Muscle Car Museum

If you love the old American muscle cars it's worth taking a run to Sevierville just down the road from Pigeon Forge to visit Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum, one of the largest and best collections in the world of American cars from the golden era of muscle cars. 

For a few years spanning the 50's, 60's and early 70's a unique thing happened in America, when the love of styling teamed up with the pursuit of horsepower to create some of the most beautiful, outrageous and downright FAST race machines ever built. 

Floyd Garrett had a dream to collect them all and in his museum he houses over 90 of the greatest legends to come out of Detroit, every one of them gleaming like new.  It's a step back in time to revisit a bygone age. 

Even non-fanatics will catch their breath at the spectacular array of the cars, seeing design lines dreamed up by artists who were on a roll, beautiful automotive pain jobs, and lots of shining metal.  And for gear heads, it's pure heaven to find some of the rarest muscle cars ever collected in one place. 

Floyd Garrett is usually on hand to answer people's questions, and there seems to be nothing he doesn't know about muscle cars.  Beyond the amazing displays of cars and period setting artifacts, the museum has memorabilia and gift items in abundance.  The price of admission is low and you are encouraged to bring your camera!

Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum is open 7 days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Click here for more information. 

Don't forget!

Don't forget to check Groupon and Living Social for deals on things like rafting, attractions and Old Time Photos (how fun)!

Also, the Best Read Guide Smoky Mountains is another great source for things to do in the area and has a great app you can download for deals, coupons and maps!

Firefox Mountain Adventure Park

Looking for a way to truly experience the Great Smoky Mountains? Remove yourself from the neon lights of the Pigeon Forge Parkway and immerse yourself in the mountains in a totally new way - at Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park. 

Just getting to this mountain massive retreat is part of the adventure.  Located off Highway 40 at 3757 Thomas Lane in Sevierville, this wilderness wonderland is tucked away in the hills and the ride to the park offers a scenic drive.  You'll pass breathtaking mountainside scenery, rustic Tennessee farmland and even some luxurious vacation homes.  Take your time and enjoy the ride.

When you arrive, you'll be pleasantly surprised.  The adventure park spams more than 150 woodland acres in the regions' foothills and gives visiting families more than a dozen opportunities to experience the magic of the mountains in a hands-on, adrenaline-focused environment. 

Here are 10 things you can do at Foxfire Mountain Adventures 

1. Hover above the mountains on the second-highest zip line in the United States.

What's 170 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty and 70 feet higher than the Gatlinburg Space Needle's highest observation deck?  The Goliath, the newest Smoky Mountain zip line experience at Foxfire Mountain.  this new course opened this summer and is ready to welcome the bravest riders. 

2.  Navigate the rapids.  

Make a Smoky Mountain splash on the racing rapids of the Upper Pigeon River.  Your Foxfire Mountain guide can lead your party through Class III and Class IV rapids on a two-hour rafting adventure.  Want to really make your heart pump? Combine your rafting adventure with a ropes course package!

3.  Make friends with The Gorilla.

You'll see a massive wooden structure looming over the welcome area at Foxfire Mountain.  Don't worry, that's just the Gorilla - the park's 60-foot rock climbing platform - the highest wall in all of Tennessee!  Lock in and see if you can make it to the top!

4.  Tackle the terrain in a Bear Crawler.

Want to see rugged terrain that normally can't be tamed? Strap in to a Bear Crawler, a unique 8-wheeled ATV that will take you over the river and through the woods to see the Smokies up close and personal.  A specially-licensed Foxfire Mountain guide will drive the vehicle, all you have to do is sit back, relax and take a few photos! Helmets are required and you will get dirty - this carriage ride isn't for the faint of heart!

5.  Sample farm-fresh ice cream and tasty Tennessee BBQ.

You'll certainly work up an appetite while enjoying the adventures at Foxfire Mountain, and the on-site barbecue shack and ice cream stand won't disappoint.  Taste slow-roasted Tennessee BBQ served with great country sides like slaw and corn on the cob and top it off with homemade ice cream - the flavors change daily and all the sweet stuff is made on site!

6.  Experience an aerial ropes course.

Swing among the trees on Foxfire Mountain's aerial ropes course.  This little village, located just across the Bridge to Prosperity is ideal for every member of the family! Climb ladders, swing over bridges and have fun monkeying around!

