We found an East Tennessee jewel for your Smoky Mountain Staycation. Terminal 1346 is an Airbnb property that offers a unique and unexpected place to stay in Maryville, TN. In 2016, the Smith family purchased a six-acre plot of land that housed an old airplane hangar and a World War II train car. A year later, they took on the task of renovating the structures, resulting in an architectural masterpiece. This two-bedroom space offers comfort, luxury, and magazine-worthy design. Read all about why travel writer Kristin Luna calls Terminal 1346 one of her all-time, top three short-term rentals here.
For other lodging ideas in the Great Smoky Mountains, check out these links.
Any visit to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies is a good time to explore the many amazing dining options. But, if you are paying a visit in the winter months, you have every excuse imaginable to indulge in a hearty breakfast. Known as the most important meal of the day, this is particularly true when you are going up against the chilly weather of the winter season. Even if you intend to do little more than cozy up to a crackling fire in your rental cabin, or especially if you are going to head out for a serious day of snowshoeing, skiing, shopping or sightseeing… a good breakfast is a must. The good news is that you have some truly astonishing choices and may want to just decide to eat breakfast “out” each day of the visit – and maybe book a stop in any of the “all day breakfast” joints to ensure you sample every single option available!
Breakfast on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies
Gracie’s Restaurant A Maryville classic, this restaurant emphasizes fresh ingredients for all three meals a day! If you want a home-style breakfast in a friendly and appealing setting, this is one to try. Country Steak n’ Eggs A newcomer to the area, it is a destination for fans of all things breakfast. Offering their namesake dish along with country classics like biscuits and gravy or country ham and eggs, it is tucked along the river in Townsend and provides scenery with its tasty foods. Midland Located in Alcoa, it is a “just like Grandma’s” sort of spot that offers amazing breakfast platters that cannot leave you hungry! Snoring Bear Diner Serving all meals, and noted for its peanut butter pie or grilled mac and cheese, it offers stick-to-ribs breakfasts for those with a serious appetite in the Walland area. Savory Rootz With a motto that says if it “ain’t made with love, it ain’t fit eat’n”, this Alcoa restaurant specializes in casual dining and local foods, and promises a creative menu with a twist on traditional breakfast dishes (like their fried chicken biscuit with sausage gravy!)
Great Choices Further Afield
If you are willing to head anywhere in the Blount County area, you’ll find that some of the best options include: Crockett’s 1875 Breakfast Skillet cinnamon rolls as big as your head and all of the breakfast favorites make this the perfect place to start the day. Everything has a wonderful twist, such as pecan smoked bacon or cathead stackers, and so much more. Sawyer’s Farmhouse Breakfast The name says it all and you can expect enormous portions, farm fresh ingredients and more than enough in the way of choices. You may find yourself heading back just so you can sample a few more items on the huge menu. Lil Black Bear Café Located in Pigeon Forge, it is popular for family breakfasts and meals, and offers up healthy, hearty and fresh fare throughout the day. Elvira’s Café Save this Sevierville establishment for a brunch experience as it is noted for this particular specialty. An all day eatery, you can get lots of local dishes along with hearty breakfasts. Don’t forget other highly-rated area eateries such as the Black Bear Café, Misty Morning Café, Rosy’s Café, TC’s Grill, The Iron Skillet, Farmacy, OliBea and so many others.
