One thing is for sure, when you enter the woods in East Tennessee during the warm summer months, you should expect to be sharing the space with black bears. They are there even if you don’t happen to see them. It’s very important that you know how to handle a bear encounter. You need to know the proper ways to ensure that both you and the bear remain safe and not harmed. It is well known that East Tennessee has the biggest population of black bears, so you are...

Let me tell you a bit about the bears. All the bears in East Tennessee are black bears. However, they can be found to be brown or even a reddish- brown color in other regions of the country. Accordingly, they vary in size and weight due to the sex of the bear and how well they have fed over time. Males are big boys weighing in as much as 250 pounds, females will be smaller at only 200 pounds. By the end of summer, a healthy bear can weigh...

NO, there are no lions or tigers wandering around in the woods in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee but, it’s springtime and that means bears are coming out of a sort of hibernation and the momma bears are having their little ones, which can be as many as 4 cubs or as few as just 1 cub. She will soon be taking them out of their birth den to show them the world and let them roam around a bit and learn to be a bear. Since their...

Let me tell you a story about two young entrepreneurs and how they decided to join forces and become Dave and Busters. Back in the 70s, Buster had a restaurant with friendly service and really good food. Dave had opened an entertainment place for adults to have fun a few doors down from Busters. Over time, they noticed that their customers switched between their two establishments. Being as they were both smart young men with an eye for business, they thought of putting both under one roof! Imagine that!...

Blake Shelton brings more country to Gatlinburg YES!! He certainly is doing just that. On the Gatlinburg Parkway you will find Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, his lifestyle branded restaurant. It will open sometime in the spring of 2019. It will be multi-level 16,000 square foot exciting entertainment setting. There will be a performance area along with a dance floor. You will be able to satisfy your retail therapy. A two-story bar and restaurant plus an outside terrace will round out the venue. Remember Shelton’s hit song, “Ol’ Red?” Well,...

     Yes, you read that right! By the end of 2019, there will be an indoor drive-in theater in Pigeon Forge! It appears that August Moon will open first in Pigeon Forge before it will open in east Nashville, probably by the spring of 2020. August Moon in Pigeon Forge will be situated around the area of Teaster Lane and Wears Valley Road. That is where another new complex is being constructed – the new Mountain Mile.   Instead of searching for the perfect spot to watch the...

Sevierville, TN Although Sevierville is not as famous as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, there are still a lot of things to do and well worth taking the time to visit. There is the Apple Barn Cider Mill and General Store. It’s a very popular dining and shopping area. It sits beside a 4000+ apple tree orchard. The Apple Barn has some of the most delicious desserts such as fried apple pies, apple cinnamon donuts, and old-fashioned apple stack cakes. Besides the Cider Mill and General Store you will find...

There is so much going on Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains in the fall that I honestly don’t know where to start telling you about them. So, I’ll just pick a few from each city so that you can make the decision where to go and what to do. I do have to begin with the Fall color changes in the Smokies. Mid-October thru the end of November is peak time for the color change. It starts at the highest elevations and works its way down...

I have working with Louise Malone in her capacity as a Property Inspector for four years.  During that time, I have found her to be very thorough and detail orientated.  She has been fair and even handed in her report delivery-even though she may be conveying  some news of a miss by Housekeeping or Maintenance, she does so in a neutral and professional manner. Her relationship with both our owners and my staff has been a positive one, and I would recommend her services unreservedly. S Charlton -Smoky Mountain...