Capture Photos of Spring Wildflowers at These Smoky Mountain Spots

Spring is the perfect time of year to visit the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. The mountains are alive with a riot of color created by the millions of wildflowers that bloom here every year. According to botanists, the Smokies are home to one of the most diverse ecologies in the world. Over 1,600 different…

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Bring Fido: Pet-Friendly Activities and Lodging in the Smoky Mountains

If you plan to bring your furry family friend with you on vacation to the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, wouldn’t it be nice to know where you can stay and what local activities are dog-friendly? What might surprise you is the number of pet-friendly activities in the area. The other thing that might surprise…

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Eat Your Way Through the Peaceful Side at These Local Restaurants

One of the best parts about traveling is the ability to eat and experience new dining options that you don’t have at home. Finding new kinds of cuisines or just a new way to arrange ingredients in a dish can really broaden your culinary horizons. A vacation to the Peaceful Side of the Smoky Mountains…

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Planning a Family Trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

If you are looking for a budget-friendly vacation with plenty of family fun, set your sights on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year. It is the most visited national park in the country which means more than nine million people stop by each year. There is plenty to do in the park to…

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5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Smoky Mountains Vacation

If you are craving a little time to commune with nature, there is no better place to scratch the itch than the Smoky Mountains. East Tennessee is a popular mountain destination because of the sheer beauty of the area. You can stay in a rustic cabin staring out across the peaks. It is the perfect…

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Celebrate Appalachian History at the Townsend Spring Festival and Old Timers Day

Spring is in the air, and that means it must be time for the Townsend Spring Festival and Old Timers Day! This free two-day event celebrates the rich history of the Appalachian way of life. You will find plenty of Bluegrass music, handmade crafts, and delectable food choices. Bring a chair or a blanket for…

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The Best Spring Trails in the Smoky Mountains

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…

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Quilts Often Tell a Story: Learn More About this Appalachian Craft Tradition

It has long been said that every picture tells a story, but here in the Smoky Mountains, this truth dates far back before the first camera took a photograph. It dates to the days when the hardy women who lived here began making quilts. While they weren’t the first ones to make quilts, they turned…

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Visiting on a Tuesday? Join Us Tuesdays at 2 and Learn More About Our Amazing Appalachian Heritage

Looking for something fun and educational to do when visiting Townsend, TN on a Tuesday? Don’t be fooled into thinking there can’t be anything going on just because it’s the second day of the week. Instead, take a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and enjoy their “Tuesdays @ 2 informal “coffee talk”…

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Enjoy These Spring Break Ideas in the Peaceful Side of the Smokies

Springtime on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies means a riot of color and crisp mountain air as the over 1,500 varieties of local flowering fauna burst into bloom. Many believe spring to be the best time of year to visit Smoky Mountain National Park and the surrounding areas. It’s also the perfect place for…

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Celebrate St. Patty's Day with a Visit to One of Our Local Breweries

What could be better than celebrating St. Patty’s Day than sharing a pint or two at your favorite watering hole. A trip to Ireland and Guinness on tap? Well, that might be fantastic, but on a more realistic note, why not try some of the craft beers made right here on the “Peaceful Side of…

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Top 5 Things To Do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Spring

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park…just its name alone inspires all kinds of visions and thoughts. There are, of course, the mountains, but there are also the 100+ waterfalls, the miles of trails, the scenic drives, the historic buildings and settlement areas, the wildlife…there is so much to see and do! Naturally, that is why…

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