Springtime in the Smokies offers locals and visitors alike a majestic view not only of the mountains but of the hundreds of different colored wildflowers that bloom starting in spring and staying in bloom into the summer months. This time of year, not only are the millions of flowers a sight to behold, but you have a good chance of seeing new baby bear cubs, newborn fawns, baby birds, and so much more. The snow line is slowly creeping higher up into the mountains the trees begin to burst out in their canopy of color, and with all this comes a serious case of cabin fever. It’s not unusual for anyone who has been cooped up all winter to feel the need to get outside and enjoy a little warm spring sunshine and fresh air. If you are coming to the Peaceful Side of Smokies to visit, make sure you bring your camera. Here are five of our favorite spots to take photographs. Abrams Falls – It’s a five-mile round trip to Abrams Falls from Cades Cove. Your hike will take you through dense forest and rhododendrons that are blooming in a riot of color. The falls are one of the most popular spots to hike to and offer amazing photo opportunities. Little River Trail – The Little River Trail is over in Elkmont and offers a 5-mile trek along the riverside where you will see an incredible selection of wildflowers blooming in a riot of color. Among them are hepaticas, rhododendron, and yellow trillium. Make sure you have plenty of room on your memory card, the photo ops are almost endless. Laurel Falls Trail – The Laurel Falls Trail is considered by most to be the easiest trail in the Smokies to hike. It’s only 2.6 miles to the falls and back, but the walk will take you to the picture-perfect Laurel Falls. The trail leads you between the upper and lower falls and offers several fabulous photo opportunities. Mount LeConte – For those of you who are up for a challenging hike, the Mount LeConte is third tallest peak inside the boundaries of the national park. The hike might be a bit tough, but the view from the summit is breathtaking, and you can capture some amazing photos here, making the trip well worth the effort. Potters Creek Trail – If you want pictures of flowers, historical buildings, and a four-mile hike that is sure to create great memories, then Potters Creek Trail is for. Along the trek, you will go past the site of the John Messer farm along with a spectacular array of wildflowers including yellow trillium, foamflower, baneberry, wild geranium, dwarf ginseng, toothwort, and many, many more. These are just a few of our favorite places to hike for photos. No matter who you talk to here, everyone is going to have their list of places they like to go to take pictures. The most important thing is for you to come to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies and find your own favorite places!
It is fair to say that one of the best winter views you can enjoy while visiting the Smokies during the colder weather is the sight of your crackling fire roaring happily away in your cabin’s fireplace. Tucked into a cozy chair, surrounded by family or friends, and gazing out at the majestic winter landscape is probably one of the finest ways to relax and recharge this winter. However tempting it might be to spend your entire visit inside by the fire, you should also head out into the surroundings and enjoy the unprecedented beauty that is the Smokies in winter. There are frozen waterfalls that you can reach in your car, popular spots now free of summer crowds and blanketed in a peaceful drift of snow, and the mountains themselves, which look entirely different in the winter months. And if the idea of heading out in a car makes you think you might miss something, think again. CNN picked the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as one of the finest winter drives in the entire United States. So, just opting to pay a visit to the park can provide you with plenty of photo opportunities and show-stopping views.
Holiday Lights in the Smokies
From late November and until the turn of the New Year, the entire region is full of holiday lights. Known formally as Winterfest, it is a celebration of the season and between Sevierville, Townsend, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, there are more than five million little twinkle lights glimmering. There are self-guided driving tours to enjoy, walks through towns, parades, and so much more. Booking a visit in this period can offer some of the most amazing views imaginable. If you prefer all-natural views, consider some of these options:
Newfound Gap Road
Running from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, NC, the road has a wide array of spots to pull over and snap photos. It is busier in the summer months, and so a winter drive is super enjoyable because you can spend longer stretches at each stop, drive a more comfortable pace and really savor the scenery. If you are particularly hardy, the parking area for the Appalachian Trail access offers truly stunning sunrise photos, and at the northern end of the road, you get great views of the Little Pigeon River, and the Oconaluftee River at the southern end.
Cades Cove in the winter
Long noted as the most popular part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is also a place where loads of local wildlife is frequently spotted – even in the winter months. The 11-mile loop is one of the most scenic and there are lots of spots to pull over. With the leaves down for the season, you can see a lot of the old homes, mills, barns and churches normally concealed from sight!
Frozen by winter’s chill, they can offer some of the most stunningly beautiful views you will ever see, and which are only possible thanks to the changing seasons. You might also want to head to Ober Gatlinburg to go to the top of the mountain, take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, or enjoy the views from your own private cabin. Wherever you look, it is sure that the Smokies offer something appealing and beautiful to behold.
Townsend has a unique way of bringing the history of The Great Smoky Mountains in current and relevant ways to everyone who visits. To add to this custom of keeping our traditions alive comes a welcomed new addition: Company Distilling & their Tasting Experience. Opened July 8, 2022, their Townsend tasting room is set along 13.5 acres between the Little River and the Townsend Greenway, about a mile from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. You can expect the following upon visiting the distillery:
Views of the production area while you enjoy tasting or cocktail. Tours are available on select days.
