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If you love Dolly Parton, you're in good company. During the course of over 50 years, the country music legend has topped the charts countless times while selling more than 100 million records around the globe. Today she's an American icon, beloved worldwide for her artistry and philanthropy.
Have you seen Big Bear?
The holidays are over. Now you're back to the daily grind. Job. School. Chores. Blah, humbug.
Let's face it. Sometimes it's hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Especially when you're constantly busy – working, carpooling, battling the crowds at the mall.
Are your kids so full of energy they practically bounce off the walls?
So you are headed out of your Pigeon Forge rental cabin on the way to some serious water play at Dollywood's Splash Country. Here are some ideas before you go to make your play day the best it can be. In addition, I have also included a packing list so that you will not overlook a vital item for your day's enjoyment.
After you gain your second wind from relaxing in your Sevierville cabin rental, this is the season to divide and conquer. Don't drag the kids through all the holiday shopping. Send the diehard gift acquirers in another direction (but don't forget the unique things found in the gift shop here). Take a break yourself with the sights, sounds, and a few smells of the tropical rainforest, just off the Parkway in Sevierville at Rainforest Adventures Discover Zoo.
No matter when you visit the Tennessee Smokies, you'll always find something new – from hot new music acts to cool new rides and attractions.
Why is it that your heart races a little faster and your palms get sweaty? Walking across a bridge doesn't seem like an adrenaline rush until you realize that this is a 680-foot-long bridge suspended 140 feet above a valley. If the gentle sway doesn't cause your pulse to increase, the partial glass bottom and the awe-inspiring views certainly will!
Sometimes it can add extra fun to combine a little mystery into your theme park experience. As family season pass holders and frequent visitors to Dollywood, we have literally explored almost every corner of the park, watching it expand and evolve over the years. On a recent excursion, we began to collect trivia throughout Dollywood for an upcoming group gathering. Here is the resulting scavenger hunt that we compiled, along with the answers (and location if needed).
If you are like our family, all are looking ahead to summer vacation. Regardless of your destination in the Great Smoky Mountains, preparation is key to assuring your family's comfort and that everyone has a good time. After checking into your Pigeon Forge rental cabin, most head outside for adventure. Visiting Dollywood during the hot weather months can be more enjoyable with these few specific tips while hitting the water rides. There are four seasonal rides that can quickly cool you off. Here are the details:
You spend so much of of daily life handling problems: work issues, school project deadlines, sports activities scheduling, and maintenance and repair surprises. When it is the too short timeframe to enjoy being with the person that you love, make each moment count! Here are some ways to ensure you create great shared memories when visiting the Smoky Mountains this month.
If all things locomotive interest you, there are multiple opportunities in East Tennessee to explore train history in our area. Some favorites are mentioned here, starting closest geographically to your Smokies rental cabin, and moving outward.
For those in your crowd who don't really like it tame! We have beautiful mountains to admire from afar, and certainly to hike upon (that's a different type of thrill I'll save for another time). We also have many rolling foothills, with action chasing that is only found where the terrain is more than horizontal. So what can you do once you are at the top of the hill? Here are four thrill-satisfying ways to reach the bottom.
So you have settled into your Gatlinburg rental cabin and spent some time unwinding. So what's next? Tourism surveys indicate that one primary “to do” while on vacation is to acquire both personal souvenirs and mementos for others. For those who are also planning ahead for the holidays, finding a few just-perfect gifts is an added benefit of early shopping. What if you could locate all of the purchases you seek in a single location? You can do just that by attending the 39th Annual Fall Craftsmen's Fair, currently occurring in the heart of town at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. This event gathers together fine craftspeople from all over the country, including multiple artists from around our local area (over 170 are attending this season). The fair is a nationally recognized tourism event for the southeastern United States. If quality, artisan products interest you, you must stop and shop here!
One of the many pleasures of a secluded Smoky Mountain cabin rental is taking in the views of nature around you while relaxing. Choose an easy chair, a porch rocker, or a steaming, swirling hot tub. But what if you could view the Smokies in all their autumn splendor? What if you could view all of the Smokies? Ok, well, maybe not all. But when viewed from above, the vast, undulating landscape that we locals call home rolls out beneath you like a multi-hued carpet!
Sometimes you just want to kick back, daydream and do absolutely nothing on the deck of your cabin in Pigeon Forge. Of course, you may have planned some regular pit stops iif you are a returning visitor (the majority of visitors to our area are repeaters). Today, I just want to challenge you to try a few new locations that might interest you. They are at least unusual, if not downright strange.
How long has your family been visiting the Great Smoky Mountains for vacation? The vast majority of visitors here are returning guests, who have enjoyed spending time together as their relatives grow and change. Though Gatlinburg had developed a burgeoning tourist business by the mid-1960's, it is obvious from the aerial picture below that Pigeon Forge was still in its infancy as a vacation destination. More than likely, the secluded Pigeon Forge rental cabin which you have chosen as your place to relax was built within the last 25 years (most likely the last 15), which is the time window when most of these accommodations became more numerous here. With so many changes, I wanted to remember a few earlier attractions that some members of your family may enjoy recalling from a simpler era.
