THE COMEDY BARN THEATER - A PIGEON FORGE ICON

     What is an icon? Simply put, an icon is something of quality that has been around for a long time. It's value has stood the test of time. In the comedy field it is very unique to have something become an icon, but that is what the Comedy Barn Theater has done delivering good clean comedy to the millions of people who have visited the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee for over 20 years.

     The big red and yellow barn on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge houses the cast of characters who perform at the Comedy Barn, and the barn itself has also become an iconic structure. It has been in the same location and looked the same since David Fee and Jim Hedrick expanded the building after great success in their first year in 1995.

     But it's the laughter that has kept the Comedy Barn Theater rocking for over 20 years. The laughter that the Comedy Barn performers draw out of audiences night after night, show after show. Of course you go into the show expecting to be entertained and to laugh. But the lengths that the performers go  to to get you to laugh is amazing. They tell jokes and sing and dance - of course you expect that. But you don't expect audience members to be on stage singing, dancing, telling jokes, becoming human xylophones and entertaining. But it happens.

     Nor do you expect to see the high level of animal performances that will not only make you laugh out loud, but will amaze you with their abilities to leap, ride and almost fly across the stage. The laughter makes the Barn and it keeps people coming back year after year.

     The Comedy Barn Theater is one of many live entertainment venues available during your Smoky Mountain vacation. You can see hillbillies fighting it out at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud, and you can see sophisticated musical song-and-dance ranging from Broadway to Thriller, all at the Smoky Mountain Opry. Also at the Opry Darren Romeo will amaze you with live feats of magic and grand-scale illusions at his Magic and Beyond show.

     So come over for a laugh, enjoy a great meal, watch hillbillies entertain and be amazed by magic, all during your Smoky Mountain vacation to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or Sevierville, Tennessee. Get coupons and information for your trip at www.bestreadguidesmokymountains.com/.

THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OFFERS QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT, TOP NOTCH ACCOMMODATIONS AND GREAT EATS

A Smoky Mountain vacation covers all of the bases for a fun, memorable and exciting vacation. You have a wide variety of accommodations from hotels and motels to chalets, condos and mountaintop cabins. Entertainment value is top notch with long-standing productions like Country Tonite, Comedy Barn and Dixie Stampede, to newer productions like Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud and the Soul of Motown. And don't worry about eating as your choices are as varied as the amount of wildflowers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Traditional barbecue, Italian, Chinese, Hamburgers or grade-a prime steak, you can get it all in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.

Putting things together to do is part of the fun of planning a trip to the Smokies. So if you start with a place to stay and you choose to stay in Gatlinburg, the Crossroads Inn & Suites is a hotel that offers a place where the mountains and comfort meet. Crossroads is on the Parkway and they offer updated rooms with King, Queen and Suite options. Other options include in-room Jacuzzi tubs and gas fireplaces, an exercise room, a pool, a free hot breakfast and beautiful mountain views.

One evening plan a trip down the mountain to Pigeon Forge where you can enjoy an evening of great food and entertainment. One of the great Italian restaurants in the area is Johnny Carino's located on the Parkway in the heart of Pigeon Forge. They offer traditional Italian food like Veal and Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs and 16-Layer Lasagna. There are signature pastas, on-going specialties, pizza, calzones and salads, all accompanied by a great wine list of Italian and California options.

Pigeon Forge has a wide selection of entertainment options and one of the fan-favorites is the Soul of Motown show at the Grand Majestic Theater. This production features a live band and singers who rock-out the great hits of Motown. You get music from older groups like the Drifters and the Platters, modern Motown sounds from the O'Jays and Earth, Wind and Fire, and the Motown legends including The Temptations, Four Tops, Jackson 5 and Smoky Robinson. You will be singing along and dancing in the aisles at this feel good live show.

There are many packaging options for accommodations, entertainment and dining in the Smokies and you can check out options at www.bestreadguidesmokymountains.com/. The Best Read Guide site can provide information, maps and coupons on attractions, shows, dining, shopping and lodging. Enjoy your vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee!

