The Smokies Blog

Wilderness Wildlife Week Day 8 Saturday, January 14th, 2012

2012-01-14T07:31:00.000-05:00

Quite cold on the last day of Wilderness Wildlife Week taking place in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains, but that should not stop you from having a great time for free.

Some specials treats today include local commercial and landscape photographer Eric Gebhart will be offering a class on Macro for beginners and Kris H. Light will be presenting a class on Snowflake Photography.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. 2nd Annual SMOKIES THROUGH THE LENS will take place in the Violin and Guitar Rooms from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm. Photography Contest Pickup in the Cello Room: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Todays schedule will be:

9:00 am – 10:00 am: The Appalachian Trail: An Entertaining Adventure. Presented by: Jeff Alt in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Macro Photography for Beginners. Presented by: Eric Gebhart in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Nature Photography and Creativity Workshop. Presented by: Kendall Chiles, Don McGowan and Warren Bedell in the Violin Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Wild Hog Management: Are We Too Late? Presented by: David Whitehead in the Harp Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Weather Signs. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Ukelele Room. Program centers on knowing how to "read the signs" for a change in weather. Very useful for hikers and campers.
10:15 am – 11:15 am: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Smoky Mountain Adventures of Bubba Jones. Presented by: Jeff Alt in the Dobro Room. A fun and interactive program for both kids and parents packed with expert hiking and camping tips.
10:30 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Jewels from the Sky: Snowflake Photography. Presented by: Kris H. Light in the Guitar Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Editing Strategies: Taking Control of Your Photo Viewer’s Attention Through Photo Editing. Presented by: Colby McLemore in the Guitar Room.
11:30 am – 1:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Journey on the Camino de Santiago, Spain: Olga Pader in the Ukelele Room. The Camino de Santiago has attracted pilgrims since the Middle Ages on a journey through space and time culminating in the cathedral in the city of Santiago de Compostela. The Camino meanders through mountains, forests, ancient villages, modern cities, as well as Roman and Celtic ruins, all the way to Finisterre, the end of the medieval Earth on the Atlantic Ocean.
11:45 am – 12:45 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Silly Safari Show. Presented by: Amazon John in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Adobe Lightroom: Easy-To-Learn Editing Software that Can Dramatically Improve Your Photos. Presented by: Colby McLemore in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Ages 10 and under. Young Artists’ Coloring Session. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Highpointing the U.S.: The Highest Points in the 50 States. Presented by: Stoney Burke in the Harp Room.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. That Magnificent Army of Youth and Peace: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Harley E. Jolly and Stuart Jolley in the Ukelele Room.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Photoshop Tips and Tricks for Nature Photographers. Presented by: Larry Perry in the Violin Room.
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Out of the Dark: A True History of the White Caps and Blue Bills: At Last This Long Repressed History of Outrageous Depravity and Unsurpassed Heroism in This Region’s History Can Be Talked About in Public. Presented by: Don Williams in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. ProShowGold: Taking Your Photos and Videos to the Next Level. Presented by: Harry Dunn in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hands-On History: Let’s Make Toys!. Presented by: Pat K. Thomas in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Civil War in the West, 1863. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Harp Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hug A Tree and Survive. Presented by: Joey Holt in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Photography on the Go: Your Traveling Photography Kit. Presented by: Jan Rhodes in the Violin Room.
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Photography Contest Pickup in the Cello Room.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Learn to Play the Spoons, Fiddlesticks and Washtub Bass. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Dobro Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Photography for Kids and Parents: Jim Eastin in the Guitar Room.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Stichin’ and Laughin’ with the Quiltin’ Granny. Presented by: Sabrina Gray in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20: Children Ages 6 – 10 Parental Guidance Required. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
First 30 minutes of class features the Quiltin’ Granny relating historical and humorous quilting stories and songs. The following hour consists of a take-home project of making a quilt piece. Adults welcome for first 30 minutes of program.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Purple Martins and Other Native Swallows. Presented by: Steve Garr in the Harp Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: A Year in the Life of a Bear. Presented by: David Whitehead in the Ukelele Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Intermediate Photography: Pushing from Snapshots to More Complex Shots. Presented by: Eric Gebhart in the Violin Room.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Songs of the Carter Family. Presented by: Tony Thomas and Judy Carson in the Dobro Room.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Create A Photo Slideshow in 15 Minutes for FREE!. Presented by: Jim Eastin in the Guitar Room.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Composing Like A Master. Presented by: Ron Plasencia in the Violin Room.
7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Impact of a Beautiful Scene. Presented by: Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.

Day 7 of the Wilderness Wildlife Week progrmas in Pigeon Forge on Friday, January 13th, 2012

2012-01-13T07:47:00.000-05:00

Snow! Coming in from out of town to participate in Wilderness Wildlife Week taking place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee? Well avoid US 441 Newfound Gap Road which is closed due to snow and ice on the roadway.

A winter advisory is still in effect today until noon that that should not stop you from enjoying the Wilderness Wildlife Week indoor programs even if you do not like hiking in snow. It is possible that some guided hikes will be cancelled today.

Must see events today include Robert Redhawk Eldridge presenting the History of the Overhill Cherokee from 1770 - 1838, Todd Witcher from Discover Life in America teaching about The Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Project and photographer Don McGowan lecture and presentation on Walking in the Beauty of the Natural World.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

7:00 am – 11:00 am: Managing the Search Function: Study Some of the Smokies Most Famous Search and Rescue Operations. Presented by: Joe Kelley and Bob Swabe in the Guitar Room.
8:30 am – 9:30 am: The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Harp Room. Located over on the Cumberland Plateau, Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s most beautiful and diverse state parks.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Nature Recording in the Smokies. Presented by: Mark A. Dunaway in the Ukelele Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Ijams Family Legacy in the Smokies. Presented by: Paul James in the Violin Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Butterflies: Flying Flowers in the Garden. Presented by: Kris H. Light in the Harp Room. Learn about East Tennessee’s native butterflies, their life cycles and how to attract them to your garden.
10:15 am – 11:45 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark A. Dunaway in the Ukelele Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The History of the Overhill Cherokee from 1770 – 1838. Presented by: Robert Redhawk Eldridge in the Violin Room. Robert Redhawk Eldridge covers the history of the Cherokee Indians of East Tennessee and North Georgia through early treaties, the War of 1812 and the events that led to their removal.
11:00 am – Noon: The Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Presented by: Todd Witcher in the Dobro Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Silly Safari Show. Presented by: Amazon John in the Harp Room.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Attracting Butterflies and Caterpillars. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Lois English in the Ukelele Room.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Civil War in the West, 1862. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Our National Treasures: America’s National Parks. Presented by: Chuck Summers in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Ghost Birds! The Historic Search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Violin Room.
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiker’s Guide to Food and Medicine. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Harp Room. Ila Hatter hosts an illustrated discussion on "trail nibbles", wild food and seasonings and trail medicine.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kiddin’ Around: A Hands-On Introduction to Appalachian Music and Its Instruments. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20 children. Must pre-register at Information Desk. Parents encouraged to attend.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: The Spirits of Cades Cove. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods. Presented by: Kendall Chiles in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bald Eagle Recovery: Fragile Links to Success. Presented by: Bob Hatcher in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Native American Storytelling. Presented by: Robert Redhawk Eldridge in the Harp Room.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Photo Walk Up Porters Creek Trail. Presented by: Bill Sullivan in the Ukelele Room.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kindergarten through 5th Grade. Learn About Bears Through Hands-On Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Birds of Prey: Live Eagles! Presented by: American Eagle Foundation in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Walking in the Beauty of the Natural World. Presented by: Don McGowan in the Dobro Room.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Discovering the Cumberlands. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Ukelele Room.
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Basket Making. Presented by: Theresa Tyler in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Birds of the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Fred Alsop in the Guitar Room.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Circumambulation of the Smokies, 1910: A Walk AROUND the Smokies in 1910. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Shooting Photos at Night. Presented by: Eric Gebhart in the Violin Room.
7:00 pm: Slow Jam: Bring Your Own Instrument or Simply Plan to Enjoy and Listen. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room.
7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Here, There and Yonder. Presented by: Chuck Summers in the Dobro/Harp Rooms. Chuck Summers presents a multimedia presentation featuring national treasures close to home and some far away.

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge TN Schedule for Thursday, January 12th, 2012

2012-01-12T07:22:00.004-05:00

How fitting that a winter advisory is in effect in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for the 6th day of Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Anyone taking one of the free guided hikes today at Wilderness Wildlife Week, make sure you have hiking boots and be prepared that some of today's hikes may be cancelled.

The program today for Day 6 of Wilderness Wildlife Week Thursday, January 12th, 2012 has some great kids programs, along with black bear and nature programs as well.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

8:00 am – 11:00 am: Introduction to Tracking People in the Outdoors. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Photo Walk Up the Cove Hardwood Trail. Presented by: Jan Rhodes in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Energy, Effort and Passion: Volunteering in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Christine Hoyer and Dana Soehn in the Violin Room.
9:00 am – 10:30 am: Do It Yourself: Building A Backyard Bird Habitat. Presented by: Mark Dunaway in the Harp Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Arches Along the Way: A Presentation of Arches and Natural Bridges Along Tennessee’s Trails. Presented by: Keith Garnes in the Ukelele Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Bluebirds Year Round! Presented by: Steve Garr in the Dobro Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: O! Possum: Live Animal Show. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Violin Room.
11:00 am – 12:30 pm: Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Harp Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Where’s Mommy? The Rehabilitation of Orphaned Wildlife. Presented by: Phylis Rollins in the Ukelele Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Tennessee’s Cumberland Trail: Closing the Gaps and Looking Beyond. Presented by: Warren Devine in the Guitar Room.
Noon – 1:00 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program Ages 6 – 10. Adults welcome. Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by: Mary Phillips in the Violin Room. Enjoy an adventure with "Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains." Children learn the concept of spinning a tall tale, and are encouraged to share in creating new twists and turns, after meeting - Stinking Will, Jack In the pulpit, Wild Rose, and Booger’s cat, Stinker! Kids are introduced to field guide books, and learn to identify and discover the world of native plants.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Learn and Enjoy the Wildflowers in the Smokies. Presented by: Bill Sullivan in the Dobro Room. Photo slideshow presentation about the wildflowers of the Smokies, including medicinal uses and other interesting facts.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Meditations on Nature. Presented by: Phylis Rollins in the Ukelele Room. Through chants, songs, readings and slides of area wildlife and nature, as well as a guided meditation, experience a profound oneness with the natural world.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Those Ain’t Teddy Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Making of Audubon’s "The Birds of America". Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Harp Room. Presentation features what it took for Audubon to complete the creation of John James’ Audubon’s "The Birds of America” was one of the greatest achievements in national history.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Let’s Make Music! Children’s Workshop: Tony Thomas and Judy Carson in the Violin Room.
This is a fun-filled FREE workshop for children to learn to play rhythm instruments such as the kazoo, spoons, harmonica, etc. The students will learn to play together to create a rhythm band like in the old days. If students have their own instrument, they are welcome to bring it, otherwise, instruments will be available for purchase for a low price in the Vendors and Exhibitors Room.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Native American Stories. Presented by: Robert Redhawk Eldridge in the Dobro Room.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wild Wonders. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo Bird Show in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Civil War in the West, 1861. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hands-On History: Let’s Play Marbles!: Old-Fashioned Marble Games. Presented by: Pat K. Thomas in the Breakfast Room. Limit 15. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Bears 101: Their Lives and Interactions with Humans. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Harp Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Music of Appalachia: Past and Present. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band in the Violin Room.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Cherokee Orchard Remembered. Presented by: Theresa Williams in the Dobro Room.
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Phillips 66, Avon Calling and Monkey Wards: What’s in a Name? Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Guitar Room.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiking the John Muir Trail. Presented by: Bert Kunze in the Ukelele Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Recreation vs. Conservation of Waterways. Presented by: Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Harp Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Old Time Hymns. Presented by: Don Huskey, Marcia Huskey Nelson and Roger Helton in the Violin Room. These songs of praise are the songs you sang as a child. They filled the little one room churches of the Smokies in earlier times.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Clawhammer Banjo for Beginners, Workshop II: Boogertown Gap and Keith Watson in the Breakfast Room. Must bring own five string banjo and have it tuned to key of ",G", Limit 10. This is part two of a two-part class. Must pre-register at Information Desk for both classes.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Bears, Boars and Bulls! 30 Years Managing the Wildlife of the Smokies. Presented by: Kim Delozier in the Guitar Room.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Bears: What to Know When Walking in Their Woods. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Old Hymns and Songs of Faith. Presented by: Whaley Family Singers in the Violin Room.
6:00 pm: Saturday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Spiritual Side of Nature. Presented by: Chuck Summers and Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
8:00 pm: Lore of the Moon and Stars. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Violin Room.

Schedule for Day 5 of the Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee January 11th, 2012

2012-01-11T06:50:00.001-05:00

Day 5 of wilderness wildlife week taking place in Pigeon Forge is about to start and today's free guided waterfall hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be outstanding though you must pack rain gear.

Birds, snakes, exotic invasive species in the Smokies, dowsing and even passenger pigeons will be part of today's demonstrations topics at the convention center as well as more music and photography. Expect it to be a little more crowded inside today with the rain.

If the weather does not change, expect you can even see some fresh snowfall tomorrow so if this is not your cup of tea, do not sign up today for the hikes tomorrow and give someone else to have a chance to hike in the snow.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Saving the Endangered Whooping Crane: The Tennessee Connection and Current Status. Presented by: Ken Dubke in the Harp Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Introduction to Musical Instruments in Stories and Song. Presented by Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: The Art of Dowsing: Do You Have the Gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday in the Ukelele Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. What Happened to the Chestnuts? Presented by: Bill Sullivan in the Violin Room. A photo slideshow presentation about the chestnuts and other trees of the Smokies, their history, logging and other interesting facts.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Batteries NOT Included: Fun with Games and Toys. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Guitar Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. What NOT to Bring to the Park. Presented by: Kristine Johnson in the Ukelele Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. SNAKES! They Are Dangerous, Aren’t They?. Presented by: Joe Taft in the Violin Room.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Creative Digital Editing. Presented by: Richard Iceland in the Guitar Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Creating and Telling Family Stories. Presented by: Jim Eastin in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Adobe Lightroom for Scenic and Wildlife Photography. Presented by: Colby McLemore in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C". Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wood Carving Boots. Presented by: Don Taylor in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk and bring your own sharpened woodcarving tools.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Hosting Hummingbirds! Presented by: Regina Garr in the Harp Room.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Wildflowers of the Southern Highlands. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Guitar Room.
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. From Corn fields to Country Music Shows: The Growth of Tourism in the Smokies. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Learn to Play the Washboard and Washtub Bass. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Newlyweds on a Wildlife Refuge. Presented by: Paul and Nora Hassell in the Violin Room. Images and stories about the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge in Kodak, Tennessee.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Putting the Pigeon back in Pigeon Forge: Tales of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon Including Its Natural History, Disappearance and Local Accounts of This Fabulous Species that Pigeon Forge is Partly Named After. Presented by: Paul James in the Harp Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: The Art of Dowsing: Do You Have the Gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday in the Guitar Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: The Perry’s Camp Murders. Presented by: Robert Allen in the Ukelele Room. Listen and learn as Robert chronicles the brutal 1949 slayings of Sevier County's first tourist court owner and his housekeeper.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Ranger Family’s Recollections. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Violin Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Claw hammer Banjo for Beginners, Workshop I. Presented by: Boogertown Gap and Keith Watson in the Breakfast Room. Limit 10. Must bring own five string banjo and have it tuned to key of ",G". This is a two-part class. Must pre-register at Information Desk for both classes.
5:00 pm – 5:45 pm: Hiking Switzerland in Pictures. Presented by: Shannon Harris in the Guitar Room.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Meanderings of a Silly Man. Presented by: Doug Mills in the Dobro/Harp/Ukelele Rooms.
6:00 pm: Friday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
7:00 pm: Slow Jam: Bring Your Own Instrument or Simply Plan to Enjoy and Listen. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room.
7:15 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Appalachian Tales and Heartland Series Adventures: The Book. Presented by: Bill Landry in the Dobro/Harp/Ukelele Rooms.

Pigeon Forge Tennessee Wilderness Wildlife Week in Smokies Day 4 schedule for Monday, January 10th, 2012

2012-01-10T06:24:00.001-05:00

The doors will open in a few minutes for day 4 of the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Wilderness Wildlife Week and it will be another packed show in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Yesterdays some sporadic light rain fell on some of the hikers along the guided walks in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, but none were deterred. Today will be another mild day so any of you that signed up early enough yesterday will have a great hike in the park.

Bear and elk were on everyone's mind yesterday at the Wilderness Wildlife Week thanks to some great lectures and today, today among other interesting topics will be wild boar and lots of programs the kids will love.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Returning the Osprey to Nest in Tennessee. Presented by: Ken Dubke in the Harp Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Woodpeckers: Nature’s Home builders. Presented by: Regina Garr in the Dobro Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Epic of Elkmont. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Violin Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Green Power Switch/Generation Partners. Presented by: Lucas Harkleroad in the Guitar Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Meet Mr. Herbert Clabo. Presented by: Herb Clabo and Veta King in the Ukelele Room. Hear Mr. Clabo tell of near one hundred years of living in the Great Smoky Mountains or right in its back door.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Hidden Garden III: Learn the See. Presented by: Dr. Alan S. Heilman in the Harp Room.
10:45 am – 11:45 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Spirit of the Black Bear. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Violin Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Introduction to Old Time Banjo. Presented by: Roger Helton (Bring Your Own Banjo) in the Dobro Room.
11:00 am – Noon: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wild World of Animals. Presented by: Knoxville Zoomobile in the Guitar Room.
Noon – 1:00 pm: From Corn fields to Condos: Pigeon Forge’s History From 1917 – 2011. Presented by: Veta King and Pigeon Forge City Officials in the Ukelele Room.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: The Art of Dowsing: Do You Have the Gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday in the Harp Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program Ages 5 - 12. Animal Olympics: Comparing Human Senses and Abilities to Those of Wild Animals. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Violin Room. Limit 30. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Creative Photography with Any Camera. Presented by: Richard Iceland in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Coal Mining Days in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wood Carving Boots. Presented by: Don Taylor in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk and bring own sharpened woodcarving tools.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Early Pigeon Forge Settlement. Presented by: Jerry Wear in the Ukelele Room who will share stories based on family history and extensive research of the area. Mr. Jerry Wear is a descendent of Col. Samuel Wear who built the first white settlement home and fort in Pigeon Forge.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Wild Ones Among Us. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Harp Room.
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Air Quality Update of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Jim Renfro in the Violin Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Alligators, Bears and Wolves: An Overview of Eastern North Carolina National Refuges and the Management of the Big 3 Critters of the Area. Presented by: Jim Wigginton in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Meet Aunt Lydia Kear Whaley. Presented by: Ruth Miller in the Ukelele Room. Ms. Ruth Miller is a local with a love for history, brings Aunt Lydia to life in a character presentation as she portrays this beloved, spirited woman of the Great Smoky Mountains.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Three Considerations for Hiking Safety. Presented by: Wendell Liemohn in the Guitar Room.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Pig Tales. Presented by: Rick Varner in the Harp Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Noted and Peculiar Court Cases of Earlier Times: Tales of Early Justice of the Peace Courts and Unusual County Court Cases of the Past. Presented by: Sevier County Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Rex Henry Ogle and attorneys Mr. John B. Waters, Jr. and Mr. Jerry McCarter with Veta King, Moderator in the Ukelele Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Meigs Post: The Survey Line Through the Great Smokies. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Dobro Room. He will share stories and adventures from his book with Dwight McCarter.
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Let’s Sketch A Bird. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room. Adults and ages 12+ only. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Smoky Mountain Field School: Explore, Learn and Enjoy. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Vintage Views of Gatlinburg, the Smokies and Their Inhabitants: Lucinda Oakley Ogle. Presented by: Kevin Tierney in the Dobro/Harp Rooms. Kevin Tierney’s Vintage Views film series captures the spirit of iconic figures and places of Gatlinburg and the Smokies by means of home video footage donated by area residents. This film chronicles the experiences of Lucinda Oakley Ogle.
6:00 pm: Thursday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.

APPALACHIAFEST!
A FREE Musical Celebration of Our Heritage! In the Violin/Guitar Rooms.

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Great Smoky Mountains Settlers and Their Music. Presented by Boogertown Gap.
7:00 pm – 7:20 pm: Tony Thomas
7:45 pm Carolina Bluegrass Boys
Clogging with the Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees welcome to join in the fun!

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies schedule for Day 3 Monday, January 9th, 2012

2012-01-09T07:49:00.002-05:00

Day 2 of the Smoky Mountains Wilderness Wildlife Week was a huge hit yesterday in Pigeon Forge and the schedule for day 3 has even more new programs and experts presenting their topics of expertise.

Among today’s lectures are some heavy hitters from the staff of the Great Smoky Mountains national park: Mike Meldrum from the Cades Cove district will discuss Bear Facts, the Ethics of Leaving No Trace in the Outdoors, and Down by the Old Mill Stream. Tom Harrington also from the Cades Cove district will present Up and Down the Valley: Cades Cove: Learn About the People of Cades Cove From the Early 1830's to the Early 1900's.

The national parks resident elk biologist Joe Yarkovich will give a lecture on Elk in the Smokies: A Decade of Learning and the from the parks fishery division Matt Kulp will discuss Acid Rain Impacts on Smokies Streams.

Everyone loves the Smoky Mountains 1,500 plus black bears and head of wildlife in the GSMNP Bill Stiver will make his informative Black Bear Management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park lecture today to what should be a packed house.

All of these presenters form the park have tremendous experience in their fields and be sure to ask them any questions you may have as they all love sharing their knowledge.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

The following is the complete schedule for day 3 of Wilderness Wildlife Week:

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Circle of Life: The Bear Facts. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am – 10:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Where Wood We Be Without A Tree? Historic Trees of America. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Harp Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Wildflowers of Tennessee. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Ukelele Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Newfoundland: A Photographic Tour of an Island Wonderland. Presented by: Harry Dunn in the Dobro Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Master Gardner Program Helps to Create Wildlife-Friendly Gardens and Landscapes. Presented by: Dr. Leo Lubke in the Violin Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Leave No Trace: Presenting the Ethics of Leaving No Trace in the Outdoors. Presented by: Mike Braun and Pamela Rodgers in the Guitar Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Tennessee Butterflies and How to Raise Them. Presented by: Lois English and WC and Glenna Julian in the Harp Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Up and Down the Valley: Cades Cove: Learn About the People of Cades Cove From the Early 1830's to the Early 1900's. Presented by: Tom Harrington in the Ukelele Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Wonderful Waterfalls of Tennessee. Presented by: Bill Carter in the Dobro Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Down By the Old Mill Stream. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Violin Room.
1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: Of Ginseng, Golden Apples and the Rainbow Fish: Ancient Tales and Mountain Treasures. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiking and Camping with Your Pet. Presented by: Jim Richards and Thomas Horsch in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm- 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Acid Rain Impacts on Smokies Streams. Presented by: Matt Kulp in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Orioles: Spring and Summer! Presented by: Steve Garr in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Track Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. HANDS-ON! Whooo Did This? Fascinating Owls: Natural History of Owls With Live Owls and Dissection of Owl Pellets, Examination of Feathers and Owls in Rehabilitation. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Breakfast Room. Limit 15. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Old Time Music. Presented by: Roger Helton in the Violin Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Mountain Marvels - Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians: The Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky. Presented by: Bill Carter in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Elk in the Smokies: A Decade of Learning. Presented by: Joe Yarkovich in the Harp Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Black Bear Management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bill Stiver in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Wing Things: See how many dragonflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators are in our gardens and how to attract them. Presented by WC and Glenna Julian and Lois English in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Basket Making. Presented by: Theresa Tyler in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Ballads of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Vicinity. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Violin Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Civil War Period Music. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Ranger Recollections. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Harp Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Appalachian Bear Rescue: Who We Are and What We Do. Presented by: Lisa Stewart in the Ukelele Room.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Backpacking: How to Get Started and Hike Safety. Presented by: Mike Braun, Pamela Rodgers and Bill Deitzer in the Guitar Room.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Weeds for Your Needs: Useful Wild Plants. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Violin Room.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. America Sings: Folk Songs of America. Presented by: Hills-N-Hollows in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
6:00 pm: Wednesday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Hiking LeConte: A History. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Violin/Guitar Rooms.
7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. And Heaven and Nature Sing. Presented by: Ken Jenkins and Judy Felts in the Dobro/Harp/Ukelele Rooms.

Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week schedule for Sunday, January 8th, 2012 taking place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2012-01-08T06:18:00.003-05:00

If day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge goes as well as opening day yesterday, this will be the best Wilderness Wildlife Week ever. Attendance is high, the weather is cooperative and the presentations better than ever.

The Nature Photography Workshop is always a huge draw and yesterday was no exception. People remarked how even though they attend every year, there is always something to learn from the masters.

Though you can't do every class presented and every free guided hike, some of the don not miss events today will be the Old Harp Shaped Note Singing, Echoes of Cataloochee and Elk, A Journey Into the Smokies in Words and Photographs and Wildwoods Wisdom.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. The Cello Room Photography Exhibit is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Here is the rest of todays Wilderness Wildlife Week event schedule:

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Sunday Morning Sing-Along. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Marking Time: A Guide to the Historical Markers in East Tennessee. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Ukelele Room.
9:30 am – 12 Noon: Stream Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Guitar Room.
10:00 am – 11:00 am: You and Me: Coexisting with Bears. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Harp Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Wildflowers of the Smokies. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Violin Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Classic Cinema Clips of Sevierville. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Dobro Room.
11:00 am – Noon: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Photographing with Emotion: Land, Sea and Skies. Presented by: Tom and Pat Cory in the Ukelele Room.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Harp Room.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Bird’s the Word: Bird Stories, Lore, Songs and Natural History. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Hiking Through the Dolomites. Presented by: Peter and Gudrun Seifert in the Ukelele Room.
12:45 pm – 1:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Echoes of the Smokies: Echoes of Cataloochee and Elk. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Wildlife Habitat for Every Season. Presented by: Regina Garr in the Violin Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Civil War in Tennessee, 1861-1862: A Sesquicentennial Commemoration. Presented by: Chris Tipton in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Hands-On History: Let’s Make A Quill Pen: Instructions and Materials to Make a Quill Pen. Presented by: Pat K. Thomas in the Breakfast Room. Limit 10 Adults. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Stream. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Ukelele Room. A panel discussion featuring Frank Maples, Stan Creswell, and Coppley Vickers who have hiked every trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Old Harp Shaped Note Singing: A Group of People from Sevier County Sing the Way Their Ancestors Sang Early in the Last Century. Presented by: David Sarten, Leader in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Then Sings My Soul - Hymns of Faith. Presented by: Hills-N-Hollows in the Violin Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Sanctuary in the Smokies: A Journey Into the Smokies in Words and Photographs. Presented by: J. Greg Johnson in the Guitar Room.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: World-Class Stream Smallmouth Bass. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Breakfast Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Wildwoods Wisdom. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Robin Goddard in the Ukelele Room.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Old Time Music Concert. Presented by: Boogertown Gap in the Violin Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. More Tales from Two Smokies Trail Completers. Presented by: Bill Deitzer and Tommy Small in the Guitar Room. This program features the stories and experiences of Bill’s first time completing all the trails of the Smokies in 2005 as well as Tommy’s from the six times he has completed all the trails.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Watching and Being Watched. Presented by: Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Special Places, Special Creatures. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry – Violin/Guitar Rooms.
6:00 pm: Tuesday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
6:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Keynote Program: Predator Paradox: Conflict and Conflict Resolution in Modern America. Presented by: Peggy Callahan in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
7:30 pm: Slow Jam: Bring Your Own Instrument or Simply Plan to Enjoy and Listen. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Schedule for Day 1 Saturday, January 7th, 2012

2012-01-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

High up on the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains there is still some snow and this weekend is the start of the 22nd annual Wilderness Wildlife Week. This means if you are planning on taking one of the free guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, make sure to pack boots!

Wilderness Wildlife Week is a free week long event that takes place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee consisting of exhibits, demonstrations, musical performances and guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Since the quality of the performances and lectures is so high and amazing popular for people interested in music, photography, nature, travel, hiking, camping, fishing, history, storytelling and more, this event is not being promoted very much as it is generally filled to capacity.

Last year's unusually rough winter weather during Wilderness Wildlife Week meant that some guided hikes were cancelled and a few presenters were unable to show up due to closed roads. So far it looks a though the weather in the Smokies is going to cooperate as the next week looks seasonable warm.

Music Road Hotel and Convention Center is where all of the classes, performances and lectures will take place. The Music Road Hotel and Convention Center is located at: 303 Henderson Chapel Road in Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.

Since Wilderness Wildlife Week is so wildly popular with hikers, the guided hikes require that you preregister the day before the hike right across the street from Music Road Hotel and Convention Center is the Holiday Inn Express.

Information Desk is open from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm and the Vendor/Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

8:00 am – 11:00 am: Learn to Use Map and Compass. Presented by: Terry and LaValla Edgington in the Harp Room. Limit 40. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
8:30 am – 10:30 am: Fly Fishing in the Smokies. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Violin Room.
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by: Kendall Chiles, Tom and Pat Cory, Danny Dempster and Harold Stinnette in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Rock Formations of the Smokies: Geological Past of Smoky Mountains. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Photo Exhibit Entry and Setup in the Cello Room (An entry form must be submitted with each photo entered.)
10:00 am – 11:15 am:: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Cades Cove Teachers. Presented by: Dorothy Gregory Sutton in the Ukelele Room.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Discovering October Roads: View Fall Colors of East Tennessee. Presented by: Fred Brown and Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
11:00 am – 12:30 pm: Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett and Linda Smith in the Violin Room. Limit 25. Must pre-register at Information Desk. Limited number of dulcimers available. Observers are welcome.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: A Hysterical History of Words. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Harp Room.
11:30 am – 12:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. War within the Family: Civil War Gregorys. Presented by: Mary Greggory in the Ukelele Room.
11:30 am: Sunday Hike Sign ups at Holiday Inn Express
Noon – 1:00 pm: Introduction to the Autoharp. Presented by: Tony Thomas and Judy Carson in the Dobro Room
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Margaret Stevenson: The Walkingest Woman in the Smokies. The Story of the First Lady to Complete All 800 Miles of Maintained Hiking Trails in the Smokies. Presented by: Bill Deitzer in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Everybody’s Fishin’: A Cross-Cultural Fishing Extravaganza Celebrating Fish Fisherpersons and Other Wonderful, Watery Critters. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Violin Room.
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Kids Track Kindergarten – 5th Grade Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Learn About Bears Through Hands-On Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard from the ABR in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20. Must pre-register at Information Desk.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: The Serpent Handlers. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Dobro Room.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Searching for Panthers in the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Don Linzey in the Guitar Room.
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Cades Cove Photos and Photographers. Presented by: Missy Tipton Green in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: The Discovery of the Gray Fossil Site. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Harp Room.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Civil War in the Mountains. Presented by: Chris Tipton in the Violin Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: National History Day Students: Talented Local Students Share Their Knowledge of How to Document Your Local History. Presented by: Sabrina Gray in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Upland Chronicles: Vibrant Local History and Heritage of Sevier County’s Past. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Guitar Room.
3:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Fly Casting. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Breakfast Room.
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program .Uncle Noah and Sarah Brown Burchfield. Presented by: Larry Sparks and Judy Myers Johns in the Ukelele Room.
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Out of the Dark: A True History of the White Caps and Blue Bills: At Last This Long Repressed History of Outrageous Depravity and Unsurpassed Heroism in This Region’s History Can Be Talked About in Public. Presented by: Don Williams in the Harp Room.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Tennessee Music Sampler: Stories and Songs. Presented by: Hills-N-Hollows in the Violin Room.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The 1500 Year Old Silver Bible: A Chronicle of the Emotional History of the Earliest German/Gothic (and Perhaps English) Language Document, Including Its Translation, Disappearance and the Miraculous Rediscovery of This Piece of Christian History. Presented by: Peter and Gudrun Seifert in the Guitar Room.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom: Celebrating the Natural World Through Stories, Songs and Lore. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
6:00 pm: Monday Hike Sign ups – Holiday Inn Express.
6:45 pm: Bagpipe Performance. Presented by: Charles Smith in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Comments: Terry Maddox, Executive Director of Great Smoky Mountains Association; Jim Hart, Director of Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Dale Ditmanson, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
7:30 pm: Opening Remarks. Presented by: Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.
7:45 pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Wolves 2011: Update on Ecology and Politics in the Upper Midwest. Presented by: Peggy Callahan in the Dobro/Harp Rooms.

Cabin Rental Property Management in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville and Wears Valley Smoky Mountains in Tennessee

2011-11-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

For many the idea of owning a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley or Sevierville is a dream come true.

What can make it even better is when an experienced cabin rental company in the Smokies manages your property so that instead of just being an expense for a homeowner, you can rent your cabin or chalet when you and your family are not using it, and produce rental income.

Now may be the time for you to think about purchasing a cabin or vacation home for rental income since Real Estate prices in the Smokies are still lower than what they should be. The Smoky Mountains are only slightly down in visitation, despite the economy and the price of gas, and are still doing far better than other tourist destinations.

If you are already own rental property in or around the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smoky Mountains and are not happy with your rental income and how your property is being managed, now may be the time to consider moving the management of your property over to a company that has the experience and resources to make you and your renters happy.

What you need in a property management company for your vacation rental unit in the Smokies is one who knows the area inside and out, knows their customers and what it takes to make them happy and how to market your rental cabin or chalet as well as how to protect your investment.

American Mountain Rentals, is a premier cabin rental company in the Smokies which has been located conveniently right off the parkway in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for around 10 years and they are now looking to manage more cabin and chalet rentals in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley and Sevierville Tennessee. At this time, no condominiums are being considered nor are marginal cabins short on amenities or any cabin rentals in less desirable locations.

Presently American Mountain Rentals manages more than 160 rental properties in and around the Pigeon Forge area and has the staff and resources to handle another 40 more units while still being able to maintain the attention to detail and customer service their homeowners and renters have come to expect.

Besides having their own large screened staff of cleaning and maintenance personnel so that and all the units on their rental program are cleaned and maintained to the highest standards, they have two offices in the Smoky Mountains staffed with experienced reservationists and office personnel with a great knowledge of the property being managed and the area so they get more reservations for your rental unit.

All rental property being managed is aggressively marketed on at least 2 of cabin rental web sites for the Smoky Mountains: American Mountain Rentals, AMR Cabins, Brothers Cove and Pigeon Forge Chalets and well as through social media. Offline there are mailers, magazine ads and radio spots to promote vacation rentals in the Smokies.

They have a Pigeon Forge Booking engine that updates the rental properties calendar in real time and integrates with their accounting system so owners monthly statements and year end tax information packets are always on time and accurate. Can your present property management company say this?

So if you own a great cabin, chalet or A Frame vacation home for rent in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley, Walden Creek, or Sevierville Tennessee, and you want a property management company who will manage your rental unit(s) as if they were you own, and has the experience not only do the job right, but also maximize your cabin rental income, look no further than American Mountain Rentals.

Cabin Rental Property Management Application Form.

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part II

2011-10-27T07:50:00.009-04:00

We are at best of peak leaf season right now in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley and Cades Cove will be the best places to see the best fall colors for 2012 through this weekend. Starting next week the last round of fall color will start in the leaves as reds and maroons from the hardwoods start to pop.

The highest elevations from about 3,200 feet and above are pretty much done already. The fall color this year was good high up in the Smokies even though we have had very few cold days - at this point just 2 light dustings of snow along the ridgelines and the Blue Ridge Parkway at the highest point. Most days are still in the 70's.

The best color now is at the lowest elevations from around 800 feet to 2,500 - perfect for road trips in and around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Cades Cove still has color on the valley floor and up the mountainside. The picture below is form Cades Cove this week and yesterday it was in the 70's!

Black Bear are very active right now in the park and surrounding areas and will continue to be until December as they are foraging for acorns to fatten up for their winter sleep. The Deer are getting more active in rut so you can see male deer called bucks sparring - best seen in Cades Cove around sunrise and dusk. The elk rut is winding down fast and will be done by next week.

Along with bright colored leaves, fall means fresh local apples in the Smokies and there as some great places close by to enjoy them. In Pigeon Forge, visit Applewood just off the parkway. Outside Gatlinburg there is Baxter's Orchard on 321. Continue down 321 into Cosby for my favorite place for apples, apple cider and what locals call the best apple pie: Carvers. Their restaurant is top rated too!

Fall color and comfortable weather is a great time to take one of the many zip-line tours in the area. There is a zip line in Dollywood, 2 in Pigeon Forge, 1 outside Gatlinburg and a new zip line in Wears Valley.

Speaking of Dollywood, now is a great time to visit the world class top rated theme park Dollywood where you can enjoy comfortable weather, the Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration taking place until October 29th. The Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration is the biggest Southern gospel festival in the Smokies with free concerts! Rent a cabin and you can buy the cheapest Dollywood tickets around.

Don't have a great place to stay and you want to see the best of the best fall color this weekend? There are only a few cabins left and if you act fast you can get 10% off any cabin rental for this weekend by using discount rental code TLMR10. Click here to search for a cabin rental. (discount applies to new cabin rentals only)

New Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg Tennessee Cabin and Chalet Rental Booking Engine for the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennesseen TN

2011-10-25T09:34:00.018-04:00

There is now better brand new way to rent a cabin or chalet in America's most popular tourist destination in the mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee along with nearby Wears Valley and Sevierville Tennessee. Cabins of all sizes, all near the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Dollywood Theme Park, Dolly's Splash Country Water Park, 2 convention centers, dozens of shopping centers are all listed with a fresh new looking web site, more information and now cheaper cabin rental rates on top rated cabins.

The new cabin rental booking engine is now faster loading with more photographs of each cabin for rent with larger pictures of each cabin as well. There are now more amenities listed for each cabin in an easier to read format that will let you switch faster from Photos and overview information to the brand new review and ratings section and the rates and availability calendar. See at a glance the 6-month real time calendar or search instantly for the dates you want, bedrooms, sleeps size and cabin location up to a year in advance.

One of the exciting new features just added to the Pigeon Forge Cabin rental booking engine is the ability to enter Cabin Rental discount and coupon codes for special promotions without having to make a phone call to make a reservation. Book your cabin or chalet in the Smokies 24 hours a day 365 days a year online and get the lowest price when it is convenient for you, not when the office is open!

If you still need to speak to a reservationist before you can rent the Smoky Mountains cabin or chalet that you are interested in, they can be reached from 9 am to 9:30 pm 7 days a week except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day at either (800)508-6070 or at (865)428-5551.

What more could you want? A large inventory of top notch cabins and chalets served to you on faster loading pages, with better search features, larger and more numerous photographs of the cabins, new lower cabin rental prices, ratings and reviews all on the best cabins and chalets for rent in the Great Smoky Mountains.

This new cabin rental booking engine can be found on AMRCabins.com where you will find cabins for rent in Sky Harbor, Chalet Village, Wears Valley, Bluff Mountain, Shields Mountain, Riverpointe, Echota Resort, Brothers Cove Resort, Walden Creek, Caney Creek, McCarter Hollow, Eagle Springs Resort, inside and outside the Gatlinburg city limits, inside and outside the Pigeon Forge city limits, and inside and outside the Sevierville city limits. With so many cabin to choose from the hard part will be figuring out which one you want to rent!

Try out the new Pigeon Forge Cabin rental booking engine.

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part I

2011-10-12T11:52:00.004-04:00

If you are looking for the best peak fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains, it just does not get better than this! The next 2 weeks will be the best time to come to the Smokies to leaf peep and even 3 weeks from now, you will still be able to find great fall foliage colors in the Smokies.

This year the weather has not allowed for a very productive berry and acorn crop so animals such as black bear, elk and deer can be easily seen in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park foraging for food. This year's weather in the Smokies has also another bonus for people coming here on vacation - bright brilliant fall colors from the mountain peaks to the valleys that will stick around longer than usual.

An early spring made for great wildflowers and being dryer than normal for much of the year, there were very few rain-out days where you had to sit in your cabin rental or worse yet, hotel room. This fall has also been dry with few storms and just enough moisture to keep the leaves on the trees, so as the days get shorter and the temperature drops we can have the most vibrant colors.

Weather predictions call for continued mostly dry weather - great for leaf peeping to see the best colors from your car or by hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains national park with just enough moisture to keep the leaves with fall color on the trees longer than usual.

As of today, there is peak color along the top of the Great Smoky Mountains and all along the Blue Ridge Parkway that starts right at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Just along Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina the approximately 33 mile drive is loaded with fall color and there is still some vibrant greens in the lower elevations.

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has dozens of pullouts where you can safely enjoy and photograph the great fall colors in the mountains, streams and rivers and the waterfalls that are all right by the roadway.

Some of the best sweeping vistas of fall color can be found by Newfound Gap at the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The best fall color this morning was at 3,400 and above. While you are up top, be sure to take the 7-mile drive up Clingmans Dome Road to the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Bring a jacket or sweatshirt, as it can be at least 10 degrees color up top than what it is in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge.

Great fall color can also be found on the other major roads in and around the GSM national park, such as the Foothills Parkway East between I-40 and Cosby, State Road 321 between Cosby and Gatlinburg, the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley Road 321 between Pigeon Forge and Townsend running through Wears Valley, and the Foothills Parkway West from Walland to the parks Abrams Entrance.

Roads inside national park that have the best drives to see the fall colors besides Newfound Gap Road are Little River Road Between Gatlinburg and Townsend, Laurel Creek Road from Townsend to Cades Cove, The 11 mile Cades Cove Loop Road (the mountains are covered in color!) and the 2 exit roads from the Cove: Rich Mountain Road to Townsend and Parsons Branch Road to the Dragons Tail.

There is also a lesser used motor trail just behind the city of Gatlinburg off Cherokee Orchard Road. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail has fantastic color and stunning vistas showing off great fall color, lots of black bear activity, historic cabins, barns and buildings and access to many hiking trails of various difficulties. The most stunning hiking trail right now to see fall foliage is the Trillium Gap Hiking Trail to Brushy Mountain - a moderate 6 mile round trip to the most stunning year round views in the park.

Between Gatlinburg and Townsend, just off Little River Road is the Elkmont section of the park where you can also see plenty of fall colors and easy access to the Little River Hiking Trail, which is very gentle to walk trail right along a beautiful river with many waterfalls, huge boulders and beautiful views and again, great fall color!

Lastly, fall color means it is also elk rut season in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. In 2001 and 2002 a total of 52 elk were introduced back into the wilderness in a remote part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The herd now numbers 140 and the fall colors are at their best this week in the Cataloochee Valley where many of the large male bull elk bellow and fight each other to gather of group of female elk cows to mate.

If you have not seen elk in rut, this is not something to be missed. Best viewed the first and last 2 hours of daylight. Be sure to maintain at least the legal distance of 150 feet from any elk - or bear for that matter.

The 10 mile drive into the Cataloochee Valley and the roads within the valley have great colors and some stunning long sweeping vistas. For the more rugged, you can drive a 20-mile dirt road from Cosby all the way into Cataloochee.

The best location to stay in the Smokies to see the best fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains is in the Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee. There is nothing better than to come back to a beautiful cabin and after a great dinner, slip into a hot tub or watch the flickering flames in the fireplace with someone special.

One of the nicest cabins to enjoy the fall colors from and is conveniently located close to the best places to see the color in the park in the Sweet Mountain Air log cabin for rent at the foot of Bluff Mountain outside Wears Valley and the city limits of Pigeon Forge. This upscale cabin rental is in a very quiet area and is packed with amenities.

Sweet Mountain Air - Pigeon Forge
3 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 10

Located on Bluff Mountain outside Pigeon Forge Tennessee with Wooded View that will sleep 10 people with 2.5 Baths, 1 King size bed, 2 Queen size beds, 1 Sofa bed, 1 Futon bed, only 8 steps to enter cabin, Hot Tub, Pool Table, Jacuzzi, Fireplace in Living Room, Alarm System, 4 TVs with Satellite Service, 3 DVD Players, 3 VCR's, Dining room, Wraparound Deck, Charcoal Grill, 4-car parking, Washer and Dryer, Iron and Ironing Board, Central Air Conditioning and Heating, linens and towels. Don't forget to bring your laptop as there is FREE Wireless HIGH SPEED Internet Access!
$195 - $250 per night (holidays higher)

Click Here To Visit This Cabin
Reserve This Cabin Online Now

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part II will have up to the minute fall color updates as well as more activities that make the Smokies Americas favorite vacation destination.

Beat The Summer Heat With A Vacation In The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

2011-08-12T19:38:00.009-04:00

Outside the Smokies, record-breaking heat has gripped the US from sea to shining sea, and there is more than a month to go before cooler temperatures will prevail. Even on the hottest days where 100 degree plus temperatures just will not go away, you can still find cool relief and beat the heat in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Just think, there are places in the Smokies are accessible to everyone where you won't ever see temperatures above the 70's, and there are thousands of miles of cool streams and swimming holes within minutes from any vacation cabin rental in the Smoky Mountains.

Don't feel like going for a short drive to cool down? Just sit on the deck with a cool glass of ice tea and look out over the mountains, woods or river right by your cabin. Some of these cabins have swimming pool access too!

What could beat being under the shade of trees on a hiking trail or picnic grounds in the Great Smoky Mountains national park just minutes away or holding a fishing rod in your hand along or in a cool mountain stream? Maybe taking a long lazy tubing trip down the river is the cool mountain fed streams and rivers in the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg area, or even a guided white water rafting trip in exciting rapids!

Maybe the water and all that nature is just not your thing to beat the heat and you prefer to walk around a world-class top rated theme park like Dollywood and fell the rush of cool wind on your face on some of the exciting rides or the brand new zip lines in the Dollywood Theme Park. Don't forget the cool drinks, air conditioned restaurants and delicious ice cream all around the park...and yes, there are tamer rides for visitors of all ages all around Dollywood.

As if the Dollywood theme park was not great enough, from August 19th until September 5th, Dollywood is throwing its annual Barbeque and Bluegrass festival, a free concert series featuring the biggest names in bluegrass music such as Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, not to mention the what many call the country's tastiest barbeque. Would you believe they serve three-pound slices cut from a whopping 25-pound apple pie?

Better still, to beat the summer heat, purchase Discount Splash and Play Discount Tickets and you can enjoy both the Dollywood Theme Park AND Dollywood Splash Country - one of the most fun, exciting, clean and safe water parks around the world, and it is right here in the Smokies!

Better hurry up as besides a few blackout dates, Dollywood Splash Country is now open from 10 am to 6 pm until September 5th for the 2011 season. No one sells Dollywood and Splash Country tickets cheaper than American Mountain Rentals, not even Dollywood!

