TheSmokies.com

For 25 years, Smokies Stadium was a Centerpiece of the Sevier County Tourism Scene Baseball season is over in East Tennessee. The boys of summer have turned their attention to the endeavors of the fall. And for the first time since it opened 25 years ago, Smokies Stadium has mostly sat vacant. While many are celebrating Randy Boyd’s house of baseball wonder, we are left wondering what’s going to happen in Kodak... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 A steak lover's dream: Peddler vs...

Making More Magic: What will the Expansion Include? When Anakeesta launched in the fall of 2017, it was an ambitious project that was excellent but somewhat limited. However, even from that opening day, the vision was that there would be more to come. With that goal in mind, Anakeesta officials have announced a bold, five-year, $100 million multi-phase park expansion that is ambitious... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 A steak lover's dream: Peddler vs Alamo Rating two of the top...

Is it Still Worth it to Plan a Holiday Shopping Trip to the Smokies? I’ve always been a fan of Black Friday shopping. There's a little twinge – for some people more than a little – of competition in getting to the store, getting in line, and getting the best deal. For years, I would plan to scour the ads, identify a deal or two I really wanted from the major retailers, and then head into the Smokies to browse for other holiday deals. In recent years, as the heavy push of Black Friday shopping...

Pros and Cons of Two Popular Star-Studded Restaurants in Gatlinburg, TN There’s a battle of country icons going on every day on the strip in Gatlinburg. In one corner, you have Oklahoma’s Blake Shelton, whose fame rocketed over some 110 seasons of “The Voice”, which allowed him to display his particular brand of charm and humor. In the other corner? Macon, Georgia’s scowling hitmaker Jason Aldean, whose chief personality trait is not being a “warm and fuzzy kind of guy.” Aldean is successful,...

Favorite Winterfest Activities in Pigeon Forge The Smoky Mountain Winterfest celebration is Sevier County’s annual city-wide festival that takes place during the holidays. This long-standing tradition began over 30 years ago to boost tourism during the slower winter months. Here are some favorite ways to enjoy Winterfest and the holiday season in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 🍔 Blue Moose Challenges Calhoun’s Blue Moose takes on Calhoun’s—see who...

Christmas at a Water Park? Today, when we have a family ice-skating outing – I like to expose my southern kids to their family’s northern roots – I’m firmly in the observe-and-report category. I watch as they relearn to navigate on the ice, clinging to the rail and occasionally daring to dart out away from safety. And I never thought a gift card was a bad gift. Thankfully, society is catching up to me on this one... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 11 Best Places to Eat in...

The Best Places in the Smokies to Give – or Get – a Gift Card from It used to be that gift cards were seen as a little uncouth, a little impersonal, like you gave a gift card when you didn’t really know the person well enough to know what they like, what they don’t have, or what they need. And I never thought a gift card was a bad gift. Thankfully, society is catching up to me on this one... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 11 Best Places to Eat in Gatlinburg So, where do the...

Winter can be a Great Time to Explore the Beauty of the Smoky Mountains The Smoky Mountains can make for an excellent winter break if you’re looking to go south and get away from the truly frigid temperatures, or you’re from the deeper south and want to get a little taste of winter. I love that feeling you get stepping outside into temperatures around freezing, giving that invigorating shock to the lungs. So, what is it like to spend time during the winter in the Smoky Mountains... Read More...

Looking for a Place to Stay, the Drury Plaza Hotel or Hotel Indigo Might be the One A hotel that was resplendent a decade ago may now be showing signs of wear and tear. And facilities whose heyday was in the early 2000s or worse, the 90s, may have dropped by a star or two since the last time you visited. The best way to get up-to-date, clean facilities that haven’t been abused like a rental car? Seek out the newest, best and brightest... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 A steak...