Gatlinburg Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Discount Gatlinburg Vacations’ Category

Great Smoky Mountain National Park remains the most visited national park in the nation. While a vast majority of its more than 9 million annual visitors arrive in the summer and fall color seasons, winter offers up a unique opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts.

That’s especially true for those who enjoy winter sports activities. Ski season opened at Gatlinburg’s popular Ober Mountain on Jan. 3.

Ober Gatlinburg features nine trails serviced by two quad lifts, one double lift and one surface lift. The Resort also offers terrain for all abilities, from beginners experiencing snow sports for the first time, to seasoned experts headed to the moguls and the terrain park.  

Snow tubing is another popular activity at Ober Gatlinburg in addition to skiing, snowboarding and ice skating.

For more information about Ober Gatlinburg, the aerial tramway, restaurants, shops and more, visit www.obergatlinburg.com/. Or if you would like to learn more about discount Gatlinburg resort accommodations and vacation packages, go to www.westgatereservations.com.

With Fall just around the corner, there is plenty of excitement and anticipation for upcoming events throughout the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Gatlinburg offers one of the best seats available for viewing the amazing fall color season in the Smokies. The mountain village also provides easy access into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And from September 15 to October 31, Gatlinburg will be celebrating its annual Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival.

Gatlinburg kicks off the exceptional fall season with a variety of events as the warm days and cool, clear nights help transform 800 square miles of lush green mountain forest into brilliant shades of orange, yellow and red.

One of the highlight festivals is the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair from Oct. 6-23, 2011. The festival, now in its 36^th year, features area artisans and craftspeople demonstrating their special talents and skills while answering questions and selling their unique artwork. Meanwhile, downtown Gatlinburg is decorated for the festivities with elaborate storefront decorations.

For more on Gatlinburg events and resort accommodations such as Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, please visit www.WestgateReservations.com.

There’s nothing quite like soaking in the sunshine and fresh air amidst the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In fact, the Gatlinburg area is teeming with outdoor recreational opportunities that the entire family can enjoy.

With hundreds of lakes, rivers, streams and ponds, the area offers up some of the nation’s best fishing, particularly for mountain trout. Drop a line in the water along the Little Pigeon River in downtown Gatlinburg.

Another popular family activity in Gatlinburg is biking. Pedal off to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a tour of beautiful Cades Cove. Bicycling around the Cades Cove loop provides one of the best ways to experience one of the most picturesque areas in the park.

The National Park is also ideal for hiking, with more than 800 miles of trails ranging from beginner treks to more challenging. Whether you want to hike for an hour, a day or a week, you’ll find an option that fits your plans. A Guided Nature Service can help provide a more educational and in-depth look at the Smoky Mountains. Or you can visit one of the park’s many visitor information centers for help in planning the perfect hike.

While out on the trails, you might also want to look to the trees since the National Park is also a premier location for bird watchers. From the foothills to the higher elevations, the Smokies offer a wide variety of topographies to host an extremely diverse number of habitats and microclimates for birds. As a result, nearly 250 species of birds have been found in the park. Approximately 60 species are year-long residents of the park while 120 species breed in the park. Still other species use the park as a vital stopping point during migrations.

Other recreational options in the Gatlinburg area include golf, horseback riding and white water rafting down the Big Pigeon River.

For more on Gatlinburg attractions and Gatlinburg discount vacation packages, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

Springtime is a time for rebirth in Gatlinburg’s Great Smoky Mountains. Flowers pop out of the ground in vivid colors. Trees turn green with a burst of new growth and leaves. Birds chirp and other wildlife begins emerging from a winter slumber. Frost and snow melts from the high country and sends water cascading down spectacular water falls.

While the Smoky Mountains are best known for the brilliant fall color season, spring may be an even more beautiful time to experience the Gatlinburg area. In addition to the amazing scenery that surrounds you, you’ll also find an abundance of spring events and activities that highlight the town’s annual Springfest celebration from March 11 - June 6, 2011.

Throughout this three-month celebration, Gatlinburg visitors and experience the transformation into spring. While the mountainsides explode in color with wildflowers, Gatlinburg’s streets also bloom with baskets of flowers and plants throughout the city. Live entertainment can be found along city sidewalks, providing a welcoming atmosphere.

Members of Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community will display their beautiful and unique handcrafted wares at the Gatlinburg Convention Center during the annual Easter Arts & Crafts Show held April 21-24, 2011.

On Easter morning, April 24, visitors can also join in the local tradition and attend Ober Gatlinburg’s 13th annual Easter Sunrise Service. Starting at 5:45 am, you can enjoy a free tram ride to the mountain where the Easter service takes place at 6:30 a.m. Complimentary parking at the resort is also provided for those who prefer to drive. A breakfast buffet is also available at the Ober Gatlinburg Restaurant.

