Exploring an internet-driven passion while in the Smokies The truth is that I prefer my crime fiction. Why? Maybe because it’s safer. It could be that after years of working in newspapers, I’ve had enough of the real thing. Or maybe it’s because I have my own True Crime story in my past, and that’s enough for this lifetime. The
An itinerary for the perfect long winter weekend in the Smoky Mountains Winter travel is reserved – chiefly – for the holidays. After all, getting over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house can take up a fair amount of vacation days. And we don’t want to use up all our precious time off of work when the
Banana Ball is coming to the foothills of the Smokies in 2026: Here’s how to see America’s new baseball sensation In a matter of speaking, the Savannah Bananas are coming to the Smokies after all. Back when the Tennessee Smokies were in their final days at their Kodak facility and preparing to move back to Knoxville in the brand new
East Tennessee’s premier fantasy world destination – Ancient Lore Village is Expanding My introduction to the fantasy world came – as I suppose it did for many in my generation – sitting in a darkened elementary school English class. Our teacher would roll out an AV stand. On the stand was a TV with a screen so small that kids
Ways to beat the heat on your Smoky Mountain vacation East Tennessee was in the midst of one of the coolest springs and summers in recent memory until late June when someone kicked the thermostat up a couple of notches. We went from mild to wild in seemingly record time. It’s important to remember that when the temperature rises in
From old history to new traditions, these are the can’t miss things in Gatlinburg If you visit Gatlinburg frequently, you can afford to experiment, although we often don’t. It’s easy to fall into a rut of doing and redoing your favorite experiences, eating at the same favorite places, shopping at the same stores choosing from the handful of attractions that
Things not to do at Goats on the Roof Pigeon Forge In Pigeon Forge where the competition for tourism dollars is fast and furious, you have to do something to stand out from the crowd. Does that mean develop a luchador mask-wearing Gorilla mascot to help sell Mexican-adjacent food at your new taco stand? Unfortunately, yes. Does it mean making
Western North Carolina is a tourist destination that has more than a casino going for it I must admit the first time I visited Cherokee, North Carolina – circa 1991 or so – it didn’t make much of an impression. Of course, I was a sullen teenager who found the drive across the mountain full of more tedium than wonder. The
Once a forgotten part of Sevier County, Sevierville is now a key piece of the larger Smoky Mountain pie Back in the old days of the early 1990s, Sevierville was not really the destination that sprang to mind if you thought of fun in the Smokies. To put it in the Achy-Breaky vernacular of the day, if the Great Smoky
Top 5 things not to do on The Island at Pigeon Forge Having grown up around the chintzy neon glow of Pigeon Forge, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good handle on how this top-tier tourist destination works. You give the people what they want. Does that mean we end up with repetition more than innovation? Yes. Are we