Christmas Snow in the Smokies, and lots of it!

I clearly remember the last white Christmas we had before this year.  It was 1983 and it wasn't near the amount we recieved this year!  I was hoping to go home for Christmas but the weather had different plans.  We spent the day in Gatlinburg having fun.  Here are some pictures on Christmas Day and the day after.  Christmas Day had the least amount of accumulation and then on Monday we finally saw some beautiful sunshine! 

The day after Christmas, and more snow!

Monday and the much needed sunshine!

Another Attraction for Pigeon Forge!

Pigeon Forge is getting another great new attraction!  The Hollywood Wax Museum will invest $15 million to bring the museum back to life in Pigeon Forge.  Earlier in 2010 the old was museum located in Gatlinburg was closed with only the Branson, Mo location remaining.  The 30,000 square foot facility will be constructed where the Dinosaur Walk Museum now stands and is scheduled to open in the sring on 2012.


Tej Sundher, one of the partners in the business, said “Pigeon Forge will become our model wax museum because we’ll build it from the ground up with a third more space than we have in Branson,” he said. “That allows us to combine our most successful elements from 45 years of experience with our whole new wish list.”

The exterior will feature a scale model of the New York skyline with King Kong scaling a skyscraper, along with a model of the Hollywood Sign. A “Mount Rushmore” style facade with the faces of Hollywood icons John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Judy Garland and Charlie Chaplin will stand beside it.

The developers, Kuvera Partners, are willing to invest the money because they believe the area meshes with their plans. “We know that Pigeon Forge is a perfect match for this,” Sundher said. “We have a general manager who lives in Sevierville, and we are looking forward to bringing in attractions that will do great things for the area for years to come.”

See article at The Mountain Press

Top 10 Christmas Light Shows: Look How We Ranked!

Congratulations to us, we took the #1 and #4 spots.  We aren't too surprised!

Christmas Light Shows

1. Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland, West Knoxville and Bristol, Tenn. 2. Silver Dollar City, Branson, Mo. 3. Oglebay Festival of Lights, Wheeling, W.Va. 4. Smoky Mountain Winterfest, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tenn. 5. Trail of Lights, Austin, Texas 6. Magical Nights of Lights, Lake Lanier, Ga. 7. Holiday Festival of Lights, Charleston, S.C. 8. Enchanted Garden of Lights, Chattanooga, Tenn. 9. Louisville MEGA Cavern, Louisville, Ky. 10. Southern Lights, Lexington, Ky.

Source: America's Best Online.net

Two New Attractions Coming to Pigeon Forge!

We are thrilled to learn of two new attractions that will be soon arriving in Pigeon Forge! 

The owner of the Titianic Pigeon Forge, John Joslyn, will be opening Water Magic directly across the street from the Titanic attraction. 
John Joslyn said, “When we came to East Tennessee last April, we had evaluated a number of tourism markets.  We have experience in Orlando and in Branson – so we truly believed our concepts would succeed here.  We’ve surpassed our projections here in Pigeon Forge in almost every way, so it should come as no surprise that we want to build our next major attraction right here.  I can assure you, Water Magic will exceed any of your expectations – this one is simply going to blow you away.

“Water Magic will be one of the world’s most innovative and magical family-themed attractions.  Full of water but not a water park – Water Magic will introduce a new dimension in family entertainment for all generations.”

The attraction will be eco friendly by recycling water, generating electricity and producing its own HVAC system.  Just like the TIntanic, it will be a structure you can't miss.  We'll keep you posted as this incredible attraction takes shape.

