Book A Valentine’s Getaway

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Darryl

Valentine’s Day is coming up in just a couple of weeks. Have you made plans yet? If not, it’s not too late to book the weekend just before February 14 or even the weekend after, if that’s what your schedule allows. Or if you have vacation time coming, consider spending a whole week in the Smokies. The traffic is lighter, the crowds are smaller, and this is one of the least expensive times of the year to purchase overnight accommodations.

You’ll find all kinds of lodgings in the area, from cabins in Gatlinburg, TN, to condos in Pigeon Forge. You’ll also find A-frame chalets in the mountains and charming cottages in town. Of course, there are tons of hotel and motel rooms to choose form as well, from big national chains to smaller mom-and-pop properties.

It’s not hard to find the kinds of amenities you’ll want for a romantic getaway. Some suggestions might include a king-size bed, an outdoor hot tub, an indoor whirlpool tub and a gas or wood-burning fireplace. What you make of your time here is up to you, but don’t forget that there are lots of great restaurants in town for a romantic candlelit dinner, and there are tons of shops for finding the ideal gift that says, “I love you.”

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Winter Precautions In The National Park

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Darryl

Fortunately, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open all year, but for those who plan to visit in winter, you might need to keep a few things in mind, whether you’re planning to hit the hiking trails, camp or just do some general sightseeing.

First, realize that although their may not be snow in the lower elevations, if you’re planning on hiking one of the taller mountains like Mt. LeConte, there’s a good chance you’ll start running into snow when you get to a certain height. It’s a beautiful sight, but you’ll need to be careful.

Snow can often be compacted into ice, which makes for very slippery footing. If you’re going to run into snow, you can purchase instep crampons for your boots, which will give you traction. There’s also a product for runners called Yaktrax, which slip on over your footwear and dig into the frozen stuff.

Also realize that melting snow can cause creeks and rivers to swell beyond their usual levels, resulting in trails that are flooded with water. Getting your feet wet in such conditions could lead to hypothermia. Of course, hiking in winter always makes it easier for hypothermia to set in at any time, so be sure to wear plenty of layers and possibly carry some dry clothes in a waterproof bag.

And did you know that black bears don’t really hibernate? They estivate, which means they’ll stay in their dens when it’s cold, but when disturbed, they will leave and go out for a walk, so be on the lookout for hungry bears even in winter.

Finally, remember that even if you’re just going out for a scenic drive that not all roads in the national park remain open in winter, especially Newfound Gap road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, North Carolina. Check the park Web site, www.nps.gov for up-to-date postings.

To put yourself in a convenient location to tour the national park this winter, be sure to check back on our Web site, which features some of the best Gatlinburg cabin rentals on the market.

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Filling Up On Entertainment

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Darryl

Sometimes you just don’t feel like making multiple decisions. For example, if you’re planning a night out on the town during your Smokies vacation, you may not feel like wading through all the local dining options (especially if you have picky eaters in the family) and also finding a show that everyone wants to see. With many area theaters, however, they make things simple for you by offering shows that include dinner as part of the evening’s entertainment.

Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge has been using that formula for years, complementing their friendly North-South competitions and horseback exhibitions with a multicourse meal that features chicken, creamy vegetable soup and flaky biscuits, just to name a few.

Two of the more recent contenders in this arena include the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud and Lumberjack Feud, both in Pigeon Forge. With the first one, you become a Hatfield or a McCoy as soon as you enter the theater and from there, you cheer for your clan as the two families fight things out to settle their differences. With the latter, two different families are going at it, but this time, they’re hashing things out with real-life lumberjack athletes competing in a series of ax-citing events. Both shows include multicourse meals.

You’ll also find dinner and a show at the Smith Family Dinner Theater and the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, also both in Pigeon Forge. No matter which city you visit, however, always remember to check back with our Web site for the latest information to help you plan your great Smoky Mountains vacation.

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Snow on the Mountain!

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Darryl

Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort has gotten off to a rather slow start this winter. Unseasonably warm temperatures have resulted in no white stuff on the slopes and have made it impossible to make manufactured snow. The result has been closed trails and sad snowbirds.

But we have good news to report this week. Ober Gatlinburg is reporting a 6- to 10-inch base with five of its nine trails open for skiing and boarding. Three of the four lifts are in operation as well. The primary surface is groomed with a secondary surface consisting of wet snow. At the moment temperatures are still not allowing snowmaking operations, but that will resume as soon as the temps drop sufficiently low.

In the meantime, get those skis and snowboards together and head for the slopes! Or if you’re a newbie or don’t have your own equipment, Ober Gatlinburg has you covered. They have skiing lessons and plenty of equipment to rent to get you started.

If you’re planning a snow-cation, you’ll definitely want to stay in a Tennessee rental cabin instead of a hotel or motel. It’ll give you more room to stow your gear, plus the mountain atmosphere of one of our rentals is ideally suited to a ski trip in the Smokies.

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Wilderness Wildlife Week

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Darryl

Great Smoky Mountains National Parks is this area’s single greatest asset, and nature lovers of all ages will have a chance to explore it and learn even more about it at the 22nd Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, January 7 through 14, 2012 at Music Road Hotel Convention Center in Pigeon Forge.

Long known as one of the most popular annual events in the Smokies, this weeklong celebration of nature includes dozens of hands-on workshops, seminars and lectures as well as more than 50 guided walks and hikes for folks of all fitness and experience levels. Best of all, this event is absolutely free!

Several new components of the 2012 Wilderness Wildlife Week include a photography competition and several programs that dive into the unique history of the region through local experts and historians.

Lovers of Smoky Mountains music will be able to hear their favorite sounds during AppalachiaFest on January 10. This free musical celebration of area heritage features authentic bluegrass musicians and mountain cloggers.