Bottles and retail items available for purchase.
Portfolio tastings or cocktails served from the bar within the tasting room.
Food items from in-house restaurant Amico (the second location for the Maryville-based restaurant).
Choose Your Company Distilling Experience
Portfolio Tasting (Select 5) – $15/per person
Sample five products in Company’s portfolio while being guided by a knowledgeable staff member on tasting notes for each spirit. This experience takes approximately 20 minutes; remember to bring your photo ID.
First, I want to give Dominique Vitanza, Company’s newest team member in Townsend, a solid shout-out. She went above and beyond to make our experience both knowledgeable and fun. When my husband and I visited earlier this month, I chose the Portfolio Tasting. I tried the Company’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Maple Wood, Ghost Rail Tennessee Dry Gin, and three of the Ace Gap Flavored Spirits. My biggest surprise was that I actually enjoyed the gin. Due to 21st birthday gin and juice PTSD, I can’t even stomach the smell of gin, but Ghost Rail was light on juniper, and the botanicals were very refreshing. I’m still in shock.
Premium Portfolio Tasting – $20/ per person
Sample Company Distilling’s premium products, including their award-winning Bourbon (proof), Cask Strength Bourbon (121 proof), and the newly-released Seismic Rye Single Barrel (107 proof), with guidance and notes from your tasting guide. This experience also takes approximately 20 minutes; remember to bring your photo ID.
As a bourbon nerd, my husband opted for the Premium Portfolio Tasting. He was happy across the board but favored the cask-strength bourbon the best. However, he was pleasantly surprised with the Seismic Rye, as he is generally a wheated bourbon guy.
This award-winning bourbon is complex and smooth and is both column and pot-stilled. This wheated bourbon opens with sweet notes of caramel and cinnamon toast paired with green apple and finishes with a silky blend of oak and maple. (90 proof/45% ABV)
This Straight Rye Whiskey finished with Cherry Wood opens with aromas of rye grass, black licorice, oak, and vanilla, with the addition of dark cherry, black pepper, and leather flavors. It finishes with warm, lingering hints of toasted cherry and oak woods. (107 proof/53.5% ABV)
Seismic Rye was named after monitoring station AS107, established in 1978. The station was built inside Tuckaleechee Caverns to measure and report seismic activity in the eastern half of the United States.
Company Distilling takes a different approach to gin. Using just six botanicals, they distill gin on a small, open-fired, Alembic still, allowing all flavors and aromas to create a perfect balance. (88 proof/44% ABV)
“Ghost Rails are abandoned train tracks, disappearing into our valleys, mountains, and forests. They mark where we’ve been and leave where we’re going up to each of us. Ghost Rail is our attempt to slow down, extract some deeper meaning out of life, and make real connections with the people and places around us.”
Flavored Spirits, or “sophisticated shine” as Company refers to it, have a grain-neutral spirit base and natural flavors. My favorite was the coconut – yummy! Flavors include: Harvest Apple, Blackberry, Chocolate Truffle, Coconut, Espresso, Oatmeal Cookie, Peach, and Vanilla Bean. (60 proof/30%ABV)
Pro Tip: You can find the coordinates to the Ace Gap trailhead on the back of each bottle.
“A hundred years ago, Tennessee loggers gathered at the Ace Gap to play cards and sip spirits from a makeshift still. And while our spirits are a bit more refined, they bring the same collective joy as their storied predecessors.”
Upcoming Projects
Company Distilling releases a podcast each month called “Distilling Greatness”. Listeners can Gather Around with the Company Distilling team and a few of their friends to get a taste of the people and places that make up the rich stories of whiskey in Tennessee.
Company brews will soon be on tap in Townsend. Expect a variety of styles and flavors, including a Kolsch, American Lagers, and an American IPA.
Company Distilling also has plans to open a second location in Blount County, just minutes from McGhee Tyson Airport, in a development called Springbrook Farms. The timeline for this opening is still to be determined.
