A local talks about his favorite area restaurants to visit around Thanksgiving and Christmas in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville The holidays have arrived in the mountains – and, technically, everywhere. But the holidays in the mountains come with more than a few traditions. Yes, Sevier County has been a premier holiday shopping location for generations. And, the local governments
A rumored casino may be on its way to Sevierville after Cherokee land purchase Is a casino on its way to the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee? I wouldn’t bet against it. The Tennessee Smokies are leaving Sevier County and returning to East Knoxville. Thus, a rather prominent piece of real estate is sitting empty in Kodak, on the West
How the TVA brought progress – and controversy – to the South When Tropical Storm Helene brought historic flooding to the region, an agency that has chiefly been a simple fact of life for many of us in the mountains came a little more sharply into focus. With overwhelmed dams threatened to fail, the Tennessee Valley Authority suddenly found itself
Dollywood is a hot spot for celebrity sightings – here’s a roundup of some of the biggest stars known to frequent the park The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area are among the most visited tourist destinations in the world. In the mountains, there are surely few places that are more popular than Dollywood. I’ve watched over
A local offers his advice on the best and worst dishes at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, TN Over the years, I have at times been hard on Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. But in fairness, the eatery is battling expectations vs reality. While having the Deen name atop the restaurant is certainly a draw, it also leads to
Just because they are ‘weird’ doesn’t mean we don’t love them! Here are 3 strangely themed restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Like anything, weird is in the eye of the beholder. When considering weird restaurants in the Smoky Mountains, the first thing that pops to mind is there is a seafood place named after a mentally challenged character and
A Smoky Mountain resident talks about experiences he won’t revisit in Pigeon Forge, TN I like to like things. When it comes to movies, TV shows, books, food and experiences, I go in with a pretty optimistic viewpoint. I want to enjoy them. The only real place where I am an especially discriminating consumer is music. I have enough songs
A Buc-ee’s fan investigates the bizarre, sudden appearance of upside-down Buc-ee’s billboards Buc-ee’s massive gas stations broke through the Texas border years ago and now the company is expanding beyond the South. As Buc-ee’s grows, new people are exposed to the Buc-ee’s way. That goes from massive stations with dozens of gas pumps, to spacious and clean bathrooms. It also
A local offers words of wisdom on what not to do while riding the Tail of the Dragon There’s a road through the mountains of Tennessee into their North Carolina counterparts. Over its 11-mile stretch, it features 318 curves. It’s known as the Tail of the Dragon – or U.S. 129 to those less poetically inclined – and it is
Hey, we didn’t make the rules. Actually, we did. Here they are… Whether it’s your first or 100th time inside a Buc-ee’s, it’s always the same dose of sensory overload. There’s so much to do, so many bathroom stalls, so much to see and eat. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget that we live in