Everything in the Great Smoky Mountains is so green and lush as it is actually a temperate rain forest. There are such an abundance of beautiful plants and animals, some of which are extremely rare and endangered, that the United Nations designated the park as an International Biosphere. For a unique vacation, you can even help maintain some of the 850 miles of hiking trails this August. After clearing brush or moving logs, nothing will be more relaxing than a soak in hot tub under the stars back at your cabins.

One of the most popular large animals in the Great Smoky Mountains is our beloved black bear. In the national park alone, there are and estimated 1,700 black bear and the best places to see them are in Cades Cove and on Cherokee Orchard Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature trail just outside downtown Gatlinburg.

Black bears in the Smokies are a remarkable sight and often during late summer you will see momma bear called a sow with 2 or more cubs. It is important to keep your at least 50 yards from them...it's the law and it is for your and the bears safety. It is also important to not feed them or let them have access to garbage.

There are now 150 elk residing in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park. During August the bulls antlers will start to lose their velvet covering as their hormone levels rise and by September their mating ritual called "the rut" is in full swing. During the rut, the large bulls make loud calls to one another called bugles. When 2 large bulls meet up they fight mostly ritually to earn as many cows that they gather into harems.

Right now, the momma elks called cows are still nursing their young that were born in May and June. The calves still have their baby spots, but they will gradually fade as their winter coat comes in during the fall. Bring a lawn chair and sit in the shade to watch these majestic animals. Just as with the bear it is important that no matter how docile they may appear, stay at least 150 from the elk.

The best place to see the elk is in Cataloochee North Carolina, about and hour's drive from Gatlinburg Tennessee. Just like the black bear, the first 2 hours after sunrise and before sunset is the best time to see them. As it gets cooler in late September, you may be able to see them all day long.

Speaking of cooler, another way to beat the heat on the Smokies is to zip along on one of the many new zip line attractions in the Smokies. After climbing into your safety harness and putting on a helmet, you are ready to zoom high above the ground and through the trees - what a rush having the wind on your face...Not for the faint of heart!

So many ways to beat the summer heat on the Smokies! Which will you choose?

Fireflies, spring wildflowers, and other Great Smoky Mountains goings on for June.

2011-06-02T07:29:00.005-04:00

The 2 major peak months for people to take vacations in the Great Smoky Mountains are July and October. However, June has become more and more popular every year as people have discovered that besides the great late spring early summer weather, there are less crowds, lots to do and nature shows us some spectacular events taking places in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains national park during June (pictured below) is filled with plenty of deer, wild turkey and black bear foraging around with a backdrop of mountains and a foreground of lush green fields with wildflowers still blooming. Drive, bike or hike this 11 mile outdoor cultural museum and nature preserve.

Spring wildflowers and flowering bushes can found throughout various elevations during June even though the season started in April and in many places peaked in May. Mountain laurel are still blooming throughout the park and the 2 native species of Rhododendron and now blooming as well.

To celebrate the great weather, find food and interesting culture found in the Smokies, there are plenty of events going on during spring such as the Cosby In Park Celebration, the Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival in downtown Sevierville, the Smoky Mountain Pottery Festival in Townsend, Dollywood's KidsFest taking place at Dollywood, and 2 true miracles of nature: the synchronous fireflies and peak flowering of hybrid azalea bushes on Gregory Bald overlooking Cades Cove.

One of the most amazing sights the Smokies has to offer tales pace in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park just outside of Gatlinburg.

During the 2nd and 3rd weeks of June, one of our fireflies performs a natural light show second to none in Elkmont. These fireflies flash on and off in a pattern which allows them to synchronize with thousands of other lightning bugs in sight. The flashing goes on and on and then all at once – darkness, then it starts all over again.

Since the discovery of this phenomenon only a few short years ago, the firefly show in Elkmont has become incredibly popular. So popular in fact, the Elkmont section of the GSMNP closes to motor vehicles. To get there you must take a trolley from the Sugarlands visitor center to Elkmont from June 4th to the 12th.

The Trolleys to the Elkmont firefly show cost $1 per person round trip and start departing at 7 pm. The parking lot and the trolleys fill up fast so it is wise to get there early. No pets allowed and everything you take on the trolley must fit on your lap.

While the synchronous fireflies, which are lightning bugs that all flash and go dark simultaneously can be enjoyable by anyone with little effort, the 11 mile road trip hike up to Gregory Bald to see the heath bald consisting of hundreds of flame azaleas naturally hybridized in a rainbow of colors with stunning 360 degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina requires considerably more effort and should only be tackled by those in good shape.

If an 11-mile hike is too much for you, but you still want to see great views and flame azalea bushes from a bald, Andrews Bald with its trailhead at the Clingmans Dome parking area is much more reasonable at less than 4 miles round trip.

Whether you choose to take a trolley into Elkmont to the spectacular fireflies of the Smokies, or sit in a mountain stream or river to cool off, or take an extreme hike the mountain peak where you will find the flamer azaleas blooming at Gregory Bald, you are sure to a have a great time in the Great Smoky Mountains during June.

Last Day of the Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Pigeon Forge Great Smoky Mountains

2011-01-15T07:36:00.001-05:00

Even though the week long Wilderness Wildlife Week event taking place in Pigeon Forge Tennessee at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center seem like it just started, the last day of programs is just about to begin.

If has been some week with mother nature not being very cooperative and lots of the free of hikes that were scheduled to place in the Great Smoky Mountain national park ended up getting cancelled, but there was still lots of great information, music and laughs for anyone who braved the cold and snow to attend.

Many of the existing programs done in the past for Wilderness Wildlife Week have been updated this year, and there were a dozen or more new programs offered every day as well.

Some of today's must attend programs will be the 3 hour long Photography Workshop presented by Don McGowan, Kendall Chiles and Harold Stinnettee, the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway - The battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the Park Way route presented by Dr. Harley Jolley and Stuart Jolley, and Photography and the Creative Process by William Jordan IV.

7:00 am - 9:00 pm Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Vendor/Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Special Photo Exhibit: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room.
NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: SMOKIES THROUGH the LENS: Hands on Instructional Photography Classes in the Violin/Guitar Room.
8:30 am - 10:00 am Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett and Linda Smith in the Violin Room. There will be some dulcimers available but limited. Limit: 25 students must preregister at Information Desk. Observers welcome.
9:00 am - 10:00 am The Appalachian Trail: An Entertaining Adventure. Presented by: Jeff Alt in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am A Year in the Life of a Black Bear. Presented by: David Whitehead in the Harp Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Cades Cove Military History. Presented by: Jerry Cunningham in the Ukelele Room.
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Photography Workshop. Presented by: Don McGowan, Kendall Chiles and Harold Stinnettee in the Guitar Room.
10:00 am - 11:30 am NEW: KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Nature Games for Children: Brad Jones in the Cello Room. Limit 40 Kids. Will meet in hallway next to Cello Room must preregister at Information Desk. Dress to go outdoors. Will do a Nature Scavenger Hunt, Play Bat and Moth and take a Nature Hike.
10:15 am - 11:15 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: KIDS TRACK and PARENTS: The Smoky Mountain Adventures of Bubba Jones. Presented by: Jeff Alt in the Dobro Room. A fun interactive event for kids and parents full of expert hiking and camping tips.
10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: In Digital Photography: What is Lightroom? Is Lightroom Right for You? What are the Alternatives? Presented by: Bob McAnally in the Violin Room.
10:30 am - 11:45 am KIDS TRACK: Bays Mountain Raptors Live bird show. Presented by: Bays Mountain Raptor Center in the Harp Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Images of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project. Presented by: Anne Bridges and Ken Wise in the Ukelele Room.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Learn Lightroom Library Module. Presented by: Bob McAnally in the Violin Room.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safari Show in the Dobro/Harp Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW: Turn Your Photos into DVDs with Music and Narration in Twenty Minutes. Presented by: Jim Eastin in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: A Cades Cove Childhood. Presented by: J.C. and Margaret McCaulley in the Ukelele Room.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Adobe Lightroom: Easy To Use and Learn Photo Editing Software. Presented by: Colby Mclemore in the Violin Room.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Something Old, Something NEW, Something Borrowed and Something Grew. Presented by: Donna Stinnett in the Dobro Room. As people moved through America and Appalachia their culture and plants came with them.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway: "Gentlemen, You Will have a Rough Road to Travel": The battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the Park Way route. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley and Stuart Jolley in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Your Traveling Photography Kit. Presented by: Jim Eastin in the Guitar Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Bogger a Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by: Mary Phillips in the Breakfast Room. A reading and nature program for kids and adults. Limit 25 Kids Kindergarten through 6th grade and limit 15 Adults. Must pre-register at Information Table.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: When Momma was the Doctor in Cades Cove. Presented by: Dr. Gail Palmer in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: In the name of Nature Slide presentation. Presented by: Brad Jones in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Photo Exhibit Pick-up. All photo entries must be picked up by 6:00 pm in the Cello Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Adobe Lightroom for Wilderness and Scenic Photography. Presented by: Colby McLemore in the Violin Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Taking Your Photography to Your Next Level. Presented by: Ron Plasencia and Larry Perry in the Guitar Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Hug-A-Tree and Survive for Kids. Presented by: Joey Holt in the Harp Room.
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm Nathan Sparks-A Cades Cove Frontiersman 1828-1891. Presented by: Larry Sparks in the Ukelele Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Young Artists Coloring Session. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20 Kids 12 years old and under must preregister at Information Desk All materials needed will be provided.
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Wonderful Waterfalls: Tennessee Treasures Slide Presentation. Presented by: William Carter in the Dobro Room.
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Photography and the Creative Process. Presented by: William Jordan IV in the Violin Room.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Three Professors and a Mule. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Dobro/Harp Room. One hundred years ago three professors from Maryville College walked through the Smokies with the help of a mule.
7:15 pm Ken Jenkins: NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: in the Dobro/Harp Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week at The Music Road Hotel And Convention Center In The Pigeon Forge TN Day 7

2011-01-14T07:41:00.001-05:00

Day 7 of Wilderness Wildlife Week begins in minutes and there is finally no more snow falling in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The highlights from today's programs will be Managing the Search Function presented by Joe Kelley, Todd Witcher telling stories from the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project, and just retired 30 year veteran of the great Smoky Mountains national park Kim Delozier talking about Bears, Boars and Bulls -30 Years of Wildlife Management in the Smokies. If you can only catch one program, Kim's is the one to experience.

If you are planning on taking any of the free guided hikes today be sure to bundle up and since there is still so much snow around in the park, some of the hikes may be canceled again.

7:00 am - 9:00 pm Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Vendor/Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Special Photo Exhibit: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room.
7:00 am - 11:00 am Managing the Search Function. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Guitar Room. Study some of the Smokies most famous Search and Rescue operations: Limit 70 must preregister at Information Desk.
8:30 am - 10:00 am Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark Dunaway in the Ukelele Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safari Show in the Dobro/Harp Room.
9:00 am - 10:30 am Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C". Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am Do It Yourself: Building a Backyard Habitat. Presented by: Mark Dunaway in the Harp Room.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm: "Gear Fitting for Day Hikes". Presented by: Jim Richards in the Dobro Room.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm: The Wolves of Bays Mountain. Presented by: Rhonda Goins in the Ukelele Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm: The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Violin Room.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Hiking and Photography Slide Presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert in the Guitar Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Why Here and Not There? Presented by Carolyn Templeton and Kent Cave in the Dobro Room. A discussion of the differences between National Parks, National Forests, National Scenic Rivers, National Monuments, National Battlefields, National Cemeteries and National Recreation Areas.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Baby Songbirds in Your Yard! Presented by: Regina Garr in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Unusual Camping Tricks and Gizmos. Presented by: Larry "Coyote" Smith in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Smokies Amazing Stories on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Presented by: Todd Witcher in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Young Artists Coloring Sessions in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20. 12 years old and under must preregister at the Information Table.
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett and Linda Smith in the Violin Room. Limit 25 students must preregister at Information Desk. There will be a limited amount of dulcimers available best to bring own. Observers welcome.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Down By the Old Mill Stream Slide presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Harp Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods Slide presentation. Presented by: Kendall Chiles in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: National Wildlife Refuges of Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi. Presented by: Jim Wigginton in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Learn To Play the Washboard, Spoons and Fiddle Sticks with the Boggertown Gap Band in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12 participants must preregister at Information table.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Challenger Opens Doors? Presented by Bob Hatcher in the Violin/Guitar Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Bears, Boars and Bulls: Thirty Years of Wildlife Management in the Smokies. Presented by: Kim Delozier in the Harp Room.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Walking in the Beauty of the Natural World Slide presentation. Presented by: Don McGowan in the Dobro Room.
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm Wings of America. Presented by: American Eagle Foundation in the Violin/Guitar Room.
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Some Winter Birds of the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Fred Alsop in the Harp Room.
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Wonders of Wildflowers Slide presentation. Presented by: Brad Jones in the Ukelele Room.
6:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Guitar Room. Bring your own instrument or simply plan to enjoy and listen.
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Wild Hog Management. Presented by: David Whitehead in the Violin Room.
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: America's Diverse Landscape Slide presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers in the Dobro/Harp Room.
8:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Out Under the Sky-Harvey Broom and the Tennessee Beginnings of the Wilderness Society. Presented by: Charles Maynard in the Dobro/Harp Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week at The Music Road Hotel And Convention Center In The Pigeon Forge TN Day 6

2011-01-13T07:57:00.004-05:00

With only 3 days left of Wilderness Wildlife Week taking place at the Music Road Hotel And Convention Center In The Pigeon Forge Tennessee, the improving weather Friday and Saturday will be a big relief to the attendees, although we still expect snow in the Great Smoky Mountains for the rest of today.

Today's schedule of classes, lectures, demonstrations, music and guide hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will keep any enthusiast of photography, nature, history, science and Smokies culture will be kept at the edge of their seat.

Some of the highlights of today's Wilderness Wildlife Week programs will be the Overview of Primitive Wilderness Skills presented by Larry "Coyote" Smith, the Elk in the Smokies program presented by the Great Smoky Mountains national parks wildlife specialist Joe Yarkovick who specializes in elk management and eduction, and Survival Lessons from an Aircraft Accident which will be presented by Joe Taft.

7:00 am - 9:00 pm Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Vendor/Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Special Photo Exhibit: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room.
8:00 am - 11:00 am Introduction to Tracking People in the Outdoors. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Harp Room. Dress to go outside.
9:00 am - 10:00 am Introduction to Musical Instruments in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am An Overview of Primitive Wilderness Skills. Presented by: Larry (Coyote) Smith in the Guitar Room.
9:30 - 10:30 am Green Power Switch: ReNEWable Energy. Presented by: Lucas Harkelroad in the Violin Room.
10:15 am - 11:15 am UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Hidden Garden II: Learn to See. Presented by: Dr. Alan Heilman in the Ukelele Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Autoharp: Making Instant Music. Presented by: Judy Carson in the Dobro Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Survival Lessons from an Aircraft Accident. Presented by: Joe Taft in the Violin Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Scenic Alabama Slide Presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert in the Guitar Room.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Creating a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. Presented by: Phylis Rollins in the Harp Room.
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Ukelele Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm O! Possum! Live Animal Show. Presented by: Lynne McCoy in the Guitar Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Banjo in Appalachia. Presented by: Boggertown Gap Band in the Dobro Room.
12:45 pm - 1:45 pm Where's Mommy? Rehabilitation of Orphaned Wildlife. Presented by: Phylis Rollins in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Hands om History: Calligraphy and Penmanship. Presented by: Pat Thomas in the Breakfast Room. History of calligraphy combined with brief instruction and materials to practice letter formation and write out a quote about the mountains. Limit 15 must preregister at Information Desk.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: "Wild Wonders". Presented by the Knoxville Zoo Bird Show in the Violin/Guitar Room.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: HERITAGE: The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Robin Goddard in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Bicycling Adventures On and Off the Road. Presented by: Elle Colquitt in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: "What Matters Mathers Most" Creating a National Park System. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Let's Sketch a Bird. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room. All material provided: Limit 20 students 12 years old and older. Must preregister at Information Desk.
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Traditional Entertaining and Storytelling from the Smokies. Presented by: Smoky Mountains Storytelling Association in the Guitar Room.
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Hiking the Appalachian Trail Slide Presentation. Presented by: Bert Kunze in the Violin Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Hosting Hummingbirds! Presented by: Regina Garr in the Ukelele Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm The Spirits of Cades Cove: Slide Presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Dobro Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm UPDATE WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Elk in the Smokies - Home Again. Presented by: Joe Yarkovick in the Harp Room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Cherokee: Learn of the history of the Cherokees in the Great Smoky Mountains and the formation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation. Presented by: Jon Elder in the Harp Room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Eagle-Facts and Legends. Presented by: Bob Hatcher in the Ukelele Room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Old Time Music by Multi Instrumentalist. Presented by: Roger Helton in the Dobro Room.
6:00 pm Saturday hike sign ups Holiday Inn Express across the street.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Whaley Family Singers: Old Hymns and Songs of Faith in the Violin Room.
7:30 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Spiritual Side of Nature. Presented by: Chuck Summers and Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp Room.
8:30 pm Lore of the Moon and Stars. Presented by: Stuart Carroll in the Guitar Room. Dress to go Outside.

With additional snow and many of the Great Smoky Mountains national park roads closed, expect that more of the guided hikes may be called off today.

Wilderness Wildlife Week day 5 at The Music Road Hotel And Convention Center In The Pigeon Forge TN

2011-01-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

Wilderness Wildlife Week is still going strong on day 5 and yes, it is still snowing and even more is on the way. Some of the hikes have been cancelled due to accessibility issues but there is still plenty to do inside where it is warm and dry.

Today only, Wednesday January 12th you can tape your favorite Pigeon Forge memory for an oral history archive of the Great Smoky Mountains if you stop by room 101 at Music Road Hotel and Convention Center anytime between 10:30 am - 4:00 pm.

This Smoky Mountains oral history project is being compiled by the Pigeon Forge Library for the 50th anniversary of Pigeon Forge. What the historians are looking for three to five minute stories such as ordering a hamburger basket from Remacs, watching your first movie at the Midway, your first hair cut at Tebo's barber or a family vacation you took to the Smokies.

It is these first hand impressions of Pigeon Forge when it was a quaint little town on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains that can be enjoyed and studied for future generations. Do you have what it takes to be part of this Pigeon Forge oral history collection? Please help contribute!

7:00 am - 9:00 pm Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Vendor/Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Special Photo Exhibit: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am Before There Were Video Games: A hands on learning experience about toys and other pastimes before the electronic age. Presented by the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Limit 50 must preregister at Information Desk in the Violin Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am Scenic Tennessee: Slide presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert in the Guitar Room.
9:30 am - 10:30 am The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by Charlie Monday in the Dobro Room. Limit 30 must preregister at Information Desk.
9:30 am - 10:30 am UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Saving the Endangered Whooping Crane - The Tennessee Connection and Current Status. Presented by: Ken Dubke in the Ukelele Room.
10:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sheriff Ray Noland Book Review. Presented by: Mrs. Ersa Rhea Noland Smith. Ms. Smith will share stories of her father's experiences as high Sheriff of Sevier County in the Harp Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am Coal Mining Days in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Dixie Highway, Rock City Barns and Burma Shave Signs. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn in the Guitar Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Careful Out There. Presented by: Joe Taft in the Ukelele Room.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Carolina Bluegrass Boys Concert: ALSO: Appalachian Cloggers come join in on the fun in the Dobro/Harp room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Is Your Landscape Escaping? Presented by Kristine Johnson in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Wild Ones Among Us. Presented by: Lynne McCoy. Live animal show in the Harp Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Native American Stories. Presented by: Robert "Red Hawk" Eldridge in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Calico and Bandannas. Presented by: Pat Thomas in the Breakfast Room. A history of calico and bandannas combined with coloring a cotton bandanna for each participant: Limit 15 students must preregister at Information Desk.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Old Time String Band Concert. Presented by: Boogertown Gap Band in the Dobro Room.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Bluebirds Year in the Round! Presented by: Steve Garr in the Violin Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wildflowers of Tennessee. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: An Overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Presented by: Jim Wigginton in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Exploring the Smokies with Physical and/or Mental Challenges. Presented by: Carolyn Templeton in the Harp Room.
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm The Cumberland Trail, A State Scenic Trail. Presented by: Tony Hook in the Violin Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Ranger Recollections II. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm The Art of Dowsing: Do You have the Gift? . Presented by Charlie Monday in the Ukelele Room. Limit 30 must preregister at Information Desk in the Breakfast Room.
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Old Time Hymns. Presented by: Don Huskey, Marcia Huskey Nelson and Roger Helton. These songs of praise are the songs you sang as a child. They filled the little one room churches of the Smokies in earlier times.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Who Lives in These Woods? Creatures Worth Saving. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Guitar Room.
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm The Perry's Camp Murders. Presented by: Robert S. Allen and Steve O. Watson in the Ukelele Room. Listen and learn of one of Sevier County's most infamous murder cases that took place in 1949.
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Carolina Bluegrass Boys Concert: ALSO: Appalachian Cloggers come join the fun in the Dobro/Harp room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Noted and Peculiar Court Cases of Earlier Times. Presented by: Veta King, Sevier County Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Rex Henry Ogle and attorneys Mr. John B. Waters, Jr. and Mr. Jerry McCarter tell of early justice of the Peace courts and unusual county court cases of the past in the Violin Room.
6:00 pm Friday hike sign ups Holiday Inn Express across the street.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Transitions: Finding the Familiar in a Changing World - From the Heartland Series. Presented by: Doug Mills in the Dobro/Harp room.
6:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas. Bring your own instrument or simply plan to enjoy and listen in the Guitar Room.
7:15 pm UPDATE WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: A Celebration of the Heartland Series. Presented by: Bill Landry in the Dobro/Harp Room.

Day 4 of the Wilderness Wildlife Week at The Music Road Hotel And Convention Center In The Pigeon Forge TN

2011-01-11T08:21:00.001-05:00

As Wilderness Wildlife Week at The Music Road Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee day 4 begins, the snow continues and will through tomorrow.

While attendance has been affected because of the snow, there are still plenty of people showing up for the lectures and demonstrations and today we have a few special events you should not miss.

Kids will love the Knoxville Zoo's Zoomobile presenting the Wild World of Animals as well as Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard our "bear ladies" teaching kids in a fun way about bears through the use of hands on activities.

Great Smoky Mountains national park wildlife technician Rick Varner who has spent decades working in the park will present a lecture on Wild Hog Control in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and can answer most any question about the wildlife in every inch of the park.

Lots of more great music, photography demonstrations and more are in store for anyone who braves the snow today!