For more fun activities in The Peaceful Side, check out the blog posts below:
Forget the famous names in history. At the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, one series turns its attention to the daily life of an ordinary settler family in 1830s Blount County.
The center’s “A Year in the Life of an Early-American Family: The Davis Family of Seymour, Tennessee, c. 1835” uses the Davis family’s historic log house and farmstead to explore how families lived, worked and survived in 1830s Blount County.
Rather than offering a single snapshot of the past, the series follows the farming year from fall harvest through spring. It began last September and continues through May, with programs covering everything from gardening and herbal medicine to spinning, weaving, cooking and music.
“I thought it would be great for our guests to get a sense of the typical, everyday life in the early 19th century for European settler families,” said Trevor Lanier, curator at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. “Many of our guests see snapshots of various moments in lives from the past, but this program gives them a much more in-depth view of the farming year and other facets.”
The Davis family is a natural fit for that kind of storytelling. Their cabin sits at the heart of the Heritage Center’s 1830s farmstead, alongside the heirloom garden and other historic features. Lanier said the site offered the strongest opportunity to build a full series around both the agricultural calendar and cultural year.
On Sept. 29, 2022, Rex Davis and Jean Davis dedicated the Davis Family Cabin at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, officially opening the preserved family home to the public. Photo courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.
The series was made possible through funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission, which helped the Heritage Center bring in knowledgeable artists such as instructors, musicians, living history interpreters, spinners, weavers and gardeners.
While the focus is on the Davises, the series more broadly reflects what life looked like for a family living in this region at that time. That means the research goes well beyond the house itself. It also considers the political and cultural realities of the period, including the complex web of treaties with the Cherokee during the era.
Guests can attend a single event or follow the full series across the seasons. Each event was designed to stand on its own, but together, they create a fuller picture of what a year in the life of a family like the Davises might have looked like.
And according to Lanier, that life was anything but quaint.
“More chores than we can possibly imagine,” he said with a laugh.
He described days that started before dawn with caring for animals and continued with “tons of manual labor,” from cooking and cleaning to plowing, planting and animal husbandry.
One of the clearest windows into that workload is the Davis family’s original loom, still in the house today. Lanier said women in the family would have spent much of the year spinning wool into yarn, then weaving that yarn into cloth, blankets and rugs during the warmer months before sewing the final products.
“We’re so used to fast fashion and going to the store to get what we need. Realizing someone spent the majority of their time just spinning is a shock to modern people,” Lanier said.
Just one pair of pants, for example, took about nine miles of yarn.
“I think something I see most often is our guests tend to look at our log homes as cozy and quaint and romanticize what it would’ve been like living there,” he said. “It’s just so much more difficult when you really imagine actual life back then.”
“Life was hard. They didn’t know what we do now about medicine, food access, convenience and leisure time. Most of us wouldn’t even make it a day back then!”
The series doesn’t just celebrate old-time skills. It uses them to create context.
“There’s an intangible magic that happens when guests get to immerse themselves in a story,” Lanier said. “It brings it to life in a way that reading can’t. In a small sense, they get to live it, even if for a moment, and by that they hopefully get to understand their world a little better.”
That immersion takes many forms throughout the series, from open-hearth cooking and daily life interpretation with Donna Stinnett to herbal medicine with Debbie Dickey. Gardening programs come with help from the Tuckaleechee Garden Club, while local artists, musicians, spinners and weavers feature the sounds and skills of the era.
The Tuckaleechee Garden Club leads guests through hands-on seed saving activities during the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s Davis Family Programming Series, highlighting how families like the Davises relied on heirloom seeds in daily life. Photo courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.
For Lanier, the Davis family works so well because their story was not unusual.
“The main reason we chose the Davis family is that their story is so reflective,” he said. “It is the story of early European settlers in the area.”
“It’s so important to experience the stories of everyday people, not just the George Washingtons or Andrew Johnsons,” Lanier said.
In the end, that is what this series does best. It connects the daily labor of one family to the bigger story of how communities were built, how land was settled and how the past still shapes life in the Smokies today.
“My biggest goal is for people to understand that history is not just about facts and dates,” Lanier said. “It’s about understanding the threads that connect us across time that helps us understand our world a little better.”