7.  See the scenes from above by taking a zip line adventure. 

No matter your skill level or fitness level, you'll love racing through the canopy of Foxfire Mountain's first claim to fame - their treetop zip lines! You'll find several different courses to travel at the park, ranging from the simple Beginners' Course to the more advanced Scorpion Lines and Scenic Canopy tours.


8.  Take a trip back in time by exploring local history. 

Travel across the 330-foot Bridge to Prosperity, which was built to support a number of local and international charities, including the Boys and Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains, Bridges to Prosperity and Americans Helping Americans. 

9.  Make a wish.

What's your heart's deepest desire? You might be able to make it come true in exchange for a charitable donation! In exchange for your donation, you'll get a colorful slip of paper to write down a wish.  Hang it in a covered bridge on the other side of the Bridge to Prosperity and leave the rest to mountain magic.  See other wishes and pose for a photo in the sacred space.

10.  Take a trek through the wild woodlands. 

You'll find miles of hiking trails for your wanderlust heart to wander on the grounds at Foxfire Mountain Adventure Park.  From easy paved paths to rugged rustic pathways, you'll see amazing scenery and make lifelong memories on the park's breath-taking grounds.


Check out the video of Foxfire Mountain Adventures I posted on the Garage Mahal Facebook page on July 30th. (Give us a like while you're there!)

Click here for more information.

5 Things To Do At Dollywood You Can't Miss!

Dollywood is a fantastic place for families, couples, and friends.  There is so much to do - you might want to visit multiple days!  (Tip: if you arrive after 3pm, the next day is free!) Because it's such an immersive park, with plenty of things to do, we want to make sure you have a chance to visit these five places you can't miss when you go.

1.  Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) Hall of Fame and Museum

Located just inside the entrance near the stroller/rider height check area in Showstreet(#14 on your park map), the SGMA has a museum dedicated to the achievements and memories of pioneers in the gospel music genre.  Inside the museum, you'll find handwritten songs, a recreation of a church choir room, a replica of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet bus, clothing and instruments, songbooks and records, and more memorabilia.  There is also a wall dedicated to the Hall of Famers.  Every year a new set of music greats gets inducted. You can easily spend a couple of hours looking around at everything.  Before you leave, check out the store onsite.  They sell CDs and old vinyl records.

2. Chasing Rainbows Museum

This museum is dedicated to the life and history of Dolly Parton.  If you've ever wanted to see a Grammy up close and personal, or one of her many bedazzled gowns, you should check this out.  As you enter, you'll get an introduction from Dolly herself, right from her recreated home attic space.  You'll view collections, read stories, see some of her handwritten lyrics, and view an enormous selection of memorabilia.  There is also an area of the first floor that has listening stations where you can hear Dolly's music.  Make sure you allot enough time to get the most out of the museum, as it does close an hour before the park closes.  It's located in the Adventures in Imagination area, at #135 on your park map.

3.  Tennessee Country Home

This small two-room cabin is situated in the Rivertown Junction area of Dollywood (#91 on your park map).  It's a replica of Dolly Parton's childhood home (the original is in Locust Ridge). You'll see how very little she had as a child, including missing out on things we take for granted today, like running water and electricity.  Still, she had what matters most - love.  It's amazing to think that Dolly, her parents, and her 10 brothers and sisters called this little cabin home.  The cabin itself was built by Dolly's brother, and her mother reproduced the interior.  Inside the cabin are original family items. 

4. Eagle Mountain Sanctuary

You might miss Eagle Mountain (#54) as it blends into the rest of the backdrop of the park, nestled in the Smoky Mountains.  Make sure you stop and check it out because it is home to the country's largest exhibit of non-releasable bald eagles.  There are five different enclosures.  The are five different enclosures.  The largest is home to birds without mates that have physical disabilities.  If the birds decide to mate (they mate for life) then they get their own private enclosure.  Three different enclosures house the matedpairs, along with a few that are off-site at an American Eagle Foundation facility.  The last enclosure is home to bald eagles that can't fly at all, such as those that have amputated wings. If you want to get up-close-and-personal with a bald eagle, then you should grab a front-row seat at the Wings of America Birds of Prey show.  It's held daily from mid-March through lat October in Craftsman's Valley.