7:00 am - 9:00 pm Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm Vendor/Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Special Photo Exhibit: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Returning the Osprey to Nest in Tennessee. Presented by: Ken Dubke in the Harp Room.
9:30 am - 10:30 am Introduction to Old Time Banjo. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Ghost Birds: Jim Tanner and the Ivory Bill. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales in the Guitar Room. Stephen will discuss his NEW book about University of Tennessee's Dr. James T. Tanner's 1935-1941 search for the legendary ghost birds of the Southern swamps Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers.
10:00 am - 11:30 am NEW: Meet Mr. Herb Clabo. Hear Mr. Clabo tell of near one hundred years of living in the Great Smoky Mountains or right in its back door. Presented by: Veta King in the Ukelele Room.
10:00 am - 11:30 am Backpacking - Getting Started Safely. Presented by: Pamela Rodgers and Mike Braun in the Violin Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Wolves of Bays Mountain: Recapturing of the wolves during 2009/2010. Presented by: Rhonda Goins in the Harp Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Wild World of Animals. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo's Zoomobile in the Guitar Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Civil War in the West. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Dobro Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Old Time Cooking and Canning a Panel discussion with Veta King, Ruth Matthews and Frances Shambaugh. Presentation of the old time methods of cooking on a wood cook stove, canning in a black cast iron pot, and preparing meals for large families in the Ukelele Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm The Art of Dowsing: D Harp Room Do You have the Gift?: Limit 30 participants must preregister at Information Desk. Presented by: Charlie Monday in the Harp Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Wing Things: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Lois English in the Violin Room They will show how many wing things dragonflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators are in our gardens and how to attract them.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm The Circle of Life, the Bear Facts. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Air Quality Update for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Jim Renfro in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Low Relief Carving-Log Cabin: Don Taylor: Limit 12 must preregister at Information Desk in the Breakfast Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Meet "Aunt Lydia Kear Whaley". Presented by: Ruth Carr Miller in the Ukelele Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Dolomites: Travel, Hiking and Highlights: Gudrun and Peter Seifert in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park: The Community of Elkmont will be presented from four different perspectives: Lumber business, Resort homes and their destination, as well as special synchronous fireflies. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Violin Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Llamas Live! Hiking with Pack Llamas. Presented by: Sandy Sgrillo in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Vingettes From Sevierville's Past: Panel discussion and video. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Learn About Bears Through Hands On Activities.
Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard. Limit 20: Ages kindergarten through 6th grade must preregister at Information Desk in the Breakfast Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Orioles! Spring and Summer. Presented by: Regina Garr in the Harp Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Pig Tales, Wild Hog Control in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Rick Varner in the Guitar Room.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Pigeon Forge Celebrates Fifty Years! Presented by: Veta King. Travel back in time to 1961 when Pigeon Forge incorporated with Mayor Xan Daveport, Vice Mayor Winfred Whaley, and Commissioner Wade McMahan at the helm in the Ukelele Room. Pigeon Forge residents voted 160 to 152 to incorporate. A "Sevier County NEWs-Record" article ran in July of that same year stating that the town had 974 residents and fifty-two businesses.
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Meigs Post Line Through the Smokies: Stories from their book. Presented by: Joe Kelley and Dwight McCarter in the Dobro/Harp room.
6:00 pm Thursday hike sign ups Holiday Inn Express across the street.
6:15 pm UPDATE WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Tales From Lost! Presented by: Dwight McCarter in the Dobro/Harp room.
APPALACHIAFEST! A Musical Celebration of Our Heritage - even clogging with Appalachian Cloggers! Attendees welcome to join in the fun.
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Great Smoky Mountain Inhabitants and Their Music: Boogertown Gap Band in the Violin/Guitar Room.
6:45 pm - 7:15 pm Tony Thomas in the Violin/Guitar Room.
7:30 pm Carolina Bluegrass Boys in the Violin/Guitar Room.

Day 3 of Wilderness Wildlife Week In the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

2011-01-10T08:29:00.003-05:00

Many challenges for the 21st Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week January 8th - 15th, 2011 because of the weather, but that has not stopped the diehard fans of this fantastic tribute to the people, animals, music and crafts of the Great Smoky Mountains being held in the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center located just off the parkway in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

While the weather in the Smokies during winter is unpredictable, the snow that has been predicted continues to fall through the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina with more in store for the next 48 hours.

While the snow has hampered the free guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - one of the favorite activities Wilderness Wildlife Week, and some of the presenter have had problems getting to the event, everything should be back to normal by this weekend.

9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: How to Build a Mountain Home: Participants will work as a team to assemble a small log cabin: Limit 50 people must preregister at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in the Ukelele Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: So That's Where That Expression Came From! Presented by Kathy Gwinn in the Guitar Room.
9:30 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Master Gardener Program: Helps to create wildlife friendly gardens and landscapes. Presented by: Dr. Leo Lubke in the Harp Room.
9:30 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Introduction to Autoharp. Presented by: Judy Carson and Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
10:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Water, Water Everywhere-Or is There? An Informative and Educational presentation on current water quality issues facing our region, country and world. Presented by: Matt Kulp in the Dobro Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Enjoying the Wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park: Slide presentation. Presented by: Tom Harrington in the Guitar Room.
10:30 am - 11:45 am Hiking on Snow and Ice and Cross Country Skiing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Wendell Liemohn in the Ukelele Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Ijams Family Legacy in the Smokies. Presented by: Paul James in the Harp Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: You and Me Coexisting with Bears. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Violin Room.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Introduction to the Mandolin. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NE WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Easy Hiking in the Alps Part II. Presented by: Gudrun and Peter Seifert in the Harp Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Black Bear Management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bill Stiver in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Of Ginseng, Golden Apples and the Rainbow Fish-Ancient Tales and Mountain Treasures: Songs and Stories. Presented by: Dog Elliott in the Violin Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Native American Stories. Presented by: Robert "Red Hawk" Eldridge in the Dobro Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Ownby Family Memories of Cherokee Orchard. Presented by: Theresa Williams in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Low Relief Carving of a Log Cabin: Don Taylor: Limit 12 must preregister at Information Table and have carving tools in the Breakfast Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Appalachian Bear Rescue: Who We Are and What We Do. Presented by: Lisa Stewart in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: State of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bob Miller in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm A Wildlife Habitat for Every Season. Presented by: Steve Garr in the Violin Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Wildflowers of the Smokies. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Pictorial overview of prominent places in the park and park information, history, culture and stories. Presented by: Wilma Durpo in the Guitar Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Those Ain't Teddy Bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Breakfast Room. Limit 10 must preregister at Information Desk.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Old Fashion Spelling Bee (Adults welcome too). Presented by: Robin Goddard in the Ukelele Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Leave No Trace: Presenting the ethics of leaving no trace in the outdoors. Presented by: Pamela Rodgers and Mike Braun in the Harp Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Ranger Recollections I. Presented by: Joe Kelley in the Dobro Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Music of Our American Roots. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band in the Violin Room.
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: In Touch with Wildlife: A touching and learning program using bird feathers, turtle shells, etc. Presented by: Lynn McCoy in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12 must preregister at Information Table.
4:30 pm - 5:45 pm What Makes the Smokies Like No other National Park? Presented by: Bill and Rosemary Deitzer in the Guitar Room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Cas Walker Tails: Mr. Cas Walker- "the ole coon hunter": Stories and Songs about an East Tennessee Legend. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn in the Violin Room room.
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Creative Critters: Stories and Songs about animal behavior and amazement. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro/Harp room.
6:00 pm Wednesday hike sign ups Holiday Inn Express across the street.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Bone-ON-Bone-What Hikers Need to Know on Joint Replacement. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Guitar Room.
7:00 pm "And Heaven and Nature Sing". Presented by: Ken Jenkins, Judy Felts and Friends in the Dobro/Harp/Ukelele room.

Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week In the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains.

2011-01-09T06:43:00.001-05:00

Wilderness Wildlife Week day 2 is another fun filled exciting day of activities, guided hikes and classes about the Great Smoky Mountains and a little snow won't spoil the fun - as a matter of fact the picture perfect beauty of a snow dusted Smoky Mountains is just what photographers have been waiting for!

Feedback from those that attended Wilderness Wildlife Week yesterday has been extremely positive and it seems that each year it just keeps getting better! A suggestion is that you may want to pack in a lunch today and especially tomorrow and Tuesday, as the road will be a little worse with all the new snow we are expecting the next 48 hours.

As if you cannot get enough, today there will be 2 programs on Black Bear that live in the Smokies and some great slide shows and photography programs on this day 2 of the 21st Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK SPECIAL PHOTO EXHIBIT: Pigeon Forge Fifty Years of Progress in the Cello Room 9:00 am- 6:00 pm.
8:30 am - 10:30 am Stocked Trout Stream Fishing. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am Sunday Morning Singing. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW pm: Bear Ecology. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Harp Room.
9:00 am -10:00 am Wildflowers of the Southern Highlands. Presented by: Jack Carman in the Violin Room.
9:30 am -10:30 am: Marking Time: A Guide to the Historical Markers in East Tennessee. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Ukelele Room.
10:30 am -11:30 am: NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Discovery of the Gray Fossil Site. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
10:30 am -11:30 am Images of Light: Slide Presentation. Presented by: Tom and Pat Cory in the Harp Room.
10:30 am - 12:00 pm: NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: A Hiker's Guide to Wild Food and Medicine. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Violin Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Improving Your Photography. Presented by: Bill Fortney in the Guitar Room.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Civil War in the Mountains. Presented by: A. Christine Tipton in the Ukelele Room.
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Nature Writing Workshop: Putting your outdoor experiences into words. Presented by: Jeff Rennicke in the Dobro/Harp.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Long Live John Barleycorn- Of Lawns, Weeds and Wheat Fields: Song and Stories. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Violin Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Digital Technician: Slide presentation. Presented by: Bill Fortney in the Guitar Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Butterflies: How to Attract Them. Presented by: Lois English and W.C. and Glenna Julian in the Ukelele Room.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Kiddin Around: Hands On Introduction to Mountain Music and Instruments. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20 and you must preregister at Information Desk. Parents are encouraged to accompany kids.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Whistle over the Mountains: Story of Elkmont Logging Days. Presented by: Jim Thurston in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Old Harp Shaped Note Singing: A group of People from Sevier County sing the way their ancestors did early in the last century. Presented by: David Sarten in the Violin Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm UPDATED WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sanctuary in the Smokies: Photographs and Readings from "Sanctuary: Meditations from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: J. Greg Johnson in the Guitar Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Cardinal's: Everyone's Favorite Red Bird. Presented by: Steve Garr in the Dobro Room.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Hens, Hives and Herbs: History and Life in the 1940's: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Donna Stinett in the Ukelele Room.
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm World Class Smallmouth Bass: Greg Ward in the Breakfast Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Batteries Not Included Fun with Games and Toys. Presented by: Mike Meldrum in the Harp Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Weeds for Your Needs-Useful Wild Plants: Songs and Stories. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Children's Sing-Along: Adults welcome. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Switzerland Hiking Photo Tour. Presented by: Shannon Harris in the Ukelele Room.
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Tales From Two Smokies Trail Completers. Presented by: Bill Deitzer and Tommy Small in the Guitar Room.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: "Encounters - More on Bears" . Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry in the Guitar Room.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Ken Jenkins Program in the Dobro/Harp room.
6:00 pm Tuesday hike sign ups Holiday Inn Express across the street.
7:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Growing Up Wild: Connecting Kids with the Great Outdoors: The joys, frustrations, and challenges of raising a NEW generation of young people who understand, enjoy, and feel connected to the natural world around them. Presented by: Jeff Rennicke in the Dobro/Harp room.

The 21st Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week starts today in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2011-01-08T15:28:00.008-05:00

The hottest ticket is the Great Smoky Mountains is at one of the free classes, lectures, activities or on the bus to one of the many guided hikes on the 21st Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week.

Some of these events that run from January 8th - 15th, 2011 will be standing room only and for good reason: the best of the best will be presenting, guiding and performing and everything taking place at the Wilderness Wildlife Week is free!

This year's Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week will take place again as it has for years at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center a block off the parkway in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

What is new is that the location to sign up for any one of the more than 50 guided hikes taking place in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will be held at Holiday Inn Express across the street from Music Road Hotel & Convention Center.

This year’s hikes will have the added challenge of plenty of fresh snow. It is very likely that some of the hikes will be canceled or alternate hikes will be made as roads such as Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee are closed right now due to snow and ice and there is presently no access to Greenbrier and Cades Cove.

With the inclement weather, some of the lectures may have to be postponed, canceled or speaker may have to be substituted, but no matter what, if you love nature, photography, history, music, crafts, hiking or great stories, there is something for every one of all ages at this year’s 21st Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

The Information Desk at the convention center is open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and the Exhibit Hall is open from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Saturday January 8th, 2011 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule:

8:00 am - 11:00 am Learn to Use a Map and Compass. Presented by: Terry and Lavalla Edgington in the Ukelele Room. Limit 50 that must preregister at Information Desk.
7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.
9:00 am - 10:00 am Rock Formations of the Smokies: Geological Past of Smoky Mountains. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Photoshop for the Nature Photographer Presented by: Larry Perry in the Violin Room.
9:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by: Kendall Chiles, Tom and Pat Cory and Harold Stinnette in the Guitar Room.
9:00 am - 11:30 am Fly Fishing in the Smokies Presented by: Greg Ward in the Harp Room.
9:00 am - 1:00 PM: Photo Exhibit Entry and Set Up - (Entry form must be submitted with photo) in the Cello Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am Discovering October Roads: View Fall Colors of East Tennessee. Presented by: Fred Brown and Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
10:30 am - 11:30 am Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
11:30 am Sunday hike sign ups at Holiday Inn Express across the street from the convention center.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Groundhogology: Songs and Tales. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Update on Searching for Panthers in the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Don Linzey in the Ukelele Room.
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Animal Olympics: Comparing Human Senses and Abilities to Those of Wild Animals, Interactive. Presented by: Ann Schlichting in the Harp Room. Limit 30 Children: Must Preregister at Information Desk.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Learn About Bears Through Hands-ON- Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard in the Breakfast Room. Limit 20: Kindergarten-6th Grade: Must Preregister at Information Desk.
1:30 am - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Weather Signs: Learning How to "Read the Signs" for Changes in Weather for Hiking and Camping. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Violin/Guitar Room.1:30 pm -2:30 pm Serpent Handlers: Serpent Handling Religion in Appalachia. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Dobro Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Grand Canyon Adventure, North to South, East to West, Top to Bottom a View for Everyone. Presented by: Bill Deitzer and Bob Turney in the Harp Room.
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Avent Cabin: The Inhabitants, Heritage and Folklore of a Historic Smoky Mountain Cabin Near Elkmont. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Ukelele Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sunday Morning at "Moon"- Shine Missionary Baptist Church: Stories and Songs. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn in the Dobro Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: National History Day Students: Talented Local Students Share Their Knowledge of How to Document Your Local History. Presented by: Sabrina Gray in the Violin Room.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Hands On History: Make a Quill Pen with Instructions and Materials to Make a Quill Pen. Presented by: Pat Thomas in the Breakfast Room. Limit 12 which must preregister at Information Desk.
3:00 pm - 5:30 pm Fly Casting. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Guitar Room.
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm UPDATE: Civil War in the Mountains. Presented by: A. Christine Tipton in the Ukelele Room.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Waterton Lakes, Canada to Alaska and Return: A Photographic Travel Log. Presented by: Bob and Gloria Epperson in the Harp Room.
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Ballads of the Great Smoky Mountains. Presented by: Boogertown Gap Band in the Violin Room.
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: KIDS TRACK: Booger a Tall Tale of the Mountains: Story Reading and Nature Program for Children and Adults: Wildflower Project. Presented by: Mary Phillips in the Breakfast Room. Limit: 25 Children ages 6-12 and 15 Adults. Must Preregister at Information Desk.
5:45 pm - 6:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Wildwoods Wisdom: Exploring Our Spiritual Connection to Nature. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro/Harp room.
6:00 pm: Monday hike sign ups - Holiday Inn Express
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Comments. Presented by: Terry Maddox, Executive Director of Great Smoky Mountains Association: Jim Hart, Director of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Dale Ditmanson, Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Dobro/Harp room.
7:30 pm: Opening remarks. Presented by: Ken Jenkins in the Dobro/Harp room.
7:45 pm: NEW: Keynote Program. "With NEW Eyes: Finding a Sense of Place in Nature": This presentation is composed of beautiful original photography and intriguing stories, Jeff takes us along a journey to some of the most beautiful places on earth and helps the listener find their own sense of a place close to home. Presented by: Jeff Rennicke in the Dobro/Harp room.

Fall at Its Finest: Great Leaves – Great Weather - in the Great Smoky Mountains!

2010-11-13T14:33:00.009-05:00

With winter right around the corner, the Great Smoky Mountains could not be any nicer! Though the leaves are past peak color, there is still some fantastic color around the Tennessee Smokies however; it is just about all gone in North Carolina.

All of the pictures here in this article were taken in the last 24 hours around the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area of the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains. As you can see, the colors are bright and vivid and lots of the leaves are still on the trees even though most elsewhere around the country they are down on the ground already.

Some of the best places to see the fall color are still around the Foothills Parkway, some sections of Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, much of Wears Valley, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville Tennessee.

Some of the darker hollows and very high elevations in the Smokies have lost their color, but in places such as the Dollywood Theme Park and around the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, some of the trees have not even peaked in fall colors yet.

To make a trip to Dollywood even better on its 25th anniversary, right now even though it is in the upper 60s right now in Dollywood, the Smoky Mountains Christmas celebration is going on at Dollywood and there are plenty of discount tickets to go around!

Winterfest with its millions of holiday lights all throughout Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville kicked off earlier this week. With all the lights and beautiful decorations around the Smokies it will be hard to not be in the holiday and Christmas mood, and the outlet malls in the Smoky Mountains are offering deals you can't pass up on the perfect Christmas gift.

Fall season also means apples and this has been a record-breaking year for the apple crop in the Great Smoky Mountains. The apple crop has been so good some farmer had to prop up their tree limbs in order to keep them from breaking under the weight of those delicious fall goodies! Applewood in Pigeon Forge and Carvers in Cosby are the best places to buy our local delicacy.

This apple season started about 2 weeks early this fall and there are still plenty left to harvest. Even though many plants bloomed early this year, the leaves on the tress are staying far longer than last year even though the weather has been usually warm and dry for fall, which is just fantastic to hike, bike, fish or motor your way around the Smokies.

So if you never came to the Smokies to enjoy the fall color, now is the time to come to the Great Smoky Mountains as the colors are great, the holiday decorations are awesome, the traffic is light and cabin rental rates are far lower than they were just a few days ago. There are still a few One Bedroom and Two Bedroom cabins left for Thanksgiving, but they are going fast so act now.

...and don't forget, if you rent a cabin you can get very discounted tickets for Dollywood which is just amazing this time of the year! So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the great weather, low cabin rental prices and great fall color and reserve your dream cabin today!

Peak Fall Colors Smoky Mountains: Where and When for 2010

2010-10-12T10:56:00.011-04:00

If you are looking for the best fall colors set off by a backdrop of stunning mountains such as the Smokies, now is the time to book a leaf peeping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains for the best autumn colors of 2010.

The Great Smoky Mountains encompass such a huge area with lots of different trees showing different colors such as sugar maples, sweet gum, oak, beech, hickory, walnuts, dog wood, tulip poplar and more than a hundred other trees and bushes that will amaze you with their dazzling colors for many weeks.

Some of the best fall colors of the Smoky Mountains are just starting to show in the highest elevations such as the leaves along Newfound Gap Road pictured above in the Great Smoky Mountains national park yesterday. The hot reds, oranges, peach colors and salmons have yet to come out up there.

Just a few days ago, everything was deep green with just a hint of some light greens and a flash of red or deep burgundy from sweet gum and dogwood.

Now the ridgeline's and peaks are highlighted with yellows, reds and oranges which are quickly starting to spread down from little patches to the valleys and hollows throughout the Smokies.

Since the color starts in the higher elevations where it is cooler, the best auto tours to see the leaves change colors right now are along Newfound Gap Road especially above 3,000 feet, the Blue Ridge Parkway which borders the Great Smoky Mountains national park, The Foothills Parkway East by Cosby just outside Gatlinburg, The Foothills Parkways West outside Townsend near Cades Cove past Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley and the infamous Tail of the Dragon.

North Carolina with its slightly higher elevation and cooler temperatures is a about a week ahead in its fall colors than that of the Tennessee side of the Smokies.

Cades Cove in Tennessee has some really good leaf color right now when you look up at Rich Mountain and Gregory Bald however, you may want to take a ride instead this week and next to Cataloochee Valley (Pictured above yesterday) just outside Maggie Valley.

In Cataloochee right now you can see better fall colors, and you can see up close as many a 60 elk in a day during what is now rut season. This is the time of the year when elk which have been introduced back into the area have their mating rituals which include loud bellowing called bugling between the males (bulls) back and forth which echoes in the valleys.

Female elks called cows are still nursing their young calves born this year. The calves still sport their baby spots as their longer winter coat is now growing in. Elk are very social animals that gather and interact with one another within the harem - fascinating to watch and you can get fantastic photographs such as the one taken below last week.

Just as Cades Cove has historic structures, so does the Cataloochee Valley. There are a handful of structures you can explore built in the late 1800's and early 1900's including a church, a schoolhouse and historic home sites.

A 5-mile round trip hike into Little Cataloochee reveals 2 very old log cabins from the 1800's, an apple house and another beautiful church. Al of the hike is right now under a canopy of green and fresh fall colors, which will be peaking next week and should last the month of October.

You will also find in Cataloochee there are miles of hiking trails and some of the best fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains in streams and creeks littered with bright orange and yellow leaves.

The acorn crop which is huge this year is moving lower so seeing black bear in a week or so will be common in the valley. Best time to see the black bear and elk is close to sunrise and the last 2 hours before sunset.

While it is 73 degrees in right now in Gatlinburg, during autumn in the Smokies the weather can change real fast in the Smoky Mountains. Last week there were 2 light dustings of snow on the peaks and the best place to see early snow and the best fall color of any roadway right now in the road off Newfound Gap up to Clingmans Dome.

Up at Clingmans Dome you can also enjoy the Christmassy smell of the fir trees and great views of the national park> You can look down on the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. This is also one of the best palaces to watch the sunset or sunrise so make sure to bring a camera!

The Smoky Mountains are always awesome, but this time of year, no one can beat the beauty of the Smokies showing off its fall peak colors. Stay tuned as we track the best of fall colors in the Smokies for you.

Smoky Mountains Fall Color Season: Where and When To See the Best Leaves In 2010

2010-08-18T19:50:00.002-04:00

The secret is out as to the best place to rent a log cabin to see the fall colors - it is the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.

Sure, there are other great places to see fall colors such as Vermont, New Hampshire and Michigan, but none of these locations to leaf peep in autumn has such a wide variety of trees that change colors, elevations and microclimates.

This means instead of having a week or two of great leaf colors every fall, the Great Smoky Mountains leaf season ranges for months! The leaves start to change color in the Smokies in the higher elevations during September and the hardwoods trees such a red oaks will have bright flaming colors in the leaves typically in November - sometimes as late as Thanksgiving!

Why does the leaf season peak last so long on the Smokies and what is the best time to see the fall colors at their peak? The fall color peak varies each year by weather and the peak for each location in the Smoky Mountains can vary by weeks compared to another location a mile or so away.

The weather of a prior spring and summer can change how brilliant the colors will be as well as the lasting power of each leaf with its brilliant color from red to oranges to yellows on a tree or bush. Add into the mix that weather during the fall can contribute to how long the peak color will last during a given year.

Changes is sunlight trigger when leaves "shut off" and go dormant for the winter and the green color in the chloroform inside each leaf in the fall fades and the yellows and orange colors now show through. Less sunlight happens each day in the fall occurs as sunset comes earlier each day and very cloudy or rainy days can trick the leaves in the trees and bushes that change color think its later in the season.

The colder weather that occurs later in autumn turns some fall leaves such as those in oak trees and maple trees changes the sugar that is left in the leaves into bight reds, purple and some salmons. The timing and duration of cold snaps can intensify, accelerate or decelerate these colors coming at the fall peak of these trees.

All of these factors combined as well as the fact that there are more different species of trees that change colors all at different times and at different colors growing in the Great Smoky Mountains and the national park than there are throughout all of Europe. With the 5,000 plus foot variation in elevation and huge differences in sunlight exposure between ridgelines, hollows and valleys extend what should be a weeklong peak for a single species of tree, to 3 or more weeks to see great leaf color in the same tree!

