From the article, “Families who love all the trappings of Christmas can visit the Inn at Christmas Place, a four-star hotel that spares no detail, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The establishment features old-world Bavarian architecture and is renowned for its very comprehensive Christmas decorations and monthlong activities leading up to the big holiday, including a singing Santa Claus and a visit by Charles Dickens’ great-great-grandson. If that’s not enough Christmas cheer, guests can cross the street and visit Christmas Place (the hotel’s namesake), the American South’s largest Christmas store.”

The Incredible Christmas Place

With Christmas just around the corner, a trip to the Smokies would be a great way to start off this holiday season.  The city of Gatlinburg just kicked off the Christmas season with its Festival of Lights parade. Without a doubt, the Smokies is one of the most Christmassy places in America, not just during the holidays but all year long.

To read about the other places voted most Christmassy, view the list here.

With the kick off of Winterfest this weekend, we will have lots to blog about. Please check back for more Smoky Mountain news!

The wife decided upon the pecan crusted chicken with sweet potato casserole while I had the pork shanks with steak fries. Every entrée also comes with a salad bar which turned out to be the best part of the meal.

While the meat and potatoes were good, the salad bar was impressive. The lettuce was super fresh with a variety of types of lettuce and the additional toppings were all very good. I had the raspberry vinaigrette dressing and couldn’t get over how flavorful it was while not overpowering the rest of the salad.

For dessert we had the Dessert Sampler which included Jack Daniel’s Crème Bruleé, Blackberry Cobbler, and Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse. All three were very tasty with the cobbler and mousse being the two favorites.

All-in-all, it was a very good meal and while a little pricey, the service was good and I would definitely recommend the Park Grill.

Wednesday was the first day of our trip. Us “kids” decided to haul our bikes from Indiana all the way to Pigeon Forge just to go cycling through Cades Cove on Wednesday morning. In case you didn’t know, Cades Cove closes the loop to all motorized vehicles on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10 a.m. local time. Since this was the first time that we biked through Cades Cove, we didn’t know what to expect.

Cyclist in Cades Cove: July 2011

We pulled into the area around 8:05 a.m. The parking lot at the entrance to the loop was packed, and we had to park our cars in the field next to the horse stables. After unloading the bikes, we biked up to the main entrance and started our cycling tour around 8:15. The newly paved road was perfect for cycling and the road was wide enough to pass other cyclists and runners.

Biking Cades Cove: July 2011

About the third of the way, we spotted our first park ranger, so we knew something was up. A yearling black bear was sitting near a bush munching on some berries. This was the first bear that any of us “kids” had seen in the Smokies.

Bear eating berries in Cades Cove: July 2011

We kept cycling and spotted several turkeys and about a dozen bucks. The path was pretty well shaded which helped keep down the hot temperatures. Many of the other cyclists were on family vacations and leisurely cycled the loop. Other cyclists were more athletic and sped past us (side note: if you pass other cyclists, say “To your left,” before you pass them, as a courtesy).

About a quarter mile from the end of the loop, we noticed many people pulled over off their bikes. We asked another cyclist what was in the trees and she told us that a mama bear and her three cubs were in the area. Sure enough, we saw the mama run away while her three cubs played on a fallen log. We were thrilled to see five bears in one day! What are the odds?

Our morning ride through Cades Cove could not have been any better. The wildlife was very active and was wonderful to see first thing in the morning. Our ride took us a little less than two hours, as we took our time looking at the bears and bucks. We stopped many times to take pictures, as well. We pulled out of the field at 10:15 a.m. and the cars were already making their way onto the loop. Fortunately we finished before any cars had made it to the end of the loop.

Cycling in Cades Cove: July 2011

If you decide to bike Cades Cove, arrive early for parking and to see active wildlife. Also, Cades Cove is VERY hilly on bike or on foot. We decided the last half had steeper hills than the first, but we heard another cyclist say the first half was more hilly. Take lots of water and snacks, but keep your trash until you see a trash receptacle. Stay alert! Deer will not stop for cyclists and will hop out of the woods at any time.  And have fun! Cycling was a great way to take time to appreciate the Smokies in a way that can’t be done in the car!

Deer in creek at Cades Cove: July 2011

The grant will be used to restore areas within the park. Only the number one voted park will receive the $100,000 grand prize. Second place wins $50,000 and third place wins $25,000. The grants are made possible by the Coca-Cola Live Positively Initiative.

So head on over to Coca-Cola and vote the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to first place!

Check out the video on weather.com! Click here!

We had looked over the menu in advance and decided to stick to more traditional foods that we are used to instead of going out on the limb.  We had the traditional turkey dinner and the traditional roast beef dinner.  We have read reviews that said the portion sizes were small and the food was only average.  We found the food to be very good and the portion sizes were average, but there was a lot of food to eat.  The turkey and roast beef were both delicious and the orange glazed sweet potatoes with pecans were excellent.  For dessert we tried the chocolate cake which was too rich for even the most die-hard chocolate lover but definitely fulfilled the needs of the sweet tooth.

Prices are a little higher than average but not out of line for a little more up-scale restaurant and we would definitely recommend that you have lunch or dinner at The Partridge and Pear Restaurant.

Your admission price to the show includes a dinner consisting of fried chicken, pork BBQ, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, coleslaw and corn bread muffins, along with a dessert.  The food was marginal, not bad but not worth writing home about either.  We arrived early which turned out to be a good thing because instead of eating during the show like they do at the Dixie Stampede, you eat before the show so you have to be done eating before the show starts.

The show was not quite what I expected but it was worth seeing once.  Instead of the Hatfields and McCoys feuding with fists or weapons, they sing and dance and eventually settle their feud.  There is a twist to how the feud is settled that I won’t disclose just in case you are interested in seeing the show.  Overall the show was entertaining and if you like shows with some old country and bluegrass along with lots of tap dancing, you’ll enjoy this show.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said a sewage holding tank gave way Tuesday morning spilling possibly between 1.5 and 3.2 million gallons of sewage.

Officials said that spill did reach the Little Pigeon River, the small river that flows between U.S. 441 from Gatlinburg to Pigeon forge.

Officials have also warned people to stay away from the contaminated water until further information is known. Members of city of Pigeon Forge are helping to look for the two missing workers.

For more information click here and stay tuned for more information.

Nestled at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg offers scenic views and easy access to outdoor hiking, fishing and rafting. Shopping boutiques, restaurants and museums are also conveniently located along the parkway in the middle of town.

According to TripAdvisor, there are 444 vacation rentals on TripAdvisor. With all the attractions and amenities it is no surprise why Gatlinburg ranks third on their list of rental hot spots. Now is the time to start planning your spring and summer vacation to the Smokies. Check out TripAdvisor for a list of rentals and for the complete list of rental hot spots in the U.S.