6 Ways To Beat The Summer Heat
It may just barely be summer, but don't tell that to Mother Nature. She already thinks it's July or August, and it's been showing lately in the form of daytime highs in the 90s and heat indexes reaching well over 100.
Five Free Things To Do In The Smokies
We know that paying for a family vacation can be a challenge, especially if you're bringing kids along for the trip. Expenses like gas, food and Smoky Mountain cabins are have-tos when it comes to travel budgeting, but then you haven't even taken the family to a single attraction, outing or activity. This week, we'll give you five great ideas for places to go and things to do in the Smokies area that are essentially free. And there are enough different suggestions here to please just about anyone in your gang, no matter how old he or she may be.
What To Bring (And What Not To Bring) When Staying In A Rental Cabin
We hope you've already made plans to stay in a cabin in Wears Valley, TN this year. But whether you plan to stay with us, or even another company, in the near future, there are generally quite a few features and amenities that you can expect from your chosen rental property. After all, it's all about making guests feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible while vacationing in the Smokies.
Park Visitor Centers Are Great Resources
If you plan to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park this spring, summer or fall, you'll have hundreds of acres of unspoiled wilderness and native wildlife to explore. From hiking trails and campgrounds to historic sites and observation towers, there's a lot to see and do. After all, there's a lot of geographic territory to cover, and for those who may have never visited the park before, it can almost be intimidating trying to focus on the areas that might be of most interest to you.
7 Things To Do On A Snowy Day
In case you hadn't noticed, much of the country is embraced in the icy grip of winter. Like it or not, that goes for us here in the Great Smoky Mountains too. And while snow can make for some beautiful scenery, it can also mean being stuck and unable to travel. If you're not visiting us here in the Smokies this week, things will hopefully be more accessible when you do make your next trip to the area.
Where Do Our Christmas Traditions Come From?
Whether you're celebrating Christmas in the Smokies or whether you're sharing the experience with family at your own home, you're probably partaking in any number of Christmas traditions, including essential ones like putting up a Christmas tree or waiting for Santa Claus to arrive with his reindeer in the middle of the night.
The Bear Facts
It's the brass ring of any trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park – seeing a black bear, live and in person. Often, you can just be motoring through one of the park's thoroughfares or maybe hiking along a trail and see a mother bear and her cubs venturing out of woodland's cover and into areas that are occupied by humans.
Spend Your Holidays In The Smokies
When the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays roll around, it's natural to think of spending them at home with loved ones, sharing good food, good times and thoughtful gifts with the people who are closest to us.
What's New At The Island?
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.
A Busy Fall In The Smokies
Thanks to cooler temperatures, gorgeous weather and the transformation of foliage, autumn is one of the most popular seasons in the Great Smoky Mountains. Visitation to the area dips a little after Labor Day but then comes back in full force from late September into early November. As a result, there's always a dramatic increase in the number of special events and happenings in the communities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.
Smoky Mountain Day Trips
Let's say you're planning to stay for several days or maybe even a full week at one of our cabins in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley or Sevierville. There's no doubt that there's so much to do in each of those towns that you could easily fill up several years' worth of vacation calendars and not experience the same day twice.
Wedding Bells Are Ringing In The Smokies
People from all over the world travel to the Great Smoky Mountains each summer to visit the national park as well as all the great attractions, shops and restaurants that are found in the communities that lie in the foothills. But that's not the only reason that people come to the Smokies.
Staying Cool This Summer
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.
Golfing In The Smokies
With its mountainous backgrounds, green forests and abundant streams, the Smokies region is a golfer's paradise. That's why so many visitors each year make sure to pack their clubs when they head here on vacation. With so many scenic and challenging courses to choose from, a golf fanatic could play a different 18 holes every day of the week and never see a repeat.
Pigeon Forge's New Themed Restaurants Make For Big Summer Dining
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!