It's only June, but the thermometer is over 90 degrees, and we are just starting the season. I'm going to gloss over some of the more obvious cooling methods like wetting down in a swimming pool or water park, theme park water rides, boating on Douglas Lake (with lots of locals), or hanging out in the air-conditioned comfort of your Pigeon Forge rental cabin. If your Chilly Pad towel or cooling scarf is letting you down, consider these ideas to beat the heat while playing in the Smokies' humid summertime.
That lovely scenic view from your Smoky mountain cabin can be taken home with you, through the eyes of two talented local artists. Both Ken Jenkins and Robert Tino have devoted their careers to education and preservation, charity and faith, beyond just producing wares for sale as their livelihood.
We take family time away from work too, and understand that vacations are expensive. That's why here at Volunteer Cabin Rentals, we offer regular specials to help keep your lodging costs reasonable. Once you arrive and are settled in, consider these ways to enjoy our area that don't cost anything (except maybe the gas to get you there).
What an interesting year it has been thus far with crazy weather in the mountains! Literally, in one week, you could wear shorts one day, and build a snowman a little later. Of course, you can always kick back by the crackling fireplace or in the swirling hot tub of your Smoky mountain cabin rental. But what is a tourist to do when the weather does not cooperate with your original plans? Here are a few ideas for activities not impacted by the weather.
Jellyfish, slugs and eels, oh my! Please experience this ode to ooze, even if you aren't an eight-year old boy! If it's been awhile, or if you have never been to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, now is the time for a visit this spring. Not exactly the green bucket stuff, but it's just as fascinating to short people, and frankly, to adults too. Want to touch a jellyfish? Try it here, with much more.
Maybe it's because you have been encased in a 7-passenger automobile for several hours to arrive at your rental cabin in Wears Valley. Maybe you had to let go of that sports car to acquire that family SUV or minivan. Maybe you have just always loved everything to do with automobiles. Did you know there is plenty of opportunity in our area to view all types of vehicles while on vacation?
Must. Not. Miss. Of course, there are many activities on your list while here in town. Of course, you plan to attend Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival at Dollywood, and enjoy the merry holiday environment created throughout the themepark. But please, make sure and attend this year's stage production of Dollywood's "A Christmas Carol". The show is the only version of this classic tale anywhere that uses holographic technology for "special effects cast members" throughout the production. It is a Broadway-style musical with extravagant Victorian sets and costumes, and an 8-song original score written by Dolly herself. Playing at the Celebrity Theater inside the park, this 45-minute delight occurs 4 times daily at 2:30, 4:15, 6:15, and 8:00 pm.
After checking into your Sevierville, Tn cabin rental, you might decide to venture out in the evening. Does the neighbor's overdone Griswold house down the street make you smile? Then choose to get an overflowing dose of Christmas spirit at Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland. Not just blinking colorful lights, this is a computerized, synchronized to music, LED light extravaganza like none other. An award-winning, nationally recognized event, this year's theme is "Santa's Beach Party", with annual new display additions and a longer driving route through the hundreds of thousands of lights.
Sevier County is celebrating its twenty-fourth year of Smoky Mountain Winterfest, which begins on November 12 and lasts through February 28, 2014. Here are the upcoming kickoff events in each city:
Ahhh, the sights and sounds of fall: crackling logs in the fireplace of your Sevierville cabin rental, multi-colored leaves tumbling in the breeze, strobe lights and chainsaws with screams of sheer terror or delight?
Many people use a special family picture to document each year, often as the family photo Christmas card. Of course, you will create some vivid memories while your family vacations in a Gatlinburg luxury cabin. With many scenic spots throughout the county, I am certain you will find several favorites to call your own. Though you cannot build a sand snowman here, and you may have already done the "all jump" candid (hopefully not in matching shirts!), extraordinary local Smokies images don't have to require lots of driving or a major hike.
You will want to visit a theater show while on vacation in your Pigeon Forge rental cabin. But which one is right for your family, with something to entertain everyone? Consider Smoky Mountain Opry, an upscale, fast-paced variety show production to suit every taste.
After settling into your Gatlinburg rental cabin, you will want to locate venues that will both engage the entire family, and create some memories at the same time. Many other area visitors have declared Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies the number one aquarium in the nation, and here are a few reasons it's a great place to start.
Many families have members who cannot (or choose not to) exert major physical exercise to view the panoramic mountain scenery of our area. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to enjoy the view, while someone else does the work of getting you there. From old to new, budget to luxury, here are some unique options that will both provide spectacular views and create memories for all ages. We guarantee none of these are your typical at-home, backyard summer experience!
Seems like visitors who stay in Smoky Mountain cabins have acquired multiple new options in recent years for viewing the beautiful countryside surrounding Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Current novel choices include a helium balloon ride, ziplines through tree canopies and across open spaces, and a soon-to-open, enclosed gondola ferris wheel.