KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Millions of people are tuning in to YouTube and TikTok to tour the towns that make up Appalachia.
The people who share these stories are thrilled that people want to learn about the real Appalachia.
That's why their project goes by the same name, 'Real Appalachia.'
"We're both from small towns, so it's just kind of like going home for us," said Melody West and Shane Simmons, the people behind Real Appalachia.
They said they've felt welcome in every small town they venture out to so they can show off what they're really like.
"We've done about 70 videos or so together and thought, wow, we're just really just starting," said Simmons. "I mean, we could do hundreds more."
Real Appalachia started about six or seven years ago as 'The Appalachian Project' on Facebook, where Simmons worked to document the history of Appalachian towns.
"They've all got their own unique story, and they're all home to somebody," he said.
That Facebook page is still active under the same name, with over 67,000 followers.
When Simmons launched the Real Appalachia YouTube channel in 2020, things really took off.
"I went to Harlan, Kentucky, I did that one, and I think it's got over half-a-million views maybe," he said.
It's well over half-a-million views on YouTube.
A lot of their videos are that way, both the half-hour tours and 30-second snapshots.
Simmons and West have about 150,000 followers and subscribers across Facebook, YouTube, and newly on TikTok.
"It's kind of a dying history, you know, and we want to preserve that and pass that on to the younger generation," said West.
Their top TikTok videos, with either just under or well over one million views, are about hollers, apple butter, and outhouses.
"We have viewers from all over the world," said West. "And they don't know anything, really, but stereotypes. So we're showing real Appalachia and there's just interest in that, of the beauty and the history here that has just escaped so many people. And there's so many old towns that we go into that a few years later, the buildings are gone. And we want to document things as they are and how people remember them."
They said every town they visit has a story that always resonates with someone.
"Sometimes you'll get somebody that talks about they watched a video and it made them cry. It meant so much to them," said Simmons.
The pair have used their platforms to raise money for flood relief, and aren't afraid to share the bad that's happened here.
But they want viewers to know the future of Appalachia is bright.
"We were really just trying to promote Appalachia in a positive way, because so many people come here and tell our story for us," said Simmons. "And it's important to us to have our own voice."