Gatlinburg Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Gatlinburg’ 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.

Everyone loves a parade. And when Dolly Parton returns to Pigeon Forge, TN - home to her popular Dollywood theme park - she brings a grand parade along with her.

The 27^th Annual Dolly’s Homecoming Parade is set for May 11, 2012. Like most parades, the Pigeon Forge Dolly Parade will be filled with colorful marching bands, lots of entertainers, floats, baton twirlers, myriad horses and much more. Of course, Dolly Parton will also be front and center in the festivities, sitting atop her float, leading the parade through town.

Pigeon Forge expects more than 50,000 visitors to turn out and line the parade route along the Parkway for this annual event. The parade kicks off near traffic light #6 and continues north on the Parkway to traffic light #3.

The parade traditionally begins at 6:00 P.M. and visitors are encouraged to arrive early for the best viewpoints.

The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area offers plenty of year round excitement and adventure for the entire family. But it seems that things really kick into high gear with the warmer days of spring.

The trees and wildflowers in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park burst into bloom and the wildlife awakens from its winter slumber. Meanwhile, the area’s biggest attraction - Dollywood theme park - re-opens beginning March 24, 2012. The attraction, long considered one of the world’s best theme parks, offers amazing entertainment, extraordinary attractions and plenty of thrills, including the all new Wild Eagle roller coaster opening for the 2012 season.

Dollywood’s entertainment includes more than 30 performances daily, including Sha-Kon-O-Hey!-Land of Blue Smoke, a musical celebration of the people, spirit and heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains that features eight songs written by Dolly Parton. Other music includes country, bluegrass, classic rock ‘n’ roll and southern gospel.

The 2012 operating season begins with the kickoff of the park’s Festival of Nations (March 24 - April 30).  Featuring a world of entertainment, the Festival offers food and entertainment from around the globe. This year’s event includes clowns from Ukraine, Los Pampos Gauchos - a family act from Argentina, Spirit of the Dance featuring Irish dancers, stilt-dancing from Germany, and more.

Throughout the season, Dollywood hosts five of the South’s largest festivals and other events, including:

KidsFest: June 22 - July 29, 2012

Barbeque & Bluegrass: May 26 - June 10, 2012
Dollywood Nights: July 30 - August 12, 2012
National Southern Gospel Harvest Celebration: October 3 - November 3, 2012
Smoky Mountain Christmas: November 10 - December 30, 2012

For discount family resort accommodations near Dollywood, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

Spring is just around the corner in the Great Smoky Mountains. That means birds will be chirping, flowers will be blooming, trees will be full of new growth and the abundant wildlife will start stirring from their winter slumbers.

Spring also means it’s a great time to visit Gatlinburg, TN, where you’ll find ample entertainment and activity in addition to the spectacular glories presented by Mother Nature.

It all kicks off with a 3-month long SpringFest celebration that begins March 9 and runs through June 3. Gatlinburg visitors can experience the beauty and wonder as the area begins its transformation from winter to spring. The city’s streets will come alive with baskets of beautiful blooming flowers and live entertainment is frequently found along the quaint sidewalks of the downtown Parkway.

A popular activity in Gatlinburg is shopping and browsing the many hand-made crafts and other wares uniquely created by members of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community.

Another springtime tradition is the 62^nd Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 25-29. Designed for hikers and nature lovers, there’s no better way to experience the area’s delicate wildflowers bursting into full bloom. This 5-day public program offers more than 150 hiking tours along trails ranging from easy to strenuous. There are also a variety of exhibitions, demonstrations, classroom lectures, and even some motor excursions through the national park.

Gatlinburg’s Ribfest & Wings is another springtime celebration, featuring the sweet smells of hickory smoked barbeque. This event, held April 26 from 5-8 pm, offers up more than 20 vendors ready to serve up their best barbequed ribs and wings as well as free entertainment.

Springtime remains one of the very best times to visit Gatlinburg before the busier summer and fall color seasons. For information on lodging and accommodations at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

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.

Break out your cowboy hat and boots and get ready to experience a special taste of the great American West in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Pigeon Forge, located near the mountain village of Gatlinburg, brings the great American West to life with its 12^th Annual Saddle Up festival, Feb. 23-26, 2012. The celebration salutes the American West through cowboy musicians and poets, a hearty chuckwagon cookoff, and even a two-stepping cowboy dance.

