Shops

a no trucks sign at buc-ees

3 Surprising Reasons Behind Buc-ee’s Infamous Truck Ban

Buc-ee’s is famous for their Beaver Nuggets, they are also famous for their anti semi-truck stance As the preeminent Buc-ee’s journalist east of the Mississippi, a writer who has been extensively quoted in the paper of record in Ft. Worth, Texas, I know a thing or two about America’s favorite new gas station. I can wax poetic about Beaver Nuggets

old mill restaurant in pigeon forge, tn

The Old Mill Closings and Reopenings, Here’s What You Need To Know

The Old Mill Restaurant and bridge closed for scheduled renovations You don’t last nearly 200 years without a few renovations here and there. That’s why the folks at the Old Mill District will take advantage of smaller crowds each off-season to do necessary renovations. But this year, the closing by the City of Pigeon Forge is a bit more significant

a live bear enclosure in the great smoky mountains

A Local’s Honest Opinion on the See and Feed Live Bears Attraction

This massive general store in Tennessee allows guests to see live bears How the times have changed. Back in 1979 – when the store that would become the Three Bears General Store opened – the treatment of animals in zoos and circuses and the like was very different than today. How different? Somewhere in my grandmother’s picture collection is a 5-year-old

a man stands in a rain coat in downtown Gatlinburg

3 Things to Do in Gatlinburg on a Rainy Day, According to a Local

These are the best things to do in Gatlinburg when it rains according to a resident When people visit Gatlinburg, many will want to know what to do when it rains. Sure, most of us would love for the weather to be sunny, warm, and free from the elements that make us uncomfortable outdoors. But Mother Nature often has her

gatlinburg view of downtown with mountains and pink sky

5 Most Fun Things You Must Try Along the Strip in Gatlinburg TN

Local offers tips for things to do in downtown Gatlinburg I like to think of the Gatlinburg strip as a place where families can have fun and exercise a little freedom. In fact, I’d say the Gatlinburg strip is the full Smoky Mountain experience condensed to within 0.8 miles. The strip is laser tag, mini-golf and the Ripley’s Museum. It’s

The village shops at The Christmas Place

The Year-Round Christmas Town in the Smoky Mountains You Need To See

There’s an immersive Christmas village in Tennessee that keeps it festive 365 days a year Christmas in my house starts on Thanksgiving Day. While my wife is inside preparing a traditional Thanksgiving meal, I’m outside decking the house for Christmas. We run strands of colorful lights along the eaves of our small front porch. We decorate the bushes. I’m a Christmas guy. We’re Christmas

an aerial shot of the buc-ees in Sevierville, TN

Why Are People So Obsessed With Buc-ee’s? Is It Worth the Hype?

A Southerner shares his first experience at a Buc-ee’s We were on I-75 heading south through Georgia and running late. But once we passed Chattanooga, temptation in the form of Buc-ees billboards was everywhere. The billboards promised seemingly endless rows of gas pumps with cheap gas. Not to mention the cleanest bathrooms in the United States, with enough urinals to

man hammers a knife in pigeon forge

Knife Making in Pigeon Forge TN, 4 Best Places To Go

Whether it’s work, personal or just the general state of things in the world, I find many people – including myself – battling high levels of stress. And so, when vacation time comes for many of us, it’s about relaxation. Maybe it’s a spa day, a quiet afternoon by a mountain stream, or even a day of shopping and fun with

For curious onlookers, Tennessee Hemp Care's window display can be viewed on the main strip of Downtown Gatlinburg (photo by Morgan Overholt, TheSmokies.com)

Is Weed Legal in Gatlinburg? How Café 420, Hemp Care Came to the Smokies

Editor’s Note: You must be at least 18 years old to read this article. By continuing, you are confirming that you are of legal age. It’s days like this that I wish I’d studied harder in chemistry or botany. In 2018, among the moonshine distilleries and the pancake houses, other purveyors of “illicit” substances began appearing in Tennessee, including Gatlinburg