There are over 400 species of native birds in Tennessee, with over 100 of them being birds common to Tennessee. In other words, there are a lot of feathers flashing around in the Volunteer State! Tennessee is home to 14 national parks, 1 national forest (over 650,000 acres worth of one), and a whopping 56 … Read more
Whether it’s the haunting blue eyes of the Moon-Eyed People, the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights, the hellish Mothman of Point Pleasant WV, or ubiquitous sightings of Bigfoot, many people find themselves drawn to things that are seemingly inexplicable, eerie, and often outright terrifying. If such spine-tingling tales get your pulse pounding, you’ll find that Appalachian folklore offers … Read more
[Updated November 5, 2024] Growing up in North Georgia, you couldn’t drive very far into the Blue Ridge Mountains without seeing the famous “SEE ROCK CITY” signs painted on barns, birdhouses, and more. And yet, for some odd reason, my family never visited Rock City Gardens, which has been a popular Chattanooga-area attraction for 90 … Read more
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular of all the national parks in the United States. And if you’re looking for unspoiled natural beauty, it’s arguably the best place to visit in the Smoky Mountains. But when it comes to the holiday season, the best things to do in the Smoky Mountains in … Read more
[Updated October 27, 2024] During the Christmas holidays, there are countless things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, which stretches from the state of Georgia all the way north to Pennsylvania. Honestly, it’s hard to narrow down myriad ways you could celebrate Christmas in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains … Read more
A guide to the 15 Best Great Smoky Mountains Campgrounds to Visit, with camping options both inside and just outside the national park.
[Updated Sept 19, 2024] Straddling the boundary of North Carolina and Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses over 500,000 acres and is the most visited of all the U.S. National Parks. Part of it is located in the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee people, who occupied the territory prior to the 1830s … Read more
The first time I saw a photo of the Lula Lake Land Trust, it stopped me in my tracks. It was a breathtaking aerial drone photo featuring a massive waterfall surrounding by brilliant fall colors. It looked as if Niagara Falls had had a baby, and the baby had moved to the state of Georgia. … Read more
Located in Southeast Tennessee, the Ocoee River is a 93-mile river that flows northwest through the southern Appalachian Mountains. It’s known as the Toccoa River in the state of Georgia, where it passes through the towns of Blue Ridge and McCaysville. The river is world-renowned for its Class III-V rapids, which served as the dramatic … Read more
American folk music, and particularly traditional Appalachian music, would be incomplete without the signature twang of the banjo. Along with the accompaniment of the fiddle, the banjo has echoed from porches across the Blue Ridge Mountains region for centuries. Before becoming part of larger string-band ensembles, banjos historically supplied the background music for storytelling. Later, the banjo … Read more
