Make Sunny Side your next road trip: a drive through Smoky Mountain backroads and lush Appalachian countryside, through small towns brimming with history and attractions bursting with adventure. Maybe you find your thrills at amusement parks, or maybe it’s the thrill of a shopping hunt that gives you a charge. And if you love exploring the unique, one-of-a-kind places and roadside attractions that make up the fabric of Tennessee, you’ll love finding gems like the childhood home of Dolly Parton or an authentic drive-in movie theater. It’s all here – all you need is a full tank of gas.
Sunny Side explores Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg like you’ve never seen them, highlighting artists committed to preserving the region’s arts and crafts, as well as showcasing master carpenters and brick masons from our past. You’ll also learn how these crafts helped sustain the area’s economy and shaped its culture dating back to the early 1900s. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to observe, appreciate and even take home a piece of this Appalachian craft heritage that draws visitors to East Tennessee each year.
Trace Tennessee’s roots all the way back to its first town, Jonesborough, where the tradition of storytelling is celebrated and preserved. And tucked away in the corner of the state is Bristol, the birthplace of country music. Learn how the banjos and ballads of the backwoods made their way from the front porch to center stage.
To connect with a piece of East Tennessee’s unspoiled natural beauty, don’t miss five state parks, a national forest and the country’s most visited national park: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along your route. Just as the frontier towns are inviting and charming, getting off the beaten path – sometimes way off – gives you an experience that is pure Tennessee.
Sunny Side shows you the best of what Northeast Tennessee has to offer, from the attractions you’ve heard about for years to the restaurants you can’t believe you’ve found. Visit our historic churches, our cemeteries, our town halls and our main streets. Whether you’re looking for antiques, adventure or just a trip you’ll be talking about for years to come, you’ll find it when you keep on the Sunny Side.
To start planning your road trip, click here.
