Last Friday I went to the GSM Sustainable Tourism Townhall which the DT covered here Link...

State Route 321 will be protected from the Loudon County line to the Park

Dr. Van West, Director, Center for Historic Preservation, MTSU did a wonderful job of defining what things can be. From a new cenus of Blount County Century Farms to using those items in our local history that might not be of um, great delight to all.

Below, in five separate posts you will find questions that were presented at the Townhall. Since you most likely could not be there, now is your chance to answer each and every one of these. Please, take the time to answer these and perhaps we can get word to Nashville about what the rest of us want. After all, there were very few people in that meeting who were not wearing suits.

In preparation for the summit, five town hall forums are being held in the region to discuss tourism issues impacting the Smokies and its gateway communities

Link...

Tomorrow morning at the library from 10:00 until noon we have a unique opportunity to voice our concerns and listen and learn what it means to be a gateway community.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has long been a great resource to those who understand that in order for tourist to get to the Smokies they must pass through our communities and what they see in route is just as important was what they see when they get to the Park.

It's only anecdotal evidence, but Blount County seems to be benefiting from biker tourism.

We were over at the new Ruby Tuesday on Alcoa Highway this past Friday evening. We were sitting at the bar with three couples who had flown in from California (Monterey area) to go ride in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the "Dragon" on US129.

They seemed like really nice folks. We chatted a bit with one guy, and he said they flew in, were staying at a local motel (they walked to Ruby Tuesday), and were renting motorcycles locally.

I mentioned that I hoped they were renting bikes with stock pipes and mufflers. He said he hoped so too (he rides a BMW, which is probably quieter than my car). He noted that Harleys were the only kind of motorcycles they could rent locally, and he was a little surprised by that.

Maybe there's a business opportunity there for Honda and/or other dealers?

I told them about the stepped up enforcement, and suggested they should be careful because there are lots of crazies up there.

Anyway, they seemed like responsible folks who should be welcomed, along with their tourist dollars. It would be good if we could attract more bikers like these. Maybe the local bike shops could help promote more of that and less of this.

Apparently there's no such thing as too much.

And I thought this was bad. Let's hope Blount County is never quite this "successful".