Turn Cold Days Into Fun Days In The Cabin
Posted by Leif Palmer in Rental Cabins
Like much of the country, we've been experiencing historically cold temperatures here in the Great Smoky Mountains. And even though we haven't received a lot of snow in the lowlands, the frigid temps alone and some lingering ice are wreaking havoc in parts of the county. As a result, getting out and seeing all the sights and traveling in the national park may not have the same appeal this week as it normally does.
But that doesn't mean you can't make the most of the situation, especially if you're staying in one of our Pigeon Forge cabin rentals. In fact, this is a time to get creative and make our luxury cabins work to your advantage. And if you're traveling with kids, many of these ideas are designed especially to keep younger ones involved in the experience. Who knows? This may wind up being the vacation that you remember more than any other.
Put the kitchen to good use. This might require a trip to a local supermarket to stock up on supplies, but it could be worth the modest expenditure of time and money. Buy some hot chocolate mixes and doctor them up with marshmallows, whipped cream and sprinkles. And this is the ideal time to bake cookies. You could even make snow cones or snow ice cream, by grabbing a gallon of pristine snow (if there's any fresh snow outside) and mixing it with a cup of white sugar, two cups of milk and a tablespoon of vanilla extract.
Put your imagination to work. This works best with younger children, but this is a great teaching opportunity to show them how to use their imaginations. Pretend you're newscasters who are reporting on the bad weather, but liven it up by being silly or outrageous. You can even record your reports on video and play them back for laughs. You might also build a fort out of chairs and blankets and pillows.
Play some games. Have everyone put down the phones and the tablets and the laptops and enjoy some real quality time together playing a board game or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Many of our properties have such items on hand. If not, you can pick something up fairly cheaply at a local discount store. If you don't want to bother with buying a game, resort to classic games like Charades or Simon Says.
Watch a movie. All of our properties come with at least one television and a DVD player. Most have more than that. So check out a title from a local video store or rental kiosk, or perhaps you have your own movies with you. This would also be a time to stream a movie on your laptop and huddle around the small screen or connect it to one of our in-house TVs with the appropriate cable.
Do something warm. Sometimes just making yourself warm is a treat in itself. Spend some time in the outdoor hot tub on your deck or crank up the log or gas fireplace and enjoy just relaxing and talking.
About Leif Palmer
Leif Palmer loves residing in the Smoky Mountains. He is an avid outdoorsman: rowing for exercise on the lake, trail hiking, and free climbing rocks in the mountains. He indulges his arty side by periodically beating up pieces of marble by sculpting. He is always frustrated by his inability to sink long putts, and hates his curly hair (but his wife loves it). Leif has been known to muster enough courage to change a diaper, and hopes his son will become a chip off the old block.
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