Gatlinburg Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Gatlinburg Attractions’ Category

Gatlinburg and the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains offer up the perfect setting for a family vacation. From a fun-filled town loaded with shops, eateries and attractions to the spectacular national park, Gatlinburg is designed for you to step back and enjoy a leisurely getaway.

Natural beauty abounds and the Great Smoky Mountains provide the ultimate backdrop as well as ample recreational opportunities. Head up the aerial tramway of Ober Gatlinburg for a breathtaking view from the top. Or simply jump in your car and drive through the national park where you’ll also find hundreds of miles of hiking trails. From easy and moderate pathways to more difficult climbs, you’ll find trails that will take you through the woods along rushing mountain streams or up a rocky hillside to a scenic vista overlook.

Check out a zipline adventure and experience the woods, hills and hollers with an exhilarating flight over the wooded canopies of the Smokies. Or kick back and relax while casting your fly in a trout-filled mountain stream.

Of course, you’ll also find plenty to do while just strolling through Gatlinburg. Stroll along the riverwalk or visit Herbert Holt Park or Mynatt Park. Walk down the parkway where you’ll find restaurants and sweet fudge shops, museums, artisan & craft shops and more. Look further and you’ll discover attractions like an Aquarium, mazes, mini golf, go-carts and more.

With original artworks and more than 400 shops, you’ll find everything from jams and jellies to leatherwork, woodcrafts, clothing, jewelry and more.

While much of the nation focuses on the crystal ball drop in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the city of Gatlinburg will be celebrating with its own special ball drop.

The Smoky Mountain village will welcome the arrival of 2012 with its 24^th annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show at the base of the Space Needle.

The ball drop from the 342-foot-tall Space Needle at midnight on Jan. 1, 2012 will be followed by music and a dazzling fireworks display choreographed to the music. The event is a Gatlinburg tradition and many restaurants and attractions also offer special celebrations.

It’s all part of the nearly 4-month long Gatlinburg Winter Magic festival that also includes an extravagant display of holiday lights throughout Gatlinburg’s famous downtown Parkway. The custom designed displays feature millions of new LED lights that reduced the city’s energy costs for the 120-day program by 95%.

Displays include animals indigenous to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park such as deer, rabbits and squirrels as well as fanciful snowmen, dancing fountains, children and a rocking horse.

For information on Gatlinburg events, discount attraction tickets and discount family vacation packages, please visit www.westgatereservations.com.

It has been almost 100 years since the dramatic and unthinkable sinking of the Titanic, yet public interest in the Titanic story remains as high today as ever before. The vessel hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage and sank in icy waters on April 15, 2012.

The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN is filled with amazing artifacts and stories about the ill-fated ship. Now, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of that fateful voyage, the attraction has opened a special new exhibit that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Oscar-wining feature film, Titanic.

The exhibit includes costumes worn by the film’s stars, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as props and set pieces from some of the movie’s most memorable scenes. The exhibit will remain in Pigeon Forge through April 15, 2013, and is included with the regular price of admission.

For information on Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area attraction tickets and discount Gatlinburg vacation packages, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

With November just a week away, the annual holiday festivities can’t be far behind in Gatlinburg.

The Smokies are filled with year-round activities, but visitors to Gatlinburg won’t want to miss the three-time winner of America’s Best Christmas Event - Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration, Nov. 5 through Dec. 30, 2011.

This year’s holiday celebration offers a fresh new event with the premiere of Dollywood on Ice!, an ice dancing spectacular choreographed to the most popular sounds of the season.

At Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas, you’ll experience a winter wonderland the includes four million sparkling lights, more than 20 rides and attractions and an array of award-winning holiday shows such as Christmas in the Smokies and O’ Holy Night.

Visit Santa’s Workshop where you’ll be delighted by larger-than-life toy soldiers, wagons, a dollhouse, sailboats and other classic toys. The centerpiece of the workshop is an 18-foot Christmas tree. Additional holiday happenings include the Parade of Lights that winds its way throughout the park.

For discount attraction tickets and Gatlinburg vacation package information, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

The heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains is celebrated every day all summer long during Gatlinburg’s 6th annual presentation of Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales.

The annual event runs in downtown Gatlinburg now through August 13 and features street performances by costumed musicians, crafters, storytellers and artisans portraying time periods as far back as 1800.

The fun begins each evening at 6 pm when a group of personalities and performers arrive in the center of town. Soon the downtown sidewalks transform into a stage as the characters disperse along the parkway for an evening of entertainment and storytelling that runs until 11 pm.  As many as 14 nightly acts are performed throughout each evening.

Visitors can easily walk through the beautiful mountain village to enjoy the wide variety of interactive, educational and entertaining experiences presented. You can also catch a performance by “The Back Porch Cloggers,” a group showcasing the original dance of the Appalachians.

Children will be delighted by the appearance of Zeno the Gatlinburg Bear who also makes many special appearances during this popular summer event.

In addition to traditional mountain music, the Gatlinburg event also offers up traditional bluegrass bands. All performances are free and happen all along the Parkway, seven nights a week.

Visit www.westgatereservations.com for more on Gatlinburg attractions and discount Gatlinburg vacation packages.

