I make no secret of my love of small towns. A well-maintained row of storefronts that looks like it probably did several decades ago totally rings my chimes. The folks are friendly, and the food at all the local joints is always a grand slam home run, fully equipped with those wonderful “intangible” ingredients you find in a cookbook.
I’ve visited my fair share in every Kentucky border state through which I’ve traveled, and that most certainly includes Tennessee. In fact, I’d say the Volunteer State pretty expertly capitalizes on small town vibes. And two of their biggest tourism destinations are Pigeon Forge–population 6,342–and Gatlinburg–population 3,750.
Those tourist magnets, however, are not what you’d call “secrets.” The town of Rogersville DOES self-proclaim as Tennessee’s best kept secret, and I wanted to know why. As you’ll learn, three PRESIDENTS learned the secret:…