All of these factors together mean there is no single day or week for peak leaf season in the Great Smoky Mountains. What you can count on is a range with the month of October being most brilliant in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area that includes the same basic peak season in Wears Valley, Walden Creek, Sky Harbor, Townsend, Brothers Cove, Caney Creek, Bluff Mountain, Greenbrier, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Pitman Center, Cosby and the surrounding areas in the Smokies.

Going over Newfound Gap to Cherokee, Bryson City , Maggie Valley, Asheville and Waynesville, the peak starts earlier because of a change in elevation and temperature. This way guests who stay in East Tennessee at the earlier part of leaf season in September can take a short drive to see the peak in the mountains and come back home to a cabin surrounded by the lush green privacy!

While leaf season is peaking, the acorn crop is crop is as well which means besides lots of squirrels running around eating and burying acorns this is peak season for seeing black bear in the Smokies looking to out on some extra pounds before winter when they tend to almost hibernate in what is called winter sleep.

While black bear will be active during park leaf season all over the Smokies, the best place to see them will be in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park at the first hour or so of daylight and the last 2 hours before sunset. As it gets later in the fall black bear may be active eating acorns and scrounging for other food all day long.

The best place to rent a cabin during the fall leaf season during peak color in the Smoky Mountains depends greatly upon what you are looking for and when you plan on staying on the Smokies. Some people want complete seclusion on their vacation while some want to be high atop a mountain ridge looking out for miles at the fall colors and still others don't want to brave steep roads and driveways and prefer to be close to a river to catch some trout while the weather is still nice.

Besides log cabins for rent in the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg areas of the Smokes, there are chalets for rent as well. What's the difference between a chalet and a cabin? Cabins have wood walls and ceilings and usually hardwood floors while chalets typically have walls and ceilings that are painted or wallpapered drywall. There are plenty of Pigeon Forge Chalet Rentals as well as those in Gatlinburg.

Another place to see great colored leaves in the Smokies beside the national park is in America's favorite theme park in the Mountains: Dollywood. As a matter of fact, Dollywood if often the people's choice winner of the best theme park in the US and the are plenty of great cabins for rent next to Dollywood. Peak fall colors in and around Dollywood is around the 2nd to 3rd week in October.

Therefore, with so many choices, it may not be easy to find the best place to rent a cabin on the Smokies during peak fall colors by yourself not to mention many a vacation has been ruined by a bad "rent by owner" experience so what should you do? Rent form a reputable cabin rental management company such as American Mountain Rentals or Brothers Cove and you are sure to have a great leaf peeping vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Brothers Cove Cabin Rentals in Wears Valley Web Site Improvements

2010-08-13T15:53:00.004-04:00

It coming up to the one year anniversary when the cabin rental management of the Brothers Cove Mountain Resort located in the Walden Creek Wears Valley area just outside the city limits of Pigeon Forge Tennessee has been taken over by American Mountain Rentals of the Smoky Mountains.

In this time huge changes have been made to the property and management of this log cabin resort, which has spectacular views, whole being able to maintain secluded wooded areas that are all far away from the noise and traffic of downtown Pigeon Forge yet very close to the best of everything the Smokies has to offer.

The grounds have been cleaned up, roadways improved, the water treatment system has been improved, a more demanding cleaning and maintenance quality control has been put into place and well as a better trained and equipped staff that is on site at Brothers Cove so that their guest's vacation experience in the Smokies is beyond their expectations.

Guests renting cabins in Brothers Cove now have access to more discounts for attractions in the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg area including discounts to both the Dollywood theme park and Dolly Parton's Splash Country Water Park which are both just minutes from Brothers Cove as well as the great Pigeon Forge dinner theater experience: Dixie Stampede.

Renters of cabins in the Brothers Cove private gated log cabin resort and homeowners alike are thrilled with the new management team, on site staff and the huge benefits of the Brothers Cove American Mountain Rentals partnership with the huge resources American Mountain Rentals is providing.

Click above to Watch the Brothers Cove video
Click Here to Download a High Quality Version

The Brothers Cove web site is linked to the new streamlined reservation system that is now offering secure online booking to all of the 40 plus cabins for rent on Brothers Cove. This real time reservation system assures renter that they will be able to reserve the cabin they want for their next vacation any time of the day or night 365 days a year. Renters also have the benefit of choosing from an additional 140 handpicked luxury cabins available for rent, at affordable prices in the Smoky Mountains area throughout Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville and the Wears Valley/Bluff Mountain area.

To make it easier for you to find the perfect cabin in Brothers Cove for your next vacation on the Smokies, the web site has been greatly improved as well with easier navigation of the web site, faster loading pages, larger, more and higher quality photographs of each cabin and the surrounding area.

The Brothers Cove web site now lists more amenities and cabin features and gives you more ways that you can search for cabins such as by occupancy size, which are pet friendly rental units, and which cabins have the newly installed WIFI Wireless High Speed Internet Access.

To make the site more accessible, it is now compliant for use for use by persons with visual and mobility disabilities, it is also completely HTML compliant so that it works with the largest variety of computers, monitors and web enabled devices. The site is now located on a secure servers off site with disaster backups and servers in additional regions of the country.

All of the new advances to the web site that also has a cleaner look are great, but most importantly are how Brothers Cove, which was a nice place to take a vacation, is now even so much better. You may have noticed to at how The Smokies Blog has also changed, expect to see more changes and improvements in the coming months!

July 4th holiday activities in the Great Smoky Mountains.

2010-07-03T12:19:00.002-04:00

July 4th is a popular time for families to take a vacation, and there is no more favorite destination for a family friendly vacation than the Great Smoky Mountains. This year the crowds came early and the weather is spectacular.

Pigeon Forge kicks off the July 4th celebration today with music, activities, food, a salute to veterans by cast members from the Grand Majestic Theater and the end of the evening at around 9:45 pm, a fireworks display set to a soundtrack broadcasted live on WIVK 107.7 FM!

All of the free fun in Pigeon Forge takes place for at Patriot Park and the July 4th in the Smokies celebration has additional parking in the city parking lot on Teaster Lane with a trolley shuttle available to Patriot Park. Be sure to bring sun screen and blankets - umbrellas are not allowed.

Starting at noon, nonprofit organizations start selling drinks and food with the proceeds to benefit local charities and the Kid's Karnival Area will open with free Inflatable's to play in, a Rock Wall, Euro Bungee, Slides and even a Mechanical Bull!

The music begins at 1:30 pm with the local four-member band Grafite, which plays 70,'s rock and pop rock songs that the whole audience will be able recognize. All of the members of the band range in age from 9 to 11!

At 2:20 pm country-rock the husband and wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson - the Thompson Square will perform songs such as "Let's Fight" and "Keeping up with the Joneses" with their unique and creative style of music.

The new group from Nashville named TelluRide will begin playing at 3:20 pm. TelluRide who has proceed an album named Four Square Miles, is comprised of musicians from all genres.

At 4:30 pm the Pigeon Forge Community Chorus will entertain everyone young and old.

Local music legend Jimbo Whaley and Greenbrier will start at 5:30 pm. Jumbos' roots run deep in the Smokies with deep ties to the Greenbrier area and music always being a part of his life. He is an accomplished songwriter of such songs as The Foundation, M.R.s Rolling Store, The Legend of Jack Huff, and the fan favorite, The Kings of Orebank and he and his band have perfected bluegrass, country and mountain music.

6:20 pm is when the music trio from Nashville Eden's Edge will play their country music.

Talented singer-songwriter Steve Azar had the top country hits "I Don't Have To Be Me 'Til Monday" and "Waitin' on Joe" will start at 7:15 pm.

The headliner for the day, Diamond Rio starts at 8:30 pm. Diamond Rio was wildly successful with their mainstream country music but made the transition to Christian music with hits such as "I Believe", "Mama Don't Forget To Pray For Me", and "One More Day".

After they close, the fireworks will light up the sky over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This winter and spring huge improvements have been made in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to areas such as Cades Cove, which has been completely repaved, Clingmans Dome Road, The Cosby picnic area and campground and the newly opens Sink parking area and trailhead.

The fish are biting in all the stream and rivers in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park and tubes are having a blast floating don the rivers on the warm summers day. You can tube in the Townsend area and well as the Deep Creek area for just a few dollars and have a day's worth of fun!

Black bear are extremely active right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park so make sure that when you are dine with your fourth of July picnic or BBQ in the park you clean up all scraps of food and make sure that the lid to the bear proof garbage cans are closed tight. Remember by law you must stay 150 feet away from black bear and elk.

Speaking of Elk, these are the last few days of calving season for elk and white tailed deer. You should stay out of all fields with talk grass where fawns and calves may be hiding and if you do see a baby deer or elk leave it alone, it is not abandoned, this is just how mom projects her newborn from coyotes and black bear.

Finally, we want everyone coming to the Smokies to have a fun and safe 4th of July weekend, so local authorities will have perform enhanced traffic enforcement. Drive at posted speeds and do not drink and drive.

Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.

2010-06-23T18:08:00.010-04:00

The synchronizing firefly in the Southern Appalachian Smoky Mountains is a rare sight to see when it is flashing its mating signal - a yellowish green pulsing light that breaks the darkness of the night. Found and confirmed by scientists less than a dozen years ago, the lightning bugs special light show has amazed and delighted visitors and residents of the Smoky Mountains for years.

The most popular place people come to see a large gathering of the synchronized firefly flash its special light that sends waves of lights up and down mountains, trees and then will plunge into darkness, is the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Conditions have to be right to support the rare lightning bug that will emerge from beneath the ground when the temperature is just right and in search of a mate will flash its amazing light. For safety's sake and transportation convenience, the 2nd week in June at Elkmont was the best place to bring visitors to see the light show.

While well coordinated, safe and a great place to see the Smokies fireflies do their thing, standing in line for a long wait to take a shuttle into the park, dealing with 1,000 other visitors that night on a small area and waiting in line to take a shuttle back to your car is not an ideal way to view the fireflies - especially with small kids.

What could be more fun that to come to the Smokies and see the special fireflies from your cabin without any hassles? Well it sounds easier than it actually is.

While you can find the synchronizing fireflies in many areas of the Southern Appalachians, it is hard to see them in large numbers in the developed areas where most cabins are. The best place to observe the fireflies are not in wooded areas, but more open places where they can see each other to stimulate the flashing, and you can see in turn see them as well.

Most cabin rentals are often fairly close to one another so light from one cabin can be seen by the cabin next door. This makes it harder to see the fireflies flashes and the ambient light discourages fireflies to flash on their own.

Last year, after much searching the perfect conditions for lightning bugs were found in a small area between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee near large fields and a small stream, at the right elevation and way down a back road with very limited ambient light.

After watching the area for the optimum time, lighting bugs did synchronize and they do in fact inhabit this area and put on quite a show! The only problem is that there are only 3 cabins for rent where you could see the fireflies in that small area.

Well obviously 3 cabins is not enough to cover the demand to see such a spectacle in the Smoky Mountains so the search was on to find another area where the lightning bus synchronize and they can be seen from a cabin as well as within the property of a development.

After 4 years of searching for a great new place outside the Great Smoky Mountains national park that you can rent a cabin and get to see the special firefly show from the property, the best place was just found to see the rare lightning bugs!

Brothers Cove a premium private log cabin resort community tucked off Walden Creek in the Wears Valley area outside Pigeon Forge turned out to have all the right conditions: the correct elevation range, water sources, ground cover, great topography, lack of excessive ambient light and of course plenty of the Photinus Carolinus - the synchronizing firefly!

The past three weeks they have been observed in large numbers in the Brothers Cove Resort - home to more than 40 log cabins for rent! They have been found around many of the cabins located in this private gated community as well as up toward the top of the community in the large field / play area next to the in-ground swimming pool, the picnic pavilion, outdoor gazebo and the huge lodge.

An even greater concentration of the fireflies have been discovered in the lower field by the Brothers Cove Rental office - also on private property that the guests staying at Brothers Cove can use! They have been observed in the huge field, as well as in and up the treeline on the Brothers Cove Mountain.

If you are in this field at Brothers Cove and you look up a clear night, you can see actually see the Milky Way! And guess what? No crowds making noise or people bumping into you! At night all what you can hear are the whippoorwills, the crickets and frogs chirping and owls - what a private way to experience the most interesting natural phenomena in the Smokies!

So, what are the best places, ways and times to observe the Smoky Mountains synchronized fireflies in the Brothers Cove resort? Well the best place with the highest concentration of mating fireflies that light up in June will depend on when they emerged from the soil. Since the lower field is at 1,130 feet the field near the swimming pool is at 1,650 feet looking out over the valley and the top ridge of Brothers Cove is 1,950 feet and all 40 plus cabins for rent are located between the lower field and the top ridgeline, there can be an almost full weeks difference between firefly activity at the bottom of Brothers Cove verses the top.

Wherever you decide to watch the fireflies, you should bring along a flashlight with a red led or get a red lens cover or red cellophane so you can move around safely and still not throw off the light show or reduce your night vision. If you are going down to the lower field, you may want to bring folding chairs so you can sit. There are chairs at all the cabins and plenty of seating around the pool area.

If you staying at the cabin to watch the fireflies, turn off all the lights so it is as dark as possible. Pick a spot to sit with the widest panorama and if you can away from other cabins that have lights on. Do not forget to look up at the beautiful stars!

There are some many weather and other natural conditions that will dictate when the light show will reach peak and how many fireflies will be out that year. The one thing you can count on is that they will be there during the month of June and the best time to see them is at least half hour after sunset and the show is over by around midnight. Best all round time is should be the 2nd and 3rd week of June from 10 pm - 11 pm.

Just spending time in the peace and quiet of Brothers Cove is an amazing experience, but to be able to enjoy one of the Smoky Mountains most impressive natural treasures in privacy and without crowds.

Brothers Cove is an amazing custom built private neighborhood of luxury cabins on more than 400 acres much of which is unspoiled forest. Each cabin is unique and every cabin has a spectacular view of the mountains or a secluded wooded view or both! More than half of the almost 80 cabins that have been built in this private resort are for rent through BrothersCove.com.

Only guests of cabins rented through Brothers Cove or American Mountain Rentals who owns BrothersCove.com are entitled to all of the amenities maintenance, housekeeping and services offered at the on site office in Brothers Cove.

Only registered owners, renters or their guests are allowed in Brothers Cove for firefly viewing as well as entering Brothers Cove property including the fields and natural areas, roads, swimming pool, gazebo, or picnic pavilions.

So what are you waiting for? Start looking for the cabin you want so that you can see the fireflies in peace and privacy! Rent a Brothers Cove cabin now before the one you want is gone!

Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.

2010-06-05T21:20:00.004-04:00

If you have been in the Smokies the past few weeks, you would have seen that the lightning bugs have been flashing brighter and glowing more and more every night and in the Great Smoky Mountains national park synchronized firefly season has begun!

While all fireflies are a miracle of God's creation, one of the firefly beetles found in the south Appalachian Smoky Mountains are even more amazing compared to any other firefly and will delight everyone young or old. What has been a well-kept secret has grown to become one of the huge tourist attractions each spring in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Not only has firefly watching in the Smokies become a huge happening drawing in about 10,000 visitors to watch a light show that lasts about 3 weeks, other events have sprung up around the synchronous lightning bugs and the fantastic experience of watching them in the GSMNP.

The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project going on in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a project performed by scientists, researches and volunteers that are searching for every species living in the park for the world's largest research program called "Discover Life in America". This project has already identified more than 17,000 species in the park, 6,500 of which we did not know they were here and an astonishing 900 of which are brand new to science!

The great folks at "Discover Life in America" will be hosting a firefly event this year to coincide with the peak firefly season. The Smokies Firefly Events will take place in Gatlinburg Tennessee on June 12th at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Great Outpost just outside the GSMNP entrance. There will be firefly information, an insect zoo, kids activities, music with Captain Firefly, art, a secret "dark" room to "bioluminate" and food and drink vendors.

However, the big questions remain such as: What makes the fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains so special?

While all of God's creatures are special, 13 of the 14 species of fireflies that inhabit the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the surrounding southern Appalachian mountains and foothills are more run of the mill creatures that can through a miracle in nature produce their own light in various shades of yellow, green and even blue to attract a mate, 1 species is even more unique.

The most unusual firefly named Photinus Carolinus is able to synchronize its light with other lightning bugs around it. The light it the firefly gives off called bioluminescence is a chemical reaction occurring in its abdomen with a self-produced enzyme and oxygen.

The Photinus Carolinus synchronized light starts as random pulses and builds up to where large groups of beetles all flash together and then suddenly, everything goes black. Just as quickly as it stopped, the whole process starts all over again.

Where can you find the synchronized fireflies in the Smokies? The firefly beetles that synchronize can be found over much of Smokies as long as the conditions are correct, but to be really impressive, you need to have large population densities of fireflies which means that you need the right conditions. The best conditions where the fireflies thrive is along slow moving water with lush plant growth.

The perfect conditions where fireflies thrive is along one of the most popular hiking trails located in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This hiking trail is also large enough to accommodate the 1,000 people a night that show up to see the event and smooth enough for people to be safe walking the trail in the dark.

When is the best time to see the fireflies in the GSMNP? Obviously, the best time to see the fireflies is at night, but the peak of the firefly season in the Smoky Mountains is around the second week in June. Since soil temperature dictates when they will emerge from the ground and thus when they will be ready to mate, each year the exact best date to see the lightning bugs in the Smoky Mountains changes.

Since so many people come to the firefly show in the GSMNP, the park service closes Elkmont for a year and takes visitors in by trolley from the Sugarlands Visitors Center near Gatlinburg starting 7 pm for a $1 per person round trip. Once the parking lot fills, or it is 9 pm, the trolleys stop running to Elkmont.

This year the trolleys will run June 5th 2010 until June 13th 2010. If you miss the trolleys because you came to the Smokies a week or so late, do not despair, you still will get a great free light show along the Little River Hiking Trail!

Who doesn’t love a Pigeon Forge parade and want to see Dolly Parton in person?

2010-05-06T20:17:00.012-04:00

There is now more beautiful time than springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains and also that means it is time for the annual Pigeon Forge Parade and this year being the 25th silver anniversary of the Dollywood Theme park means that a special day will be even more special!

Now of course what would a parade be in the Smokies without everyone Smoky Mountains Sweetheart Dolly Parton? Not nearly as much fun - but it would still be a good time for all!

Dolly Parton grew up right here in the Smoky Mountains foothills and her family came from what is now the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park so it is only natural that the world famous Dollywood theme park would be less than 5 minutes from where the 25th Anniversary Homecoming Parade will start.

Since this is the Dollywood Theme Parks 25th anniversary, besides being able to get special discount tickets to the Dollywood theme park from American Mountain Rentals if you stay in any one of almost 200 cabins for rent in the Smokies, Dollywood is going to have special performances and exciting special surprises for individual randomly selected guests of the park.

This year the theme for the 2010 parade in Pigeon Forge Tennessee is "Celebrate the Dreamer in You" and for many that will line the 2-1/2 mile parade route on the parkway from traffic light 6 all the way to the end at traffic light 3, seeing country music star, Hollywood actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton will be a dream come true!

But wait! There are lots more to see and be entertained by in the Pigeon Forge parade in the Smokies tomorrow May 7th at 6 pm than just Dolly Parton! Young and old, there will be hundreds of participants proudly marching and showing of their talents along the whole parade route.

Sure, it is fun watching the Shiners' drive around in their miniature cars and trucks along the parade route, but you also have to appreciate rival marching bands from Pigeon Forge High School and Sevier County High School, which is Dolly Parton's alma mater.

To lead off the parade will be a color guard from Boy Scout Troop 110 and behind them many performers from local Smoky Mountains attractions such as the Smith Family Theater, the Knoxville Zoo, Zorb of the Smoky Mountains, the Foothills Antique Tractor and Engine Club and a Wells Fargo stagecoach.

Will there be representatives from the Red Hat Society be at the parade? Of course they will! Overall, there will be than 100 floats, bands, equestrian clubs, twirler groups, dance teams and other groups in the 25th anniversary Pigeon Forge parade.

Dolly Parton will of course be the most anticipated participant on the parade that everyone will want to see as she is coming down the Pigeon Forge Parkway on her own float and everyone will be interested to see what glamorous or outrageous costume she will be wearing.

Last year Dolly Parton she was dressed as an over the top sexy park ranger in honor of the Great Smoky Mountains national parks 25th anniversary. Dolly donated more than $100,000 to the park through Friends of the Smokies last year and any member of Friends of the Smokies will get 10% off a cabin Rental in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg through American Mountain Rentals (Click here to see full details).

Besides Dolly Parton there will be another local hero that will be representing the Smoky Mountains, Dylan Presnell, of Sevierville, TN also known as "Smokey Mountain Thunder".

Dylan Presnell is an extraordinary young race car driver of late model stock cars including the American Mountain Rentals Super Late Model in the PASS/CRA Series! Dylan Presnell stock car hauler is a sight to see and will be featured in the parade to the excitement of many of his loyal fans.

Local and international celebrities, talented musicians, acrobats, twirlers and dancers, classic and custom cars and so much more...all for free - so don't miss out on the Pigeon Forge 25th anniversary parade on the parkway starting at 6 PM on May 7th 2010.

Cades Cove Loop Road to Reopen This Weekend to Cars, Pedestrians and Bikes.

2010-04-20T20:56:00.001-04:00

It has been almost 2 long months since the Great Smoky Mountains national park has closed the enormously popular Cades Cove Loop Road for a long overdue repaving project that has been planned for years. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and the contracted hustled to collect their early completion bonus so that the park will be opening the 11-mile long Cades Cove Loop this weekend - almost a full month ahead of schedule.

During the time that it was closed, more than 60,000 cars would have normally driven through the Cades Cove Loop during the time to see its historic cabins, churches, gristmill, and barns as well as the abundant wildlife such as deer, bear, coyote, fox, otter, turkey, hawks and so much more. Also closed were numerous popular hiking trails and other connecting roads.

The hiking trails that were closed before will all be open this Saturday at noon: Cooper Road Trail, Abrams Falls Trail and Rabbit Creek Trail off of Cades Cove Loop Road, Indian Grave Gap Trail off of Rich Mountain Road, the Gregory Bald Trail off of Forge Creek Road, the Gregory Ridge Trail and the Hannah Mountain Trail which are both off Parsons Branch Road.

Besides the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop Road, repaving has also shut off all access to Sparks Lane, Rich Mountain Road, Hyatt Lane, Forge Creek Road and Parson Branch Road which will now all be open to pedestrians and bicyclists at dawn on April 24th and to vehicular traffic at noon.

It has been more than 3 decades since the last time that Cades Cove Loop Road was repaved. Because of this, the roadbed and surface was in such bad shape, the entire existing road was ground up, pulverized, and reused, and concrete poured on top of the crushed roadbed and a new layer of asphalt put on top of the concrete bed. This road reclamation process saved time, money and the environment because the old roadway did not have to be carted way and dumped but was effectively recycled.

The new Cades Cove Loop Road does have some significant improvements that were made during the reclamation and repaving this winter although you shouldn't expect the road to be wider or have a designated bike lane. The roadway could not be made wider as that would disturb some of the historical landmarks some of which are fence posts, but you will find a few more small pullouts and far better drainage along the roadway.

Sadly, in order to improve the Cades Cove Loop Road and because of so many significant wind storms this winter, a few dozen old trees had to be removed or they would otherwise be a hazard or, would have prevented some minor road widening.

Drivers will notice that a few places where the Cades Cove Loop dipped down especially near creek crossings, the roadway has been slightly elevated so that low riding vehicles, and longer RVs or busses will no longer bottom out as they have in the past. If shuttle trams are ever used in the future in Cades Cove they should be able to navigate the entire loop now where it was not possible to do so in the past.

