Gateway to the Smokies

The Podcast That Starts Your Smoky Mountain Adventure

Gateway to the Smokies is a podcast dedicated to memorable experiences in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Western North Carolina, and East Tennessee. This is not a travel tip show, though you will undoubtedly learn some good tips, it instead features personalities, experts, and locals who will expound upon the richness of culture, food, history, and adventure that awaits people who want to explore deeply this ancient mountain habitat where communities have existed for 3000 years.

The podcast is hosted by Joseph Franklyn McElroy, who was born and raised in Haywood County, NC, the original “Gateway to the Smokies”, and whose family immigrated to the Smoky Mountains in the early 1800s. Each episode will feature a folktale or myth that sets the stage for the rest of the podcast, followed by guests who will enrich the listener with insights, experiences, and adventures gained from their life in and studies of the Smokies. At the end, Joseph will tie in annual events, places, experiences and adventures that relate to the overall theme of that episode.

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The themes and travel experiences expressed on the podcast are explored further on Joseph’s blog Smokies Adventure and his Smoky Mountains destination hub on Where Traveler Magazine. For authentic Smoky Mountain experiences, visit Joseph’s classic roadside motel – the Meadowlark Motel – Your Smoky Mountain Adventure Starts with Where You Stay.