Winter Festivals Coming Up In The Smokies

It's been a very quiet start to the new year here in the Smokies. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way we like it! While we love the thrills and excitement the area brings during the holidays and vacation seasons, we love to get a break too, and this month gives us a chance to break away from some of that for quieter reflections of the mountains.

For those of you who want something more natural to enjoy in the Tennessee Smokies, you should check out both the Wilderness Wildlife Week at LeConte Conference Center in downtown Pigeon Forge (January 25th-February 1st for 2014) and the Winter Heritage Festival in Townsend, TN. The Wilderness Wildlife Week is 7 full days of lectures, guest speakers, exhibitions, guided walks and hikes into the mountains, and it's all free. You can see more on this at www.mypigeonforge.com.

The Winter Heritage Festival is February 7th and 8th for 2014, and it features a number of events, including a kickoff reception, photography workshop, hike to the Walker Sisters House, music performances and more. See the full schedule and events at http://www.smokymountains.org/do/events_festivals/winter_heritage.html.

And both are easy to get to from our houses at Cove Mountain. Reserve a luxury house in between your expeditions into the mountains at www.covemountain.com.

Christmas in the Smokies 2013

Just in time to get to some of the other Christmas events going on starting this month, here's what you can look forward to in December.


Christmas in Wears Valley
Now - 12/31/2013

Don't forget we have a new Christmas celebration here in Wears Valley! Every weekend at the Wears Valley Ranch, we're having traditional Appalachian Christmas items like hayrides, carolers, storytelling and much more! www.christmasinwearsvalley.com.


Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas
Now - 1/4/2014

Nowhere else in the entirety of East Tennessee will you find an area that brings the Winter Wonderland to life like Dollywood during their Smoky Mountain Christmas. Lots of Christmas shows, parades and performances, a Santa's workshop, and most incredible lighting displays throughout the park you've ever seen. Definitely a must-see on your list! www.dollywood.com

Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Parade
12/6/13

The Fantasy of Lights Parade is a wondrous sight to behold and many who come to see it have been making it part of their holiday tradition for over a decade. All of your favorite characters and seasonal icons march down the street, from Alamo Steakhouse on Highway 321 to Stoplight #10 at the end of the downtown parkway in Gatlinburg, will be appearing and marching down the street for your entertainment. www.gatlinburg.com.

Bill Landry at Cove Creek RV in Wears Valley.
12/7/13

Bill Landry is famous in East Tennessee and some parts beyond as the host of "The Heartlander Series" and for his storytelling appearances throughout the area. Now he's bringing his stories and his books to Wears Valley for a performance and a meet and greet to sign some of his books. Bill Landry will be appearing at 4:00PM, Saturday, December 7th, Cove Creek RV on the main street through Wears Valley. www.christmasinwearsvalley.com

New Years Eve
12/31/13

Both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are indulging in New Years fireworks this year, Gatlinburg will hold their traditional entertainment of music and revelry downtown and then fireworks shooting off from the Space Needle, but Pigeon Forge will also be having New Years Eve shows and apparently fireworks at several places as well. You'll need to visit www.gatlinburg.com and www.mypigeonforge.com for more information on those.


We look forward to 2014 and we hope to see you before then! www.covemountain.com.

The Smokies Reopens For One Week

We wanted to wait on our monthly blog post for when the colors were starting back up again, and this week is the week! A cold front is coming up later this week and the colors are sweeping through the mountains more and more each passing day.

Also making for good news this week is this: http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/sevierville-sevier/2013/10/15/smokies-park-reopening/2989559/. Meaning the Smoky Mountain National Park will open back up between October 16th to October 21st. If you've been waiting for the right time to come out for your Harvest Festival trip, this is it!

Reserve with us today at www.covemountain.com and add major layers of luxury and comfort to your trip too!

Harvest Festival 2013 - The Start of the Color Change

We don't want cry wolf, but it's been confirmed that the color change has already started in Pigeon Forge and we could see the full Autumn Bloom as early as two weeks ahead of schedule. Visitors hoping to get a colorful Autumn trip to the Smokies might need to make arrangements to come sooner than later.

Luckily there will be plenty of special events waiting for you should you come within the next few weeks. Just a sampling of the festivities going on in town around then include:

Pigeon Forge:
10th Annual Old Mill Heritage Day (September 28, 2013)
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/old-mill-heritage-day/

Rotary Club Craft Fair (September 28, 2013)
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/pigeon-forge-rotary-club-craft-fair/

MountainFest (October 1-7, 2013)
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/mountainfest/

Dollywood's National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration (October 2-November 2, 2013)
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/national-southern-gospel-harvest-celebration/


Gatlinburg:
Fast Cars 'n' Mason Jars (September 26-28, 2013)
http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=123

Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg (September 27-November 3, 2013)
http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=80

Fine Arts Festival (October 4-6, 2013)
http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=29

Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair (October 10-27, 2013)
http://www.gatlinburg.com/events/details.aspx?id=10


If this looks good to you, come out and spend the Autumn season with us at Cove Mountain! Close to Pigeon Forge and Townsend without much of the traffic and two camera memory cards worth of views guaranteed! www.covemountain.com.