“A Year in the Life of an Early-American Family: The Davis Family of Seymour, Tennessee c. 1835” is free and open to the public, with upcoming events primarily promoted on the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s Facebook page. All ages are welcome.
Born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, with roots tracing back to Cades Cove, Emily Huffstetler is a proud Maryville College graduate and storyteller of the Greater Smokies region.
The early 20th century marked a period of transformation for the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. Following the forced removal of the Cherokee people in the late 1830s, European settlers brought new developments to the region. The advent of commercial logging at the turn of the century drastically altered the natural landscape and sparked conversations about conservation. Browse through these vintage postcards and experience the Peaceful Side as it was over 100 years ago.
“The Smoky Mountains, Little River“
This postcard, postmarked in Maryville on Sept. 24, 1912, captures a tranquil view of the Little River. The Little River begins at Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and gains strength as it reaches the foothills.
In 2022, a resolution was passed to restore Clingmans Dome’s original Cherokee name, Kuwahi, which means “mulberry place.” The headwaters of the Little River, considered sacred by the Cherokee, remain a significant cultural landmark today.
The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company, established in 1901, built 150 miles of railroads and sawed 560 million board feet of timber along the Little River and its tributaries. The last logs came out of the mountains in 1939, 15 years after the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).
“In the heart of the Smokies. Elkmont, Tenn. Altitude 2,428 ft.”
Elkmont began as a hunting camp, but in the early 1900s, the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company turned it into a logging town. Once the company started offering train service for passengers, Elkmont became a popular getaway for wealthy locals, especially in the summertime.
In 1910, the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company subdivided Elkmont, selling 50 acres to the Appalachian Club, a group of wealthy Knoxville businessmen. A few years later, three brothers from Knoxville purchased 65 acres and opened the Wonderland Hotel. Both clubs closed in the early 1990s, after their rental agreements with the Tennessee state government ended. Today, Elkmont hosts the most popular campground in the GSMNP.
“In the Smoky Mountains Near Maryville, Tennessee“
This snapshot of the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, near Maryville, was taken by Bayard Wootten (1875-1959). Wootten was a pioneering female photographer from North Carolina who became the first woman to serve in the North Carolina National Guard as “Chief of Publicity.” In this role, she used her photography to raise public awareness and support for the Guard. Wootten was also among the first women in the U.S. to take aerial photographs. Throughout her career, she produced over a million images.
Mailed from Maryville to Knoxville on July 3, 1912, this postcard provides a glimpse into early 20th-century tourism in the Great Smoky Mountains. In the foreground, two women wear white cotton dresses, serving as a reminder of how much outdoor fashion has evolved over the past century.
Interested in learning more about the history of the Peaceful Side of the Smokies? We’re home to a variety of free and low-cost museums.
Born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, with roots tracing back to Cades Cove, Emily Huffstetler is a proud Maryville College graduate and passionate storyteller of the Greater Smokies region.
The quality of the fishing in Eastern Tennessee is famous. It’s not just good in the summer, either; people successfully dip their lines in the water all year round, in all weather conditions. Decide whether you’re a boat fisherman or a bank fisherman (or both!) and check out some of the hot spots below when you’re looking to feel a nibble on the end of your fishing rod or nab a new record. Chilhowee Lake If you haven’t heard the news yet, now is the time to get out on the water and make up for lost time. Chilhowee Lake was closed for 2 years so that repairs could be performed on the Chilhowee Dam, but as of summer 2017, the lake was reopened. In the past, it’s been stocked with crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, trout, and redear sunfish, as well as walleye and smallmouth bass. The lake is bordered by both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee National Forest, so you’re guaranteed a beautiful view, one well worth appreciating the next time you find yourself with a day free of obligations and unbeatable weather. The Little River Once featured in a “Guide to America’s 100 Best Trout Streams,” published in Trout Unlimited magazine, the Little River is more than just a spot for great tubing. Expect tons of native brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout, as well as some small- and largemouth bass. The Little River is the most popular fishing destination in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and once you start fishing, you’ll see why! There are three sections to the Little River: the East, Middle, and West Prongs. The West Prong of the Little River is famous for being a particularly successful spot. Fort Loudon Dam Tailwaters For area fishermen and women, much is owed to the effects of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s hydroelectric dams. They create lakes and “tailwaters,” or pools and fisheries, just downstream from wherever they operate, and this makes for some unique fishing opportunities. Anglers in the Fort Loudon Dam should be aware that catfishing is strictly catch-and-release, but other species, including crappie and sauger, are fair game for a dinner plate. Don’t Miss These Creeks A number of creeks in Blount County shouldn’t be ignored just because they’re smaller. Anglers have grabbed meals from Beard Cane Creek, Cane Creek, Hessee Creek, Laurel Creek, the Lynn Camp Prong, Marks Creek, Meigs Creek, Parson Branch, Sams Creek, and Thunderhead Prong, so make sure to include a few of those on your fishing bucket list. Make Your Fishing Plans Now! You may be able to fish in all weather conditions, but that doesn’t mean certain seasons aren’t better than others. Check to make sure you’ve got the right fishing licenses, put up the “Gone Fishin’” sign, and head out to the water in Blount County the next chance you get!