5.  Dollywood Express

Running every hour, plan on arriiving at The Village at the half-hour to get a seat on the train that will take you on a 20-minute excursion around the park.  The Dollywood Express (#101 on your park map) is an experience in America's history, besides getting unique vantage points of all of the Dollywood atractions.  It's a real coal-fired steam engine (burning two tons of coal daily) that had a long life before it came to Dollywood and is Dollywood's oldest attraction for that very reason.  The train originally was built for the US Army Transportation Corps by Baldwin in 1938 and is the older of the two trains at Dollywood.  The name you might hear on your ride, "2-8-2" or "Mikado," comes from the wheel arrangements of two leading wheels, eight driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. It was the first 2-8-2 owned by White Pass in the Yukon, Alaska, where it was stationed during World War II.  It was retired in 1963 and then bought by Silver Dollar City before it became Dollywood.  Dubbed "Cinderella" from the cinders that fly past.

Click here for more information

Oktoberfest At Ober Gatlinburg

Ober Gatlinburg is celebrating October with a fantastic festival featuring Bavarian-style food, drink and music, but you don’t have to don your finest lederhosen or dirndls to be a part of the fun!

Oktoberfest returns to its Gatlinburg-style roots with merrymaking from September 22nd through October 29th as the resort commemorates the 207th anniversary of the popular festival held in Munich, Germany.

The Bavarian Fun Makers Band, in authentic costumes, will perform traditional Bavarian folk dances, schuhplattling, oompah music, sing-a-longs, yodels and more with daily shows and multiple performances every day during Oktoberfest.  Special Oktoberfest Dinners will be served along with traditional German wurst, schnitzel, sauerkraut, strudel, pretzels and more.

Click here for more information.

The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower Closure

The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will be closed starting Wednesday, August 23.

*Note* The actual tower is closed, but you can still hike up to it (it's a 1/2 mile from the parking lot, it's paved, but pretty steep), and if you are looking for sunset views, the parking lot is perfect! 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the tower will be closed through the remainder of the 2017 season.  Crews will complete rehabilitation work thanks to funding received from a Partners in Preservation grant. 

The $250,000 grant was awarded to the Friends of the Smokies last summer.  The grant was given on behalf of the park after being on the the top nine, most voted for parks in the Partners in Preservation: National Parks Campaign in 2016.

The tower, which straddles the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, is a landmark and destination as the highest point in the park.  

Crews will repair the worst deteriorated areas on the concrete columns and walls, stabilize support walls at the base of the ramp, and repoint some stone masonry. 

Visitors will not be able to climb the tower for views out over the surrounding tree tops.  However, the Clingmans Dome parking overlook will be open.

According to the park, the visitor contact station and store, the trail to the tower, and all access to the trailheads in the vicinity will remain open.  Visitors should expect some construction traffic in the vicinity of the contact station and along the trail. 

Hollywood Star Cars Museum

The Hollywood Star Cars Museum, which is located in downtown Gatlinburg next to the Convention Center, originally opened in 1996 and has been a tourist favorite ever since.  The amazing collection has over 40 famous vehicles including General Lee, Mike Tyson's Lamborghini Diablo, and the original Batmobile.  If you are a movie buff or a car enthusiast, you will think you have died and gone to heaven!  The amazing two-story museum takes approximately one hour to tour and includes the following four-wheeled movie personalities: 

     The Original ELEANOR 1967 Mustang Shelby GT 500 from
     Gone in 60 Seconds
     General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard
     Batman Returns Batmobile
     Herbie "The Love Bug" 1967 Volkswagen Beetle
     Dolly Parton's 1997 Cadillac D'Elegance
     Sir Paul McCartney's 2006 Cadillac CTS
     Back to the Future Delorean

Click here for more information. 

Bush's Beans Visitor Center

Come on down to the Bush's Visitor Center in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, where you can trace the values and events that made Bush's Best what it is today.  And it's all housed in the original A.J. Bush & Company general store, founded in 1897.

The Museum: Bush's Story

Catch Our Show

See the Bush's Theater, featuring a short film which includes a welcome from Jay and Duke, an overview of the Bush family history and a glimpse of the modern methods of processing and canning beans.

Follow the Bean

Take a walk through a giant replica can of Bush's Baked Beans, showing the bean's journey from beginning to end. 