The second new attraction is kind of bittersweet.  We will be saying goodbye to the Black Bear Jamboree and hello to the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud.  Fee Headrick Entertainment (The Mircale Theater, Magic Beyond Belief, and others)  is launching the new production in the Spring of 2011.  The show is loosely based on the true story of the famous Hatfield and McCoy feud. The audience will be divided into the Hatfield and McCoy families by special seating areas. The show will extend throughout the theater as the audience participates in the good natured rivalry. Dangerous and comical stunts will be performed throughout the show to add a special excitement. Singers, dancers, actors, musicians and specially trained stunt people will round out the cast. As with all Fee/Hedrick shows, this new show will have a family friendly atmosphere with a focus on fun.
“Our area is rich with Appalachian heritage,” said theater co-owner David Fee. “Mountain clans were a way of life here, and this show will showcase all that’s great about them!”
The building, which Fee and Hedrick purchased in 2002, will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation and transform in appearance into two neighboring hillbilly style mountain homes complete with a decorative moonshine still and barnyard animal areas. “We wanted a fun and whimsical look for our new dinner feud,” says Fee.
The theater lobby will also feature the largest moonshine still in the world – soon to be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. “The Moonshine Still will be an interactive learning center that highlights the history of the mountain people, but interjected with lots of humor”, says Hedrick. “Our customers will have a better understanding of everyday life back in the hills, while making them laugh at the same time!”

We will keep you posted as these attractions develop!

Our Great Local Legend: Dolly!!!

It's not surprising that we have an affinity for Dolly Rebecca Parton.  The singer, actress, writer and philanthropist is the darling of our area.  Not only is she talented (writing over 3,000 songs in her lifetime) but she posseses a unique wit and charm.   She hasn't forgotten where she came from and continually gives to the communities of Gatinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge.  She began the Imagination Library to provide books for children from birth to kindergarten.  Her inspration for the Imagination Library was her father who couldn't read or write, not from a lack of desire, but from a lack of opportunity.  She stated that she wanted to “put her money where her mouth is – and with such a big mouth that’s a pretty large sum of money”, and so she did.  Tennacious, intuitive and gracious she continually gives to the community in ways that aren't announced or read about.  Her affiliation with Dollywood and Splash Country and her own Dixie Stampede creates thousands of jobs and is a major economic contributor for the area.
  
So, enjoy just a few quotes from our "Book Lady" Dolly listed below.  Let us know your favorite or send us one we may have missed!

 If you time your vist just right you may get a glimpse of Dolly, she regularly returns to her Smoky Mountain Home and stars in the yearly kickoff parade for Dollywood each spring.  

1. I still close my eyes and go home - I can always draw from that.

2. I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else.

3. If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.

4. If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words. 

5. I look just like the girls next door... if you happen to live next door to an amusement park.
 
6. Storms make trees take deeper roots.

7. The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

8. We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

9. You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try. 

10. You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!

11. I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde. 
 

Things we get to see and enjoy everyday!

The geese on the pond.  I just happened to be looking out the window from the Cherokee Room and saw one goose standing on the brim of the pond.  I got closer and found there was a gaggle!

This is our camp cabin...........not really:)

I don't know if you can see the double rainbow, but we did have one.  Right after the rain the first day of December.

Two days later after rain, this is why it's called the Great Smoky Mountains!  You can see we still had some color left.  This year the leaves started turning late and really hung on almost all the way to December. 

This was the week of Thanksgiving, the mountain tops covered in snow.  We didn't get any accumulation, but it looks like they did in elevation.   

On my way out the other night, stumbled upon this amazing sunset.

Today the sun is shining but it is still spitting snow, no accumulation is expected.  

It is really great to be here at the resort and get to see views like this everyday.  I find myself walking around with the camera a lot.  I hope this gives everyone a good idea of the resort and how amazing it is.  We look forward to seeing you!

Our 20 favorite quotes on Traveling........Enjoy!

1. The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  ~St. Augustine

2. I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel's sake.  The great affair is to move.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

3. A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours. 

-J.B. Priestly

4. Traveling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station. -Lisa St Aubin De Teran

 5.What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds.  When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then.  People don't have your past to hold against you.  No yesterdays on the road.  ~William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways

6. To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.  ~Charles Horton Cooley

7. And that's the wonderful thing about family travel:  it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.  ~Dave Barry

8. Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.  ~Ray Bradbury

9. I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.  ~Mark Twain

10. Just get on any major highway, and eventually it will dead-end in a Disney parking area large enough to have its own climate, populated by large nomadic families who have been trying to find their cars since the Carter administration.  ~Dave Barry

11. Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.  ~Mark Twain

 12. I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.  ~Caskie Stinnett

13. A passport, as I'm sure you know, is a document that one shows to government officials whenever one reaches a border between countries, so the officials can learn who you are, where you were born, and how you look when photographed unflatteringly.  ~Lemony Snicket