Sparks Lane, Rich Mountain Road, Hyatt Lane, Forge Creek Road and Parsons Branch Road will remain unimproved dirt roads as well as the short road from the Cades Cove Loop road to the Abrams Falls trailhead parking area on the back end of the Cades Cove.

The historic Cades Cove Methodist Church normally sits on some fieldstones instead of a solid foundation, but because of the vibrations created by all the heavy equipment used in the Cades Cove valley, special temporary large wood braces were placed under the church to protect it.

Another challenge during the road construction project in Cades Cove included making sure that the constructions environmental impact was minimal, especially to the creeks and 2 swamp wetland areas in the Cove.

Even though there are fairly accurate historical records of where the European settlers in Cades Cove were, the parks archeologist and his assistant had to conduct shovel test hole surveys along the roadway and where new pull outs would be. This way if there was anything historically significant, it could be preserved before the roadway would cover it up.

When the shovel test holes were made, the soil was first examined for staining which could be a sign of a wooden posts used in a structure or some other human activity. If no staining was noted, the soil was passed through a wooden framed screen and the sifted material checked for artifacts such as those made by Cherokee Indians and the first European settlers who inhabited the park.

Cades Cove not only has the best auto tour in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and stunning scenery, it has the best wildlife viewing in the park, the most historical buildings, many hiking trails, a fantastic picnic area, bicycle rentals, horseback riding, carriage and hay rides, an outdoor amphitheater, and campgrounds.

Because Cades Cove has mountain surrounding the entire valley blocking out light pollution, stargazing at night is unequalled as you are clearly able to see the Milky Way and many other astronomical features that you would be unable to see just a few miles away outside of the park. As you walk through the cove at night which is closed to traffic at dusk, look overhead at the many bats flying around some of which will be the endangered Indiana bats.

The best time for wildlife viewing in the Cades Cove Loop is the same as for the rest of the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the first 1- 2 hours of just after sunrise and just before sunset. Look along the edges of the fields near the treeline for deer and black bear.

Speaking of bear, they can also often be seen up in the trees - especially cherry and persimmon trees when in season and oak trees in the fall when they are looking to fatten up on acorns. Remember to stay at least 150 feet from a black bear or you can get a fine for as much as $5,000!

Now that the construction work is done, the trees are filled with fresh green leaves, there are wildflowers all around the fields and forests in Cades Cove and the black bear are out posing for pictures, it is a perfect time for Cades Cove to be reopened.

The first day Cades Cove will be reopened will be this Saturday April 24th and only pedestrians and bicyclists can use the road on opening day until 12 noon at which time the newly resurfaced Loop Road will be open to everyone.

Sunday the park is closing the Cades Cove Lop Road for the first ever race. The Cades Code Loop Lope will have runners running either the full 11 miles or a shorter loop of just over 3 miles. Access to all of Cades Cove will be limited Sunday morning only to participants that have already registered for the race and Cades Cove will open to everyone by 12 noon.

Come out and see why Cades Cove received more than a million visitors last year many of which have come here many time to enjoy the crown jewel of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

The Honeymoon Sweet Smoky Mountains log cabin rental in Brothers Cove Pigeon Forge.

2010-03-10T13:42:00.004-05:00

Romance in the air and the Honeymoon Sweet luxury log cabin for rent in the Brothers Cove Mountain Resort Community with great views is just outside Pigeon Forge Tennessee in the Wears Valley / Walden Creek area is the perfect place to get away from it all in the Smoky Mountains.

This charming one bedroom cabin has all the creature comforts of home and more in a perfect location in one of the best places to get married and spend a romantic honeymoon: the Great Smoky Mountains.

Already married and want to bring the kids along on your family vacation getaway in the Smokies? That's OK as the Honeymoon Sweet luxury log cabin for rent can accommodate as many as 5 people! This is even a great cabin to rent in Brothers Cove for 2 couples and a single to share as there will be plenty for room for everyone.

This 1 bedroom cabin is well decorated and is in a great location with stunning views of the mountains through the big windows inside or out on the deck in the fresh air. Everyone who comes to stay here never wants to leave!

The Brothers Cove private community features seclusion from all of the traffic and noise you will find at any of the hotels and most of the cabins for rent in the Smoky Mountains. All this peace and quite could be yours and you will still be close to everything the Smokies have to offer such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park or Dollywood.

The bedroom in this cabin has a comfortable large king size bed, a television and a private bath with a tub with a shower and private toilet. If that's not enough for you, there is even a Jacuzzi whirlpool tub so you can soak in the luxury around you as the warmth and bubbles of the Jacuzzi help you relax on your vacation.

Make no mistake about it, there are lots of nice cabins to choose from in the Great Smoky Mountains but why not choose to rent one that is exceptionally nice, in a fantastic location, has plenty of room, great stunning views and is as low as $140 a night?

Only the best cabins for rent in the Brothers Cove Mountain Resort Community are now all being managed by American Mountain Rentals with a professional staff on-site who are making what was a good community before much better with their attention to detail and top notch customer service.

The Honeymoon Sweet - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 6

1 King size bed. 1 Queen Sleeper Sofa, 1 twin sleeper sofa, Covered Hot tub, Pool Table, Gas Fireplace, Jacuzzi, 2 Flat Screen TVs, Surround Sound, Deck, Charcoal Grill, Washer/Dryer and Dishwasher.
$150 - $185 per night (holidays higher)

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Reserve This Cabin Online Now

4 bedroom luxury log cabins for rent in Wears Valley - Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains

2010-02-25T20:29:00.012-05:00

There are thousands of rental properties to choose from in the Smoky Mountains so how do you know which the best locations are to rent a cabin in the Smokies? Like anything else to do with real estate, location, location, location is the key and one of the best locations inside and outside the Smoky Mountains is the Brothers Cove mountain resort log cabin community.

Inside Brothers Cove you will find that there and dozens of great cabins to choose from and we will highlight right here two of the best four bedroom log cabins for rent on the Smokies.

What makes Brothers Cove so special is that it is a safe and secure private community away from the hustle and bustle of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville tucked into a hidden area in the Walden Creek Wears Valley area where nature rules and private space surrounds each of the stunning cabins.

The views in Brothers Cove are fantastic and they get even better the higher up you are. Some cabins may not have exceptional views of the mountains because they are so deeply enveloped by the forest surrounding them that they become the perfect secluded private getaway you always wanted to have.

Premier Smoky Mountains cabin Rental Company: American Mountain Rentals took over the management of the log cabin rentals in Brothers Cove in the fall of 2009. So far, American Mountain Rentals has dramatically improved the vacation experience of guests staying in Brothers Cove with even more improvements on the way.

While there are vacation homes for rent in Brothers Cove ranging in size from one bedroom cabins all the way up to five bedrooms for rent in this mountain resort community, we will spotlight for now just two of the 4 bedroom units: Hoot 'n Hollar and Majestic View.

Cabins with 4 bedrooms are perfect for family gatherings, wedding parties or other group events and these cabins come well equipped to handle groups of more than 10 people as Hoot 'n Hollar will sleep 12 people and Majestic View can sleep as many as 14.

The Hoot 'n Hollar 4 bedroom luxury log cabins for rent in Brothers Cove is a great choice for a cabin rental if you are looking for a place filled with entertainment, close to everything in the Smokies and yet very secluded with wooded views.

Big screen TV, full size pool table, lots of deck space and seating along with a hot tub and 2 Jacuzzi whirlpool tubs inside, this luxury cabin rental has it all along with ample parking for up to 3 cars.

This cabin is tastefully decorated and has some large windows that let the natural light in along with the nice views everyone will have a Hoot and Hollar good time including your behaved pet in this vacation home.

Though there are 4 bedrooms, each with a comfortable queen size bed, there are 2 additional sofa sleeper beds so as many as 12 people can stay in this cabin in comfort.

Hoot 'n Hollar - Pigeon Forge TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 12

4 Queen size beds, 2 Sleeper sofa beds, 2 Jacuzzi, Hot tub, Pool Table, Washer/Dryer, Watch the Big Screen TV in Living Room or play a game of pool in the Game Room. This cabin is pet friendly!
$245 - $295 per night (holidays higher)

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The name Majestic View says it all…or does it? This large 4-bedroom cabin for rent not only has a majestic view of the Great Smoky Mountains in and around Brother Cove, it has comfort and space for your entire family to make them fell like royalty.

The great Mountain View can be seen from inside the cabin or outside where there is plenty of open deck space for everyone to gather. Sun to strong or there is a little drizzle? Don’t let that stop you from lounging around in the fresh mountain air as much of the space on the deck is sheltered!

There are no steps to enter this 2 story semi-accessible log cabin and there are even rails by the toilet and a rail in the shower. There is also a large deck area with no steps on the main floor of Majestic View.

Is there entertainment for the whole family in this cabin? You bet! There are 5 TVs including a big screen TV with surround sound, a game room with a pool table, DVD players and VCR's, and in the summer you have swimming pool access!

Majestic View - Pigeon Forge TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 14

3 Queen size beds, 2 Twin trundle beds, Hot Tub, 2 Jacuzzi tubs, 4 Fireplaces, Pool Table, Washer/Dryer, Enjoy the Scenic View and Big Screen TV along with plenty of Deck space and a Charcoal Grill
$295 - $350 per night (holidays higher)

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Day 8 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2010-01-16T07:10:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe but today is the last day of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. If you were not here you really missed something and be sure and be here next year.

Last night's slow jam which ended the day way moving to all who attended and you can catch Tony Thomas who lead the jam again tonight. There were many outstanding programs and it was a cool yet perfect day for hiking and taking in the free guided tours in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and today looks to be even nicer outside.

Furry, fuzzy and scaled creatures and funny stories entertained kids of all sizes when Silly Safari showed off their live wildlife exhibit. Can you believe you can have belly laughs and still learn about creatures in the wild? This program will be repeated today so if you have kids or love animals and having fun do not miss it.

Today there are great classes such as on Photoshop for nature photographers, a live raptor bird show presented by the Bay Mountain Park naturalist and if you hike - especially with kids you should attend the Hug-A-Tree and Survive for Kids program - it could save a life!

Attendance at the Wilderness Wildlife Week this year was fantastic so be sure and plan to come back or for the first time in Pigeon Forge Tennessee - you will have a great time in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 16, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

9:00 am - 10:00 am The Appalachian Trail - An entertaining adventure. Presented by: Jeff Alt - In the Dobro Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Photoshop for Nature Photographers. Presented by: Larry Perry - In the Harp Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Black Bear Biology. Presented by: David Whitehead - In the Ukelele Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Discovering the Cumberlands - slide presentation. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Guitar Room.

9:30 am - 11:30 am Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by: Ginny Cliett, Deby Libby, and Linda Smith - In the Violin Room.

10:00 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM KIDS TRACK: Games for the Young at Heart. Presented by: Brad Jones - Meet in the hallway next to the Cello Room (Dress warm to go outside.)

10:30 am - 11:15 am Hiking Tips for the Whole Family. Presented by: Jeff Alt - In the Dobro Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Taking it to the Next Level. Presented by: Bill Fortney - In the Guitar Room.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm Bays Mountain Raptors - Live Bird Show. Presented by: Bays Mountain Raptors - In the Harp Room.

10:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Light Room for Nature Photographers. Presented by: Marilyn Kay, Bart Baldwin and David Hartfield - In the Ukelele Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Nathan Sparks - Cades Cove Frontier Man 1828-1891. Presented by: Larry Sparks - In the Violin Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Light and Composition. Presented by: Bill Fortney - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Silly Safaris Show - Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safaris - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Wild Hog Biology. Presented by: David Whitehead - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM KIDS TRACK: Young Artists Coloring Sessions. Presented by: Louise Bales - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students that are 12 years and older. Pre-registration at Information Desk required.)

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Hug-A-Tree and Survive for Kids. Presented by: Joey Holt - In the Violin Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: A Wildlife Habitat for Every Season - slide presentation. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Guitar Room.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Heartbreak and Hilarity - Humor and tragedy as reflected in song and folk tales. Presented by: The Trantham Family and Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Dobro Room.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm An Overview of Primitive Wilderness Skills. Presented by: Larry "Coyote" Smith - In the Ukelele Room.

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 3. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project. Items needed: Carving tools and paint brushes.)

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Trail Less traveled - The North Carolina Bartram Trail - The travels of William Bartram. Presented by: Tim Warren - In the Violin Room.

3:30 pm - 6:00 pm: Photoshop for Nature Photographers. Presented by: Bart Baldwin, David Hartfield and Marilyn Kay: Guitar Room.

4:15 pm - 5:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Remote Trail Camera Use. Presented by: Ben Shrader - In the Harp Room.

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Tony Thomas in Concert. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.

5:00 pm - 5:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Perry's Camp Murders - One of Sevier counties most infamous murders that happened in 1949. Presented by: Robert S. Allen and Steve O. Watson - In the Ukelele Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: White Oak Sinks History. Presented by: David Ledbetter, Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Violin Room.

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Great Smokies - A portrait in words. Presented by: Charles Maynard - In the Violin/Guitar Room.

7:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Ken Jenkins Slide Program. Presented by: Ken Jenkins - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

Day 7 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2010-01-15T07:06:00.002-05:00

Then consensus is that this is the best Wilderness Wildlife Week ever and there are 2 more days of guided hikes, lecture and demonstrations about the Smoky Mountains, nature photography, arts and crafts and so much more.

Some of the major highlights for today will be the Managing the Search Function which will be packed, the battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway presented by Professor Dr. Harley Jolley and Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies discussion presented by Matt Kulp.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Friday, January 15, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

7:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Managing the Search Function: Study some of the Smokies most famous search and rescue operations. . Presented by: Joe Kelley, Dwight McCarter, Pete Rogers and Bob Swabe - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)

8:30 am - 10:00 am Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C" . Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park - slide presentation. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Dobro Room.

9:00 am - 10:30 am The Wolves of Bays Mountain. Presented by: Rhonda Goins - In the Harp Room.

9:30 am - 10:30 am Hiking and Photography - slide presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Ukelele Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am The History of the Banjo. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Silly Safaris Show - Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safari - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Tennessee Town and Country Scapes. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: You Will Have a Hard Road to Travel - The battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Your Studio in a Cooler. Presented by: Jim Eastin - In the Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Unusual Camping Tricks and Gizmos. Presented by: Larry "Coyote" Smith - In the Violin Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Blue Ridge Parkway - Design and Development. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required day of the workshop.)

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Presented by: Ina Warren - In the Dobro Room.

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Do it Yourself: Building a Backyard Bird Habitat. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods - slide presentation. Presented by: Kendall Chiles - In the Guitar Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Bald Eagle Recovery - Fragile Link to Success. Presented by: Bob Hatcher - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Workflow Not Work Slow - Lightroom releases you from the computer so you can shoot. Presented by: Colby McLemore - In the Violin Room.

3:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 2. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project and you need to bring carving tools and paint brushes.)

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm Attracting Wild Birds that Don't Eat Seed - slide presentation. Presented by: Regina Garr - In the Ukelele Room.

4:00 pm - 4:45 pm A Discussion on Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies and Beyond. Presented by: Matt Kulp - In the Guitar Room.

4:45 pm - 5:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Wings of America: American Eagle Foundation - Live Bird Show. Presented by: American Eagle Foundation - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Turn Your Radio On - Hills N Hollows Mountain Music and Storytelling. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn - In the Violin Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Buffalo Mountain Park (Pre and Post Fire) - slide presentation. Presented by: Brad Jones - In the Guitar Room.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Seasons of the Great Smoky Mountains - slide presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Women of Cades Cove - Missy Tipton Green. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.

7:15 pm - 8:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Chestnut Flats - In the Cades Cove community: Dave Post. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.

7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Bring your own instrument to join in or simply enjoy listening)

Day 6 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2010-01-14T07:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was yet another incredibly entertaining and exciting day in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for Wilderness Wildlife Week. Warmer weather meant more hikers and even then, the lectures and demonstrations were packed.

One of the biggest hits yesterday was the llamas that hike with you in the Smokies and all of the fantastic musical entertainment highlighting Appalachian music that was played in the Smokies for more than 100 years.

Today there are some many overlapping great choices you will wish you were cloned! One of the major highlights today will be the 4-hour free photography workshop with presented by the master of the wide-angle lens Don McGowan along with Ken Chiles and Harold Stinnette. The building web pages for photographers will also be standing room only as well as Country Cookin' panel discussion.

If you want to hike with a group on the last day of Wilderness Wildlife Week this Saturday be in the Guitar room by 6 pm.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 14th, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

8:00 am - 11:00 am Basic Visual Tracking. Presented by: Joe Kelley, Dwight McCarter, Pete Rogers and Bob Swabe - In the Ukelele Room. (Dress to go outside).

9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Black Bear Management in Tennessee. Presented by: David Brandenburg - In the Harp Room.

9:00 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Before There Were Video Games. Presented by: Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center - In the Violin Room.

9:00 am - 1:00 pm Photography Workshop. Presented by: Don McGowan, Kendall Chiles and Harold Stinnette - In the Guitar Room.

9:30 am - 10:30 am Scenic Alabama - A Travel Guide Slide Presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Dobro Room.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: What a Nutty Trail Mix - Characters on the Appalachian Trail. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn - In the Harp Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Snakes! Do They Really Do That? Presented by: Joe Taft - In the Dobro Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Preserving History through a National History Day Project - Road Scholars. Presented by: Maranda and Elisa Vandergriff and Elijah Gray - In the Violin Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday - In the Cello D Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)

11:30 am - 12:30 pm Old Timey Spelling Bee. Presented by: Robin Goddard - In the Ukelele Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Old Gatlinburg - a panel discussion about Gatlinburg in the old days by some of the town's oldest families. Presented by: Theresa Williams - In the Harp Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Appalachian Funnies - a clean joke contest for young and old. Presented by: Emcee Jim Hedrick - In the Violin Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Building Web Pages for Photographers. Presented by: Dale Knight - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required the day of the workshop.)

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Presented by: Ina Warren - In the Dobro Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Meet the Knoxville Zoo's Bird Show. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo - In the Violin/Guitar Room.

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The History of Pittman Center panel discussion. Presented by: Glenn Cardwell - In the Harp Room.

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm Shooting the Camera. Presented by: Jim Eastin - In the Ukelele Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Civil War Period Music. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Let's Make a Quill Pen. Presented by: Pat K Thomas - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must have a penknife or similar.)

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Ballads of the Mountains. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Place Names Betray Former Mountain Industries. Presented by: Allen R Coggins - In the Guitar Room.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Country Cookin' - panel discussion about "Cannin' and Cookin'" in the kitchen of the Good Ole Days. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm How to be Safe in Parks. Presented by: Pete Rogers - In the Ukelele Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Circle of Life, The Bear Facts - slide presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Dobro Room.

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 1. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project and you need to bring carving tools and paint brushes.)

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Whaley Family Singers of Greenbrier - In stories and song they tell of their early ancestors in the Greenbrier Community. Presented by: Whaley Family Singers - In the Ukelele Room.

7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Updated The Spiritual Side of Nature Slide Presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers and Ken Jenkins - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Please bring your own instrument or plan to listen and enjoy.)

8:30 pm Lore of the Stars and Moon. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Ukelele Room. (Dress very warm as we will go outside.)

Day 5 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

2010-01-13T07:09:00.002-05:00

5 days into the Wilderness Wildlife Week program going on in Pigeon Forge the crowds are much larger than anyone would expect in such cold weather and with such a down economy. The hikes have been great and the lectures in some cases are standing room only despite the size of the rooms in the Music Road Hotel.

Some many people here are having a great time while learning in depth about the people places and things in the Great Smoky Mountains. The history and people of the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area is fascinating and it's wonderful to hear from the old-timers about what life was like before the Great Smoky Mountains national park was formed 76 years ago.

So far there have been many highlights of the program but the outstanding educational lectures yesterday were on the Elk Restoration Project and the black bear. Its seems that the hands down winner so far as the programs best presenter is Dwight McCarter whose sense of humor and intent knowledge and presentation skills have been captivating audiences in Wilderness Wildlife Week.

Today's suggested highlights will be Wild hog control in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Rick Varner who knows more about the backcountry of the GSMNP than anyone else I have met in years, the program on the Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier, and be sure not to miss the slow jam at the end of the day where you can bring your own instruments and join along!

Today be sure to sign up before 6 pm in the guitar room for any guided hikes you wish to take on Friday.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 13th, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

8:30 am - 9:30 am Pig Tales - Wild hog control in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Rick Varner - In the Harp Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Hypothermia…I'm Not Cold. Presented by: Lee Lewis - In the Guitar Room.

9:00 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Welcome to the School of Hard Knox - A History of Knoxville. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn - In the Dobro Room.

9:30 am - 10:30 am The State of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bob Miller - In the Violin Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am Saving the Endangered Whooping Crane - The Tennessee Connection. Presented by: Ken Dubke - In the Ukelele Room.

10:15 am - 11:15 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Hidden Garden-Learning to Look and See. Presented by: Dr. Alan S. Heilman - In the Harp Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am How to be Safe in Parks. Presented by: Pete Rogers - In the Guitar Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Concert and Clogging Instruction. Presented by: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers - In the Dobro Room.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm Creating Digital Slideshows - Pro Gold and other approaches. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Violin Room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Cumberland Trail, a State Scenic Trail. Presented by: Tony Hook - In the Ukelele Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Scenic Tennessee - A travel guide video presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Harp Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Introduction to Musical Instruments in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm The Best Way to Hike with Llamas. Presented by: Sandy Sgrillo - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Appalachia Bear Rescue - Giving bears a second chance. Presented by: Lisa Stewart - In the Violin Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Denali National Park slide presentation. Presented by: Bob and Gloria Epperson - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM KIDS TRACK: Young Artists Coloring Session. Presented by: Louise Bales - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students that are 12 years and older. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required. All needed materials will be provided.)

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Old-Time Music and Nature. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Dobro Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Sevierville: Then and Now Video Presentation. Presented by: Jimmie Temple - In the Harp Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Black Bear Management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bill Stiver - In the Guitar Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Early Gospel Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Bob and Sharon Brittle - In the Violin Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Using Photo Editing Software. Presented by: Dale Knight - In the Ukelele Room.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Those Ain't Teddy Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Ranger Recollections #2. Presented by: Joe Kelley - In the Dobro Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Robin Goddard - In the Harp Room.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Bluebirds for Everyone. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Ukelele Room.

4:00 pm- 5:15 pm Walking in Beauty - Images of the natural world slide presentation. Presented by: Don McGowan - In the Guitar Room.

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm An Armchair Tour of Cades Cove - video presentation. Presented by: Allen R. Coggins - In the Violin Room.

5:15 pm - 6:15 pm Concert and Clogging Instruction. Presented by: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm New Knees for Old Hikers. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry - In the Violin Room.

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: New Beginnings - An old man takes a hike. Presented by: Doug Mills - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Please bring your own instrument or simply plan to listen and enjoy.)

7:45 pm A Celebration of the Heartland Series. Presented by: Bill Landry - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule Day 4

2010-01-12T06:37:00.005-05:00

There was another light dusting of snow in the Smoky Mountains a perfect reminder that it is time for day 4 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week at the Music Road convention center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. Though we are halfway into the week, we have another action packed schedule for everyone who attends young or old!

More roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park have opened as some of the snow has melted and it will be a little warmer for the guided hikes today that you must have already signed up for. You can sign up today in the Guitar room by 6 pm for Thursday guided hikes in the GSMNP.

