Author: Nicole Miller

You can’t say you’ve experienced these dusky peaks if you’ve never sat outside on the porch with a mason jar full of moonshine cocktail while listening to bluegrass music. After all, white lightnin’, as the locals call it, is one of the most famous novelties of the Great Smoky Mountains. So how did Appalachian moonshine […]

Pigeon Forge makes its primary claim to fame as a center for thrilling amusement park rides and interactive outdoor adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains. However, these aren’t the only features that make this small mountain town so special. The local community is bursting with talent, from actors and musicians to comedians and magicians. As […]

Can you believe it? Fall is already upon us! As the kids return to school and the spooky Halloween decorations go up, the leaves come down and the REI gear comes out. “Leaf season,” as the locals call it, is the best time to visit the Smoky Mountains for hiking. Rather than their usual lovely […]

Your higher power is with you no matter where you are. Yet, you may feel a stronger connection with the divine when surrounded by ancient beauty and graceful grandeur. Impressive, timeless, yet gentle – the Great Smoky Mountains inherently generate such a sense of sacredness. It’s no surprise that there is a wide variety of […]

The truly spiritual need for caffeine to wake you up in the morning? It doesn’t compare. What about the universally-felt longing for your cat to come and sit on your lap? No, that doesn’t compare either. Nothing compares to the ravenous craving we can feel for a thick, juicy, twelve-story-high burger! Sometimes, the simplest things […]

Eastern Tennessee is full of gorgeous mountain rivers and streams. However, it can be daunting to navigate them all and know which ones are best suited to which activities. Plus, the only information available online is limited and scattered, which might not help if you’re new to the area. Come with us on a virtual […]

While there is so much to love about mini-golf, the most exciting part is how it is used as a storytelling medium. Mini-golf courses often create an entirely unique experience centered around a fantastic adventure that develops with each hole. Get swept away into a wondrous story for an afternoon of family fun with exciting […]

If you’re not from the South, you may have a hard time pinpointing exactly what defines Southern cuisine. After all, it is a vast category. The Deep South near New Orleans includes Creole dishes like étouffée and Cajun entrées such as jambalaya. Further north along the Atlantic coastline, you have Lowcountry seafood like shrimp and […]

Between hiking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and trekking across the hot blacktop at Dollywood or The Island, you’re bound to work up a sweat during your Pigeon Forge vacation. By the end of such a long and active day, nothing sounds sweeter than a dip in the pool. Look forward to a refreshing […]

Just as you reach the trail’s end, where a majestic waterfall splashes over slippery little red salamanders, your stomach starts to rumble. As you spot the parking lot past the trailhead, you wonder how many hours it’s been since breakfast. The moment you finish taking a sip of water and buckling up in the driver’s […]