From the Peaceful Side of the Smokies
We have to agree with the old song, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. The smell of peppermint, pine, and sugar cookies seems to permeate everything, there are holiday lights and songs cascading throughout the stores, and if you are headed to the Smokies, it is when the area has some…
Are you already thinking about the autumn season and all of the fun and beauty it brings? If so, you might also be thinking of a visit to The Smokies. The autumn months are an amazing time of year, with the first colors showing up high in the mountains and slowly moving to the valleys…
There’s more to the Smokies than just industry and the great outdoors. Cultural traditions brought to the Smokies by different waves of immigrants and frontier settlers have taken on lives of their own in the mountain hollows that dot the region, and they continue to provide great entertainment to locals and visitors alike. In particular,…
Autumn is upon us, and that means it’s time to break out everybody’s favorite fall traditions. Whether you’re in the mood for corn mazes, haunted houses, apple picking, or any of the rest of the season’s highlights, if you’d typically enjoy them with a beer or a glass of wine, consider trying a hard apple…
Finding hikes that can give you a great close-up look at Smoky Mountain fall colors and are also accessible to your youngest and oldest family members isn’t always easy, but there are actually quite a few. Here are some of our favorites!
Kids seem to grow up faster than ever, don’t they? Which is why spending time with them as they grow is even more important, despite the demands (and rewards!) of dance lessons, baseball practice, homework, music classes, and other activities that require serious time commitments. Sometimes you just want to steal your kids away for…
Fall is the perfect time for you and your family to bring your bikes to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. There is a vast selection of cyclist-friendly roads and bike trails that range in difficulty from family-friendly to those just for the experts. They range in distance from under a mile up to many…
Fall in eastern Tennessee is the ideal time of year to go hiking in the Smokies. The fall foliage display, courtesy of Mother Nature, runs from September through November, but keep in mind the foliage starts changing color at the higher elevations first. By mid-October the mountains put their full splendor on display from midway…
Although summers in eastern Tennessee on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies are spectacular, fall has its own beauty that continues to make it the perfect destination for your next vacation. Coming here in the fall brings with it cooler, drier weather, that makes going for hikes to see the incredible foliage very comfortable; the…
Farmer’s markets are enjoying a resurgence, and there are very few communities in which at least one farmer’s market is not operating regularly. This allows farmers to access a much broader market and find buyers for an increasing amount of produce or food, but it is also even more beneficial to shoppers. After all, once…
Whether on a weekend getaway or a lengthy vacation with family or friends, a visit to the Smoky Mountains area is always sure to please. A year-round destination for millions of travelers, it is home to a seemingly endless number of outdoor activities. From hiking and horseback riding to skiing and fishing, if you enjoy…
Often described as one of the most appealing and picturesque settings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove is a lush and beautiful valley framed on all sides by the majestic mountains. Noted for its amazing amounts of native wildlife, it is the spot where millions of travelers have seen such well-loved animals…
