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
Is it still worth it to plan a holiday shopping trip to the Smokies? I’ve always been a fan of Black Friday shopping. There’s a little twinge – for some people more than a little – of competition in getting to the store, getting in line and getting the best deal. For years, my plan would be to scour the
Here are the top 5 reasons to visit the Smoky Mountains in the winter, according to a local In the Smokies, we often experience a relatively mild December. But January can have bit of a kick to the shins in winter. It’s can be quite cold, and whatever snow and ice we have even if it is not much, does
Local lists the best things to do in Gatlinburg this winter Most people don’t know that Gatlinburg has five seasons. There’s spring, summer, fall and two winters, one pre-Christmas and one post-Christmas. If you come for Gatlinburg’s first winter, it is joyful but tinged with a hint of seasonal melancholy. People are hustling and bustling – and possibly rustling –
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
Local lists favorite Winterfest activities in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg The Smoky Mountain Winterfest celebration is Sevier County’s annual cities-wide festival that takes place during the holidays. Also, here’s a fun fact: Did you know that the tradition began in 1989 to boost the slower winter tourism months in Sevier County? As a local, I’ve seen first-hand what a success it
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
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.
We’ve spent 30 years blundering our way around the mountains of East Tennessee, and now you can learn from our mistakes We spend a lot of our time on this Earth being reminded that mistakes – and learning from them – are part of the human experience. In fact, the great Canadian Philosopher Alanis Morrisette once told us: “You live, you