Travel Through Time

View a timeline of Bush Brothers & Company showing how the company changed with the times and reached customers, as well as the local community, throughout the years. 

Bring Your Appetite

Bush's Family Cafe is know for our sweet desserts (and even sweeter people). Come enjoy our homemade dishes and Southern specialties (especially our Pinto Bean Pie).

Need A Souvenir?

Find something for everyone, including cookbooks, cookware and plenty of Jay and Duke memorabilia.

What To Bring On A Hike??

So you're coming to take a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  You've seen the awe-inspiring pictures and even have a trek mapped out.  But what do you bring on your hike?  Here's a good list for you...

Backpack and Footwear

This is the foundation for a good hike.  If you want to be comfortable on your hike, make sure you've got good, comfortable shoes.  A backpack is certainly handy to carry water, snacks and depending on the weather, maybe some rain gear.

Water and Food

For the love of everything that is good in this world, please bring enough water!  Most people could make do with 2 liters of water minimum.  An 8 oz. bottle of water will not be enough.

Food is your fuel.  On a day hike, great hiking food ideas include individual servings of peanut butter, trail mix, granola, hard boiled eggs, candies.  Snacking often is always a good idea.  

Miscellaneous

Hiking poles
Extra socks

Sunglasses and a hat

Sunscreen, bug spray/head net

Rain jacket

Toilet paper/wipes

And remember, you are in the woods, wildlife happens...

Bluff Mountain Adventures!

Ride the Bluff!

Bluff Mountain Adventures offers guided ATV trail rides on 6,000 acres of Smoky Mountain trails that explore the foothills of East Tennessee.  In your one or two hour tour you'll cross streams, climb the mountain, cover some rugged terrain and experience spectacular views!

Click here for more information 

The Best Swimming Holes in the Smokies!

The Best Swimming Holes in the Smokies! 

Gatlinburg is home to some of the most beautiful swimming holes in the Great Smoky Mountains! Here are some of the ones you won't want to miss:

MIDNIGHT HOLE
Spanning approximately 70 feet wide and 10 feet deep, Midnight Hole is an incredibly popular spot for swimming in the Great Smoky Mountain area. The trail to Midnight Hole is as historical as the spot itself running alongside an abandoned railroad grade that was used years ago to haul lumber out of the mountains. Half a mile from Midnight Hole is the spectacular 45 feet high, Mouse Branch Falls. Take some time to visit this waterfall before or after your swimming adventure.

METCALF BOTTOMS
Perfect for relaxing, floating in tubes, playing in the water, and enjoying a day outdoors, Metcalf Bottoms is a fun place to spend the day. This location also has picnic tables and grills and bathroom facilities and is just a short hike from the historical Little Green Briers School and the Walkers Sisters Cabin.

ABRAMS FALLS
This swimming hole is named after Cherokee Chief Abrams whose village stood several miles downstream many, many years ago. A breathtaking pool is located directly at the base of this historical falls. The waterfall itself is only 20 feet high, but the formation and volume of the water flowing over it make a spectacular display and a great backdrop for swimming. Located in Cades Cove, Abrams Falls is a favorite spot for photographers.

GREENBRIER
The swimming holes on the little Pigeon River are another popular tubing spot. These swimming pools are located on the west prong of the Little Pigeon River below the small rapids. These pools have some of the clearest water in the Great Smoky Mountains.

THE TOWNSEND Y
This swimming area is very easily accessible, making it very attractive to tourists. This large pool is located where the Little River and the middle prong of the Little River meet, inside the entrance to the Great Smoky River National Park just after Townsend; it has become a popular sunbathing and swimming location. Picnicking is also popular at this site.

For directions to these swimming holes, click here

Cuzzin Eddie's Toors!

One of Sevier County's newest and most unusual "attractions"!  Board our "customized" 14-passenger short bus where most toors offer an experienced and knowledgeable toor guide (or Aunt Tweedy) and driver who will escort you in style.  

Many trips include prizes, unique activities, souvenirs and snacks! (Bring yer teeth!) "Toors" depart at various points through Sevier County and return to the same location.  Seat space is limited; reservations and clothing are required.  See our "Toors", "More Toors" and "Schedule" page to find out what we've got gong on at the moment...

Click here for more information.