Spring in the Smokies brings with it the opportunity to enjoy any number of adventures; there are hikes to take, whitewater to raft, zip lines to zip, and so much more. But, one of the most popular outdoor activities on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies is grabbing a fishing pole and hitting the many streams and rivers in search of trout. Locals say that fishing in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considered to be one of the most challenging adventures you are likely to have. Over 2,100 Miles of Streams What you may not know is that there are more than 2,100 miles of streams running through the park for your fishing pleasure. You can fish these streams from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Your limit is five rainbow, brown, or brook trout over 7 inches in length or any combination adding up to five. Along with this, you can keep 20 rock bass. Be sure you grab a fishing license if you don’t already have one. They are readily available at many of the local hardware stores. While we certainly see many first timers looking for that perfect place to drop a line in the water, we see many who come here every year for spring fishing. They come to catch fish to be sure, but for many, it is more about the memories they are creating, memories that center around a fishing pole, a line in the water, and a few days of glorious spring weather on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. Fond Memories Start Here Fishing is a skill that has been around for millennia, and for many families, it has become a fun activity they can all share in. One that creates amazing feasts while sitting around the campfire talking about the infamous, “One that got away!” Fishing isn’t just for the guys, it’s a pastime the entire family can enjoy, including mom. Kids of all ages love to fish, the younger you start letting your kids start, the faster they will master the skills needed. Kids are amazing in how quickly they pick up and master new skills. Be sure you have the camera ready for the moment your child pulls their first fish out of the water. The look of awe, amazement, and joy will blow your mind and make a great photo to put in the family album. You Don’t Need to Bring Your Gear While you might be okay with bringing your fishing gear with you, it’s not necessary. Several outfitters in the area can help set you up with the right equipment and bait for this area. You can start out looking at their websites and choosing your gear before you go. Many have current fishing reports that let you know what’s biting and where they are biting. This way you have a little bit of an idea for a starting point to drop your lines. The rest is up to you, spring is here, the fish are biting, and the Peaceful Side of the Smokies is the place to be.
Are you looking for a little spice in your life? Have you been missing that warm comfort from home? No worries, we have reds, oranges, and yellows ready to offer an ocular hug. Maybe you are over this insanely hot summer and need to take a refreshing break and find an ethereal sense of peace. To you, we offer you greens, purples, and blues to splash your senses into clarity. Whatever your emotional state, The Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival on August 19 brings a kaleidoscope of color to satisfy your hunger and spark your curiosity.
Although the hot air balloons are obviously the main attraction, we have plenty of fun activities leading up to the big Balloon Glow. We will have a wide variety of food and beverage vendors ready to taunt your taste buds and fill your bellies with goodness. You will be able to find everything from southern BBQ to Cuban cuisine, or maybe brats and shaved ice are more your style. We have something for all ages and palates. And what festival is complete without a cold beer? Our beer tent will be serving visitors over 21 years of age, saving you from the dehydrating summer sun. Once you’ve quenched your thirst and have completed your rounds at the food truck court, it’s time to enjoy the activities. We will have crafter booths, both demonstrating their skills and selling their artwork. And in keeping with the event’s theme, there will also be water balloons and balloon animals. We will also have plenty of kid-friendly activities to keep your little ones entertained throughout the day, as well as live entertainment for everyone.
