SkyPark officials announce new SkyBridge, viewing area, restaurants and more With its 70th-anniversary celebration approaching, Gatlinburg SkyPark is preparing for its next 70 years. Having first gone up the mountain nearly 40 years ago, I’ve personally watched and marveled at the competition to be Gatlinburg’s top dog. SkyPark is certainly firmly entrenched in a three-way competition to be Gatlinburg’s premier
Look, I’ve lived on this Earth long enough to know that nothing has a 100 percent approval rating. There are people – if you can believe it – who don’t like pizza or Star Wars movies. But as someone who left the Smokies for a brief period in the early 2000s and was desperate to return, I can say the
How the tourist town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is running out of water and what the city is going to do about it When you think of infrastructure issues in the Smokies Mountains you think about backed-up traffic clogging the arteries of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. But what if I told you city leaders are facing another challenge that
Carl Dean has more than one cute nickname for his famous wife Dolly Parton is known by a myriad of nicknames. Some nicknames reference her incredible career in country music, like the Leading Lady of Country and the Queen of Nashville. Other names refer to her East Tennessee roots, such as Smoky Mountain Songbird, Backwoods Barbie and Appalachian Queen. Additionally,
Local offers tips for spending spring break in the Smoky Mountains When visitors plan a vacation to Gatlinburg, most of them don’t realize that spring break can be just as busy as the summer months. I live here in Gatlinburg and I can tell you that it’s quite a shock seeing the flock of tourism during this time. This year
The Smoky Mountains are generally considered to be safe, but that doesn’t mean they are without danger I’ve been around these mountains too long to fear them. After 30 years, a body tends to be comfortable with its surroundings. And so, when people ask if the mountains are safe, I say of course they are. But that doesn’t mean there
A Smoky Mountain resident talks about experiences he won’t try again in Gatlinburg As someone who has been hanging out in Gatlinburg for more than 30 years, I’ve been burned a few times. It could have been a restaurant, an attraction or an experience. Sure, we all have our favorite things, but we also want to try something new. Sometimes
Yes, the New York Times did print a story about a Wildman in Tennessee. But that’s where the truth begins and ends. I’ve spent a good part of my life in and around the mountains. I grew up on the edge of the Smokies. Although I was aware that various cultures had stories about Wildmen, I was an adult before
Disney set to expand their empire to the mountains of North Carolina at former Ghost Town location The theme park competition in the Smoky Mountains is about to get very real and quite magical. On the heels of Universal officially announcing its Epic Universe park in Orlando and a kids-themed park in Texas, Disney officials are moving to announce their bold
While there are plenty of hidden caves and caverns in the Smoky Mountains, none have thus far produced an underground city As someone who has lived on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I’ve heard a lot of whoppers. They range from extinct animals living in the park to feral people to Bigfeet. And while I’m loathe