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5 Things Not to Do at Dinner Shows (According to a Local) Dinner and a show. Sounds like the perfect night out – or matinee – in Pigeon Forge. Dinner theaters have long been part of the fabric that is Pigeon Forge. But it’s only in recent years that everyone woke up and followed Dolly. So what are things not to do when attending a show... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 A steak lover's dream: Peddler vs Alamo Rating two of the top steakhouses in the Smoky Mountains... Read...

The History of Moonshine in the Sugarlands In 1904, Horace Kephart, a librarian/outdoorsman who tended the stacks at the Yale University Library and, for a while, worked for an American rare book collector in Italy, separated from his family and made his way to the Mountains of North Carolina. He spent the rest of his life living amongst and writing about the people of the Smokies and beyond. When Kephart wrote about a remote, hard-to-reach, and sparsely populated area of the mountains, he...

Artist’s Unique Creatures to Make U.S. Debut in North Carolina There are a lot of strange creatures in the Smoky Mountains. Some of them are real – we’re looking at you, Hellbender salamander – and others are rumored – we’d look at you, feral people, if we could see you. But a Danish artist is bringing something no one has ever seen in the Smokies before … trolls. The event will be a unique combination of art and nature... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 11 Best Places to Eat in...

Is Dollywood the Busiest Park in America? Consistently ranked among the best parks in America by the Golden Ticket Awards, Dollywood has, over its 40 seasons, risen to become a player on the national scene. Dollywood has made the transition from a chintzy regional theme park to one of the best amusement/theme parks in the United States. But where does it rank amongst its peers? Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 🍔 Blue Moose Challenges Calhoun’s Blue Moose takes on Calhoun’s—see who...

Eat Like the Locals at this Rustic River Getaway The restaurant's exterior is nothing special, but the location is pretty spectacular. I imagine when the weather is fine and the leaves are green, that it is a pretty amazing spot. Inside, it’s a typical rustic-themed, riverside restaurant. There’s a very nice bar area... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 🍔 Blue Moose Challenges Calhoun’s Blue Moose takes on Calhoun’s—see who claims the crown... Read Article 🥩Battle of Gatlinburg's...

The Biltmore Championship in Asheville, NC will bring the PGA Tour's Best Golfers From the category of “this is such a good idea, I can’t believe it’s just now happening,” the PGA Tour, Biltmore, and the Explore Asheville tourism group announced that in the fall of 2026, the tour is returning to Asheville for the first time since 1942. The inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville will take place from... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 🍔 Blue Moose Challenges Calhoun’s Blue...

Does Dollywood’s all-you-care-to-eat Family-Style Restaurant live up to the Hype? I’ve had a standoff-ish relationship with Dollywood’s signature dining experience. Yet, it is ranked by USA Today as a Top 10 theme park restaurant in the country. Successful theme park days are about time allotment, and going to a restaurant that frequently has a wait for a sit-down meal that could take an hour or longer is not the most efficient use of theme park time. But situationally, I really like Aunt...

A Few Tips and Tricks on what Not To Do when you see Wildlife As someone who has lived near the mountains for more than 30 years, I’ve seen my fair share of people who have surprisingly little awareness of both etiquette and common sense. But it’s essential if you’re going to the Smokies to be prepared for animal interactions and educate yourself on what not to do. Both tourists and the wild residents of the Smokies are becoming more active... Read More 🍽️The Foodie Guide to The Smokies🍖 11...

What Roller Coasters are Safe To Ride at Dollywood? Over the summer, a man died on a coaster at the new Epic Universe Park. So roller coaster safety has become a topic of new and travel organizations all over the world. Who should or shouldn’t ride, and who could or couldn’t ride, became topics of intense discussion. And it left us discussing how the lessons learned – and being learned – in Orlando and other parks would affect operations here back home at Dollywood... Read More 🍽️The Foodie...