Gatlinburg to Host Veterans Day Celebration

The City of Gatlinburg will extend a heartfelt “Thank You!” to the men and women who put service before self at the Gatlinburg Veterans Day Celebration. The popular free-admission event on Friday, November 11 will begin at 11 a.m. on the Plaza at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and feature The Adjutant General of Tennessee, Major General Terry “Max” Haston, as keynote speaker.

Gatlinburg is an official Regional Site for the Observance of Veterans Day as designated by the Veterans Day National Committee, Department of Veterans Affairs, one of two cities in Tennessee and only 57 in the United States to hold this prestigious distinction. This designation affiliates Gatlinburg Veterans Day Celebration with activities taking place at the National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery.

“As we gather to recognize and honor Veterans in communities across the land, we are marking a unique opportunity that occurs once in a lifetime – to celebrate Veterans Day at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in the 11th year,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

“The time, date, and month hold historical significance, marking the anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I,” Secretary Shinseki continued. “Much has changed in our world since then. These changes have strengthened the very fabric of our nation. We have seen this spirit reflected in the brave men and women who have set aside many of their personal goals and ambitions to serve in the United States Armed Forces.” 

Maj. Gen. Haston was appointed Tennessee’s 75th Adjutant General on 1 January 2010. He is responsible for the supervision of the Military Department of Tennessee that includes the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and the Tennessee State Guard.

Other activities will include recognition of veterans, patriotic music, a military flyover, an American Bald Eagle presentation, and more.

 “Our veterans deserve our gratitude and coming to Gatlinburg for this event is one of many, many ways we can show our support and to thank the veterans,” said George Hawkins, Special Events Manager for the City of Gatlinburg. “While it’s very important for us to remember those who gave their lives to protect our nation, Veterans Day is the holiday dedicated to letting the surviving Veterans know how much we appreciate them.”

 The Gatlinburg Veterans Day Celebration is sponsored by City of Gatlinburg and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Fall Foliage in the Great Smoky Mountains

Nature’s annual kaleidoscope of color will visit soon the Smokies this year with great vigor. To help travelers determine where the best altitude is for leaf viewing at any given time, Gatlinburg provides updated leaf reports at www.gatlinburg.com and a fall foliage page at www.eventsgatlinburg.com. These links chronicle the descent of full-fledged color from the highest elevations of the Smokies in September to the climax of the color in November and even suggest walks, trails and short drives to take for the best viewing potential. Autumn in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a special time when a glorious leaf season lasting six to eight weeks is enjoyed by visitors as fall’s vibrant color changes travel down the mountainsides from high elevation of the Smokies to the foothills around Gatlinburg. There’s always peak color at a certain altitude. The adventure is finding out where the best leaf viewing is at the moment, and that usually requires only a short ride to the top. As you Reach Higher Ground, the colors explode into a spectacle of vivid shades of red and electrifying orange, with sprinklings of deep gold and bright yellows. The autumn colors surrounding Gatlinburg are magnificent and varied due to the amazing diversity of trees and plant life. Some 100 species of native trees live in the Smokies, the vast majority of which are deciduous. The timing of fall color change depends upon so many variables that the exact dates of “peak” season are impossible to predict in advance. Weather is a factor, but even Mother Nature has difficulty preventing the Smokies from erupting into a palette of brilliant colors barring a major storm. Basically, the Smokies are magnificent. Color displays above 4,000 feet start in mid-September with the turning of yellow birch, American beech, mountain maple, hobblebush, and pin cherry, clearly visible from such vantage points as Clingmans Dome Road. The fall color display usually reaches peak at middle and lower elevations between mid-October and early November. This is the Park’s most spectacular display as it includes such colorful trees as sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, and the hickories. Gatlinburg is the Southeast’s premier fall color destination, offering something for all ages.  Family-friendly and affordable, this walkable community nestled in the foothill of the Appalachian Mountains provides the perfect setting for fall vacations. Groups, families and couples will find something spectacular to their liking. Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg boasts countless lodging, dining and entertainment options. Explore the popular Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, ride the country’s longest aerial tram, browse through hundreds of unique shops, and revel in the splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains as you Reach Higher Ground in Gatlinburg. For more information on fall travel in Gatlinburg including outstanding deals and packages, please call (800) 56-VISIT or visit www.gatlinburg.com.

Dollywood to Host Barbeque & Bluegrass!

Dollywood’s immensely popular Barbeque & Bluegrass festival will take place August 19 through September 5, 2011, and feature 300 free concerts – all included with theme park admission. Highlights will include performances by some of the biggest names in bluegrass music such as Ricky Skaggs, Kentucky Thunder, Riders in the Sky, Rhonda Vincent and more! In addition, attendees can savor the “country’s tastiest barbeque.” For more information, visit www.dollywood.com.

Planning a vacation getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains? Check out the latest deals at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort! For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Planning to Visit the Smokies this Summer?

