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Free Things To Do in the Smokies for the Budget-Minded Traveler – Part 2

Downtown Bryson City in the NC Smoky Mountains

Bryson City Edition This is part two of a five part series that will help stretch those vacation dollars a little further by exploring free things to do in the Smokies of North Carolina. Part one can be found here. Going on vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are our top picks for […]

Museum of the Cherokee People – A New Vision

Exterior of the Museum of the Cherokee People

Cherokee is known for many things – its many lakes, rivers, streams, fishing and beautiful mountains, and in more recent years, its casino.  It’s also home of the Museum of the Cherokee People, formerly known as The Museum of the Cherokee Indian until a recent rebranding to align more authentically with the Cherokee, as people.  […]

Free Things To Do in the Smokies for the Budget-Minded Traveler – Part 1

hiker on the Appalachian Trail at Graveyard Fields.

Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and Sylva Edition This is part one of a five part series that will help stretch those vacation dollars a little further by exploring free things to do in the Smokies of North Carolina. Going on vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are our top picks for exploring the NC […]

Heads Up: New Parking Fee at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

woman staring at the smokies with the words park it forward.

A new “Park It Forward”  program has been implemented for visitors wishing to park within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). As of March 1, 2023, parking tags are being sold for $5 per day, $15 per week, or $40 per year per car. Passes are for sale online at Recreation.gov or Smokiesinformation.org for […]

Big Music Fun in a Little Bitty Town

John C Campbell Folk School in the nc smoky mountains

The tiny village of Brasstown and town of Hayesville near the Georgia border are a hotbed of traditional mountain music in the Smokies.  John C. Campbell Folk School Friday night concerts are popular with both locals and visitors. Want to learn more about this very American kind of music? Learn to play an instrument, dance, or explore […]

Be Amazed by This 43-mile National Scenic Byway

Cherohala skyway in the nc smoky mountains

The Cherohala Skyway is a 43-mile National Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway that connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina in the southeastern United States. Deep in the wilds of western North Carolina, and about 11 miles west of Robbinsville, can be found Snowbird Mountain Lodge. A place where time stands still, […]