Did you know that the Foothills Parkway has an interesting history? This parkway was authorized by Congress as a scenic parkway on February 22, 1944, making it one of the seven Congressionally Mandated Parkways. However, it is the only remaining parkway that has not been fully completed yet. The parkway's corridor extends 72 miles, and it is administered by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As of now, only three segments, which sum up to 22.5 miles, have been completed and are open to the public. The Foothills Parkway has an intriguing history as the oldest unfinished highway project in Tennessee, which has undergone funding stops and starts and challenging terrain has made its completion quite difficult. Despite this, the parkway remains a favorite spot for families and bikers from all over the world to go driving through, enjoying the winding curves and scenic overlooks, and creating new memories each day.

As a Smoky Mountain photographer, my favorite memory on Foothills Parkway involves a girl whose boyfriend was about to propose, and he had her close her eyes as he drove. That's trust! And yes, she said, "Yes!" It was actually one of my favorite proposals. Check it out!