November is National Native American Heritage Month The Unlikely Friendship of Lydia Bean and Nancy Ward Freed from capture and near death in July 1776 by Cherokee peacekeeper Nancy Ward, Lydia Bean’s sharing of skills including weaving and agriculture, changed the way of life and had a...
Know before you go The East Tennessee Crossing Byway and I-40 through the Smoky Mountains were hit particularly hard by road damage related to Hurricane Helene. If you’re travelling from points north/south (I-75 or I-65 corridors) or west (I-40, I-24), the roads are clear. For those that are traveling...
For 83 miles from the Cumberland Gap to the Cherokee National Forest stretches one of the most beautiful roads in America. The Historic East Tennessee Crossing Byway National Scenic Byway has roots so deep that its history goes back long before the founding of America....
The Dandridge Scots-Irish Festival was founded in 2007 to celebrate the Scots-Irish settlement of Dandridge in 1783. Located in the city’s historic downtown, the main entrance is at the intersection of Main Street and Gay Street (Highway 92), adjacent to Loch Douglas (TVA Douglas Lake)....
While most of us will travel the TN Wilderness Road over pavement, just off the byway in New Market, you can experience the road from a different vantage. What’s Up Ballooning offers year-round flights – weather permitting- over portions of the Byway and the Smokies, giving...
[caption id="attachment_794" align="alignnone" width="800"] Photo Credit: Ted Stryk[/caption] Step back in time in at David Crockett’s 238th Birthday Celebration on Aug. 17, 2024 in Morristown at the Crockett Tavern Museum. Celebrate Tennessee’s favorite son with blacksmithing demonstrations, storytelling, music, museum tours and birthday cake. The museum celebrates Crockett's birthday...
Waterfalls are always worth a side trip to take a selfie, picnic, or to take a dip on a warm summer day. Just fifteen miles from Bean Station is Elrod Falls in Sneedville, TN. The falls are located at a small community park off the main...
Standing as a sentinel along the East Tennessee Crossing Byway is the Leadvale Coaling Station Tower in Rankin Bottoms. Often mistaken as a barn silo, this historic structure is a reminder of the history of railroad transportation in East Tennessee. Railroads were instrumental to connecting...
Spend the Day in Downtown Morristown [caption id="attachment_774" align="alignleft" width="225"] Downtown Flower Cart[/caption] Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, downtown Morristown is the perfect place to spend a day. The picturesque district is anchored on one end by the Rose Center and on the other...
The Grainger County Tomato Festival was organized in 1992 to promote the area’s world famous fruit and was named by Parade magazine as one of the top free festivals in the United States. In addition to paying homage to the tomato, the festival promotes all...