Welcome to the aptly named Huggins Hell – the most feared part of the Smoky Mountains due to its dark history I have always been fascinated with the hidden, oddly named, rarely explored parts of the Smokies – Mellinger’s Death Ridge, anyone? So, the minute I heard about Huggins Hell, I had to know everything I could about this dense
Tennesseeans have a long history of outrunning the tax man. And this barn may have been designed to do just that. As someone who grew up visiting Cades Cove, I took for granted one of the Cove’s real treasures. I thought the funny barn on Tipton Place was something you’d surely see on farms around the country. First of all,
You’ve probably driven past it a hundred times and never thought a thing about it. This is the untold story of Dollywood’s third historic train: The Slow Poke and Easy For most people in Tennessee, the community of Vestal in South Knox County isn’t on the way to anywhere. But for me, growing up in nearby Blount County, Vestal was
A tree that was planted nearly 100 years ago still stands within the Smoky Mountains off the beaten path, and tourists are flocking to see it It was Dec. 7, 1941. Golman Myers – born in Cades Cove in 1894 – was in the process of relocating the family farm to Townsend, making way for the National Park. Golman’s son
Area restaurant reviewer compares two of Gatlinburg’s most popular fine dining restaurants: The Peddler and The Greenbrier Restaurant Look let’s start by peeling the curtain back a little bit. Friends, on this particular subject my expertise is substantial. I’ve been tasting quality meat up and down East Tennessee for nearly four decades now. Wait, forget it. You know what I
Local names top hidden gems in Dolly Parton’s hometown in the Smoky Mountains As someone who, for three decades, used Sevierville as a place to go through on my way to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or the mountains, I know a lot more today about the historic city. Founded in 1795, when George Washington still had two years left in his
Local lists best places to live that are near the mountains and away from tourists I’ve spent the better part of the last 30 years living in communities up and down East Tennessee. Therefore, I’m familiar with more than my share of mountain towns. I’ve run the roads from Copperhill to Jonesborough. I know the difference between Turtletown and Ducktown,
Witchy superstitions and stories are practically tradition in the South. Here are a few of the most famous witches and tall tales. I grew up at my grandmother’s knee hearing stories about witches and goblins from her Depression-era childhood. With this in mind, I try to come to the topic of the supernatural in the mountains with something of an
How Gatlinburg sees a surprising amount of rain compared to the rest of the country When visiting an outdoorsy destination like Gatlinburg, the weather might be top of mind. Gatlinburg has a temperate climate. For example, last summer, my family and I experienced some Gatlinburg climate magic. While the rest of the southeastern United States was languishing under an intense
Wears Valley formerly known as Crowsons Cove, and Wears Cove, has undergone several name changes over the years I grew up running around Townsend and using Wears Valley Road to get to Pigeon Forge. But I never knew the Valley by any other name. I can’t remember anyone calling it Wears Cove and certainly don’t remember noticing the sign marking