Gatlinburg Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Gatlinburg’ Category

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.

Majestic mountains, exquisite art, creativity, children’s programs, music - add it all up and you have the 7^th Annual Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival.

The special event, held in downtown Gatlinburg, TN adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a two-day street fair to be held May 14-15.

The prestigious event highlights top artists in their fields and participating exhibitors are chosen by jury in 16 categories ranging from ceramics and glass to watercolor and woodworking. In all, a total of $10,000 in prizes and purchase vouchers is at stake.  

The fun-filled festival is free to visitors. However, the event is an annual fundraiser for the internationally renowned Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the Sevier County Arts Council and the Gatlinburg Boys & Girls Club art program. 

Don’t miss your chance to experience some of the very best arts and crafts in an area well known for its exceptional craftsmanship.

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

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/.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains the most visited of America’s many national parks. With more than 9 million visitors a year, the Great Smoky Mountains offers 800 square miles of spectacular scenery spanning much of Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Grand Canyon, despite its remote location, comes in a distant second to the Great Smokies in terms of visitors, with more than 4 million guests per year.

All told, the U.S. national park system spans 84 million acres and encompasses everything from mountains to seashores to the White House.

While a majority of National Parks are free year round, the National Park Service offers a number of fee free events throughout the year at those parks that do require an admission fee.

There’s no better time to celebrate the beauty, diversity and history of America’s 394 parks than during National Park Week, April 16-24, 2011. The parks will be waiving entrance fees everywhere and holding special events ranging from scavenger hunts to guided nature hikes.

Other remaining fee free days in 2011 include: June 21 (first day of summer), Sept. 24 (Public Lands Day) and Nov. 11-13 (Veteran’s Day weekend).

A long list of National Parks offer visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service Family as Junior Rangers. Interested students can complete a series of activities during their park visit, share their answers with a real park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger badge or patch and a Junior Ranger certificate.

For more information on the U.S. national parks, visit www.nps.gov. Or go to www.westgatereservations.com for the latest on the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, TN including discount Gatlinburg vacation packages.

When it comes to spectacular scenery, the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area has much to offer, including sweeping vistas, colorful wildflowers and miles of rolling mountains.

Located adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg remains a popular destination among Tennessee’s mountain villages, and for good reason. It’s also home to many of the area’s most scenic viewpoints.

Gatlinburg visitors can take a glass elevator more than 400 feet up to the top of the Gatlinburg Space Needle where an observation deck provides a vivid and wondrous 360° view of the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains. You’ll also enjoy a distinct bird’s eye view of Gatlinburg. The view is a panorama of beauty during any season, any time of the year.

Another popular viewpoint is from the Gatlinburg Sky Lift. Climb aboard the Lift and you’ll glide peacefully over the Little Pigeon River on a slow and spectacular 500-foot ascent to the top of Crockett Mountain. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the landscape below you as the mountain terrain is also home to a variety of wildlife.

You’ll find a truly awe-inspiring view of the Great Smoky Mountains and Douglass Reservoir from the upper viewing area at Douglass Reservoir Overlook. Meanwhile, the lower overlook offers a picture perfect view of Douglas Dam and the French Broad River Basin.  

Inside The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ll also find Laurel Falls. One of the area’s most scenic hiking trails, this 1.3 mile pathway was originally built in 1935. The wide trail is completely paved and easily traveled by all ages until it reaches the 75-foot Laurel Falls. Beyond the falls, the trail is less heavily used and ascends through mostly virgin forest to a fire tower on Cove Mountain.

You’ll also find amazing mountain and creek views from your villa at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg. For more information on discount accommodations, visit www.westgatereservations.com today.

Spring is creeping around the corner and that means trout season in the Smoky Mountains. More importantly, it means Gatlinburg’s annual Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament is just around the corner.

Gatlinburg, the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers up its 12^th annual trout derby on April 2-3, 2011. The fishing tournament is open to adults and children. It’s also equally challenging for both visitors and locals, with multiple categories to be contested. This is the largest trout tournament in the Smokies and all Gatlinburg and state fishing regulations will be observed.

Of course, fishing is just one of the joys of springtime in Gatlinburg. You’ll also find the surrounding Smoky Mountains beginning to burst out in all of its colorful glory. There’s no better time to get back to hiking and biking the hundreds of miles of trails inside the National Park.

You’ll also find myriad shopping, dining and fun-filled attractions throughout Gatlinburg and neighboring Pigeon Forge, including the popular theme park, Dollywood.

For more information on activities and discount accommodations available in Gatlinburg, please visit 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.

Fall color season is almost here.

Year in and year out, one of the nation’s favorite fall color destinations is Gatlinburg, TN. Situated in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Gatlinburg area is a “must see” for those who appreciate and love the brilliant hues of a spectacular fall color change in this mountainous region.

With miles of heavily forested mountains offering up beautiful foliage, crisp air, country arts and crafts, harvest festivals, theme parks and more, Gatlinburg is the place to be in October.

Figuring out just when the color change will peak is an imperfect science and it changes annually, depending on the fall weather patterns. A good rule of thumb that defines a brilliant fall is dry weather with cool, but not freezing, temperatures in October. While other factors also come into play, the Gatlinburg area typically sees its most brilliant colors during the last couple weeks of October. The higher elevations change color first and then the reds, oranges and yellows will quickly start trickling down into the valley.

The Tennessee State Department of Tourist Development offers a helpful web site that can assist in determining the peak color season. For Gatlinburg fall foliage vacations, updates and forecasts, scenic route guides, photos, and additional information, visit http://fall.tnvacation.com.

Remember that fall is also one of the busiest seasons in Gatlinburg and weekends are the busiest days, with extremely heavy traffic. Consider staying right in the middle of the colors at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort. You’ll be surrounded by fall foliage, just minutes from the gates to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and you’ll have access to the area’s largest indoor water park, Wild Bear Falls! Go to www.WestgateReservations.com for information.

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.

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.