John Gullion

1 week ago | thesmokies.com | John Gullion

I must admit the first time I visited Cherokee, North Carolina – circa 1991 or so – it didn’t make much of an impression. Of course, I was a sullen teenager who found the drive across the mountain full of more tedium than wonder. The fact that the adults in my party were going to a casino that I couldn’t set foot in didn’t help. I don’t remember many details from that trip, just the overall feeling of boredom or classic teenage ennui.

1 week ago | thesmokies.com | John Gullion

I got the call from the school nurse. John Paul – our middle child – had ingested one of the many, many foods to which he is allergic. Luckily for us, JP’s allergies aren’t anaphylactic. They don’t affect his ability to breathe. If he comes in contact with most of his allergens, he breaks out in a rash or hives. A couple are strong enough to make him throw up but – knock on wood – he’s never had anything that put his life in danger. So, the nurse had a question.

2 weeks ago | thesmokies.com | John Gullion

This is a contest in which – in the end – everyone walks away a winner. Whether you dine at The Peddler, The Greenbrier, The Appalachian or any of the other handful of fine-dining restaurants in the Smokies, you’re walking away with an excellent meal. Everyone wins. But let’s be honest. Most of us vacation on a budget. Surely some of us can afford to dine at each of these places one night after the other while the rest of us can splurge on one expensive meal. Can you dine at these places on a budget?

2 weeks ago | thesmokies.com | John Gullion

What do a Swiss photographer, a Missouri librarian and a Washington bureaucrat all have in common? Peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been named in their honor, of course. And it was frequently in recognition of their support of the creation of the park. But who were these people really? It’s an odd collection of naturalists, adventurers, storytellers, philanthropists and business people for whom the peaks in the Smokies – which already had names by the way – were christened.

2 weeks ago | thesmokies.com | John Gullion

From Big Foot to Feral People, there are plenty of tall tales of strange creatures that live in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding forests. But as they say, the truth can be stranger than fiction. There are several odd, bizarre but real-life creatures that live in the area. They may not have the same cultural footprint as the various fabled ghouls, goblins and haints, but they have the advantage of being real and spectacular.