Gatlinburg Cabins Vacations

Vacationing in Pigeon Forge

If you and your family have made the decision to visit Pigeon Forge for your family vacation you’ve made a great choice. Now get ready for plenty of relaxation intermingled with a wealth of fun and adventure in this unsurpassable vacation. You made the perfect choice for a family get-away.

Most cabins in Pigeon Forge are even more luxurious than many of the hotels. Push away images of “roughing it” while staying in a cabin with no modern utilities. Think luxurious. Think about a dip in the Jacuzzi. Think plenty of space with awesome views and lots of extra amenities.

The best part of the entire deal is that located just outside your window is a mountain paradise. The Smoky Mountains offer a striking backdrop for your ultimate vacation. Rising up in the morning will be joyous because as you first gaze outside, you will be treated to a stunning picture that will surpass any artwork you’ve ever seen.

Your Pigeon Forge cabin vacation is sure to be loaded with family activities. There are several venues readily available to tourists. One of the more popular activities for the family is rafting in the Smokies. Both kids and adults absolutely love riding on the raft across the river while you enjoy the scenery and the thrill of the ride.

You also just might have heard of Dollywood, an amazing theme park that’s perfect for all thrill seekers. This isn’t a cookie cutter amusement park. Roller coasters, rides, and attractions are just the tip of the iceberg. The park is a definite treat for the whole family and is set amongst a theme of country music and Appalachian living.

If a relaxing form of entertainment is what you are looking for , the city offers an array of live entertainment shows. If you are a fan of country music, you will be happier than a hog in slop. The shows are a lot of fun for both children and adults and they are definitely something you’ll want to include on your family vacation.

Pigeon Forge Cabins is the site to visit for your Pigeon Forge Vacation planning, you won’t be disappointed. There really is something for everyone in this city. Whether you enjoy the thrill of roller coasters , the excitement of the outdoors, or just love good country music, Pigeon Forge has it all.

Vactioning in Gatlinburg

For generations Gatlinburg has been a favorite resort getaway for both small and large families and couples. Located in the Smoky Mountains area of eastern Tennessee, Gatlinburg sits at one of the most visited entrances of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located literally near the base of Mt. LeConte, the City of Gatlinburg is surrounded by only a short walk from streams, woods, and mountains.

The cabin experience has a very special tradition in Gatlinburg. One of the first cabins was built by the Ogle family in the early 1800S and is now open to view by all visitors. Some of the cabins located in Gatlinburg take you back to the earliest days of frontier settlers. It's hard to imagine that this area was once the westernmost boundary of the United States. These wooden cabins elicit a homespun connection with American history and its spectacular and beautiful natural environment.

There are literally thousands of cabins to choose from in the present day. Although the prevailing style is the traditional log cabin, there are several other styles ranging from Swiss type chalets to high end ultra -modern wooden condominiums. Gatlinburg also offers various hotel and motel choices, geared to accommodate families, couples and even conference business travelers.

Gatlinburg was originally founded in the early 1800s as White Oaks and was just a sleepy residential town until the emergence of its timber industry in the early 1900s. The realization of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1934 created the demand for tourist services. Gatlinburg officially incorporated in 1945 and has since become one of the premier year round vacation destinations.

Currently Gatlinburg has become even more celebrated as both a vacation destination for families and a romantic honeymoon spot. Gatlinburg is ideally located within one days drive for nearly fifty percent of the American population.p>

Gatlinburg Cabins is the site for knowledge on Gatlinburg cabins, Gatlinburg cabin rentals, Smoky Mountain area information and related info.

Gatlinburg Midnight Parade

As is the custom each year, Gatlinburg is poised to host their midnight parade in Downtown Gatlinburg, TN.  Starting at midnight on July 4th the main street in Gatlinburg will be alight with beautiful floats, lively costumes, marching bands and all of the extravaganza that surrounds an event like this.  If you still want to come Auntie Belhams Realty & Nightly Rentals, Inc. is the place to stay.  Visit us at www.auntiebelhams.com for your Gatlinburg cabins needs.

Valentines in Gatlinburg

Enjoy the mountains of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge this Valentines Day.  Your sweetheart will be thrilled with the gift of a romantic stay in a log cabin or chalet in the Smokies.  Come see Gatlinburgs Winter magic of lights:

Event Name:	Gatlinburg Winter Magic
Date(s):	Now - February 29, 2008
Season:	Winter
Category:	Entertainment
Description:	Enjoy more than three million twinkling lights, illuminated forests and animated displays up to 40 feet tall. New for 2007, displays featuring animals indigenous to Great Smoky Mountains National Park including deer, foxes, squirrels and rabbits are introduced, with many areas accentuated by branches and scrolls which have been converted to LED.
Location:	Throughout Gatlinburg

4th of July in the Smokies

Come celebrate this Independence Day in the Smoky Mountains. With soooo many activities going on, your family will have the best 4^th of July ever.   It’s not too late to make reservations at Auntie Belham’s Realty & Nightly Rentals, Inc. for the 4^th of July.  Call 1.800.436.6618 or visit their website at www.auntiebelhams.com.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge offers many family fun events during this spectacular holiday from fireworks, live entertainment , parades and more.

