General Information

a cubano at tennessee jeds

I’ve Eaten at 100s of Meals in Gatlinburg, These Are the 3 Best and Worst

I’ve lived in the Smoky Mountains for over 30 years, these are the best, and worst, meals I’ve ever had in Gatlinburg, TN As someone who has been dining in Gatlinburg for more than 30 years, ranking best and worst is somewhat difficult. First, there aren’t THAT many worsts. In truth, the floor for Gatlinburg dining to me is OK

a sign reads "stupidville, tn"

How This Town in Tennessee Earned the Name “Stupidville” (Yes, Really!)

This is the story of how a small town in Tennessee was dubbed ‘Stupidville’ A great philosopher – well, technically his Mama – always said “Stupid is as Stupid Does.” With this in mind, for a time in the 1960s, there was a small unincorporated Tennessee Town where they could have made a killing just by putting that on T-shirts.

kids in splash pad area

6 Clever Things To Do in Gatlinburg When You’re on a Budget

Local offers ideas on the best things to do for (almost) free in the Smoky Mountains Gatlinburg is an idyllic mountain village designed to vacuum tourists’ money directly from their pockets while distracting them with scenic views, pancakes and bear-themed tchotchkes. With all this money vacuuming going on, it can be hard to know where to start for your vacation

ribs at calhouns in pigeon forge tn

These are the 3 Best and Worst Meals I’ve Ever Had in Pigeon Forge (Out of 100s)

I’ve eaten hundreds of meals in Pigeon Forge, these are the best, and the worst, I’ve ever had As someone whose culinary memory in Pigeon Forge goes back to the days of Chef Jock’s and beyond – that’s more than 30 years, I’ve had countless meals in countless Pigeon Forge Restaurants. Most of them were chiefly forgettable but pleasant experiences.

Creepy Looking Toxic Slime Coated Worm Spotted in East Tennessee

TVA has indicated that Hammerhead worms have been spotted around Norris, Tennessee, just north of Knoxville and may thrive in rainy summer weather As someone who has been digging in the East Tennessee earth for more than 30 years, I thought I had a handle on most of the creepy crawlies one might encounter. I’ve turned over rocks and scared

earthquake the ride and jurassic jungle boat ride with a creepy looking mannequin

Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride vs Earthquake The Ride: Which Attraction Is Worse?

As someone who remembers when cheesiness was half the point for a Smoky Mountain tourist trap, I can attest that when it comes to underwhelming attractions, there are two that are head and shoulders above the rest. They both feature animatronics that would make Chuck E. Cheese seem cutting-edge. They both feature beat-up, under-cared-for scenery that makes you wonder if

ghost town in the sky in the background with dolly parton and a mic in the foreground (a collage)

Will Dolly Parton Buy the Ill-Fated Ghost Town In the Sky?

Fans are calling for their Appalachian queen, Dolly Parton, to save one of their favorite long-lost theme parks, Ghost Town in the Sky In the mountains of North Carolina, there is a ghost town that used to be Ghost Town begging to be saved. In Maggie Valley, a mountain-top amusement park that used to be the rival of Dollywood is

red weather forecast on phone inside the dollywood theme park

It’s Going To Rain Every Day of My Smokies Vacation. Should I Cancel?

Smoky Mountain native offers tips on vacationing with a rainy forecast Editor’s Note: The following is a new advice series where readers can write in and get personalized advice from Smoky Mountain travel experts. Do you have a question that you would like us to answer? Email us at [email protected]. Question: I booked my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains

a car pulls up to the dollywood parking lot

The 3 Big Mistakes I Made When Visiting Pigeon Forge

Regardless of whether or not you’ve visited Pigeon Forge once, or a hundred times, you’ve probably made at least one of these common mistakes As someone who has been knocking around Pigeon Forge for more than 35 years, you wouldn’t think I’d be prone to making mistakes. But I still do. You get complacent and forgetful. In other words dear

The Blue Ridge Parkway in NC was just voted 12th most feared road in the United States (photo bu Chansak Joe/iStockPhoto)

A Popular Tourist Road in NC Was Just Voted Among Most Feared in the US

Move over Tail of the Dragon here comes … The Blue Ridge Parkway? As someone who has driven large swaths of the Blue Ridge Parkway – chiefly in the Smokies – I was shocked when I found it listed as the 12th most feared roadway in America. Really? The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most fearsome road in North Carolina?