A picturesque mountain town full of fun adventures, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, serves as the principal gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the largest national park East of the Rocky Mountains and the most-visited national park in the United States. Gatlinburg also boasts fine art and antiques, mountain crafts, family-friendly restaurants and live entertainment.

Planning a vacation getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains? Check out the latest deals at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort! For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Dolly Parton at Dollywood

Planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains? Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort provides the ideal locale for your Great Smoky Mountains getaway. Nestled on approximately 70 acres adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort features the 60,000-square-foot Wild Bear Falls water park (the largest indoor water park in the South), two outdoor pools, two hot tubs, fitness facility and 24-hour marketplace. Enjoy award-winning barbecue at the casual Westgate Smokehouse Grill. The adjacent Mason Jar Lounge serves appetizers and snacks along with your favorite beverage. Escape to the Serenity Spa by Westgate and indulge in a mountain hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure or facial. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Gatlinburg Day Trips

Appalachian Caverns
420 Cave Hill Road, Blountville, Tennessee
www.appacaverns.com

Bristol Caverns
1157 Bristol Caverns Highway, Bristol, Tennessee
www.bristolcaverns.com 

Knoxville Zoological Gardens
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee
www.knoxville-zoo.org

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
3917 St. Elmo Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee
www.ridetheincline.com

Rock City Gardens
1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
www.seerockcity.com

Ruby Falls
1720 South Scenic Highway, Chattanooga, Tennessee
www.rubyfalls.com

Tennessee Aquarium
One Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee
www.tnaqua.org

Planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains? Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort provides the ideal locale for your Great Smoky Mountains getaway. Nestled on approximately 70 acres adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort features the 60,000-square-foot Wild Bear Falls water park (the largest indoor water park in the South), two outdoor pools, two hot tubs, fitness facility and 24-hour marketplace. Enjoy award-winning barbecue at the casual Westgate Smokehouse Grill. The adjacent Mason Jar Lounge serves appetizers and snacks along with your favorite beverage. Escape to the Serenity Spa by Westgate and indulge in a mountain hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure or facial. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Mark Your Calendar for Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass

Sevierville’s seventh annual Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass will take place May 20-21, 2011. This family-friendly event will once again bring barbeque cook teams from all over the United States to Sevierville to compete for $15,000 in cash and prizes and the title of Tennessee State Champion in the Bush’s Best TN State Championship Cook Off.

Rounding out the event is toe-tapping bluegrass music, incredible arts and crafts, kids’ games and the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition honoring Sevierville’s favorite hometown girl, Dolly Parton. Friday night (May 20), take a little time to visit with the barbeque cook teams you’ve seen on cable channels like the Food Network as you stroll through the “Que Zone.”

Then make sure you bring a lawn chair or blanket for the free bluegrass concerts with rising stars and legends of the bluegrass genre. Saturday morning (May 21), start the day early and watch as championship cook teams turn in their competition meats. Then stay for the announcement of winners at 4pm. During the competition the teams will cook an estimated 2,832 pounds of meat including 20 pounds of pulled pork, 24 pounds of brisket, 5 pounds of chicken and 10 pounds of ribs each. Winning teams will receive recognition in Chicken, Ribs, Pork and Brisket as well as specialty categories like “Anything Bush Beans”, “Anything Wampler’s Farm Sausage”, Sauce and Dessert.

An expanded Kids’ Zone and the Bluegrass Music Tent, sponsored in part by The Music Outlet, add fun and enrichment for the kids and families who attend Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass. The Kids’ Zone includes attractions like climbing walls, bounce houses and old-time toys while the Bluegrass Music Tent gives kids (and kids at heart) the chance to touch and play bluegrass instruments such as banjos, fiddles and more (don’t worry, instructors will be on site to help). Both of these attractions will be open until 9pm each day of the event.

A highlight of Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass is the 7th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition Finals held on May 21. Finalists from around the nation will sing their hearts out for a chance to win prize money, a recording session in Nashville, Tennessee and a guitar autographed by Dolly Parton. This competition, the only one of its kind that festival organizers know of, honors the songwriting of Dolly Parton. Competitors, male and female, must sing a song written by Dolly Parton (there are over 3,000) and do so in their own style (rock, rap, country, bluegrass, swing, soul, etc.).

Admission and concerts are free thanks to great sponsors, including the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce which encourages you to stay in Sevierville while visiting Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass. For more information about Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass, call (888) 889-7415 or visit us online at www.BloominBBQ.com.

Pigeon Forge to Host Wilderness Wildlife Week

Children definitely are part of the mix during Wilderness Wildlife Week, an annual salute to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Mother Nature in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Jan. 8-15, 2011.

More than 20 of the week’s 235 programs are geared specifically for children, and dozens more aimed at general audiences would inform and entertain the younger set.