Last minute Summer Fun Suggestions

Let's face facts, it's nearly August, and the moment that month hits the calendar, the summer time blues start singing. We're all feeling it, but we need to remember there is no real world basis for this, the Smokies have a whole other month (technically slightly more than a month and a half!) of Summer thrills to enjoy before breaking out the rake for Autumn.

Here are some awesome ideas for making the last vacation hurrah of the season really worth something:

* Wonderworks
This upside down labyrinth of scientific insanity is no joke - you might not be the same person coming out as the one that went in! All KINDS of crazy interactive fun stuff: a bicycle that rides in upside down loops, natural disaster simulators, a rollercoaster experience you build yourself and a real life psychic duel chamber. Only at www.wonderworks.com.

* Hollywood Wax Museum
The Wax Museum has grown and the expansion required a move to Pigeon Forge, what was once an awesome attraction inside a block of buildings is now a skyscraper under attack by King Kong aside a new Mt. Rushmore with Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne and more. Come see the greatest Wax Museum this side of Tussauds! www.hollywoodwaxmuseum.com.

* MagiQuest
A fantasy role-playing game has come to life in Pigeon Forge next to Mellow Mushroom on the parkway - an interactive medieval magic fun zone where dragons, pixies, wizards and such, like a video game you can actually travel inside of! www.magiquest.com.

                          

* The Island
The Island is live, large and in charge in Pigeon Forge! Ride the Smoky Mountain Wheel and get an INCREDIBLE eyefull of the mountains. New shopping experiences, restaurants, and family fun stuff abound in this active section of the city and you should definitely check it out next time you get a chance. www.islandpigeonforge.com.

* Townsend Wye
The main attraction in Townsend is their famous Smoky Mountain river where people come from all over the world to swim, wade, tube, and enjoy! Totally free to visit and an excellent place for families, picnics, wedding pictures, nature photography or imagery... anything you can imagine!

* The Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center
Consider visiting the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Museum in Townsend, Tennessee. If you love Appalachian culture, this is the place to learn and see as much of it as you can. The Heritage Museum is very family friendly and will provide an excellent stop for anyone, for any reason. Prices are very reasonable and they have a lovely gift shop with all kinds of books and interesting souvenirs. www.gsmheritagecenter.org.

And, of course, an awesome, luxury cabin rental here at Cove Mountain! See our cabins at www.covemountain.com.

Murder Mystery Dinner Show

There is a lot of entertainment to go around in the Smokies, but those of you who aren't really into Country, Bluegrass and Southern Gospel may find your offerings a bit more limited - which is one of many good reasons to check out the "Murder Mystery Dinner Show" in Pigeon Forge.

Rather than just watch a classic, dinner-theatre style "Whodunnit?", the Murder Mystery Show let's you interact with it. You've heard of this kind of show before and you know you've always wanted to try it. Let the excellent talent at Murder Mystery Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge make your night in the Smokies the most unforgettable one on your vacation!

See more on them at http://www.murder-mystery-theater.com/.

Independence Day 2013

 It's that time of the year everyone looks forward to from the start of June to the 4th of July and we want to invite you out to Wears Valley and Pigeon Forge to spend it with us in the Smokies!

Pigeon Forge is where you want to be for that magical day and Patriot Park is where all the action is going on. The entire park becomes a family picnic and fun park. Inflatable attractions for the young'uns, food tents, cooling down stations, and the entire Old Mill complex to enjoy. There is a huge soundstage erected at the North end of the park where there will be entertainment and music almost nonstop throughout the day with special guests Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers performing throughout the evening.

Then, between 9:30-9:45PM, the big show will start. For more than 15 minutes, the fireworks will explode over the park in an amazingly colorful display you'll remember for years. Well worth the visit to the Smokies to enjoy!

Come stay with us at Cove Mountain and you'll only be between 15-20 minutes from the action in Pigeon Forge. Enjoy a full day of fun out and about and then come back to a luxury home-away-from-home to rest those aching feet in our hot tubs, enjoy our swimming pool or anything else you can imagine in a luxury home.

See our website at www.covemountainresort.com for all our cabins. We hope to see you soon!