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...

Celebrating Cosby: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow community programs every Friday from June 23 through July 14 at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The programs honor the rich cultural and natural history of the Cosby area through storytelling, dance, music,...

One tomato, two tomatoes…so many tomatoes Driving through the rolling farmland of Bean Station, one cannot help noticing the number of farms that surround the byway.  Fields of hay and grazing cattle are just the tip of the agricultural activity that is hiding around the bend. Just...

Celebrate Independence Day Along the East Tennessee Byway The East Tennessee Crossing Byway is showing out for Independence Day, which falls on a Thursday this year. The scenic byway, known for its rich history and picturesque landscapes, will be lit up with fireworks and home-town fun...

In 1933, the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was leading a country deeply mired in the effects of the Great Depression. Particularly hard hit with poverty and suffering was the Tennessee River Valley, which included the counties along the East Tennessee Crossing Byway.  In a bold...