The 5 Best Times to Visit The Great Smoky Mountains
Each year, some 10 million people visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and an even higher number spend some amount of time in the neighboring communities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. That's because in addition to the beauty and unspoiled nature of the national park, the outlying areas offer travelers so many options for having a little bit of vacation fun – from theaters and attractions to shops and restaurants.
Experience the Gravity of the Situation in the Smokies
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.”
The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music
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.
Cades Cove Highlights
Great Smoky Mountains National Park received a record 10 million visitors in 2015 and is on pace to meet or top that mark this year. But did you know that the Cades Cove section of the park alone saw more than 1 million visitors last year? That shouldn't be surprising; the 11-mile one-way auto loop of the historic mountain community is one of the top attractions within the national park.
5 Things to Look For in a Rental Cabin
Summer is rapidly approaching, which means if you're thinking about visiting the Smokies before next fall, you really need to be making those plans now. Especially if you're going to book an overnight cabin rental, it's always better to get the process started early, because many properties get booked up for the peak tourism months.
Celebrate Easter in the Great Smoky Mountains
A lot of folks will be celebrating Easter this weekend, and if you include yourself in that number, don't let that stop you from planning a trip to the Smokies. There are dozens of places of worship in the communities of Wears Valley, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville, not to mention churches located throughout Sevier County. Any of them would surely be glad to welcome out-of-town visitors on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Making The Most Of Smoky Mountain Visitor Centers
There are tons of resources a visitor can use to plan a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, even long before arriving. Internet research alone can go a long way toward helping you buy tickets to shows and attractions and, of course, book a few nights in one of our Smoky Mountain cabin rentals.
Embrace Winter at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort
Remember all that warm weather we had here in the South during late December? Folks were walking around in shorts and sandals like it was the middle of summer. Well, it would seem that nature is having the last laugh now that cold and windy days have come back once again. You'd almost think it was winter around here.
Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas
This week, the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are getting their respective annual Winterfest celebrations off to a start with special events that, in part, showcase each town's unique light displays. And at Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, they're doing the same thing during their annual Smoky Mountain Christmas festival.
The Best Places To See The Fall Foliage In The Smokies
October is known as the second peak season in the Smokies, because after summer, it's the time of year with the highest area visitation. Why? Because that's when the leaves change colors, morphing from the greens of summer to the fiery reds, yellows and oranges of autumn. It's no coincidence that tourism reaches a peak about the same time that the leaves do.
4 Great Places To Eat Breakfast In The Smokies
They say breakfast is the most important part of the meal. And when you're visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, that advice is especially true when you consider that a typical day might be filled with hiking, shopping or visiting any number of local attractions. Sometimes, even when you're having fun, you can spend a lot of time on your feet and rack up a lot of steps.
7 Things To Do In Townsend, Tennessee
Most folks who travel to the Smokies know about the communities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. After all, that's where you'll find the vast majority of attractions, shops and restaurants in the area. But there's another nearby community that a lot of travelers prefer to visit because it hasn't completely surrendered its Smoky Mountain character to tourism.
6 Great Photo Opps In The Smokies
These days, everyone's a photographer, right? It's pretty standard for folks of all ages to carry cell phones, and the vast majority of those phones have cameras. As a result, we're probably taking more pictures and documenting our lives more right now than at any point in history since the camera was invented.
Rental Cabins Offer An Experience Unlike Other Accommodations
There's no doubt that anyone planning an overnight stay or longer in the Great Smoky Mountains has seemingly endless options when it comes to choosing accommodations. There are hotels, motels, condos, bed and breakfast inns, campgrounds and more – all competing for your lodging dollars.
7 Places To Find The Best Views In The Smokies
People enjoy coming to the Smokies for things like attractions, shows and outlet mall shopping. But if it weren't for the Great Smoky Mountains themselves, none of those other things would exist. After all, it's the mountains that have been attracting visitors to this area for decades.