Culver’s – a Midwestern staple of fast-casual dining – is bringing its signature frozen custard and butter burgers to Sevierville I left my Midwestern home in Indiana for the mountains of East Tennessee in 1990 unaware of a growing phenomenon to the north. A kingdom was growing. It was built on dairy products and Midwestern beef. They called the kingdom
While Atlanta, Georgia will always be Coca-Cola’s home, the company wouldn’t be what it is today with the great state of Tennessee I realized the other day that I don’t know what the current slogan for Coca-Cola is. There was a time when you couldn’t walk five feet without being blasted by Coke or Pepsi slogans. Ray Charles’ telling me
We took a journey to track down the restaurant that is believed to be frequented by Dolly Parton herself There’s a spot on the Parkway in Sevierville that is built almost entirely in anticipation. You’ve come through downtown and past the China Town restaurant, which has been serving the exotic cuisine of the Far East since Moses was a boy.
How places like Devils Tater Patch, Stinking Creek or Mollie’s Butt were named A few years ago, I interviewed Rex Caughron. He was one of the last generations to be raised in Cades Cove and the son of Kermit Caughron, the last resident of the Cove. One of the things I asked about his favorite and or least favorite parts
Plants to be wary of on your next trip to the Smokies When thinking about poisonous plants of the Smokies, I started to feel a little haughty. “Who in the world goes through the mountains just eating random plants?” Then, a torrent of memories from my youth flooded back. All of them revolving around my love of all things sour.
In the 1930s, official plans were drawn up to turn the Cove into a reservoir Driving along the edges of East Tennessee’s lakes, there are signs that things are not always as they have been. Decaying grain silos rise inexplicably from the water and ancient roads and trails lead down to lakebeds without turning. In the days before the Tennessee Valley Authority,
A fellow failed rapper breaks down what is probably the worst rap song ever recorded The year was 1993. The mighty Mountaineers of Heritage High School were planning on heading to Roane State Community College for an annual academic competition. In order to give the school its best chance to compete, our beloved English teacher Mrs. Bradshaw was looking for
A local shares the secrets of the Pigeon Forge culinary scene I don’t know if this is a massive secret. But when anyone from Sevier or the surrounding counties goes to Pigeon Forge, most of the time we are just as much of a tourist as anyone from Indiana or Ohio or Michigan or any of the other places that
A local shares his biggest missteps in hope you can learn from his mistakes One of the benefits of being a local to the mountains is it gives you a certain freedom to make a mistake. When I’m vacationing someplace like the beach or Disney, mistakes get magnified because my days are limited. If you get a week a year
A local offers tips on how to avoid faux pas at Pigeon Forge’s premier historical eatery There’s a challenge that comes with some of the “what not to do” articles. And it comes with an assumption of what you, the reader, need to hear versus what other readers need to hear. For instance, you don’t need to be told not