery in sevierville

6 Things Not To Do at the Apple Barn According to a Local Superfan

Do your best to avoid these common mistakes during your next trip to the Apple Barn With its shops, restaurants, hotels and stores, the Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store essentially becomes its own little village on weekends, especially in the fall. Parking spaces are a premium commodity. The waits for both of the Apple Barn complex restaurants can

The mile high swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain

Would You Walk This Mile-High Suspension Bridge?

A local with a fear of heights talks about swaying in the sky at Grandfather Mountain I am afraid of heights. It is not, for the most part, a debilitating fear. I can – usually – overcome it. If I’m inside and feeling secure, I don’t have a problem. Neither the former Sears Tower in Chicago or the St. Louis

Gatlinburg Skyline near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Don’t Miss These 16 Iconic Gatlinburg TN Hiking Trails

A local’s take on the best hiking Trails near Gatlinburg Planning can be both an art and a science in the popular vacation destination of Gatlinburg, TN. There’s plenty to do, of course. But if you’re going to do everything you want, then you need a plan. You’ll need schematics. Or you can pick representative activities; such as a hike one day,

Summertime in the Smoky Mountains

What Is There To Do in the Smoky Mountains in the Summer?

The Best Things To Do in the Smoky Mountains in the Summertime Ah, summertime in the Smoky Mountains – the kids are out of school, the temperature is hot and humid, and the mosquitos are out to play. Families are packing up their minivans and attempting the impossible, aka, trying to please everyone for the annual summer getaway. But the

14 Best Things To Do in Pigeon Forge With Kids

A list of the best things to do in Pigeon Forge with kids, according to a local You’ve brought the family to Pigeon Forge. Now what? Great news, person who doesn’t do a heck of a lot of planning for family vacations! There are quite literally hundreds of fun things to do in the area. And certainly, not all of

Bigger. Stronger. Faster. Better. The World Record Holders in the Smokies and Beyond

Record-holding attractions in the Smokies and beyond When it comes to attracting attention in the Smokies, you’ve got to try … hard. Any angle or idea. In other words, any possible thing you can trumpet that will attract the public’s attention – and folding money – is what is necessary to succeed. It’s not enough to provide a mountain coaster. It

Ruby Falls near Lookout mountain in Chattanooga Tennessee

See Ruby Falls! Why the Biggest Wonder of Lookout Mountain Is Not the View From the Top

How a Hoosier With a Dream – and a Surprising Amount of Financing – Found the Largest Underground Waterfall in the Country and Opened It to the Public As a former Hoosier myself, I often joke about the effect that the siren song of the mountains of East Tennessee has on the people of Indiana. Time and again, when researching

Five Things To Do in the Mountains Before You Die

A Local Shares Absolute Top-Tier Bucket List Items You Must Do in the Smokies at Least Once When I think about my bucket list of things to do in the Smokies, the checklist naturally tumbles into a handful of categories. For instance, there are things to do in the mountains, like seeking out a distant waterfall. And there are things

Mind the Gap: This Underappreciated National Park Offers Beauty and History That Rivals the Smokies

Cumberland Gap National Park Is a Must-Visit for Anyone Who Truly Loves the Majesty and History of the Appalachians Where do we start? Well, in a literal sense we start in a massive tunnel that runs under the mountain at the Tennessee-Kentucky Border. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel is a two-bore, four-lane work that carries U.S. 25E under Cumberland Gap National