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Ring In The New Year In The Smokies

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Darryl

Why go all the way to New York City to say farewell to 2011 when you can have just as much fun right here in the Great Smoky Mountains? If you’re wanting to be here for New Year’s Eve but just aren’t sure where to go or what to do on the big night, we’ve got several suggestions for fun and family-friendly celebrations that will help you ring in 2012 the right way.

One of the biggest parties of the year is in downtown Gatlinburg, where tens of thousands of party hounds gather under the Gatlinburg Space Needle for the city’s annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop & Fireworks. Complete with live entertainment, the evening culminates in a midnight countdown and a dazzling pyrotechnics show that lights up the night sky.

Also in Gatlinburg that night is the 11th Annual Dance With The Sharks event at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. The evening includes music, hors d’oeuvres and a champagne toast at midnight. Afterwards, you can step out on terrace and still enjoy the Space Needle fireworks show.

Meanwhile in Sevierville, they’ll be heating things up indoors at the Rock Around The Clock event at Wilderness at the Smokies Resort. Guests will gather at the resort’s indoor water park area for an evening of wet-and-wild fun that will include a balloon drop, live DJ, karaoke, face painting and more.

While preparing for your visit, spend some time here on our rental cabin guide to pick the accommodations that will best serve your New Year’s Eve travel needs.

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Christmas Dinner in the Smokies

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Darryl

If you’re staying in our area this week, our Smokies travel guide has some recommendations for places you can go out with the family for Christmas dinner this Sunday:

• The Partridge & Pear Restaurant
Located next door to the Christmas Place shopping village, this holiday-themed restaurant is the ideal place to sit down for a Yuletide meal. Their Christmas dinner menu includes roast turkey, glazed ham, maple-glazed pork loin and roast beef.

• Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
Located in Sevierville, this place is a Smoky Mountain dining tradition. Eat your fill of all things apple at this restaurant whose menu features classic Southern favorites and signature items like apple butter, apple fritters, apple juleps and more.

• The Park Grill
You’ll find this national park-themed eatery on the south end of the Parkway in Gatlinburg, at the doorstep to the park itself. Great regional cuisine served in an authentic lodge-style atmosphere.

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Wet-and-Wild in the Winter

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Darryl

Usually, you have to travel from your Smoky Mountain accommodations to the points of interest on your vacation itinerary. In one case, however, all you have to do is take a short walk from your hotel room to get to one of the most popular new Sevierville, Tennessee attractions.

At Wilderness at the Smokies, located just off Tennessee Hwy. 66, offers two condominium-style resort lodges that are serviced by three different water parks, one of which is under an indoor dome. That means guests can enjoy all that slide and pool action 365 days a year, so packing your bathing suit this winter is definitely not out of the question. Look for a twisty slides, a wave pool, tube slides, a family raft ride and even a surfing simulation attraction.

Next year, look for the all-new Adventure Forest at the resort. Featuring a three-story ropes course, a climbing wall, laser tag course, laser maze, mini golf course and more, this indoor fun zone means even more opportunities for families to have a blast all year long.

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Winterfest in Sevierville

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Darryl

This week, we’ll take an overview look at all the activities and special events taking place in Sevierville, Tennessee, this Winterfest season. Hopefully, we’ll plant a few seeds when it comes to ideas for holiday travel in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Exercise your right to celebrate the holidays on December 11 at the Santa Hustle Half Marathon and 5K run and walk presented at Wilderness at the Smokies Hotel & Waterpark Resort on Tenn. Hwy. 66. Starting at 9 a.m., this winter-themed slate of races will provide all participants with a free Santa hat, beard and customized t-shirt to wear during this festival holiday run. This first annual event will also feature Christmas decorations, music and an after party with buffet.

You can also ring in the new year at the resort this season. On New Year’s Eve, the hotel’s Wild Water Dome will host a countdown celebration from 10 p.m. to midnight. This includes a balloon drop, DJ, karaoke, dancing, clowns, magic, face painting and, of course, water park fun!

And all through the season, you can enjoy the twinkling Winterfest light displays that are viewable all over town. You can even see them in 3D by picking up a pair of special glasses at the city’s visitor center on Hwy. 66.

When making plans to visit Sevierville for Winterfest, be sure to comb through our website’s selection of Sevierville condo rentals and other properties that will help you get the most out of your trip.

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Winterfest in Pigeon Forge

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Darryl

This week, we’ll take an overview look at all the activities and special events taking place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, this Winterfest season. Hopefully, we’ll plant a few seeds when it comes to ideas for holiday travel in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Like the entire county, Pigeon Forge is shining brightly with millions of Winterfest lights and animated light displays. They’re located all over town, including Dollywood, which has its own special holiday lighting as part of its annual Smoky Mountain Christmas festival, which features special Christmas-themed shows, attractions and even a nighttime parade.

You can see the rest of Pigeon Forge’s lights on a Trolley Tour of Lights, which run through January 13, 2012. For only $5, you can board a trolley at Patriot Park and get a heated, guided tour of all the illumination.

Winterfest in Pigeon Forge continues through February 26 with a number of other fun special events, including Wilderness Wildlife Week and Saddle Up. The 22nd annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, January 7 – 14, is actually eight days of guided walks in the mountains and dozens of seminars, lectures and hands-on workshops, all dedicated to celebrating the scenery and wildlife that make up the Great Smoky Mountains.

The 12th annual Saddle Up!, February 23 – 26, is a four-day festival of entertainment presented the cowboy way, including concerts by cowboy poets and Western musicians, a Chuckwagon Cookoff and a Cowboy Dance on Saturday night.

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