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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.
How quickly the sunny-day, good times disappear with the approach of the school year, and the havoc that the fall schedule wreaks on discretionary family time. Want one last thrill before leaving your Smoky Mountain cabin rental behind? There's no better adrenaline rush found in Sevier County than the roller coasters at Dollywood theme park. Though there are also many family and children's rides, along with water-infused attractions, this post is limited to strictly the coaster rides and their virtues. Coasters at Dollywood, save one, are all steel, and have been built from 1978 to 2014. Let's review the options.
Last time, I discussed finding celebration treats for your vacation get togethers. Although many families enjoy cooking together, some would rather take a hiatus from food preparation and go out to eat. Better yet, how about staying in for some serious relaxing, and having someone else do all the cooking?
Here's hoping that you and your family are savoring these last few days of summer together in a Sevierville, TN cabin rental. Soak up all the free time and sunshine possible, before your school year routine kicks in again! How about one last kid adventure? Sevierville's Adventure Park complex has newly added just this season a series of Treetops Ropes Course to their lineup of outdoor experiences. Here is that "something different" fun that doesn't take all day-or all your cash.
You've already made a good choice for family time together by selecting a cabin rental in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. How about some friendly family competition in the Great Smoky Mountains? Do you have family members who just live to compete and win? Here's an event for you.
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.
Mmmm, there is nothing better than a steaming berry cobbler, fresh from the oven of your Gatlinburg rental cabin. Others would agree with you, including our local black bears, who are currently munching their way through the ripe summer berry season in the park. Recent local media have reported that two national park trails are currently closed due to heightened bear activity: Twin Creeks Trail and the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin and Nature Trail. Though highly unlikely to be attacked by a black bear, it's a prudent idea to make sure you know what to do, should you meet one (or a family of them) while exploring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We hope for everyone a blessed Independence Day holiday. As you relax with your family in a secluded Pigeon Forge cabin rental, please make plans to visit the first Fourth of July parade in the nation at midnight in Gatlinburg on Thursday, July 3rd. Or if you choose to sleep in, don't miss the Patriot Festival in Pigeon Forge, beginning at noon on Friday, July 4th. That event has a carnival atmosphere with food vendors and a children's area, music on stage throughout the day with this year's headliner Lonestar performing at 8:30 pm, and a bang-up fireworks finale beginning at 9:45 pm. Park at the convention center public parking and take the free shuttle, as public parking is limited to handicapped spaces for this event.
So you have just arrived in the area, on the way to checking into your Sevierville cabin rental. Your family will inevitably stop at the grocery and/or discount store to stock up on food and other items that you will need during your stay. Our guests run the gamut from traveling with only the will to shop, to bringing absolutely everything to avoid buying any duplicates while here. For those that fall in between, I propose a pitstop you may not have considered to save you some substantial cash to reallocate as play money.