In case you haven't heard, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge kicked off its season last week, bringing back its irresistible blend of family fun, entertainment and mountain folkways this year in the Smokies. Throughout the year, Dollywood is a celebration of Smoky Mountain culture, history and music as expressed from the perspective of its namesake, Dolly Parton.
Valentine's Day is coming up, which means if you're in a relationship or you're married, it's time to start thinking about how to celebrate the occasion with that special someone. Sure, you could go the traditional route and buy candy or flowers or even lingerie. But this year, why not blow out all the stops and really impress your significant other with a romantic getaway in the Great Smoky Mountains?
Dollywood's a fun place to hang out any time it's open. What's not to like about dozens of beautiful Smoky Mountain acres filled with rides, attractions, shows, food vendors and shops? But this time of year, the Pigeon Forge theme park, shifts into a whole different gear, adding a distinctive holiday twist to its usual offerings during the annual Smoky Mountain Christmas festival. This year's event runs now through January 1, 2018.
Between the Internet and the wealth of area guide publications and brochure racks, there's no shortage of information about all the things a person or a family can do while visiting the Smokies. However, we're often asked what the newest points of interest in town are, because repeat visitors have often checked a lot of destinations off their lists and want to know what's new in town in terms of attractions and entertainment.
If you're going to be vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee this year, there's a good chance you might have some pint-sized passengers tagging along for the trip. Whether it's your kids or the grandkids, you may have had travel experiences in the past that were challenging when it came to finding activities the young ones enjoyed.
We could drop some heavy science on you and go into a lot of detail explaining how gravity works. But suffice it to say we all know it's the force that keeps us all safely on the surface of the earth. Because of gravity, we have the well-known saying “What goes up must come down.”
Are you a music fan? If so, traveling to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is a great way to indulge one of your favorite pastimes. This region is the cradle of country music and is also known for its bluegrass and even its rock and roll roots. And of course, gospel music is deeply appreciated by many who call this area home. So no matter what your preference is, you're probably going to find your favorite tunes being played somewhere in the Smokies.
Last week, we introduced you to several popular theme restaurants in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. One of them was Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, which is located at The Island, a fairly new and definitely popular multiuse destination in Pigeon Forge. Having visited there recently, we realized how many new shops, restaurants and attractions had been added since our previous visit there a year earlier.
We're smack in the middle of the summer travel season, which is great for couples and families taking a little vacation time in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. But some days here in the South do get a tad warm, and when you add high levels of humidity to the equation, even leisurely days become less than comfortable, even if you're spending most of your time playing.
If you haven't driven through Pigeon Forge in a while, you'll notice some definite changes when you return to this Smoky Mountains tourist destination this summer. Three major restaurant chains are setting up shop in town-one of them a transplant from Gatlinburg and the other two brand-new to the area. Today we'll give you an overview of each and hopefully arm you with enough information to make some tough dining choices on your next visit. Or who has to choose? You might wind up making plans to try all three!
If you're staying in one of our cabins in Gatlinburg this week, we have a very special event to recommend that you consider, especially since spring has finally sprung in the Smokies (this week's brief cold snap notwithstanding). The 64th Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage takes place in Gatlinburg April 15 through 19 and helps celebrate the transition of winter into spring as the Smokies begin to blossom forth in new color.
As spring draws closer, you can almost hear the musicians, singers and dancers warming up and tuning up as all the local music theater venues gear up for another big season in the Great Smoky Mountains. Actually, a handful of locations have continued to operate on a limited schedule through the winter months, but by the end of March, all area productions should be up and running for the remainder of the year.
Understandably, summer and fall are the peak times for travel here in the Great Smoky Mountains. The weather is warmer (or the leaves are changing colors), and the kids are usually out of school. It only makes sense that these are the times when most families plan their vacations and getaways in the mountains of East Tennessee.