Tennessee - Trunkations

Tree House Rock: Face of the Creator

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

“If you don’t believe in the devil,” said Horace Burgess, “you can look at that rock right there and tell that he’s much alive.” Horace is the builder of the Minister’s Tree House — largest in the world — and the rock that he mentioned hangs in the choir loft of the tree house chapel. [...]

Blink Blink…Blink Blink…

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

It happens every June, supposedly. In an abandoned hamlet named Elkmont, now a part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, countless fireflies blink in unison after dark. Accounts of the inexplicably in-sync insects — pulses of six seconds of darkness followed by three seconds of rapid simultaneous winking — were pooh-poohed by scientists until the [...]

Titanic: Unsinkable in Pigeon Forge?

Friday, April 9th, 2010

The attraction vortices of Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, have their cultural critics. But without them — landlocked meccas of God, Elvis, the flag, and toilet seat guitars — America would be without what are now its two largest Titanic museums, housed in lookalike giant replicas of one-half of the doomed luxury ocean liner. [...]

2010: A Year To Remember

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

With the new year comes the promise of new wonders, yet unborn, that will dazzle our eyeballs into the distracted-driver danger zone. Here’s a brief look at some of the anticipated highlights for 2010 — and remember that every year also brings dozens of unexpected new attractions.

Christ, Born Again in Gatlinburg

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Early 2008 was bad for Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Long-time attraction Christus Gardens closed. The property was sold to a condo developer. Everything in the attraction — the murals, the wax dummies, the famous marble face of Jesus with-the-eyes-that-followed-you, even the name “Christus Gardens” — had been sold to an outside Christian group. Rumors had them moving [...]