Attractions

Oconaluftee Islands Park bridge over water

Top Five Things Not To Do in Cherokee N.C.

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

streets of downtown sevierville tn

Top Five Things Not To Do in Sevierville

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

The Island from above in Pigeon Forge

What You Can Skip at This Popular Smoky Mountain Tourist Destination

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

Ghost Town in the Sky Maggie Valley

Is There New life for Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town? 

The latest from Ghost Town in Maggie Valley The long and winding road that is the history of Ghost Town Village – aka Ghost Town in the Sky – has taken another turn. Ghost Town’s owner Jill McClure told ABC News13 that the potential buyer operates an entertainment venue in Florida.  “Not a big attraction, but one I think that

Why Visitors Make Yearly Trips to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains

A local’s take on why Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains have such lasting appeal Humans – quite frequently – are creatures of habit. Sure, we’ll try new things. But we often find comfort in the tried and the true. For instance, do you have a favorite Mexican restaurant? Do you have a favorite order there? Maybe it’s not something you

These Are the Best 10 Things To Do Indoors in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, According to a Local

Top 10 Indoor Things To Do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge The point of coming to the Great Smoky Mountains is to get outside and enjoy the mountains. But sometimes the weather isn’t cooperative. Whether it’s cold and snowy in winter or there is a storm blowing through in the spring, summer or fall, the mountains are notorious for weather

5 Things Not to Do at Dinner Shows in Pigeon Forge According to a Local

A local offers his advice on 5 things not to do when booking, attending dinner shows in Pigeon Forge Dinner and a show. Sounds like the perfect night out – or matinee – in Pigeon Forge. Dinner theaters have long been part of the fabric that is Pigeon Forge. But it’s only in recent years that everyone wised up and

scene of gatlinburg with image of hulk hogan

Is a Wrestling Legend About To Deliver a Leg Drop to the Smokies Retail Scene?

Is Hulkamania about to run wild in the mountains of East Tennessee? A cryptic social media post seems to point to yes Gone are the days when Cooter – of Dukes of Hazzard fame – was the second biggest celebrity operating in the Smokies. Celebrities of varying degrees of success have always tried to find a way to use their

Oak Ridge, TN train trestle over river

There’s a Secret City in East TN You’ve Never Heard Of — but It Changed History

Oak Ridge, a secret city, was key to developing technology that ended World War II Gatlinburg was born when flatlanders from South Carolina found their way to a mountain paradise. Knoxville was born as a fort and a handful of cabins at the headwaters of the Tennessee River. Likewise, Chattanooga’s founding can be linked to its location on the Tennessee