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Once you have settled comfortably into your Gatlinburg rental cabin, you surely have plans to explore your surroundings. Following a trailhead in early spring offers many advantages to the warmer, people-packed, buggier summer months ahead. Here is a short summary of what you will want in your backpack, and a few tips that experienced hikers want everyone to know.
There are DIY instructions for most anything you can imagine on the internet (love some of those Pinterest fails, by the way). This blog is a source of Do NOT traps that tend to snare visitors to our area. With a little forethought your family will not be one of them.
Whew, what a ride this last year has been! I have spoken to many visitors who feel the same way; there are those of us who need a vacation, even from the vacation hustle and bustle! But now that the crazy holiday season has once again come to a close, may I strongly suggest you consider why the Smokies are a sensible place to be from January to mid-March? If you believe in resolutions, why not make one for a quick inhale of a respite weekend at a secluded Smoky Mountain cabin rental?
If a 50,000 people party is your style for ringing in the New Year, then you must plan to be in Gatlinburg for the New Years Eve celebration to ring in 2015! The focal point for the celebration is the Space Needle at Parkway and Historic Nature Trail, next to the Convention Center. Cap off your year with a festive ball drop and fireworks. Here are a few tips for planning your attendance to avoid some frustration:
If December weather holds true for east Tennessee this year, playing while away from your Pigeon Forge cabin rental for the day may require short sleeves or a winter parka! If you find that you desire a few hours of indoor adventure because of obstinate weather, consider MagiQuest Castle on the Parkway.
We are so glad that you will be settling in for a special vacation holiday this year at your cabin rental in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The crisp air and crackle of the fire in the hearth are completely relaxing, and soon you will be ready for some serious entertainment. One of the best Christmas events in the nation is located in our area at Dollywood, which is transformed from its summer playground into a very special place to gather for the holidays. Please go visit, and while you are there, don't forget to complete this short list.
For the locals who regularly drive the main Parkway arteries, Winterfest actually starts early in the fall, when local municipalities begin to erect all the structures that create the magical, intricate lighting displays throughout the county. This illuminated holiday cheer then extends until late February, before evenings grow dark again, and disassembly begins.
After the fall leaf season, but prior to the massive Christmas shopping rush, November can be a very pleasant month to spend a little family time together here. Consider making this year a more grateful holiday for all involved. Have your Thanksgiving celebration in the mountains! With these few reminders and a little planning, your family can easily make some treasured memories during this Thanksgiving holiday break.
Is it fair to say that we do things on vacation that we may not even consider doing at home? Though I often write on current events or places in our area, this blog originates from a recent personal experience. Our family was driving on the main Parkway, when our son pointed out the “cute little girl” in another vehicle. The child in the SUV was roughly three years old, and was having a great time bouncing around the vehicle from the side window to the front console and back, laughing and singing with her grandparents, while her car safety seat sat empty. We traveled along with this vehicle for several miles, until they stopped at a retail establishment. After the family entered the store, I wrote a politely thorough windshield note reminding them of the danger posed to this unrestrained precious child, both literally and legally. I am certain that they were only preserving their sanity after a long ride of seatbelted protests, but the potential for disaster was not worth their risk!
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!
We like to hear about the local places that our customers discover, during their vacation stay here in our rental cabins in Gatlinburg. Sometimes locations are mentioned that we have not yet experienced ourselves. Then there are the venues that are mentioned over and over as favorites. The Village Shops of Gatlinburg shopping area is one of the latter. Nestled in the heart of town next to the Pancake Pantry Restaurant (one of our favorites also, but I digress) is the entrance to this outdoor cluster of small stores.
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.
We are very blessed to live where there are so many options for handmade merchandise. When you choose to venture forth from your Gatlinburg cabin for souvenirs, a must-visit location for gifts should be Alewine Pottery Studio. Say it like a local: ale'-uh-wine.