Wilderness Wildlife Week’s eight days of programs are a gift to all visitors from the City of Pigeon Forge to honor its next-door neighbor, America’s most visited national park.

Among the child-friendly programs are “Those Ain’t Teddy Bears” (about the park’s iconic black bears), “Hug a Tree and Survive,” “O! Possum” and “Batteries Not Included” (about mountain children’s pre-electric games and toys).

In addition, there are several programs featuring live animals. Presenters include experts from the American Eagle Foundation, the Knoxville Zoo and Bays Mountain Park.

“Today’s young people actually need encouragement to get outdoors and play, and the ‘Kids Track’ programs during Wilderness Wildlife Week are one way to do that. We want future generations to appreciate the treasure that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is,” said Leon Downey, executive director of tourism for Pigeon Forge.

More than 200 experts volunteer their time to conduct the week’s 235 programs – 128 of which are new in 2011 – about nature photography, bears, butterflies, elk, camping skills, outdoor safety and scores of other topics.

New for 2011 is an all-day concentration on outdoor photography called “The Smokies Through the Lens” on Jan. 15. Nine seminars aimed at all skill levels are planned, and topics include equipment, shooting techniques and editing. Other photography instruction classes and numerous photo showcases occur throughout the week.

Other special programming includes

· AppalachiaFest – A musical celebration of mountain music and dancing (audience participation encouraged) featuring the Carolina Bluegrass Boys, Tony Thomas and Boogertown Gap on Jan. 11

· Cade Cove Memories – Five special programs on Jan. 15 organized by the Cades Cove Preservation Association that focus on this popular portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In addition to all the indoor programs, there are 48 hikes and excursions into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including a llama trek. They range from easy walks to strenuous hikes, and Wilderness Wildlife Week provides transportation to and from each trailhead, plus experienced hiking guides. In 2010, hikers from 17 states participated. Hiking records have been kept for eight years, and the accumulated total mileage is 14,289.

This will be the 21st year for Wilderness Wildlife Week, a major part of the four-month-long Pigeon Forge Winterfest season. Admission to all programs is free.

“The week is extremely flexible. You can come just for one program, for one day only or for the whole week,” Downey said.

Wilderness Wildlife Week began 20 years ago as a half-day program and immediately grew into a weeklong activity. It has been a Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Event in the Southeast” 10 times.

Wilderness Wildlife Week details are updated frequently at www.MyPigeonForge.com/wildlife. Information about all aspects of visiting Pigeon Forge is at www.MyPigeonForge.com or by calling toll-free to 1-800-251-9100.

Barnstormer Video, Dollywood

Barnstormer is a new attraction at Dollywood, scheduled to open for the spring 2011 season!

Planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains? Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort provides the ideal locale for your Great Smoky Mountains getaway. Nestled on approximately 70 acres adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort features the 60,000-square-foot Wild Bear Falls water park (the largest indoor water park in the South), two outdoor pools, two hot tubs, fitness facility and 24-hour marketplace. Enjoy award-winning barbecue at the casual Westgate Smokehouse Grill. The adjacent Mason Jar Lounge serves appetizers and snacks along with your favorite beverage. Escape to the Serenity Spa by Westgate and indulge in a mountain hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure or facial. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Fall Foliage Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains

One of the best (and busiest!) times to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is during the month of October – the peak season for fall foliage when the park comes alive with a blaze of brilliant red, orange and yellow leaves. Some of the best colors can be viewed along Newfound Gap Road, the 32-mile stretch of U.S. 441 that leisurely winds from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina. Beautiful fall scenery abounds within the 4,000-acre Cades Cove valley, which features preserved pioneer homesteads, historical churches, an old mill, hiking trails and an abundance of wildlife. However, be aware that Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove are also usually the most congested areas during this time of year.

Other prime leaf-peeping opportunities include Clingmans Dome Road, which winds up to 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smoky Mountains; the Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches 469 miles, connecting Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park with Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina; Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail; and the Foothills Parkway. Suggested hikes include the Appalachian Trail, Inspiration Point on Alum Cave Trail, Look Rock Tower, Oconaluftee River Trail and Sutton Ridge Overlook. Typically, fall colors in the Smokies usually reach their peak in the mid and lower elevations between mid-October and early November, during which visitors can view colorful trees such as hickory, red maple, scarlet oak, sugar maple and sweetgum.

For more information about fall foliage in the Great Smoky Mountains, visit the official Great Smoky Mountains National Park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm.

With great weather, colorful foliage, a multitude of lively festivals and a diversity of accommodation choices, the Great Smoky Mountains provide the perfect fall vacation destination. The fall traveler can choose from either resorts, hotels and motels convenient to downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, or rustic cabins and chalets nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains. For instance, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort offers great deals on spacious accommodations that provide easy access to Smoky Mountain area attractions, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dollywood. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com