Local offers cheeky tips to get out of a presentation So you took the plunge and traded your precious time to save money on lodging during your vacation. I mean, 90 minutes listening to a timeshare presentation for three days and two nights of free hotel? That’s a deal. Or is it? Your desire to get back to your vacation
Wildlife spotting is part of the fun when visiting the Smoky Mountains, but you’ll need to keep your distance from these dangerous animals As someone who has run around the mountains of East Tennessee for over three decades, I know dangers lurk in the mountains. No, I’m not talking about Bigfeet or feral people or witches or haints. Mother Nature
While Tennessee can be a great place for some, there are a few downsides, says a local I know what it’s like to move to and from Tennessee. I am not a Tennessee native, but I have lived here for several years minus a brief out-of-state stint for work. Though I love my adopted home state of 30+ years, I
A new luxury hotel and restaurant are coming to downtown Gatlinburg in March 2024 Hospitality Solutions and Hilton announced recently that they will start welcoming guests to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Gatlinburg Resort, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on March 15, 2024. Embassy Suites by Hilton is opening on March 15, 2024 in Gatlinburg. It will sit at the base of
Lesser-known fun facts about the world’s most beloved travel center: Buc-ee’s As the self-proclaimed preeminent Buc-ee’s journalist East of the Mississippi, I’ve certainly learned a lot about the cathedral to convenience. And frankly, I’m also happy to spread the gospel of the greatest gas station ever conceived by man. Just ask the folks at the paper of record in Ft. Worth
A local offers pros and cons and determines whether or not a visit to the Smoky Mountains is ‘worth it’ As someone who first visited the mountains as a tourist 40 years ago before moving south in 1990, I’ve something of a unique perspective. I’ve certainly been here long enough to take the mountains for granted. I get up every
Nearly half the residents in Cades Cove in the 1850s can be traced back to two families: The Olivers and the Shields As someone who has lived in and around the mountains of East Tennessee, I’ve heard all the insults. They’re particularly rampant on social media – especially if you frequent certain SEC football message boards. Mouth breeders or kissing
Brick chimneys and sawmill-hewn logs were not common in the late 1800s – so why does this cabin have them? Like many stories of life in the mountains, the story behind the Henry Whitehead House is imbued with hardship. As someone who grew up not far away, I’ve been soaking in the beauty of Cades Cove for nearly four decades.
These were the busiest months and most visited locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2023 according to the National Park Service When is the best time to go to the Smokies? It depends on what you’re after. Do you want the peak colors of fall? The lush greens and warm weather of summer or the fresh renewal
A record-breaking billions to trillions of cicadas are set to emerge this spring The cicadas are coming. How many cicadas? As someone who has spent way too much of his life worrying about cicadas, I can say officially, it’s a buttload. In Spring of 2024, a pair of specific cicada broods will be hatching at the same time for the