Plenty of new programs being presented today as some updated programs that have been given last year. There is also some great programs for kids as well as Appalachiafest with lots of great music and even some clogging which starts at 4 pm.

Programs of special note today include the Elk in Smokies program presented by park biologist Kim Delozier who is a wealth of information, panel discussion of Pigeon Forge's Early Settlers, and Richard Iceland's lecture on Digital and Film Photography, and Smoky Mountains and history buffs in general will love the panel discussion when electricity, cars, radios and indoor plumbing came into use in the Smokies.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 12th, 2010:

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am KIDS TRACK: Kids of All Ages - Hidden treasures from around the world and beyond. Presented by: Alfred A Stewart - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)

9:30 am - 10:30 am UPDATE: Elk in the Smokies. Presented by: Kim Delozier - In the Violin Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am Returning the Osprey to Nest in Tennessee. Presented by: Ken Dubke - In the Ukelele Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? . Presented by: Charlie Monday - In the Cello D Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)

10:00 am - 11:30 am Herb Clabo - NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sickness, Death and Dying in the Early Smokies. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am KIDS TRACK: Kids of All Ages - Hidden treasures from around the world and beyond. Presented by: Alfred Stewart - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)

10:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Mountain Mushrooms of Tennessee. Presented by: Gabrielle Zeiger - In the Dobro Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Wild World of Animals. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo's Zoomobile - In the Violin Room.

11:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Pigeon Forge from Cornfields to Condos - slide presentation. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Wildflowers of the Smokies. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Successful Hiking. Presented by: Jim Richards - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 6 Months of Hummingbirds in Your Yard. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Dobro Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Pigeon Forge's Early Settlers Panel Discussion - Descendants of Pigeon Forge's earliest families participate. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Inn Morning Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk required the day of the workshop.)

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Air Quality Update for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Jim Refro - In the Violin Room.

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Digital and Film Photography - Learn to shoot like a pro. Presented by: Richard Iceland - In the Ukelele Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Attracting Butterflies and Caterpillars. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Lois English - In the Dobro Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Bears 101 - Their Lives and Interactions with Humans. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard - In the Guitar Room.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Introduction to Mandolin. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Firsts - A panel discussion about first cars, first electricity, first radio, first indoor plumbing. Presented by: Mrs. Ruth Carr Miller - In the Harp Room.

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Let's Sketch a Bird. Presented by: Lousie Bales - In the Music Road Inn Morning Room. (Limit 20 students that are 12 years and older. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required. All items needed for class will be provided.)

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Founding of a National Park - Video Presentation. Presented by: Tom Harrington - In the Guitar Room.

4:30 pm APPALACHIAFEST! - A musical celebration of our heritage.

4:30 pm - 5:45 pm Great Smoky Mountain Inhabitants and Their Music by Boogertown Gap.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Meigs Post and Meigs Line through the Smokies - Stories from their new book. Presented by: Joe Kelley and Dwight McCarter - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm This Land of Change - Video Presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Ukelele Room.

6:00 pm - 6:20 pm The Lost Mill String Band.

6:15 pm - 7:15 pm Tales From Lost. Presented by: Dwight McCarter - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

6:30 pm - 6:50 pm Music by Tony Thomas and Friends.

7:00 pm - Music by the Carolina Bluegrass Boys.

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2010 Schedule for Day 3

2010-01-10T19:27:00.002-05:00

History, music, wildlife and arts and crafts of the Smokies have been keeping the crowds attending the annual Wilderness Wildlife Week entertained, excited and educated and the new programs have all been a big hit.

Attendees to this annual event that takes place in the Music Road convention center in Pigeon Forge have come around the country to be inspired by the great photographers and the interesting presents of free lectures and yes...the guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Even if you just attend Wilderness Wildlife Week for only 1 day, you will be forever changed and have a far deeper understand of the biodiversity and the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and its people.

The classes and demonstrations on today's action packed schedule are no exception especially one of my favorite local old time bands the Boogertown Gap, learn the fine art of dowsing (limited space), and don't miss national park vegetation expert Kristine Johnson and her lecture on Restoring Native Plant Communities in the Smokies - she is exceptional and her enthusiasm is contagious!

Be sure to remember to be in the Guitar Room before 6:00 pm if you are looking to sign up for any of the hikes on Wednesday.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 11th, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

8:30 am - 9:30 am Green Power Switch. Presented by: Lucas Harkleroad - In the Guitar Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Slides from Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Presented by: Bob and Gloria Epperson - In the Dobro Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Lost Species, Bird Program. Presented by: Paul James - In the Ukelele Room.

9:30 am - 10:30 am The Spirits of Cades Cove - slide presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Harp Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Whose Scat is That? Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry - In the Violin Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am How to Write About Your Outdoor Experiences. Presented by: Dr. Glenn Himebaugh - In the Guitar Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday - In the Cello D Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)

10:30 am - 11:30 am Native American Stories. Presented by: Lloyd Arneach - In the Dobro Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am Restoring Native Plant Communities in the Smokies. Presented by: Kristine Johnson - In the Ukelele Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: What a Sevier Place to Live! A History of Sevierville. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn - In the Harp Room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm The Fontana Project. Presented by: Jerry Span - In the Violin Room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Update on the Smokies ATBT - The project whose mission is to document all forms of life in GSMNP. Presented by: Todd Witcher - In the Guitar Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm What's in Your Pack? Presented by: Lee Lewis - In the Dobro Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Creating a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife. Presented by: Phyllis Rollins - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Wildflowers of Tennessee. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Of Ginseng, Golden Apples, and Rainbow Fish - Ancient tales and mountain treasures. Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Violin Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Woodpeckers - Nature's Home Builders. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk required the day of the workshop.)

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm Where's Mommy? Rehabilitation of Orphaned Wildlife. Presented by: Phylis Rollins - In the Ukelele Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday - Meet in the hallway next to the Cello Room.(Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Oh! Possum Live Animal Show. Presented by: Lynne McCoy - In the Dobro Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Herbs, Hives, and Hens: Will explore hunting for herbs, beehives, and hen nest of the early mountain people. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Donna Stinett - In the Harp Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Introduction to Old Time Banjo. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.

2:30 pm - 3:45 pm Cross Country Skiing and Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Wendell Liemohn - In the Guitar Room.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm The Back of Beyond - Horace Kephart in the Smokies. Presented by: Arthur McDade - In the Ukelele Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: New Heart Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Bob and Sharon Brittle - In the Dobro Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Learn about Bears through Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard - Room: Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 20 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Ranger Recollections #1. Presented by: Joe Kelley - In the Harp Room.

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Old String Time Band Concert. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.

4:15 pm - 5:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Down by the Old Mill Stream - slide presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Guitar Room.

4:45 pm - 5:45 pm Hike Twentymile - Learn about the remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park known as Twentymile. Presented by: Jerry Span - In the Ukelele Room.

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Scarab and Sacred Sphere of Dung Beetles and the Source of Life. Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Music of our American Roots. Presented by: Lost Mill String Band - In the Violin Room.

7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Heaven and Nature Sing. Presented by: Judy Felts, Lee Porter, and Ken Jenkins - In the Dobro/Harp room.

Day 2 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

2010-01-10T06:14:00.001-05:00

Day 1 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge was a huge success even though it was quite cold in the Smokies and day 2 has just as much excitement and great indoor activities to keep you out of the bad weather.

Latter on during the week as the temperature climbs back to the normal mild winter weather we have here in the Smokies you will want to take advantage of the free guided hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains national park during Wilderness Wildlife Week. Did we mention all the great fun and activities during Wilderness Wildlife Week are free? They sure are!

If you are like me there are more will often be more than one activity taking place that you like and you will have a hard time choosing what you want to attend. Of special note will be the bear lecture today by Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard, the Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop with Andrea Shetley and the Whistle over the Mountains program about logging in the Smokies.

No matter what lectures or demonstrations you attend during Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee, you will have a great time at the right price. Since the weather will be getting better, you can sign up for guided hikes on Tuesday by 6:00 pm in the Guitar Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 10th, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

8:30 am - 10:30 am Stream Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by: Greg Ward - In the Ukelele Room.

9:00 am - 10:00 am Sunday Morning Singing. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.

9:30 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Hikers Guide to Wild Food and Medicine - Illustrated talk on "trail nibbles," wild foods and seasonings, and trail medicine. Presented by: Ila Hatter - In the Violin/Guitar Room.

10:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Joy of Photography. Presented by: Tom and Pat Cory - In the Harp Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am KIDS TRACK: Wild Ones Among Us - Meet Them! Presented by: Lynn McCoy - In the Dobro Room.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Civil War in the Mountains. Presented by: A. Christine Tipton - In the Ukelele Room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm If You Were a Bear. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard - In the Violin Room.

11:30 am - 12:45 pm Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by: Stephen Lyn Bales - In the Guitar Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Cherokee Stories. Presented by: Lloyd Arneach - In the Dobro Room.

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C". Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Birds the Word - Celebrating our fine-feathered friends in story and song. . Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Violin Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm All About Raptors. Presented by: Katie Cottrell and Kathy Strunk - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm The Art of Photography and Image Enhancement. Presented by: Pat Gordy and Ron Plasencia - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - Room: Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk required the day of the workshop.)

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: A Tribute to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Hills N' Hollows Mountain Music and Storytelling. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn - In the Dobro Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Arthur McDade - In the Harp Room.

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm Old Harp Shaped Note Singing - East TN shaped note singers sing traditional hymns that were used in old time singing schools around Great Smoky Mountains region. Presented by: Old Harp Singings in Blount, Sevier and Knox Counties. Conducted by David Sarten - In the Violin Room.

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Fly Casting. Presented by: Greg Ward - In the Guitar Room.

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Wildflowers of the Southern Highlands. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Learn About Bears through Activities. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 20 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required.)

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Long Live John Barleycorn - Of lawns, weeds, and wheat fields. Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Dobro Room.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Water Sources to Attract Song Birds. Presented by: Regina Garr - In the Harp Room.

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Whistle Over the Mountains - Updated presentation of Bill Hook's slide-show on logging in the Smokies, originally presented at Elkmont Campground. Presented by: Jim Thurston - In the Ukelele Room.

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sanctuary - Meditations from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Stories, Descriptions, and Photos. Presented by: Greg Johnson - In the Violin Room.

4:45 pm - 5:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: My Ordeal as a Lost Hiker. Presented by: Morgan and Matthew Briggs - In the Guitar Room.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Coal Mining Days in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Blue Ridge Journey. Presented by: Charles Maynard - In the Dobro/Harp room.

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm Bears We've Met - Stories of Encounters. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry - In the Violin Room.

The 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Day Schedule

2010-01-09T20:17:00.001-05:00

The 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week lectures, classes and demonstrations taking place at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee have been a welcome break for those that braved the unusual cold in the Smoky Mountains.

Wilderness Wildlife Week is part of the Winterfest celebration that takes place all around the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville.

While every Wilderness Wildlife Week has been great, this year about 80 new programs have been added to an already exciting schedule!

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 9th, 2010

7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.

8:00 am - 10:00 am Fishing the Smokies. Presented by: Greg Ward - In the Harp Room.

8:00 am - 11:00 am How to Use a Map and Compass. Presented by: Terry and Lavalla Edgington - In the Ukelele Room. (Limit 40 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required.)

9:00 am - 10:00 am Rock Formations of the Smokies. Presented by: Harry Moore - In the Dobro Room.

9:00 am - 10:30 am The Art of Photography: An image critique for artistic enhancement. Presented by: Pat Gordy and Ron Plasencia - In the Guitar Room.

9:00 am - 1:00 pm Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by: Kendall Chiles, Harold Stinnette, Tom and Pat Cory - In the Violin Room.

10:30 am - 11:30 am Serpent Handlers. Presented by: Fred Brown - In the Dobro Room.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm Update: Recent Evidence of Cougars in the Southern Appalachians. Presented by: Dr. Don Linzey - In the Harp Room.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Animal Olympics - Comparing human senses and abilities to those of wild animals - Interactive! Presented by: Ann Schlichting - In the Ukelele Room.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Marking Time: An examination of East Tennessee's Historic Markers. Presented by: Fred Brown - In the Dobro Room.

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: What Makes the Smokies Like No Other Park. Presented By Bill and Rosemary Dieter - In the Harp Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Seasons of the Smokies. Presented by: Bob and Gloria Epperson - In the Guitar Room.

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Great Things are done when Men and Mountains Meet - Calligraphy Workshop. Presented by: Pat K. Thomas - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. ( Limit 15 students. Age 12 and up. Pre-registration at Information Desk required.)

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Weather Signs: Learning how to "read the signs" for changing weather in hiking and camping. Presented by: Ila Hatter - In the Violin Room.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm The History of Mt. LeConte Lodge. Presented by: F. Carroll McMahan - In the Ukelele Room.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Discovering October Roads. Presented by: Fred Brown and Harry Moore - In the Dobro Room.

2:45 pm - 3:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Easy Hiking in the Alps. Presented by: Gudrun and Pete Seifert - In the Harp Room.

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm World Class Stream Small Mouth Bass. Presented by: Greg Ward - In the Guitar Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Introduction to Close Up and Macro Photography. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Ukelele Room.

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Civil War in the Mountains. Presented by: A. Christine Tipton - In the Violin Room

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Wildwoods Wisdom: Stories, songs, and lore celebrating the natural world. Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Dobro Room.

4:15 pm - 5:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Hiking Switzerland. Presented by: Shannon Harris - In the Harp Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Appalachian People and Their Herbs. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian - In the Ukelele Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Tracing Your Cherokee Heritage. Presented by: Lloyd Arneach - In the Violin Room.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW KIDS TRACK WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Kiddin' Around - A hands on introduction to mountain music and instruments for kids. Presented by: Jerry and Joan Paul, Lost Mill String Band -In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 20 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required.)

5:45 pm - 6:45 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodlsore and Wildwoods Wisdom: Singing about catfish, possums, crawdads, hoop snakes, and bee swarms. Presented by: Doug Elliott - In the Dobro Room/Harp.

7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Comments Presented by: Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dale Ditmanson, Director of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Jim Hart, and the Executive Director of Great Smoky Mountains Association Terry Maddox. In the Dobro Room/Harp.

7:30 pm Opening Remarks and Slide Presentation. Presented by: Ken Jenkins - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

Huge Brand New Custom Built 4 Bedroom Luxury Cabin For Rent In Gatlinburg Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

2009-11-29T18:07:00.009-05:00

There are thousands of cabins for rent in the Gatlinburg Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains but this brand new 4 bedroom cabin is a really one of a kind. Two years in the making this custom built log cabin takes luxury mountain living to an entirely new level for a once in a lifetime vacation experience you and up to 9 other people won't forget.

Look no further, this huge 4 bedroom luxury cabin has what you need: a great location, tons of room, amazing luxury appoints and attention to detail everywhere. Did I forget to mention the awesome view of Mt LeConte and the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the woods behind the cabin?

Maybe cabin is the wrong word to use. After all does the bathroom above look like a bathroom you will find in a cabin in the mountains with the amazing glass block walk in shower, stone counter tops, amazing shower fixtures and unbelievable tile work?

Does a cabin have a huge modern kitchen with 3 ovens and state of the art lighting and tremendous seating area not including the kitchen? Did I mention the 2 stoves and 2 refrigerators? The stone counter tops? Dining room table with seating for 8.

The space age kitchen looks right out at the enormous living room with an amazing gas fireplace, flat screen TV with surround sound, and a cathedral ceiling naturally lit with light pouring in from the wall of windows from the floor to ceiling. Sit down in the comfortable furniture and appreciate every last minute is this one of a kind vacation home for rent in Gatlinburg.

The game room is on the ground floor and it has a pool table, foosball table, flat screen TV, couch, a bar with plenty of seating and even a stereo system. There is even an electric martini shaker in this amazing cabin!

You couldn't ask for more in a cabin for rent, but there is: free wireless internet service, a scanner/fax machine/copier for you to use, a large hot tub with an amazing view out on the deck, gas fireplace in the master bedroom and oh yes…you can bring your well behaved pet to this pet friendly huge luxury cabin for rent near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, minutes from downtown Gatlinburg and around the corner from the artists community.

Enjoy the Journey - Gatlinburg TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 10

1 King size beds, 3 Queen size beds, 1 Sleeper sofa, Hot Tub, Jacuzzi, Pool Table, 2 Fireplaces: gas, Washer/Dryer, The private cabin has an incredible kitchen with 3 Ovens there are also 2 Stoves and 2 refrigerators. You even have use of a Fax/Copier/Scanner and bring your laptop along for the FREE WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS! This cabin is PET FRIENDLY
$325 - $375 per night (holidays higher)

Click Here To Visit This Cabin
Reserve This Cabin Online Now

New Log Cabin with Great Mountain Views for Rent in Wears Valley Pigeon Forge Resort

2009-11-12T10:10:00.004-05:00

Finding the perfect cabin to rent in the Smoky Mountains is easy since there are now so many in a private mountain community just outside the city of Pigeon Forge in the Wears Valley area called Brothers Cove.

The Brothers Cove Log Cabin rental resort is proud to announce one of these great cabins: Simply Breathtaking a large 1 bedroom log cabin rental that will hold up to 6 people.

When you park in the level driveway you will be impressed by the massive size and beautiful design on the log cabin purchased on the edge of the mountain with a fantastic view of the Smoky Mountains and the woods around you.

Simply breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains and the surrounding woods with a spacious interior and fun, fun, fun is what you will find when you rent the Simply Breathtaking 1 bedroom log cabin.

This really is a 2 bedroom cabin, but one of the bedrooms has been turned into a game room with a pool table and television. In the Game room there is now a sleeper sofa so of course it can still be used as a bedroom.

The living room of the Simply Breathtaking cabin has a great view of the mountains which is enhanced by the huge windows and with comfortable seating such as the sleeper sofa it makes a great place to enjoy the view or the big screen TV. Why not just sit back and watched the flickering flames and feel the warmth from the wood burning fireplace with a log mantel and stone front? What a place for a vacation!

The master bedroom is another place you and that special someone can enjoy the beauty of and coziness of a fireplace. The master bedroom also has a rustic yet very comfortable queen size bed and a TV along with a VCR/DVD player. You even have access to your own private deck with rocking chairs from the master bedroom.

The Simply Breathtaking cabin is very affordable as a honeymoon cabin or romantic getaway cabin for 2 but still has enough room to hold as many as 6 guests very comfortably.

Simply Breathtaking - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 6

1 Queen size bed, 2 Sleeper sofas, Hot Tub, Jacuzzi, Game room with Pool Table, Wood burning Fireplace in Living room, Big screen TV with Satellite Service, Gas Fireplace in Bedroom, TV in Bedroom, Charcoal Grill, Dishwasher, Washer/Dryer
$150 - $185 per night (holidays higher)

Click Here To Visit This Cabin
Reserve This Cabin Online Now

American Mountain Rentals now has 40+ cabins for rent in Brothers Cove Cabin Rental Community in Wears Valley

2009-09-20T16:15:00.007-04:00

The Brothers Cove Log Cabin Rental Mountain Community in Wears Valley just outside the city limits of Pigeon Forge is located in a secluded section of the Great Smoky Mountains and as of today, American Mountain Rentals is now managing more than 40 of its best Vacation Rentals units.

The name is the same and Brothers Cove great location with stunning feature packed cabins will be managed even better than it has in the past as now the Smoky Mountains premier cabin rental company America Mountain Rentals will be exclusively handling the management and rentals for the best cabins for rent in this private community.

American Mountain Rentals has a proven track record with an extensive inventory of cabins for rent all around the Tennessee Smokies in Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley, Gatlinburg and Sevierville. With an experienced team of professional cleaners and their own maintenance personnel on staff, every unit is cleaned and maintained to standards you have come to expect from a premier vacation rental company.

Bothers Cove cabins offer seclusion and privacy in a mountain and wooded setting hard to find in the Smoky Mountains. This private gated community offers unlimited access in season to the community swimming pool and a safe beautiful neighborhood for you to enjoy the great outdoors and the fresh Smoky Mountains air.

Brothers Cove is located close enough to everything that the best of the Smokies has to offer such as Dollywood or the Great Smoky Mountains national park, but is far enough away where you will never hear the traffic noise and commotion that you will hear in any hotel, motel and many other cabins for rent in the Smoky Mountains.

Escape the rat race and relax in the Bother Cove Rental Community of the Smoky Mountains where peace and quiet is on the menu every day. In spring it's the off season prices and beautiful wildflowers, in summer it's taking it easy while you are lounging by the pool and looking out at the wonderful view, in the fall it's the spectacular color bursting forth from every tree in and around Brother Cove and in winter it's the peace and quiet and the occasional dusting of snow which usually vanishes by lunchtime.

Drive through the covered bridge and come back home to Brothers Cove after a long day of excitement in the Smokies and sit out on the deck and enjoy the spectacular Smoky Mountains or wooded view. While taking it all in, listen to the sounds of nothing other than crickets and birds or the sound of laughter as your children are entertaining themselves in the game room.

When the laughter in the cabin quiets down, it's time for the two of you to slip into the soothing warm water of the hot tub out on the deck and just relax in all of the peace and quiet that Brothers Cove in Wears Valley has to offer.

There are more than 40 rustic on the outside yet very comfortable on the inside log cabins for rent in Brothers Cove. From comfortable 1 bedroom all cabins all the way up to a huge 5 bedroom vacation home there's something for every size family or group looking for a vacation or getaway.

Prices of the log cabins for rent in the Brothers Cove Log Cabin Community are very affordable ranging in price from as low as $110 a night for a 1 bedroom cabin which sleeps 4, to $325 a night for a 5 bedroom cabin that will hold as many as 16 people. Rates quoted do not include tax and are valid during off season. In season, peak season and holiday rates are slightly higher. Cabin rentals vary in sizes, features and prices so check each cabin to see the features you are looking for.

The best Brothers Cove Log Cabin Rentals in Wears Valley - Pigeon Forge can be found on www.AmericanMountainRentals.com, www.AMRCabins.com and now the new and improved www.BrothersCove.com web site. These 3 cabin rental web sites are now the only web sites with the correct terms and prices for Brother Cove Cabins Rentals. Prices, availability and terms listed on any other web sites or advertisements for Brothers Cove will not be honored by the new Cabin Rental management company: American Mountain Rentals.

When is the best time to see fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains?

2009-08-30T21:00:00.011-04:00

The Smokies are renowned for having some of the best fall colors when the leaves change in autumn but with as large as the Great Smoky Mountains are where the best place is and when is the best time to see the foliage in peak colors is not a simple answer.

The reason why there is no exact day for the peak colors in 2009 or the perfect places to see the autumn leaves is that there are so many places - hundreds of them to catch breathtaking fall foliage bursting in all the colors of the rainbow.

There are many reasons why the fall colors in the Smokies attract so many people to come see them. One of the most import reasons is that in the Great Smoky Mountains national park there are more than 100 species of trees and hundreds of different species of bushes that all change color.

Since the falls leaves colors during leaf season vary for many reasons and one of the main reasons is which species of trees or bushes are changing as all of the different trees and bushes show a different range of colors. This is what makes the Smokies a great place to see the leaves change as there is a wide range of colors everywhere you look and it is best to go to a few places to see the wide range of fall foliage colors.

Other key factors the effect when the leaves change color in the Smokies as well as the intensity, duration and where to see the change in colors are temperature, moisture, exposure to sunlight and even soil composition.

Since there is a huge difference in elevations from Pigeon Forge Tennessee, Gatlinburg and Cades Cove on the low end to Clingmans Dome, Mount Le Conte and the Blue Ridge Parkway as a higher elevation and where you are in elevation and location will change to surrounding temperatures of the trees as well as exposure to sun, the same species of tree such as a sugar maple tree can display wild vibrant fall colors in some places weeks before it does in others in the Smoky Mountains.