The Grand Finale begins at dusk when the tethered balloons are inflated and light themselves with the giant flame produced by a gas propane tank. The vibrant balloons glowing with the Smoky Mountains in the backdrop is MUST SEE event! Imagine the sky filled with a vision of multicolored, gigantic light bulbs.
This Year’s Festival Includes:
Family-Friendly Activities
Live Entertainment
Crafters – Both Demonstrating and Selling Their Artwork
Tethered Group Rides ($25 each)
Food Truck Court
Beer Tent
Exclusive VIP Lift Off! – An Elevated Festival Experience!
To ride is $25 per person, and only ages 8+ are allowed to ride in balloons. Rides will last approximately three minutes, will go 30 feet into the air, and will begin around 6:00 pm and go through 10:00 pm.
Tethered group rides can also be purchased independently but are dependent on the weather. In the unlikely case the balloons are not permitted to fly, we will refund our tethered ride guests for their purchase after the close of the event. Tickets must be purchased online before August 19, 2023. Parking passes can be purchased online for $20, or they can be purchased on-site for $25 on the day of the event. Event tickets are $5 per person (cash only accepted at the gate).
Pets are permitted to attend the Great Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival, but keep in mind balloon inflation can often be very loud and frightening for our four-legged friends. And it goes without saying that if you bring your pet, you are responsible for bringing and using your poop bags. For more information or to pre-purchase tickets, go to our website at www.gsmballoonfest.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!!
Check out other Peaceful Side activities on the links below:
View of the Walker sisters’ cabin from the trail. Photo by Emily Huffstetler.
Just beyond Townsend, a quiet trail leads to one of the Smokies’ best-preserved homesites. Starting at Metcalf Bottoms, the 3.4-mile route passes Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and follows an old roadbed to a preserved cabin, springhouse and corn crib. Six sisters, all unmarried, lived here together as the surrounding land became Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
John Walker, father of the Walker sisters, poses with cherries from his orchard. He was a blacksmith, carpenter, miller and farmer. NPS Archives.
Margaret Jane, Mary Elizabeth ‘Polly,’ Martha Ann, Nancy Melinda, Louisa Susan and Hettie Rebecca remained on the family farm, which was fully in their hands after their father’s death in 1921. Martha and Polly were engaged to be married, but their fiancés both tragically died in work accidents.
The seven Walker sisters in 1909. Front row, left to right: Margaret, Louisa and Polly. Back row, left to right: Hettie, Martha, Nancy and Caroline. Photo by Jim Shelton, 1909.
The sisters lived off the land and worked for what they had. They tended herb and vegetable gardens, raised sheep and hogs, spun and wove cloth, sewed clothing and preserved food by pickling, smoking and salting.
When Congress authorized the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1926, land buyers began negotiating for private property across the region, including the Walkers’ 122-acre farm.
Hettie, Martha and Louisa Walker gin cotton at the family farm. Photo by Edouard E. Exline, 1936. Library of Congress.
The sisters resisted several offers. A NPS report says they worked with an attorney and asked for $7,000 after a 1939 appraisal of $5,466. Faced with condemnation, they ultimately accepted $4,750 and a lifetime lease.
The National Register notes that the sisters were “at first suspicious and shy” around park visitors, but they gradually warmed to them. They even made souvenirs to sell, including tiny baskets, toys, crocheted doilies and fried apple pies.
By the mid-1940s, the sisters had become part of the Smokies visitor experience. A 1946 Saturday Evening Post feature invited readers to “spend a leisurely autumn afternoon with the Walker sisters” in Little Greenbrier Cove. The article described visitors gathering around the kitchen fireplace while beans simmered over hickory logs and bread baked on the hearth.
One of the fireplaces inside the Walker sisters’ home. Photo by Emily Huffstetler.
