Top six don’ts on your visit to the busiest road in the Smokies I wish that the thought had occurred to me when I was younger to keep a little chart of my time on Highway 321 – aka the Great Smoky Mountain Parkway – in Pigeon Forge. Just a little Excel Spreadsheet that I could have kept up with
Celebrating the legends created by the people of the mountain Not all legends are created equally. For instance, take Lucy of Roaring Fork. It’s the same old ghost yarn we’ve all heard a thousand times in a thousand places. A young man, alone at night finds a young woman in some level of distress. She is in need of a ride
What do the continuing issues on I-40 mean for your mountain vacation? It was déjà vu all over again. A torrential downpour hit the Smokies – right at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line – dumping between 2.5 and 3.5 inches of rain in about two hours. The downpour caused multiple small mudslides. The massive amount of flooding also trapped travelers
These key figures in history crossed paths with the Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited places in the world. In fact, the mountains’ natural beauty, tourist friendly towns and interstate friendly location provide the perfect destination for a quick getaway or a longer trip. As such, it makes sense that from time-to-time
Where to eat in the Smokies if you have food allergies I got the call from the school nurse. John Paul – our middle child – had ingested one of the many, many foods to which he is allergic. Luckily for us, JP’s allergies aren’t anaphylactic. They don’t affect his ability to breathe. If he comes in contact with most
The Peddler vs. The Greenbrier vs. The Appalachian: Which Sevier County top end restaurant is the best? This is a contest in which – in the end – everyone walks away a winner. Whether you dine at The Peddler, The Greenbrier, The Appalachian or any of the other handful of fine-dining restaurants in the Smokies, you’re walking away with an
Speaking with the AP, Parton reveals her thoughts on faith in wake of husband’s death In early March, Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died after what was apparently an extended illness. The death triggered an outpouring support for Parton who asked for understanding as she mourned the husband who’d spent their life together firmly outside of
From exploring the park to dining out to shopping, here are the things you can’t miss in the Smokies The Smokies and surrounding regions are massive. You could spend decades exploring the region and still not see everything. I should know. I’ve been here more than 30 years and keep finding new surprises and places I haven’t yet explored. But
Looking back over the last 90 years in the Smoky Mountains As the managing editor of an Associated Press newspaper – as my day job – I have access to the AP photo archives. They are comprised of tens of thousands of archived photos marking world history going back more than 120 years. It is a treasure trove of dozens
View a data-driven map with 7 fall tips from a local They say the beauty of fall in Tennessee is due to the diversity of trees in the forest. Local flora – depending on what part of the state you’re visiting – may include oak trees, hickories, maples, American beech and hobblebush – just to name a few. But where