Local recalls everything that made Ogle’s so special in Pigeon Forge Ogle’s Waterpark in Pigeon Forge was once the largest waterpark in the area with six giant water sides, a wave pool, a kid’s play area and snack stations throughout the park. For three decades, it served as a beacon summoning tourists and locals to frolic in the East Tennessee
Local reminisces on old Water Boggan attraction in Pigeon Forge As an East Tennessee local, I’ve seen plenty of Pigeon Forge attractions that have come and gone. Some were products of the time. It was the 70s and 80s. So if you could talk someone into financing it, you could make it a reality. I think, looking back, not every
A Smoky Mountain local of 35 years shares his favorite nighttime activities for downtown Gatlinburg I think there’s just something about Gatlinburg at night. There’s a bit of a chill in the mountain air. It’s the excitement of the bright lights along the strip – which seem all the more luminescent against the dark backdrop of the mountains. There’s the slight mystical
Strong winds and communication issues were to blame, according to officials I remember it well. As someone who has called these mountains home for the last 35 years, it was a devastating event to witness. Years have passed, but the scars remain. Large swaths of the forest burned in November of 2016. Of course, some scars heal eventually. As more
Smoky Mountain native gives an honest review of Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride Growing up around the Smoky Mountains, I often saw it while riding down the Parkway. It’s too large and too cheesy lookin’ to miss. Yes, my friends, today I’m talking about the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. Is it an area icon? Or is it nothing more than a
A once beloved, now abandoned theme park deteriorates through decades of unfortunate events In the days before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, mountain folks were raised with the threats of haints and spirits, of goblins that snatched spiteful, mean or lazy children away never to be seen again. Nowadays, it’s harder to believe in the legend of haunted hollers, in
Smoky Mountain native recalls some of the biggest unsolved mountain mysteries over the years As someone who has lived in the foothills of the Smokies for a number of years, I’ll be the first to tell you that the mountains are as vast as they are beautiful. But they can also be deep and unforgiving. There are hundreds of thousands
A Tennessee resident weighs in on the debate surrounding the state’s new license plate design Back when I was a boy growing up in Indiana (before moving to Tennessee), I remember when government officials changed the official license plate slogan from “Hoosier State” to “Wander”. It was actually the focus of a tourism campaign: Wander Indiana. People did not take
An insider’s guide on what not to do when visiting Gatlinburg, the surrounding area As someone who lives near the Smokies and frequents the main strip every chance I get, I can tell you from first-hand experience that there are several ways to approach a visit to Gatlinburg. Or really any vacation for that matter. But no matter how you
An insider’s guide on what not to do when visiting Pigeon Forge, the surrounding area As someone who frequents Pigeon Forge, I know too well that when planning a vacation, in the words of a musical maestro, it’s about knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them. When you plan your next trip to the Smokies, I want