A local ranks cities close to the Great Smoky Mountains As a local, I know a thing or two about Pigeon Forge. For example, I know that several folks come to the mountains looking for some peace and quiet. Then, they arrive in Sevier County and discover a few hundred thousand of their closest friends had the same idea. Dollywood?
Why do people honk in tunnels? A Smoky Mountain native weighs in Growing up in East Tennessee and in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, I’ve noticed that tunnel honking is quite common. I’ve also noticed that for some of my family members, it’s so Pavlovian that they don’t even realize they’re doing it anymore. For example, one time
These are the closest airports to Gatlinburg TN What makes the Great Smoky Mountains National Park such a popular tourist location? Well, there’s the natural beauty, of course. There’s also Dollywood and lots of other entertainment that has bolstered the region’s tourism. But there’s another reason: Location, location, location. Since I live under an hour away from the heart of
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
The original Buc-ee’s will make you look twice with its pint-sized footprint in Clute, Texas Earlier this year, Sevierville, Tenn. officially became home to the country’s largest Buc-ee’s when it opened its doors to a 74,000-square-foot behemoth. As a Tennessean, I am fairly new to the Buc-ee’s phenomenon. Sure, my Texas relatives had been telling me the legendary tale (tail?)
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