HIT THE ROAD TO THE SMOKIES AND REFUEL AT LOGAN'S ROADHOUSE

     The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee offer so many fun and exciting options to couples, families and groups going on vacation, and if you can schedule a trip before or after the summer or fall season, you can take advantage all of the options that the mountains present, the attractions and the shopping and dining with smaller crowds and less traffic.

     Dolly Parton kicks off the Dollywood season with the 31st Annual Dolly's Homecoming Parade that goes up the Pigeon Forge Parkway the first Friday in May. Yes, Dolly is the Grand Marshall and her smile, good nature and welcoming spirit make you glad that you are standing on the side of the road in Pigeon Forge. Her parade is a grand event with marching bands, floats, appearances by area theater entertainers, Shriners, equestrian clubs and more. Speaking of Shriner's, they have their own FunFest Parade Saturday morning on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. You can also drive over to the Smoky Mountain Antique Toy & Pedal Car Show at Country Cascades, or join in the Annual Yellow Mustang Registry Cruise In at the Diner in Sevierville.

     There is always good shopping at either the malls, like Tanger Outlet, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community outside of Gatlinburg, or the hundreds of unique shops throughout the Smoky Mountain cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Kodak. The same goes for dining, with hundreds of options for restaurants and types of food.

     For example, Logan's Roadhouse offers down-to-earth food like burgers and ribs, plus your choice of beers, ales, wines and cocktails. There is always something new cooking at Logan's along with their signature steaks, American food options,seafood, salads and desserts.

     So do you need any more reasons to visit the Smokies? Book your trip now and for additional information, maps and coupons click on www.bestreadguidesmokymountains.com/ and let the Best Read Guide magazine help you plan your Smoky Mountain adventure.

RELAX IN THE HEART OF PIGEON FORGE AT NORMA DAN MOTEL

Late Spring is a great time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Spring break is over and the summer season has yet to kick-in, so life is a little less hectic in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville, and visiting the Smokies is a more relaxing time.



There are always things to do in the Smokies due to the dozens of fun attractions and rides that offer mini-golf, go-carting, ziplining, horseback riding and the newest craze, the Alpine Coaster. And shopping is always great with Tanger Outlet, Old Time Pottery, Smoky Mountain Knifeworks, The Island, The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community and the hundreds of unique shops that line the miles of Parkway that bring visitors to the area from I-40.

The Great Smoky Mountains are always open and available for hiking, picnicking, camping, horseback riding or just sitting on a deck admiring the beauty of this primeval forest. And a good place to stay while you visit the Smokies is Norma Dan Motel located in the heart of Pigeon Forge.

Norma Dan is family owned and operated and offers private balconies, fireplaces, whirlpool baths and an indoor and outdoor pool. They are close to Dixie Stampede and restaurants like Shoney's, and are conveniently situated on the Trolley Route for Pigeon Forge.

THERE'S FIGHTIN' AND FEUDIN' IN PIGEON FORGE AND IT'S ALL IN GOOD FUN!

When you are spending a few vacation days in the Great Smoky Mountains be sure and include an evening at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud. If this sounds like a big heap of redneck fun and good, down home cookin', you are right.


The Hatfields drove their jalopies into Pigeon Forge a few years ago looking for a place to settle down, play some music, do some dancing and take a taste from a ceramic jar now and again. They found their way to Music Road where they were promptly signed to entertain in the former Black Bear Jamboree Theater. Little did they know that their biggest rivals and sworn enemies, the McCoys, were also making the journey through Gatlinburg and down the Parkway. The McCoys, being hill people, were amazed and awed by the Titanic ship that had come to ground at the Parkway's edge, so they sat in the field next door and picked, sang and danced and generally enjoyed themselves.

Now the same fellers who signed-up the Hatfields heard the McCoys and signed them up to entertain at the theater also. Now he didn't know about the feud but he found out rather quickly when the guns came out and everybody started shooting! After the gun smoke cleared and not one person had been injured, the quick-thinkin' feller declared, "You folks are going to be the area's newest theater attraction. I'll call it the "Feudin' Feast", no, the "Shootin' Supper", no, but he eventually got the name right, the "Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud!"

