Sevier County Traffic Woes Not So Bad...

Having just survived the peak tourist month of July, locals are all just a little tired of the traffic jams that plague our Sevier county area. While we have back roads that at least provide options, there are some periods of time that we all become frustrated with the seemingly endless lines of cars coming and going throughout the Gatlinburg area. You can see from the graph below just how traffic (as measured by vehicles on Tennessee State Highway 66 locally known as Winfield Dunn Parkway) has grown:
This however is the wrong way to look at it. Despite the bumper stickers that ask "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?" or the one that simply states "We aren't ALL on vacation!", almost all of the financial opportunities that the Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee offer are based on these same visitors. In fact, if it weren't for guests to our area, the home that I live in, the vehicles that we drive, and all of the other material blessings that we have been given would not be possible. This is the way that I prefer to view traffic here:
In fact, my type A personality has for many years dealt with the traffic jams that can occur here by simply picturing a dollar sign over each and every car moving slowly ahead of me on the highway. All of these automobiles carry people who will eat in our local restaurants, most will sleep in one of our area's lodging options, and occasionally they purchase real estate! Well over 10 million people visit our community annually, and some sources indicate that the total is much higher creating opportunity for all of us who have the good fortune of living here or owning property in the area. God bless each and every one of you visitors - Regardless of what you may hear from a frustrated local, we need you to come back, and often! As the Beverly Hillbillies show used to say "Y'all come back now, ya hear??".

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