The mountain village of Gatlinburg andthe surrounding Great Smoky Mountains are filled with adventures the entire family will enjoy. There’s a seemingly never-ending variety of outdoor recreation. You can hike hundreds of miles while exploring the national park. You can try white water rafting, fishing, golfing or biking. Or you can choose from a wide variety of theme parks and other attractions throughout Gatlinburg and nearby Pigeon Forge.

You’ll also find an exceptional array of shopping options, particularly if you’re in the market for hand-made arts and crafts. In fact, the nation’s largest organization of independent artisans can be found in the area amidst the Historic Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, originally founded in 1937.

Discover nearly 100 exceptional shops, studios and art galleries filled with special hand-made treasures. Or stop and enjoy one of the many small dining establishments lining the eight-mile arts & crafts loop that winds through the area’s beautiful Smoky Mountains.  

These many talented artisans create everything from quilts, old-fashioned straw brooms with hand carved handles, exquisitely woven baskets, beautiful jewelry and hand-dipped scented candles to Victorian ceramic pitchers, pottery, dulcimers, stuffed bears, leather vests and more. You’ll also find a number of exceptional paintings featuring the area’s spectacular mountain scenery.

Whether you explore the craft loop or simply take in one of the many art galleries and boutique shops in Gatlinburg, you’re sure to find a special treasure hand created by a community of crafters like no other in the U.S.

For details on Gatlinburg’s Great Smoky Mountains as well as discount Gatlinburg attraction tickets and Gatlinburg vacation packages, you can visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

Nestled in the heart of the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains, the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee remains a popular destination throughout the

While the largest crowds venture to Gatlinburg during the summer and fall color seasons, winter remains an excellent time to visit - especially if you enjoy outdoor recreation such as skiing.

Ober Gatlinburg is Tennessee’s only ski resort, offering eight ski slopes ranging from beginning to advanced. Ober Gatlinburg lies 3,000 feet above sea level.

Using a combination of natural and man-made snow, visitors can ski and snowboard. Plus, there’s even an indoor ice-skating rink that’s great fun throughout the year.

Even if you don’t ski or skate, it’s worth the trip up to Ober Gatlinburg where you’ll find spectacular views, fun activities and great food.

For details on Ober Gatlinburg and other Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area attractions, go to www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com or www.westgatereservations.com.

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.

When it comes to family vacations in Gatlinburg, there’s never a lack of attractions and activities to keep you busy in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

While there are any number of fun-filled itineraries that you can create, why not start the day at the top - that is, at the top of Harrison Mountain at Ober Gatlinburg. Simply take the Gatlinburt Aeriel Tramway on a picturesque 2.2-mile journey up the mountainside. Then spend a few hours, or the entire day, enjoying the array of year-round entertainment. You’ll find year round ice skating, snow skiing in the winter months, amusement park rides, a wildlife habitat viewing area and more.

Of course, if you really want to enjoy the Smoky Mountains, you’ll also want to journey into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smokies, and the park features hundreds of miles of hiking trails that range from quiet strolls to expert hikes.

The Gatlinburg area is also a paradise for fishermen - offering some of the best trout fishing in the country. You can even find locations where only children are allowed to fish as well as a wheelchair accessible fishing pier.

After spending some time in the national park, you can always return for a fun and relaxing time along Gatlinburg’s Main Street. You’ll find lots of arts and crafts, miniature golf, go-carts, golf courses, museums, haunted houses and an endless number of shops and restaurants. There’s also the extensive Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies featuring fascinating creatures from the sea.

To truly experience the amazing arts and crafts of this mountain village, check out the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, an 8-mile loop that is unparalleled in variety among the largest group of independent artisans in North America. Watch as these amazing artists whittle, paint, sew, cast, weave and carve to create original collectibles such as candles, dolls, baskets, ceramics, jewelry, quilts, pottery, leather, stained glass, framed art and much more.

For more information on Gatlinburg attractions, you can visit www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

For a colorful fall vacation, try Gatlinburg!

Autumn is in the air and the fall color season is fast approaching. Yet few destinations will provide the vibrant array of colors that makes the scenic Smoky Mountains even more spectacular in the coming weeks.

For a truly colorful fall vacation, start in Gatlinburg, TN - gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. America’s most visited national park offers up 800 square miles of wilderness throughout Tennessee and North Carolina. And with 500,000 acres of forest soon to be bursting out in brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red, the rolling Appalachian Mountains are extra special.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomes more than 9 million visitors annually. A great number of those visitors also make a stop in the quaint mountain village of Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg offers an extensive array of attractions and events for the entire family, ranging from comedy and magic shows to fun-filled dinner shows to area theme parks like Dollywood. There’s also Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort where an indoor water park provides 60,000-square feet of wet excitement under a retractable roof.

Open year-round and located adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Wild Bear Falls Water Park pays homage to the park with attractions like Cades Cove Lazy River, Clingman’s Dome (360-foot body slide), Laurel Falls (300-foot tube slide) and Little Pigeon River, a zero-entry pool and toddler play area.

From October 7-23, you can also enjoy the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair, an annual celebration of arts, crafts and music. You’ll find more than 200 booths featuring the finest work of artisans and craftspeople happy to demonstrate their skills, answer questions and offer their unique art for sale. You’ll also find plenty of live country and bluegrass music and entertainment.

For more information on events in Gatlinburg as well as accommodations and Gatlinburg vacation packages, go to www.GatlinburgVacationStore.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.