It framed the Walkers’ lifestyle as practical, not primitive. “Why, they reason, should anyone want to worry about changes and improvements when the ground is so fertile, one of their two cows is always fresh, their spring flows freely, and heavy forests around them provide all the fuel they need?”
Polly died in 1945, Hettie in 1947 and Martha in 1951. By 1953, only Margaret and Louisa remained at the homestead. With more work than the two could manage alone, they wrote to the park superintendent and asked that the sign directing visitors to their homesite be removed.
“We are not able to do our work and receive so many visitors, and can’t make [souvenirs] to sell like we once did and people will be expecting us to have them, last year we had so many people it kept us [busy] from sun up till sun down,” the sisters wrote.
The Walker cabin at Little Greenbrier. Photo by Emily Huffstetler.Corn crib. Photo by Emily Huffstetler.
The Walker sisters’ three-room, two-story log home in Little Greenbrier still stands at the end of the old roadbed that once brought visitors to their door. Some of their belongings are preserved in Townsend at the park’s Collections Preservation Center.
Born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, with roots tracing back to Cades Cove, Emily Huffstetler is a proud Maryville College graduate and storyteller of the Greater Smokies region.
Would a ride through the Tail of the Dragon, with its 318 consecutive banked curves in 11 miles, get your blood pumping? Or maybe a trip on the Cherohala Skyway, a road featured as one of Discovery Channel’s Top 10 Motorcycle Rides in North America, is more your style. Why not plan the ultimate ride and add the Blue Ridge Parkway and a stop to admire the gorgeous Great Smoky Mountain National Park to your trip? Riders from all over the world have said there is no better place to ride than the Smoky Mountains. So, when owner Scott Maddox decided to turn his love of music and motorcycles into a full-on destination experience, he knew Maryville, Tennessee would be the perfect hub for his Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson Dealership. As the #1 Harley-Davidson Dealership in the world in 2017, it is safe to say the experience they have created is second to none.
Nestled in the valley of the Smokies, this is not your typical Harley dealership. The Retail Showroom stuns with its locally sourced building materials, a massive inventory of bikes, and all the motor clothes a biker’s heart can imagine. The extensive Parts Department carries everything from engine kits, audio, and electronics to bags, luggage, racks, helmets, and more. With worldwide visitors, the Service Team understands the importance of getting travelers back on the road in a hurry. Whether you run into technical problems, tire issues, need simple maintenance, or want to upgrade accessories, they are available seven days a week. (Appointments are preferable, but they understand unexpected needs arise for travelers.) To learn your way around a bike and take a full course to get your motorcycle license, they also offer a Riders Academy. Check out their website at www.smh-d.com for more dealership information.
For those coming from long distances, who want to ride, but can’t bring their bikes, they also partner with Eagle Rider, making bike rental an easy process. Project Ride More is a program where they have staff on board to lead group rides several times a week. The rides are open to anyone who wants to join; just show up the day of the journey with a bike and a sense of adventure. Ride sizes vary, from groups as small as 5-6 bikes up to larger groups of 30-50 bikes. Scheduled rides generally stay within a 100-mile radius, with a variety of shorter or full-day ventures. Find a complete ride schedule at www.smh-d.com.
In conjunction with the dealership side of Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, they also have an award-winning restaurant and concert venue called The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint. The restaurant offers delicious East Tennessee BBQ smoked on the premise, freshly prepared sides, cocktails, and cold beer, for lunch and early dinner, seven days a week. Not to be outdone by the showroom and smokehouse, the concert venue has a huge stage, state of the art sound rig and lighting, and holds a sold-out crowd of 2000 concert goers. They pride themselves in booking shows with artists on the verge of stardom like Brent Cobb, or top acts like Old Crow Medicine Show and Jamey Johnson. The Shed introduced artists like Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell to East Tennessee well before they were household names. Concerts are scheduled every Saturday, from April through September, with encore shows and local/regional artists playing on Thursdays and Fridays. For concert schedules and ticket information, please go to www.theshedtickets.com.
On your next trip to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, be sure to stop in at SMOKY MOUNTAIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON – 1820 W. LAMAR ALEXANDER PKWY, MARYVILLE, TN 37801 and immerse yourself into a little slice of Harley-Davidson Paradise!
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