Once again Gatlinburg will kick off the 4^th of July with the Nations first Independence parade at 12:01 am on July ^4th.  This will be Gatlinburg’s 32^nd Independence Day parade!  All topped off by a spectacular fireworks display. 

In Pigeon Forge, the 17^th Annual Patriot Festival will offer a fun filled day at the Patriot Park.  Activities will include games for the kids, great concerts and a fireworks display.

Plus, great Independence Day Sales going on at many of the outlet malls and stores.

Father's Day Fishing Event in Victor Ashe Park

Dads and their kids will be able to catch a bonding experience at the City of Knoxville Father's Day Fishing Event on Sunday, June 17, in Victor Ashe Park.

The event will run from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. and the park is located at 4901 Bradshaw Rd.

"This is a fun event that will allow fathers to spend time with their children,"; Mayor Bill Haslam said. "We hope lots of our citizens will take advantage of this family friendly event."

No fishing licenses will be required and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Association is donating over 100 fish for the occasion.

Gander Mountain is partnering with the City's Parks and Recreation Division to offer the Father's Day Fishing Event and will be giving fishing tips and demonstrations throughout the day. Gander Mountain is also donating prizes to be given away, including a grand prize for the largest fish caught by a father/child team.

Participants should bring their own bait, tackle, fishing poles, and blankets. Refreshments, including fried fish, burgers, and ice cream will be available for purchase at the event.

Information provided by the City of Knoxville, TN.

Children's Festival of Reading 2007 Promises to be a Rompin' Stompin' Good Time!

Another fun thing to do while staying in our beautiful Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg Cabins this weekend:

The Knox County Public Library is very pleased to host the 3rd Annual Children's Festival of Reading on June 2 in World's Fair Park. The Festival includes a rambunctious gathering of giant street puppets, storytellers, magicians, musicians, and lots of children's writers. The event is free and open to the public, and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In keeping with this year's theme of the Summer Library Club - Rompin' Stompin' Reading Roundup-the Festival is a western hoedown complete with four performance stages: The Rompin' Stompin' Stage opened by Dollywood's stage show, "The Gruffalo"; the Hootenanny for fun-filled, sing-along music; Campfire Chats for storytelling; and the Writer's Roundup for intimate conversations with writers. The fun continues with an arts and crafts tent, a children's play area with massive inflatable slides, and a dip or two in the popular interactive fountain not to mention a hay ride around the perimeter of the Park.

This year's featured author is renowned children's writer/illustrator Tomie dePaola. He has written more than 200 books including Strega Nona and has been honored with numerous awards including the prestigious Caldecott and Newbery Honor Awards. Six of Tomie's books are featured in the Imagination Library collection. Tomie's appearance at the Festival is made possible through a partnership with Dollywood Foundation and UT's Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature.

The Animal Band will headline the Rompin' Stompin' Stage with their lively music, wacky costumes and unique stage props. No doubt this Nashville sensation will have the audience up and dancing to their colorful and educational tunes. The Animal Band won the NAMMY Award for Best Children's Music Recording of the Year for their 1999 album, Animal Rock, as well as Media and Entertainment's Excellence Award presented by members of Congress for their efforts in educating children through positive message music.

New this year! - Kids of all ages are invited to join in a Giant Puppet Parade starring Pecos Bill, Davy Crockett, Annie Oakley and others. These whimsical nine-foot characters were made by area kids in workshops all spring long.

More than 45 community groups and food vendors are coming out to support the wonderful world of reading with special crafts, storytelling and games.

Join a Reading Program! - Knox County Public Library is hosting the Festival to encourage people of all ages to join a reading club this summer. There's a program for everyone! For children (both listeners and readers), prize packs include $200 worth of rewards from area attractions and merchants. This year's Teen Reads program features a tailored reward book with prizes such as a ride on the Three Rivers Rambler and entrance to Tennessee Valley Fair. The Adult Reading Challenge encourages older folks to take time to slow down and pick up a good novel. When adults read, they model good reading habits for the children in their lives and learn something for themselves along the way.

The Children's Festival of Reading is made possible through the generous support of Books-A-Million, ORNL Credit Union, Downtown Knoxville, Friends of the Library, Target, Knoxville News Sentinel, WBIR, Comcast, B97.5, the City of Knoxville and East Tennessee Foundation.

For a complete program, list of authors and performers and more information, please go to

www.knoxcounty.org/library or call 215-8767.

Information provided by the City of Knoxville, TN.

Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center Celebrates Traditions with Summerfest 2007

Raleigh, N.C. (May 23, 2007) — For six consecutive weekends this summer, residents and visitors to North Carolina can experience history, music and culture at the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center’s Summerfest. The series is part of the Department of Cultural Resources’ 2007 celebration, “History Happens Here.”

Kicking off on Saturday, June 23, Summerfest brings traditional music, craft demonstrations, storytelling, classes and even a fly-fishing workshop in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In its second year, Summerfest focuses on Blue Ridge traditions, encouraging visitors to experience the history and culture of mountain music and craft firsthand while enjoying the incredible scenery and outdoor recreation of the surrounding area.

