Pigeon Forge Chalet Rentals Website Has Major Update and More Cabin Rentals!

For more than 15 years PigeonForgeChalets.com has been renting chalets and cabins for overnight and weekly rentals in the Pigeon Forge Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Most of these cabins were within 5 miles of the Dollywood Theme Park and all are just a few minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

American Mountain Rentals took over all the operation of Pigeon Forge Chalets and removed any cabins up to their higher standards and added in a few new units to the rental program which has 2 dozen cabins and chalets. They also improved cleaning and maintenance with brand new crews of their own and it showed!

The web site for Pigeon Forge Chalets was also completely updated with newer up to date information, higher privacy and improved security. Better quality pictures were also added so you can better see the individual cabins for rent as well as their amazing views and privacy.

In the past 4 months some additional major updates have just been completed with another one about to be rolled out.

The first improvement was to more than double the cabin and chalet for rent on PigeonForgeChalets. There are now more than 60 handpicked cabins and chalets for rent spread throughout the Tennessee Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley, Walden Creek and Sevierville.

There are now more vacation rentals on the web site than ever before that have seasonal swimming pool access as well as Free WIFI high Speed Internet Access. A few more pet friendly units that take dogs or cats that are 30 pounds are less have also been added.

The second improvement is the new availability calendar that is on each cabin page so that you do not have to "click over" to our vacation rental booking engine. This new feature allows anyone looking to rent a cabin or chalet to immediately see what is available and shortly when phase 2 of the update is rolled out, you will be able book direly from the calendar.

The third roll-out is the 2 new featured cabins or chalets that we have on the home page each and every day. There are now daily large featured cabins that are anywhere from 3 to 9 bedrooms, and our small cabins have 1 and 2 bedrooms.

Don't be fooled by the name small cabins and chalets as many of these 1 and 2 bedroom vacation rentals can accommodate from 6 to 8 people very comfortably!

The last update is under the hood and something you won't see but feel, a faster loading web site so you spend less time looking for the perfect cabin to rent in the Great Smoky Mountains and more time planning how much fun you will have when you get here!

See the new and improved Pigeon Forge Chalets web site.

Latest 2013 Great Smoky Mountains Fall Leaf Color Peak and the Start and End of Fall Color

If you look carefully you will see it. It's happening all around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and in a few places in Sevierville too. They won't be ready to be turned on for a while, but when they do, boy will they shine!

What am I talking about? The Christmas Winterfest in the Smokies lights of course and you know what it means when they start putting up the Christmas lights in the Smoky Mountains? Fall color is right around the corner!

So far we are having what many feel is one of the nicest later summers and early falls in decades and they few days of rain we have gotten are just what the trees and bushes need to show off the most brilliant fall colors possible.

Temperature highs are still in the mid to low 70's during the days and the upper 50's to 60's which are ideal with the bright sunny days. This current trend will allow leaves to produce the most sugar and staying power for the brightest reds and oranges.

Early predictions for fall color in 2013 are very good and seem to be getting better by the day. The temperature drops have been consistent and steady and huge swings upward which would stress the leaves more have just not happened yet.

This year's Smoky Mountain acorn mast crop is also fairly sub-par, especially in white oaks. Combine this with a very good apple crop and all indications are for a long and brilliant fall peak leaf season for 2013.

So what will be peak fall color for the Great Smoky Mountains this year? Going by the spring wild flowers, bird and insect movement and the elk rut which was about a week late, it looks as though depending on elevation peak will fall from the early part of the last week in October for the valleys and as early as the 2nd week of October from 3,000 to 4,500 feet, sooner for up to 6,000 feet. Above that there is not really any color as you are in more fir environment which stays green year round.

While with a very damp Spring and Summer is behind us, current long term predictions are for an average fall precipitation and potentially cooler than normal temperatures. My opinion is it is just too soon to call it.