14. The traveler sees what he sees.  The tourist sees what he has come to see.  ~G.K. Chesterton

15. We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.  ~Hilaire Belloc

16. Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.  ~Benjamin Disraeli

17. All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time. – Paul Fussel

18.  A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. - LaoTzu

19.  A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles. -Tim Cahill

20.  Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by. - Robert Frost

Top 10 things to do in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg

1.  The number one of all number ones........The Great Smoky Mountains National Park!  With over 800 miles of trails for the beginner or the experienced hiker, fishing, picnicking and viewing the abundant and diverse wildlife.  You can tour by car or foot. There are visitor centers where you can get trail information, hours of operation and the complete history of our park.  http://www.nps.gov/grsm

2. Dollywood/Splash Country - Whether  you come in July or January this is a must do. The best deal is the Play Another Day or the Splash and Play.  You really want to have at least two days for both parks.  The day you go to the second park doesn't have to be a consecutive day, just within about 5 days.  These tickets are available at our office! http://www.dollywood.com

3. Dixie Stampede - This show is great to see year after year because annually they change the show.  You have to choose if you want to cheer for the "North" or the "South".  You are served a meal that has generous portions, be sure not to pass up the creamy vegetable soup, it is delicious and pretty famous.  And for an added twist, you get to eat with your hands!  Kids love it.  Hours and show times vary, and they have a Christmas show for the holidays.  The best place for tickets is on their site:  http://www.dixiestampede.com  (see #5 about combo tickets).

4. The Titanic -  This is the newest attraction and it really is all that and more.  When you arrive you are given a boarding pass that has the name of an actual passenger or crew member.  You will learn a lot of very interesting facts about the ship, the crew, and the passengers.  You will want to order your tickets on line, don't just simply go there, as they have guided tours and they do sell out quickly.  Go to: http://www.titanicattraction.com (see #5 about combo tickets).

5.  Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokies - Amazingly enough, one of the best aquariums in the country.  Right here in our backyard.  They have special events and featured animals.  Plan on a full day here, they are open 9am to 9pm during the week and on weekends from 9am to 11pm.  There is a restaurant on site or you can pack your lunch and eat outside over looking the river.  They offer special combo tickets for the Titanic and Dixie Stampede as well as others on their site:  http://gatlinburg.ripleyaquariums.com

6.  Tuckaleechee Caverns - This is a really neat thing to see, and its very affordable.  Guided tours run every 15 to 20 minutes.  The total length is about one mile and there are about 400 steps (up and down) throughout.  This is a special treat on a hot summer day. They are open 7 days a week during the summer season. Go to:  http://www.tuckaleecheecaverns.com.  Before or after your trip to the caverns plan on a stop at the Tuckaleechee Trout Farm, where you can catch your own trout and they will serve it up to you:   http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/tuckaleechee_trout_farm_restaurant

7.  The Glades Arts and Crafts Community - An historic 8 mile loop designated as Tennessee's Heritage Arts and Crafts Trail.  The largest group of independent artisans in North America, established in 1937.  You will find artisans that paint, whittle, sew, weave, cast and carve to create baskets, brooms, candles, quilts, jewelry, pottery, silver smithing, leather, dolls, scrimshaw, leather, dolls, stained glass, wearable fashions, photography, art, food and so much more. http://www.gatlinburgcrafts.com/

8. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts - Nationally renowned center of contemporary arts and crafts education.   Five galleries and a book and supply store are open to the public year-round.  Featuring artisans from all over the country and they offer classes to the public as well.  Formally began in 1968, from the Pi Beta Phi settlement school (next door).  Arrowmont is rich with history of Gatlinburg and it's local artisans. http://www.lib.utk.edu/arrowmont/index.html

9. Beltz Factory Outlets - Can't leave out the best place to shop!  You can spend all day here, it is an attraction all it's own.  Several restaurants are here too.  Check out: http://www.belzoutlets.com

10. The Comedy Barn -  Good clean fun for all ages.  Millions of people can't be wrong, and even Paul Harvey endorses it! http://www.seymourherald.com/entertainment/2004/apr/27/3721/
Their site:  http://www.comedybarn.com/

There you have it.  It would be impossible to do and see all of our list in just a few days, but you can come back and see us anytime!