Another popular Gatlinburg event is the annual Ribfest and Wings celebration on April 28. The smell of hickory-smoked barbeque fills the air and you’ll have an opportunity to sample secret sauces on delectable ribs and wings from more than twenty vendors from all over the Southeast. The festive downtown party also features free entertainment.

The 61st Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage takes place April 27 through May 1. This event is ideal for hikers and nature lovers and offers the chance to see the Smoky Mountains’ delicate wildflowers in bloom. The five-day event offers more than 150 different hiking tours of trails ranging from easy to strenuous, as well as exhibitions, demonstrations, classroom lectures and motor excursions.

Gatlinburg’s bevy of Spring events continues May 13-14 with the Scottish Highland Games. All Scots are invited to join in the Scottish parade to kick off the event. Following the parade, Mills Park in Gatlinburg becomes competitive ground for the annual Scottish Festival & Games where clans meet and activities feature Highland athletic events, bagpipe competitions, highland dancing, border collie demonstrations, entertainment and whiskey tasting, along with food and merchandise vendors.       

Finally, the Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival, a family-oriented festival featuring juried artists from around the country, takes place on Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza and River Road, May 14-15, 2011.

It’s all part of the fun and entertainment that fills the Gatlinburg area in springtime. For more on these events or to get information on discount Gatlinburg vacation packages and accommodations, please visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ or http://www.gatlinburgvacationstore.com/.

Stumble it!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN offers thousands of acres of protected terrain that is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world with an extensive collection of animal and plant life.

Yet, there in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll also find more than 10,000 exotic creatures comprising more than 350 species - from the sea! It’s all part of marine life at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg.

While you might not expect an aquarium in the midst of a historic mountain village, Ripley’s offers an array of exhibits that will keep the entire family intrigued.

The Tropical Rainforest recreates a lush marine world where more than 2,000 species of fish thrive. You’ll discover freshwater stingrays, cardinal tetras, four-eyed fish, poison dart frogs, zebra cichlids, armored catfish, piranhas, mudskippers and more.

The aquarium’s Ocean Realm exhibit is a collection of delicate undersea life such as the Pacific Giant Octopus, sea anemones, living corals, jelly fish and weedy sea dragons.

At Touch-A-Ray Bay, you can dip your hands into a shallow lagoon and touch rays as they glide by effortlessly. Their skin is smooth and touching their top sides will not harm the rays. Aquarists are on hand to assure the safety of guests and rays and to answer any questions.

Additional rays can be seen in Stingray Bay, where these unique creatures glide through the water like majestic birds. Related to sharks, rays are fish without bones. Instead their flexible bodies are made of cartilage. You can also watch as divers enter the tank and hand feed these large but gentle animals.

The aquarium’s largest and most popular exhibit is Shark Lagoon, where you’ll find thousands of fish of every shape and size. You’ll leisurely travel on a moving 340-foot long glide path through an acrylic tunnel offering face-to-face encounters with snappers, tarpons, grunts, squirrelfish, a green sea turtle, giant stingrays, sawfish and, of course, sharks.

You’ll find the colors of the rainbow amidst the delicate Indo-Pacific Coral Reef where thousands of colored fish swim near the tropical Pacific islands. The aquarium hand crafted replicas of the reef to create a vibrant oasis where divers hand feed fish and where some of the “plants” are actually plant like animals such as hammer corals and brain corals that rely on the sun for nutrition.

At Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, it’s not all about looking. It’s also about having fun. And the Discovery Center allows you to experience nature first hand. Interactive displays invite you to learn by participation. You can solve puzzles, test your knowledge against the experts or friends, and even touch live horseshoe crabs - one of the strangest creatures in the aquarium.

For more on Gatlinburg family vacation packages and Great Smoky Mountain National Park, go to www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town… as in Gatlinburg!

Kris Kringle otherwise known as Santa Claus, the star of the 1970’s children’s animated holiday television classic will serve as the Grand Marshal of Gatlinburg’s 35th Annual Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade on December 3, 2010.

Kris Kringle is also featured in the ice sculpting event ICE! at the Opryland Hotel in nearby Nashville, TN.  The Christmas classic “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town” is brought to life in the form of two million pounds of expertly carved ice. The event includes character sculptures, ice slides and other scenes hand-carved by artisans from Harbin, China. ICE! and will be on display from Nov. 19, 2010 through Jan. 2, 2011.  