The entire family will enjoy this four-day festival filled with entertainment and plenty of cowboy-themed activities. “Stories and Strings” is a new concert featuring a variety of top country western performers who will discuss their influences, demonstrate their styles and play, performing together for the first time.

The list of 2012 Saddle Up entertainers includes: R.W. Hampton, Stephanie Davis, Saddle Cats, Cowboy Celtic, Kent Rollins, Ray Doyle, Andy Nelson and Chuck Pyle.

If you’re looking for discount resort accommodations or discount family vacation packages in the Great Smoky Mountains, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

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.

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 time is now to visit Gatlinburg. Wherever you are in Gatlinburg, you’ll be surrounded by gorgeous mountain views. And as the fall color season begins to explode throughout the Great Smoky Mountains, the view just gets better and better.

If you’ve never seen the awe-inspiring beauty of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in fall, prepare for one of Mother Nature’s most spectacular pleasures. But the incredible hues of oranges, reds and yellows bursting forth across the landscape are just part of the fun of Gatlinburg in the fall.

There’s no better way to take in the fall colors than with a serene hike along more than 800 miles of scenic trails. Or try an equally scenic horseback ride. For those who enjoy fishing, fall is a great time to catch delicious trout from a clear mountain stream.

Beyond the sheer beauty and fun that nature provides, Gatlinburg is filled with activities for the entire family. Take a ride up the Ober Mountain aerial tram. Or sail down the mountain on a thrilling alpine slide.

Enjoy a round of miniature golf. Or strap on some ice skates for an ice skating adventure. Experience the world’s longest underwater aquarium tunnel or check out one of many unique museums.

The village of Gatlinburg is also filled with shopping, quaint eateries, arts & crafts, and simple, old-fashioned hospitality. See for yourself by joining the many who head to Gatlinburg every fall to soak up the beauty and adventure.

For information on Gatlinburg discount family vacation packages and Gatlinburg resorts, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

The school year is starting and the cooler air of autumn will soon replace the hot temperatures of summer. Meanwhile, amidst the mountain village of Gatlinburg, the lush green hills of the Great Smoky Mountains will begin its annual transformation into a sea of brilliant hues of orange, red and yellow.

With a variety of elevations and a wide diversity of trees, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a fall color season that runs approximately from mid-September to mid-November. Tourists will soon flock to Gatlinburg to watch as the colors slowly migrate down the mountainsides from the highest elevations to the foothills.

It also means some of the busiest traffic within the nation’s most visited national park. But you can enjoy the best of both worlds with a vacation at the 5-Star Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg.

Situated ideally near the main gateway to the national park, Westgate Smoky Mountain provides spacious and luxurious cabin accommodations with spectacular mountain views or stream views from your own private balcony. And few options offer such convenient entrance into the park for hiking, biking or simply driving through the Smoky Mountains during fall color season.

The Smokies are home to roughly 100 species of mostly deciduous native trees. Temperatures, rainfall and other variables help determine peak color seasons from year to year, but the stunning color displays typically begin above 4,000-foot elevations in mid-September. Beech, birch, maple, hobblebush and pin cherry trees at the higher elevations are visible from vantage points along Clingmans Dome Road. Other scenic drives for early fall colors include Parsons Branch Road and Newfound Gap Road.

For those who prefer hiking, the early color season can be enjoyed from trails such as Albright Grove and Sugarland Mountain Trail as well as high elevation hikes to Andrews Bald or Mt.

Middle and lower elevations typically reach peak color between mid-October and early November. These amazing displays include sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple and hickory trees. By this time, the sunny days and cooler nights can kick off a brilliant color display. The roads within the park will also get correspondingly busier. As a result, you might want to hike one of the many easy to moderate trails such as Lower Mount Cammerer, Baskins Creek Falls, Little River, Old Settlers and Porters Creeks Trails.

Other popular places to see fall colors in the Smoky Mountains include Newfound Gap Road from Alum Cave Trailhead to Kephart Prong Trailhead, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Foothills Parkway East & West, and Heintooga Ridge Road to Balsam Mountain Campground. Suggested hikes include Rich Mountain Loop, Chestnut Top Trail, Smokemont Loop, Kanati Fork, and Sutton Ridge Overlook.

For details about fall color season in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm. For information on Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.westgatereservations.com.