Three Rivers Rambler
The Three Rivers Rambler is a train excursion that runs along to the Tennessee River. This 90 minute train ride starts from the waterfront near downtown Knoxville and takes you on a ride through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. You will pass a lot of the history that has formed not only Knoxville but […]
Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum
If you are interested in the lapidary arts you might want to take a ride into Franklin, NC and visit the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum. Due to the history of the area, it is no wonder that a museum has been established to show off the gems and the mining industry that brought Franklin […]
Kermit Hunter
Kermit Hunter is a well known American playwright. But, he is also known in the history of the Smokies due to the fact that he wrote Unto These Hills, the second longest running outdoor drama in the US and one of the highlights to any visit to Cherokee, NC. He also wrote the outdoor drama, […]
Harrisburg Covered Bridge
There has been a covered bridge in the Harrisburg Community of Sevier County since the mid 1800s. The bridge was used by the locals to cross the East Prong of the Little Pigeon River and connected the two separate parts of the community. Originally, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge was named the McNutts Bridge but in […]
Fort Loudon State Park
Fort Loudon was built during the French and Indian War in hopes that it would act as a bridge between the people of South Carolina and the Cherokee. Now, the fort is a state park and historic site that offers plenty of amenities to the people that visit the park throughout the year and it […]
History of Highlands, NC
The town of Highlands was founded in 1875 by two developers living in Kansas who, according to legend, took a map in hand and drew a line from New York to New Orleans. Then they drew another line from Chicago to Savannah. These lines, they predicted, would become major trade routes in the future, and […]
History of Townsend, TN
The origins of Townsend, Tn can be traced back, like many area towns and cities, to the Cherokee Indian tribes that roamed the Smoky Mountain region and used them as hunting grounds before the first English settlers stepped foot here in the 1700s. The Little River Valley and the surrounding tributary streams were called Tuckaleechee […]
History of Maggie Valley, NC
Maggie Valley, NC takes its name from a mountain girl with long blond hair and blue eyes who once called the area her home. Maggie’s true life story is recorded in Maggie of Maggie Valley, NC, a book written by her daughter Patty Pylant Kosier. You’ll not only find a true account of Maggie Mae […]
Gem Mining
The gem mining industry in North Carolina has been a part of that culture for decades. When the first settlers came to the Smokies to put down roots, they discovered that the soil of the mountains contained precious and semi-precious stones. All of a sudden, the economy in these quiet mountain towns changed. People came […]
Elkmont
Elkmont is located between Sugarlands Visitors Center and the Townsend Wye in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you are coming from the Sugarlands end of the park then you will travel about 4.9 miles to the turn off to Elkmont which will be on the left as you head toward Cades Cove. If […]