Hi y’all, we will be passing through Tennessee during the first week of October. One of my bucket list items is to see the Great Smokey Mountains. I’ve been looking on Airbnb and I’m overwhelmed.

We’re looking for a spot with mountain views and a porch for sitting.

We don’t want to stay in or near big touristy towns, we like smaller quaint towns that are not overrun with tourists.

We do want a town big enough to have some good restaurants/bars, or at least within under 30 minutes driving from our Airbnb.

We want scenery, but alas, I’m going through cancer treatments (hence the bucket list 😉)that make hiking out of the question, 🫤 so we’ll have to see it from the car or a good restaurant patio.

Any advice y’all can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

(Also, as I proofed this, man I sound picky! 😂)

So I've been looking at numbers from the Governor primaries this fall and saw something fairly interesting. I noticed that while Marsha won the republican primary 55% of republican voters voted against her.

I was born and raised in Tennessee and almost everyone I know on both sides of the aisle cannot stand Marsha. I know multiple 2024 Trump voters who are crossing party lines to vote for Green in November. One of which is my boyfriend's lifelong ultra conservative maga mother ( my jaw nearly hit the floor when she told me she was voting Green in November).

I know the general consensus is that a Democrat could never win against an established Republican in TN but before Bill Haslam democrats and republicans basically traded off holding the Governor's office every election. But I'm thinking - and give me grace for holding onto hope lol- that if enough republicans either abstain from voting and/or cross party lines and democrats actually turn out to vote theres a real chance Green could win. Only 33.7% of registered voters are registered as Republicans and only 43.8% of that percentage voted for her in the primary. So out of all of the voters that voted in the primaries... less than 30% voted for Marsha. Obviously Lauren Pinkston could grab the vote with the 48% of non affiliated/independent registered voters but wouldn't be mad about that either.

Would also like to note that this is one of those rare elections that actually works by popular vote and is not subject to the insane gerrymandered districts to decide who will win. So if you do want to vote against Blackburn but think your vote doesn't count.. well that's what TN GOP wants you to believe so get out and make your voices heard (and if you aren't registed make sure to do so 30 days before the election).

Again I know historically the chances don't seem to be in our favor but numbers don't lie and show the GOP has essentially brainwashed us into thinking democratic/independent votes don't matter. If voters turn out this election they will be more powerful than the republican vote. If Beshear can win Kentucky, Green or Pinkston can win Tennessee.

Education levels among the candidates alone should be a no brainer (Blackburn- Bachelor's in home economics from MS State; Green- JD from Georgetown Law School; Pinkston-PhD from Clemson) but then again conservatives typically want you to believe being educated is a bad thing. Anyways just ranting at this point.. pls vote!

-Cautiously optimistic

Being a TN native, I had the opportunity of meeting a man who went school with Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean.
I’d love to share a photo of her in High School in Sevierville,TN.
God blessed us a gracious, loving, caring, kind, friendly soul hearted soul/ woman warrior. Rest in power Dolly.

This is my heavenly place on earth.

Since everyone is sharing Dolly stories, I’ll share mine.

My class was promised $500 from Dolly if we graduated high school. We had an awards ceremony at Dollywood to celebrate.

After the dinner, we took turns receiving our check from Dolly and getting our pictures made.

As you can see in the pic, I wear glasses. The photographer asked me to tilt my chin up. I knew it was to avoid lens flare, but Dolly must have thought it hurt my feelings. She started complimenting me on my “beautiful chin.” It was a little surreal. Here I was, totally starstruck, listening to Dolly wax on about my chin.

There you have it. That’s my favorite memory of Dolly.

I hear it’s got Louisiana Bayou-like conditions and you barely have to leave Missouri for it. What’d you guys think of it?

Hello there. Im a chilean citizen, and I may move temporary to the US due to my brother cancer, and I dont know much from the State. We would do this cause the hospital we are being recommended to is there, and am not quite sure about how the society of Tennessee works. Are there any social non writed rule? What should I learn before going there? Should I have anything in consideration before?

I would thank any kind of guidance, and am sorry if this isn't the space for asking, I dont know anyone there to ask.

For Dolly. 🦋

Last night I went to Gay St. to photograph the Henley Street Bridge in Downtown Knoxville lit up in memory of Dolly Parton. Sadly, we missed the spectacularly pink clouds by about 15 minutes, but there was still enough color in the sky for this one, which funnily enough, was the first photo I took when I set up my tripod and was testing my exposures. A happy accident.

Keep healing Tennessee. It’s what she would want.

The partial lunar eclipse is starting

If it’s clear where you are go check it out

It will be a few hours before it’s at its peak