Some minor leaf color changes can already be observed at 1,500 feet and higher, dogwoods and sourwoods getting a burgundy to flame red color in a few branches above 3,000 feet today and lighting of the deep greens can be observed on Cove Mountain in Wears Valley, Some spots on Bluff Mountain, Shields Mountain near Dollywood, Mount LeConte and just below the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

I just returned from the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Mount Mitchell and so far a few bushes in the highest elevations are showing of color but we are a week or more away from brilliant color covering large swathes on Grape Yard Ridge, Looking Glass and the Balsam Mountain area which looks even further away.

Cades Cove and Roaring Fork are also showing no lighting and real fall color yet however there are a few spots high up on Rich Mountain Road the unimproved road between Cades Cove Loop Road and Townsend Tennessee.

You are sure to find nice color from the 1st week in October, great colors the second week and breathtaking the 3 and 4th week. Expect some color to still be good through the first week in November in areas such as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. If conditions continue, it is possible there can be great fall color in some place for 2013 as late as the second week in November. It has happened before and so far the conditions are good for long staying color.

Shades of the Past and Fall Grand Rod Run in the Pigeon Forge Great Smoky Mountains.

Though the Shapes of the Past Rod Run XXXI in the Pigeon Forge Smokies is now over, there are still hundreds and hundreds of museum quality cars from the 1930's to classic muscle cars of the 1970's parked along the Pigeon Forge Parkway and cruising all around the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Why are these classic car owners sticking around the Great Smoky Mountains still and what are the Pigeon Forge Rod Runs?

Could they be sticking around the enjoy the great weather we have here in the Smokies during September where it's warm enough to be wearing short sleeves and enjoying outdoor activities, but much cooler than the dog days of summer.

It's also a great time to take in the sights in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or a long breathtaking cruse with your classic car or hot rod along the Blue Ridge Parkway which is right next to the national park.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is bathed in the color green everywhere you look, except for the occasional burst of color from wildflowers still blooming. Look carefully and you will see a few leaves here and there just starting to lighten and are a prelude to the fall colors soon to come.

The waterfalls and streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are running higher than they will in a few months when the dry winter season begins and the sky still fills with the sights and sounds of birds now ready to migrate to warmer places for the winter.

The bear and deer are very active in the park now as a few green acorns have started to fall and make for an easy snack and in the North Carolina parks eastern parts, the bugling of rutting elk can be heard as these massive animals chase one another trying to collect as many females into their harems as they can.

All of this beauty and excitement means that it is a perfect time to cruise through the park and see the sights in a gleaming classic vehicle. There are not 1 but 5 great auto tours to take in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Cades Cove Loop, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail of Cherokee Orchard Road, Cataloochee Tour, Newfound Gap Road and finally the Tremont Auto Tour.

The longest of these scenic drives is Newfound Gap Road which is 35 miles of climbing, twisting, and turning roadway with spectacular views from Sunrise to Sunset off its many overlooks. Some of the views are beautiful at night where you can see the city lights twinkling below.

Just as the Newfound Gap Road ends, or begins, depending which way you come is the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway which is beyond compare. You can keep the top down on your sports car right now when riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but in another few weeks you will need a jacket and you may need to put the top down.

Thousands of visitors with their beautiful cars came for the Shades of the Part Rod Run which took place along the parkways and events were held at the Dollywood's Splash Country, but in 2 more days from September 12th to the 16th the Grand Fall Rod Run will take place!

We here in the Smoky Mountains look forward to both the Spring Road Run and the Fall Rod Run as we not only enjoy seeing miles and miles of cherry car, trucks and motorcycles, the Rod Runs are always taking place during moderate temperatures with the beautiful backdrop of the Smokies, along with the most fun roads to cruise along.

Whatever American made car floats your boat, you will be sure to find it here and more than likely, a bunch of them together. This year for example I say more 1930s Ford's and Packard's than I have in years, many in showroom or better condition.

There were also more classic pickups, tow trucks, delivery trucks from the 40's and 50's than I have ever seen here as well. Already trailer loads of motorcycles have been making their way into Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg as well as more muscle cars from the 60's and 70's than were here last week.

So you now see what so many who were showing their cars for the Shades of the Past are sticking around for the Fall Rod Run in Pigeon Forge right around the corner!