“The Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center is central to the understanding of the authentic culture of western North Carolina,” said Lisbeth C. “Libba” Evans, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. “Families and visitors can find wonderful music, crafts and demonstrations for all ages.”

A collaboration among the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center, the N.C. Folklife Institute, and the N.C. Arts Council, the Summerfest lineup has new additions and returning favorites. Musicians include the Queen Family, George Shuffler and Laura Boosinger, and David Holt and friends. Also featured are bands such as Buncombe Turnpike, Beech Mountain Echoes, Possum Hollar Old-Time String Band and audience favorites from Old Fort Mountain Music. Visitors can participate in shape-note singing; hear bluegrass music; and listen to ballads, dulcimer playing and gospel singing in the creekside amphitheater under the shade trees.

Events scheduled for Saturdays begin at 10 a.m. and include craft demonstrations, films, workshops and classes, with special amphitheater performances scheduled from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., while Sunday features an informal Music on the Porch Series at 2 p.m.

Craft demonstrations range from wood carving and basket weaving to Cherokee beadwork and chair weaving. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore crafts created from natural objects with Ila Hatter and to learn from Susan Taylor, who will demonstrate how to make a birdhouse from a gourd. On another weekend, Ray McCoy will explain flintknapping and will treat newcomers to a wood-carving demonstration.

Freeman Owle, a Cherokee carver, historian and award-winning storyteller, will delight audiences with his stories of the Cherokee people. Legendary storyteller Orville Hicks, who from an early age entertained others with his Jack tales, will captivate audiences with familiar and new stories, adapted to include the changing contexts of mountain communities.

Opened to the public in 1971 and housed in an original 1936 WPA stone building, the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center encourages the preservation and understanding of local, state and regional history for future generations. Acquired by the state of North Carolina in 1982 and currently maintained by the Division of State History Museums, the site serves members of the public and non-profit museums in western North Carolina through a variety of educational programs, collections management, interpretive exhibits and public events.

Mountain Gateway is located in Old Fort (about a 2 hour drive from Gatlinburg, TN), long known to generations as the “gateway” into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Old Fort was the site of the westernmost outpost of immigration civilization in North Carolina prior to the Revolutionary War. Many of the photographs, collections, videos and exhibits allow visitors to explore the lives of North Carolina’s earliest inhabitants through the settlement period and into the 20th century.

The N.C. Folklife Institute, a sponsor of Summerfest, promotes the preservation and understanding of folklife in North Carolina. Originally incorporated in 1974, the Institute supported the 1976 N.C. Folklife Festival, leading to the development of the N.C. Office of Folklife Programs. As the Office of Folklife Programs became part of the N.C. Arts Council in the early 80s, the Institute continued to support projects and programs important to the preservation of North Carolina culture.

Summerfest events are scheduled through July 29 and are free and open to the public. Some workshops require a fee and advance registration. Lawn chairs are welcomed and encouraged. The Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center is located at 102 Water Street in Old Fort, four blocks north of I-40, exit 73.

For more information, visit www.ncarts.org, www.ncfolk.org or www.ncculture.com. To register for a workshop, call the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center at (828) 668-9259. Advance reservations are encouraged; space is limited.

This article was provided by the North Carolina Museum of History.

Memorial Day Services in Sevier County

Remember What It's All About.

On May 28th, at 11am, a Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Sevier County Courthouse, a tribute to those who have served and protected the USA

Also on May 28th, at 10am, a Memorial Day Service will be held at the Bass Pro Shop in Kodak, TN (near I-40, exit 407).

Take a few minutes Monday to remember those who have given all for the USA, and those that serve today.

I wish you all a safe Memorial Day Weekend. 

Celebrate Father’s Day Aboard The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Beer Gourmet Dinner Train

June 16 will be a special evening on the Gourmet Dinner Train of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in North Carolina. The excursion that departs the Dillsboro Depot at 7:30 pm will celebrate fatherhood by honoring fathers and forefathers. (The Depot is just over an hour's drive from Gatlinburg.) The Father’s Day Beer Dinner Train gives dads an opportunity to travel the rail while enjoying dinner in a vintage dining car with the option of premium beers.  The evening dining train will feature a special menu paired with four premium beers, brewed in the Carolinas, from Carolina Beer Company.

The menu starts with traditional Caeser Salad served with an Asiago Cheese Crisp.  This will be followed with Crab Meat Au Gratin Sweet Jumbo Lump Crabmeat baked in the house Bechamel and Bread Crumbs.  The entrée choices are: Crispy Pan Seared Duck Breast with Wild Berry Jus and Wild Rice Pilaf or Carolina Golden BBQ Shrimp & Grits–(Jumbo Shrimp, Andouille Sausage and Wild Mushrooms in a Golden BBQ sauce served over Bourbon Cheese Grits.) Dessert will be Snickers pie served on a painted plate.

The Father’s Day Beer Dinner Train is $78.00 per adult. It is just one of the many dining train options at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. For more information about this dinner train or one of the other train excursions call 800-872-4681 or visit the web page at www.gsmr.com.