Til We Meet Again: Pigeon Forge Whiskey Trail

A half dozen rural communities have seen a remarkable INCREASE in population & I know why having recently visited Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Besides the fresh Smoky Mtn air, a neighborly citizenry & fun resort atmosphere, it’s home to WHISKEY DISTILLERIES galore.

I’m still nursing my pints of Old Forge Bourbon & Old Forge Moonshine. The breweries are on every other block in Pigeon Forge & nearby Gatlinburg, where if discreet you can toast your main squeeze as you ride the lift up Davey Crockett Mtn. As it happens, the WSJ focuses a lot on this area in its “They Came, They Hiked, They Stayed: Retirees Lift Fortunes in Rural America … Adventurous baby boomers are bringing retirement savings & an economic boost to select U.S. counties, many trading city life for the great outdoors.” Besides the Pigeon Forge area, the WSJ’s census map shows a growing Branson, Mo/Ozarks; Michigan’s east coast/Upper Peninsula; Northwest coastal communities; some inland Texas lakes; and Canadian border towns where energy jobs now abound.

“Things just move at a different pace here,” said a Mr. Hansen. No kidding. The WSJ doesn’t say if he was holding a pint while talking & hiking along the Middle Prong Trail in the Great Smokey Mtns National Park. Whatever. He continued: “When you’re in the line at the grocery store, the people have actual conversations with the cashier, and you just learn to slow down and not try to rush.” True. I’m still drinking to that. And, hope one day to return to this little heaven on earth.

Davd Soul