Of course he replaced their guns with props and blanks and every day since that day of discovery, the Hatfields and McCoys have been play feudin' on the stage of the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud Theater. Of course Granny has to feed everyone that comes to the show and guests are treated to fried chicken and pork bar-b-que, a mess of fixins and Granny's specialty dessert. Folks are eatin' it up - the show I mean.

So plan a night for some good old down home fun and food at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud Theater on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

SPRING ROD RUN DRIVES INTO PIGEON FORGE

You know its spring in the Smokies when you can hear the blast of dual pipes from a beautifully restored muscle car making its way gracefully down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, TN. The Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run brings in the finest examples of four-wheeled artistry and dedication with hundreds of highly-polished American cars and trucks on display along the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.

The Spring Rod Run also ushers in another season of fun in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee where you can enjoy indoor attractions and top quality shows like the Impossibilities Show in Gatlinburg, Country Tonite and Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge. And there are many more great live entertainment theaters in the Smokies.

If you are looking for outdoor activities, the Smokies have an abundance of traditional fun and eco-tourism and extreme outdoor attractions. There is ziplining, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, rope courses, ATV trail rides, tubing, hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and zooming down the mountain on an Alpine Coaster. And of course there are go-kart tracks, miniature golf courses, petting zoos, and the newest attractions in the area, trampoline parks!

Spring in the Smokies is also a good time to explore the Spirits Trail that will lead you to moonshine distillers, home made wine makers, cider brewers and whiskey distillers. The Smokies are home to the original, illegal moonshine makers, but now that it is legal Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Kodak are now popular areas to see how the distilling process is done and to get a free 'taste' and take home a few jugs and moonshine and wine souvenirs.

Accommodations are varied and plentiful in the Smokies but making reservations is recommended. In Gatlinburg one of the hotels that has been providing convenient, clean rooms and a great experience is the Best Western Twin Islands, right on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. There are plenty of dining opportunities near by like Blaine's Bar & Grill, a long-standing Gatlinburg dining tradition.

So drive into the Smokies for great springtime fun and adventures and get your road map for coupons and information at  www.bestreadguidesmokymountains.com/.

WORLD'S GREATEST HAMBURGERS AT HOME IN THE SMOKIES

Burgers are America's great go-to food and Fuddrucker's in Sevierville is the go-to place in the Smokies to get your burger fix. Their slogan is "The World's Greatest Hamburgers" and they seek to make the world happy, one hamburger at a time. Hamburger obsession? Maybe so and that means that every time you go to Fuddrucker's you are guaranteed a great hamburger.

Great hamburgers start with quality meat. Fresh, never frozen, 100% USDA All-American premium cut beef. They offer 1/2, 1/3 and 2/3 pound burgers grilled just the way you want it. Great hamburgers can't go on ordinary buns so Fuddrucker's bake their sesame seed bun from scratch every day in their own bakery to get that crisp outside, melt-in-your-mouth, fresh-from-the-oven taste that compliments your grilled burger.

Then you top off this great burger at the Build Your Own fresh produce bar with a variety of fixin's and toppings to suit your taste. And nothing compliments a great burger than your favorite drink or a hand-blended, rich and creamy shake. And for dessert try some other great American goodies like home-baked cookies, brownies or pastries from their bakery. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, White Macadamia Nut, Sugar Cookies and more.

Stop in at Fuddrucker's on your way to see Loretta Lynn in Concert at Country Tonite Theatre, The Tennessee Smokies Baseball home opener, or the Smoky Mountain Winefest. Or just stop in if you are refueling between activities like Go-Karting, Ziplining or hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can win a gift certificate to Fuddrucker's in Sevierville if you go to www.facebook.com/SmokyMountainsLodgingGuide/ the Smoky Mountain Lodging Facebook page at . There you can "Like" the Fuddrucker's Contest Photo and Share and Comment on the picture or contest.

To help you plan your trip to the Tennessee Smokies, go to www.smokymountainslodgingguide.com/ to check out the deals for area accommodations in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.