The popular Gatlinburg parade includes more than 100 entries such as the world-famous Oscar-Myer Weinermobile. The first Weinermobile was designed by Carl Mayer, nephew of Oscar Mayer, in 1936. Today’s Weinermobile travels across America giving away famous Wienerwhistles along the way. The Wienermobile is 24 hotdogs high, 60 hot dogs long, 18 hot dogs wide and weighs the equivalent of 140,500 hot dogs.  There will also be marching bands from across the Southeast and an assortment of giant helium balloons.

The parade begins at Traffic Light #1A on Hwy 321 and ends about an hour-and-a-half later at Traffic Light #10. It’s all part of Gatlinburg’s Winter Magic festivities.

To learn more about these events in Gatlinburg visit www.gatlinburg.com. Or go to www.gatlinburgvacationstore.com for details on discount Gatlinburg vacation packages and accommodations.

The 29^th Annual Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games will be held in Gatlinburg, VA this weekend, May 15-16. Official weekend festivities begin with a parade down the Parkway in Gatlinburg at 6 p.m. on May 14.

On Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Mills Park, the Scottish Games will feature professional and amateur athletes competing in a variety of events such as tossing the Scottish haggis, turning the caber, Highland wrestling and the manhood stones.

Musical guests Cutthroat Shamrock, Colin Grant-Adams, Albannach and Thistledown Tinkers are among the featured entertainment during this popular two-day festival.

The events will also feature an assortment of Pipe and Drum Bands competing in individual and band events, competition of dozens of Highland dancers from across the country and border collie demonstrations.

For details on Gatlinburg discount vacation packages and lodging such as the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com.

If you’re looking for a delicious way to spend a day in Gatlinburg, TN, why not wing it over to the 9^th Annual Gatlinburg Ribfest & Wings celebration on April 22.

This fun-filled day in the Great Smoky Mountains features live entertainment,children’s activities, eating contests and, of course, a chance to taste a sampling of all the ribs and wings until the parkway turns into a street fair. The party runs from 5-9 pm with food sampling from 6-9 pm or until the wings run out.

This year’s entertainment features the classic tunes of the Beat Daddys and their soulful rock ‘n roll blues. The main stage will also feature the musical group Soulfinger, spearheading a neo-classic soul movement with original sounds.

A panel will judge and award prizes for the best ribs or wings in seven categories. And all vendors will vie for the “People’s Choice Award” chosen by popular vote.

Hot wing eating contests sponsored by All Sauced Up will feature wings prepared in sauces such as “Blazing Bomb,” “Treacherous Tongue,” “Fire Pit Hell,” “Scorching Screaming” and “Next Day Disaster.” Prizes will be awarded to the “Hot Wing Eating Contest Champion of the Year.”

An armband for Ribfest & Wings may be purchased for $12 ($5 for kids).

For more information about activities, lodging and discount vacation packages in Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com. For discount hotel and resort packages, including Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort and Wild Bear Falls indoor water park, visit www.WestgateReservations.com.

Springtime in the Appalachians brings extraordinary beauty as the area awakens from its winter freeze. But in addition to the spectacular sights surrounding the Gatlinburg area, you can also experience some mystical sounds of the mountains as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts its sixth annual “Music of the Mountains” festival on Saturday, April 10.

The day-long festival features a wide spectrum of old-time, traditional, and bluegrass music performers. It is truly a celebration of the culture and the musical traditions found in the southern Appalachian Mountains while showcasing the evolution of that music.

This year’s festival features a series of free performances by various artists during the day at the Park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center followed by a special evening performance headlined by local performer Jimbo Whaley and his band Greenbrier at W. L. Mills Conference Center.

For additional details on the Gatlinburg area and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com. You’ll also find discount hotel and resort accommodations well as Gatlinburg discount show tickets, attraction tickets and discount Gatlinburg vacation packages.

Gatlinburg, TN offers fun for everyone, any time of year. Now’s the time to head for Gatlinburg for some serious winter fun, starting with Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort, located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains.

With 8 trails serviced by two quad and one double chairlift, Ober Gatlinburg keeps you on the well groomed slopes. Or, those looking for fast thrills while sitting down, check out the snow tubing area.

Take the 120 passenger Aerial Tramway to the top of Ober Gatlinburg and you’ll also discover a fun-filled mall and amusement park complete with an alpine slide, indoor ice skating, restaurants, shopping and more.

You can experience a discount Gatlinburg vacation package any time of year. But winter offers a unique opportunity to get out and enjoy the snow like never before!

Check out www.WestgateReservations.com for special discount rates at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg, TN. The resort even offers an amazing indoor water park - Wild Bear Falls - for year-round swimming fun.

Gatlinburg discount vacation packages can also be found at www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com.