So if you ask when do the leaves start to change colors in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley, Cades Cove and all throughout the Great Smoky Mountains national park the answer is they already have started this year in late August!

Look carefully in the Smoky Mountains right now and you will see in the dark green canopy touches of color in a few random leaves in the dogwoods, maples and sourwood trees especially at the higher elevations such as along the Foothills Parkway. But you don't want to come here to just see a few random leaves change color - you want to see the fall colors at their peak in the Smokies!

Count on being able to see fall colors popping out in mid to late to late September 2009 but the real displays will start to be fantastic in October and will still be sowing into November. It is not uncommon to see nice vibrant deep reds and maroons in the hardwoods in the Smoky Mountains such as the oak trees as late as Thanksgiving but you will be far past peak at that time.

So what are the predictions for the 2009 leaf season in the Great Smoky Mountains? Actually the predictions are for an extremely good leaf season in both color and duration if the weather continues to so cooperative!

In the past 2 years in the Smokies there have been record breaking droughts. The lack of water stressed the plants and the colors were actually very good. Temperatures were also much higher during the peaks in summer and even late spring also stressing the tress in bushes in the Smoky Mountains.

Though last year the color of the leaves during the fall season were good, they were lacking in duration and when it would rain, it washed down many leaves prematurely and even though fall leaves are colorful on the ground, for the best impact you want to see is the colorful leaves in peak longer on the trees.

This year 2009 we have made up for the past few years of lack of water and the health of the forests and mountains are fantastic! Add to this cooler than normal temperatures all spring and summer long and you have a recipe for beautiful leaf colors as well as duration where the beautiful brightly colored foliage stays on the trees longer during leaf season along with a greater range of colors all showing at the same time.

Because of the very good weather we have had in 2009 including the cooler than normally temperatures we are experiencing right now in the Smoky Mountains, it is likely that the fall leaf season will start earlier this year and the peak leaf season may run only until the 2nd week in November.

As we had done last year, we will do fall color report updates to let you know where to go to see the best fall colors in the Smoky Mountains and the best places to stay to see the fall colors in 2009. Our updates will also be broadcasted on Twitter and our new Face Book account.

How to Have a Cheap and yet Great Vacation in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains

2009-08-25T11:16:00.008-04:00

Everyone wants a cheap vacation in today's economy. In some regions tourism is down by as much as 40%, but here in the Smoky Mountains tourism is actually flourishing and increasing in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee. Why? Because you can have a great vacation in the Smokies at a very cheap price!

How can it be other areas are losing visitors and yet tourists are flocking in droves to the Smokies? No other vacation destination is more convenient and none offers a better value for your hard earned money that the Smoky Mountains do.

The Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Smoky Mountains are a day's drive from the Deep South, the North East United States and even most of the Midwest. Even though the Smokies aren't that far away, there are some ways to improve your gas mileage before and during your road trip to save money on gas.

First of all check your tire pressure and make sure all of your tires are properly inflated. Besides saving on gas, this is a great way to stop premature tire wear and more often than not, air is free. Make sure the spare is properly inflated too!

Next it's a great idea to improve gas millage and reduce engine wear change your motor oil. Better quality synthetic oil saves money on mileage and will let you engine last longer.

If it has been more than 30,000 since your last transmission fluid change it wouldn't hurt to do that too though you won't see as much in mileage savings as an old change or proper tire inflation and transmission is not a cheap part to replace in a car so why not spend a few bucks to save a part that will cost thousands to replace?

Before your road trip to the Smokies, look through the car and trunk and remove anything that doesn't need to be along on the trip. Any extra weight robs gas mileage and when you take a long trip it really adds up. Keep necessary things such as your spare, jack, flashlight and a first aid kit in the car - you want a cheap vacation not a miserable one.

When packing for your trip to the Smoky Mountains really ask yourself, do I need this? Since the better vacation accommodations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg often have a washer and a dryer for you to use for free, maybe you just don't need to pack that many clothes even for an extended stay. Remember it their electricity and hot water so what not come home with clean clothes?

On the road avoid fast acceleration and having to pass everyone on the road. You are on vacation, take it easy! You want a cheap relaxing vacation! In the mountains avoid using cruise control and accelerate and decelerate gently. Use the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park when you can, the speeds are low and the elevation gains and drops are less than that of the roads outside the park so you will save money on gas!

In the summer, most new cars get better mileage with the windows rolled up and the AC on. I prefer to keep the windows open to enjoy the fresh Smoky Mountains air so here the luxury of fresh air overrides being cheap by using the AC.

Though packing up car with the whole family instead of flying is a great way to save money, there are cheap flights through Allegiant Air to the Knoxville airport with fares as low as $39 each way if you book your flight far enough in advance. Knoxville is less than an hour away from the Smoky Mountains and there are plenty of cheap car rentals in the Smokies.

Once you arrive in the Smokies on your vacations you will see if it's not hard to have a great time on a very cheap budget. You will never run out of fun Family Friendly indoor and outdoor activities and with as many things there are to do in the Smoky Mountains and more attractions being built every day, there is always something new to do each time you return to vacation on the Smokies.

The biggest attraction in the Smokies that attracts almost 9.5 Million visitors a year won't charge you one cent to enter the park, hike on more than 800 miles of trails, take one of 4 auto tours, visit historic buildings, attend hands on demonstrations or bicycle all around the Great Smoky Mountains national park. For a cheap price on a Smokies vacation nothing beats free and that's what you will pay to enjoy America's favorite national park!

Looking to take the family to one of the top rated theme parks in the country with live performances that will astound you, top notch amusement park rides for kids of all ages including the wooden roller coaster thunderhead which reaches speeds of 55 miles an hour and a 100 foot drop! How fast does a scream move? Found out here in Dollywood where you will have all thrills you could want at the adventure yourself or through the eyes of your children!

In the Dollywood theme park you can watch artisans at work making handicrafts as they did hundreds of years ago here in the Smokies. Like what you see? Well there are almost 40 places where you can buy crafts of Dollywood trinkets for a just little or a lot - there is something for everyone here!

If you get hungry going from ride to ride and who wouldn't get hungry wandering around in a 125 acre park there is plenty of food to enjoy from a huge all you can eat buffet filled with good old southern cooking to real fresh Berries in cream perfect on a hot summers day in more than 30 restaurants and other places to eat in this huge, clean and safe family vacation spot in the Smokies.

Ok so know that you know how to spend money in Dollywood how can you save money? Well first of all if you stay in one of the best cabins or chalets for rent on the Smokies you save money right away because you can buy Dollywood theme park tickets at a deep discount. Besides cheap Dollywood tickets so of the log cabins for rent close to Dollywood are so close you won't have to pay for parking - you can walk there! Save gas, save time, save money on Dollywood tickets - doesn't get better than this!

Here are a few hints to save money at Dollywood besides getting cheap Dollywood tickets: arrive after 3 pm and you get a free ticket to come back the next day. If you want to really save money keep some snacks and drinks in a cooler in your car - you won't even have to walk - there are free shuttles!

Another way to enjoy your vacation in the Smokies is to save by having at least breakfast and some of your snacks at home. One of the biggest time wasters when on vacation is waiting in line to be seated and then for your food and finally your check to arrive.

Even prepackaged breakfast foods that you throw in the microwave in the Cabin you rent with save you lots of money and precious vacation time. And why not pack a lunch for a picnic in the Smoky Mountains national park instead of waiting in line to buy fast food?

Bringing the kids along? Well who wants to be cramped in a hotel room when for about the same price you can have a few bedrooms and TV's, relax in the hot tub and many of the best cabins for rent have Game Rooms or pool tables! How about renting a cabin with FREE swimming pool access in the summer? You can't beat free!

Having a cheap vacation doesn't mean you have to have a bad vacation. In the off season (January through May, if you stay a week or longer there are a bunch of 1 2 and 3 bedroom cabins that you can rent for only $99 a night!

Looking for a discount or an already cheap cabin rental rate? Well there are last minute Discounts, free night offers, and 10 discounts for AAA Members, Kroger card members, AARP members, Active Military Serviceman and women and the latest discounts just added in are for 10% off for members of the Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association. All of these cabin rental discounts are good all year long (except holidays).

Hint: Not a qualified member of any of these organizations? On your way into the Smoky Mountains stop by the visitor center in Sevierville on 66, or the visitor center on Gatlinburg or along the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and become a member for the park instantly for only $25 (fully tax deductible) and save 10% on your cabin rental. Even with the cheapest rental out there you save money, get a tax break and help the Great Smoky Mountains national park along with the other benefits of being a member!

It won't just be a good vacations - it's a GREAT vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains! Cheap to get to with cabins that are cheap to stay in along with cheap entertainment all around. What a place to take your family on a cheap vacation!

Alone at Last in a Wears Valley Cabin for rent!

2009-08-22T12:22:00.004-04:00

Looking for a romantic getaway in the Smokies where you can sit back and relax, away from the stress of everyday life and find yourselves alone at last? Have we found the perfect cabin for rent in the Smoky Mountains for you where you will find peace and quiet but in just minutes you can be in the middle of all of the restaurants and the attractions the Smoky Mountains has to offer in Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley and Gatlinburg!

This 1 bedroom cabin for rent in the Smokies has the perfect name to describe how you will feel - Alone At Last! Now it doesn't just have to be a couple that rents this beautiful log cabin as besides the huge king size bed in the master bedroom there is also a sleeper sofa so as many as 4 people can stay here -making this cabin a perfect choice for a small family!

Inside this cabin you will find beautiful wood paneling, wood floors and a beautiful wood ceiling with exposed beams. In the living room the tall ceiling give you a specious feel you will love as you enjoy the gas fireplace or when you are watching TV with cable service and a DVD player from the sofa.

The fully equipped kitchen also has high ceilings and a dining area. From a simple snack to a fancy diner everything you need is right here and the dishwasher makes cleanup a snap.

Outside you will love the completely private hot tub that also has a screened enclosure to keep out any unwanted pests. The rear deck where the hot tub is looks out into woods a perfect place to enjoy a meal or a snack or just relax at the table and chairs out here.

On the front deck you have a porch swing with 2 rockers. What can be better than getting Away From it All and the 2 of you relaxing and sharing those special moments together here in the Smoky Mountains?

Alone at Last - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 4

1 King size bed, 1 Sleeper sofa, Hot Tub, Gas Fireplace, TV with Cable and DVD, and Washer/Dryer. 2 car parking and minutes from Dollywood, The Pigeon Forge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains national park.
$125 - $150 per night (holidays higher)

Click Here To Visit This Cabin
Reserve This Cabin Online Now

Wireless Internet Access in a 3 Bedroom Gatlinburg Log Cabin for Rent

2009-08-14T22:05:00.000-04:00

Nothing beats getting away from it all and renting a cabin high up in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Smokies with a commanding view looking out at the Great Smoky Mountains national Park. Sure up here in the private seclusion of the mountains you can relax and take it easy while you are enjoying the peace and quiet but sometimes you need to be connected with the world and what better way can you do that with the internet?

Sure only a short while ago it was very hard to get a cell phone signal up here in the Smoky Mountains let alone even find a vacation rental unit where you can use your dial up service without racking up huge long distance charges.

Now it is possible to rent a cabin in the Smokies that has free high speed wireless internet access! There are more than 30 cabins for rent in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg with free high speed internet service to choose from ranging in size from honeymoon cottages for 2 on up to huge cabins that can handle as many as 14 people at once!

Another exceptional cabin for rent in the Great Smoky Mountains has just had high speed wireless internet access installed that guest can use for free! Windsinger is a great 3 bedroom log cabin for rent is located in Chalet Village - a private community looking down on the city of Gatlinburg with luxury amenities that guests can use such as swimming pools, kiddie pools, tennis courts, game rooms and even clubhouse facilities.

Once you arrive at the Windsinger log cabin, you will appreciate its down home country charm, and be blown away by the stunning view. Whether it is the deep cool green of spring and summer in the Smokies unfolding beneath you, falls breathtaking colors or the snow capped peaks this is the perfect place to make the most of your vacation!

Out on the deck you will not only find seating to enjoy the spectacular view, there is large hot tub just waiting to be used to wash away the stress of everyday life while enjoying the great view of the Smokies. Out here on the cabins deck you can even check your email, surf for restaurant reviews or just check the latest weather reports for the Smokies if you bring your laptop.

Inside there are all the creature comforts you could want on your vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Sit and relax in the living room in either the love seat or couch as you gaze upon the view or just watch your favorite DVD on the TV. In season you can enjoy a crackling fire in the real wood burning fireplace!

Of course you can use your laptop here in the living room because there is free wireless high speed internet access all throughout the cabin! Download movies or music or play the lasted games online - the world is at your fingertips when you have internet access.

Tired of just playing games on the internet? Than close up your laptop and bring it down to the lower level of this cabin where you will find the game room. Here you will find a real pool table with another couch and TV close by and if you want you can even play a game of foosball on the foosball table!

3 bedrooms await you in the wonderful Gatlinburg cabin - 1 with a king size bed and 2 with comfortable queen size beds. Doesn't matter which bedroom you pick, they all get high speed internet aces as long as you have a laptop with a wireless card.

This cabin as well as all of the other cabins in the Smoky Mountains that have free internet access are all winners. Great locations, well appointed, clean, comfortable and above all - very reasonable. Up to 6 people can enjoy this cabin for only $170 to $200 a night (Holidays slighter higher).

Find out more about the Windsinger 3 Bedroom Cabin

Rent this cabin with free internet access

See all cabins in the Smokies with free high speed internet access

Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains

2009-07-26T15:36:00.012-04:00

No one would believe an old time resident of what was to become the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park when he claimed that he could sit on his porch a see the fields and mountainside light up with synchronized fireflies in the spring, after all this phenomenon was only recorded by scientists in Asia on the other side of the world.

Scientists came to the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in the 1990's and saw for themselves that 1 of the 14 lightning bugs which lives in the park does in fact synchronize its flashing with the surrounding firefly beetles.

The flashing from the fireflies which is used to attract a mate slowly grows in intensity as one by one the fireflies see each other flashing and attempt to be the brightest prettiest flasher. As fast at the flashing increases in intensity, suddenly the flashing from the lighting bugs will stop for a few seconds and darkness envelopes the area only to be broken by the beetles flashing which start flashing all over again.

Coming back year after year and studying the fireflies in Elkmont the experts discovered that though the Asian lighting bugs synchronized in the trees, the lightning beetles in the Smokies flashed for their mates up in the hills and higher up in the bushes and trees and as the night progresses the males move closer and closer to the ground where the females have been sitting flashing to attract a mate.

Once the word got out about the beautiful light show the synchronized fireflies in Elkmont put on in late Ma and into June, the crowds started to come. At first it was manageable but then as people saw the amazing light show and told others the crowds that came to the Elkmont area in the Great Smoky Mountains national park were soon just too much to handle.

The national park service in cooperation with the City of Gatlinburg Tennessee decided to have visitors who came to see the fireflies in Elkmont park their cars in the national parks Sugarlands Visitor Center and take Gatlinburg trolleys as a shuttle to Elkmont to alleviate the crowding.

While this system worked for a while and everyone was happy, more than 1,000 people a day attempt to take the trolleys which can no longer add on more shuttles due to space and time limitations as well as the environmental and safety issues of too many people in such a small area.

Each year as more people know about the synchronized fireflies in Elkmont, the available seats on the trolley shuttles which are only $1 round trip, sell out faster and faster leading to a disappointment for many who have come to the Smokies to see the lightning bugs perform the fantastic mating light show.

Further studying of the lightning bugs in the Smokies shows that once the temperature reaches around 50 degrees the lightning bug emerge from the ground in a few other places in the Smoky Mountains other than Elkmont if the conditions are just right.

These special lightning bugs can't just be seen any place in the Smokies, the water, soil, elevation and surrounding area has to be just right. While most areas where these synchronized fireflies can be found are remote areas of the national park inaccessible by most and unsafe at night to wander around in, there are a few places where they can be found outside of the park.

Amazingly, they can be found in a small valley outside of the park just off the section of the Foothills Parkway called the Spur located between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Here for now the conditions are perfect and the fireflies can be found right by 3 cabins for rent in a field around a small creek!

Just imagine in the last week in May when the fireflies start to emerge (Exact time is dependent on previous weeks soil ambient temperature) that you will be able to see the nightly light show gain in intensity which remain strongest for about 21 days and finishes by the end of June.

Of course the other 13 species of firefly beetles found in the area will still put on a show for you throughout the summer while you sit out on the deck, sipping a cool glass of iced tea and enjoying nature's beauty and the peace and quiet of this secluded area of the Smoky Mountains.

The cabins where you can see the synchronized fireflies range in size from 1 bedroom cabins that accommodate a couple in comfort to huge 4 bedroom family friendly log cabins for rent that can hold many!

Imagine enjoying the best of the Smokies all day and the synchronized fireflies at night without ever having to leave your vacation rental! Year round these cabins for rent in the Smoky Mountains are a great choice given their fantastic location - close to Dollywood, Splash Country, Ripley's Aquarium and the other Ripley's attractions, the Great Smoky Mountains national park, hundreds of great restaurants and tons of outlet stores and quaint shops around the area.

Free Nights Stay on a Vacation Rental in the Smoky Mountains July - September 2009

2009-07-26T11:25:00.010-04:00

Everyone is looking for a bargain on their family summer vacation and in these tough times and who can blame them? Well now someone is doing something about it! American Mountain Rentals the premier Smokies Cabin and Chalet Rental company is offering huge unheard of discounts in the summer and early fall peak vacation rental seasons!

For any new reservations for 3 nights or more on a Smoky Mountains Log cabin or mountain chalet in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or Sevierville in July, August or even in the fall season in September, you will get at least 1 free nights stay!

Stay for 3 nights and get the 4th night for Free
Stay for 4 nights and get the 5th night for Free
Stay for 5 nights and get the 6th night for Free
Stay for 6 nights and get the 6th night 1/2 off and you get the 7th night Free

What will you do with your extra free nights stay? Perhaps you want to purchase some discount Dollywood Theme Park tickets or Splash Country Water Park tickets and either make the little ones you take on vacation eyes sparkle in delight or relive your own childhood in America's beloved theme park right in the heart of the Smokies and just minutes from any chalet or cabin rental. Some cabins for rent so close to Dollywood - some are walking distance!

Maybe you will want to spend that extra free day's night stay being lazy along a river in the Great Smoky Mountains national park which just tuned 75 - or take an exhilarating hike up to the 2nd highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi.

Picnicking, auto touring or biking in Cades Cove, hiking on more than 800 miles of stunning trails, fishing for trout in the Smokies creeks, streams and rivers, exploring historical buildings and just enjoying the beautiful scenery at every turn are waiting for you in Americans most visited national park: the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Maybe you just want to be lazy on your free days stay and take the kids and yourself to one of the swimming pools and lounge in the sun and splash and swim in the pool. There are almost 40 beautiful cabins and chalets for rent with free swimming pool access ranging from charming 1 bedroom units on up to a huge 8 bedroom vacation rental lodge that has!

Like your water sports in a natural setting? Spend that extra free day on your Smokies vacation floating down the Little River on a tube just enjoying the green canopy of trees overhead and the cool clear water on the river. Tube rentals and shuttles back and forth all day long are as cheap as $8 a day in Townsend Tennessee - just minutes from any of the cabins for rent in Pigeon Forge.

Want a little more excitement in your water sports on your free days stay in the Smokies? You can go for some world class 4 and 5 white water rapids or if you want try your hand at Kayaking in the Smokies. There are guided white water rafting and Kayaking trips or just bring your own!

Maybe you want to take all that money you saved on your free nights stay in a cabin in the Smokies and go on a shopping spree in one of the many outlet stores in Pigeon Forge such as the Belz Outlet Mall, the Tanger Five Oaks Mall and Tanger Outlet Center or any of the other outlet stores along the Parkway in Pigeon Forge or Sevierville. There are also hundreds of shops in Gatlinburg and of course the Smoky Mountains artist community just outside the city limits of Gatlinburg.

Then again, why all the running around on your free day and nights stay in the Great Smoky Mountains? Stay at your cabin in the Smokies and enjoy the views of the mountains, woods or river, lounge around in the hot tub and after you get out grill up some homemade BBQ and enjoy it outside in the fresh air.

Inside you can relax and watch a movie or shoot a game of pool or even play Foosball as many of the cabins and chalets in the Smokies for rent have a game roomIsn't the whole idea of a vacation in the Smokies to take it easy?

So how great is this exciting free night's stay in a cabin in the Smokies? It's so good that you better act fast as this offer for a free nights stay in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg can be withdrawn without notice and is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other discounts or special offers.

What are you waiting for? Enjoy the vacation or getaway of a lifetime and get a free nights stay!

Pigeon Forge July 4th Independence Day celebrations and cabin rentals

2009-06-30T20:13:00.006-04:00

Pigeon Forge is an All American City with its family friendly attractions such as Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will have one of the best July 4th celebrations in the Smoky Mountains and if you act fast you can still rent a fabulous cabin in the mountains minutes away from the 19th Annual Patriot Festival!

Act fast as there are less than 20 cabins and chalets available for rent in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for the July Fourth weekend. From cozy 1 bedroom cabins to 2, 3, 4 and 7 bedroom huge cabins there are still rental cabins available for the Independence Day holiday to fit anyone's style and budget but they won't last long!

The will be plenty to do if you take the whole gang to the Smoky Mountains and the July Fourth celebrations planned for Pigeon Forge will be fantastic and best of yet - free!

Patriot Park is will be the place to be on Independence Day and the fun starts at 1 pm when the Twirling Medallion Majorette and Drum Corp coming to Pigeon Forge all the way from Virginia with Tina Hughes's Baby Doll, Tiny Tot, along with Junior and Senior Majorette Groups, and The Drum Corp will be taking center stage in beautiful Patriot Park near the Old Mill right off the Parkway.

Next at 3:45 pm 40 members from the Pigeon Forge Community Chorus will be performing a medley of both patriotic and gospel music under the direction of Dr. Deborah Hicks the Associate Professor of Music and Director of Professional Entertainment Program from Walter State Community College.

Nothing is more American than country music so an up and coming country artist from Knoxville, Tennessee Homer Hart will entertaining the crowd starting at 4:30 pm.

Next at 5:15 it's time to offer a spectacular tribute to our Armed Forces along with our beloved National Anthem performed by the cast of "Swing Time" from the Grand Majestic Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Watch and listen as they take you through a fun filled time travel adventure with the sounds of the band sounds of American favorites Glenn Miller, Judy Garland and the Andrew Sisters and then they will rock your world to the sounds of the 50's featuring the classic music of Elvis and even Buddy Holly.

4 of the original lead singers of the Rhythm and blues sensation "the Temptations" joined with Nate Evans, fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with "Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions", to form the Temptations Revue and starting at 5:30pm they will perform some of their timeless tunes and tell Motown stories "the way they do the things they do".

Next to perform in Patriot Park for the 4th of July is another new up and coming country music artist Sarah Darling. Beautiful to the ear and the eye Sarah has appeared in a number of country music videos, with Kellie Pickler, Joe Nichols, David Ball, and Big and Rich and has even modeled so be sure to catch her performance starting at 6:15.

From and up and coming country music star to a seasoned professional with 19 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts John Berry takes the stage at 7 pm with his powerful and distinctive voice. John has a string of hits such as "What's In It for Me", "You and Only You", "Standing on the Edge of Goodbye", "I Think About It All the Time", "Change My Mind", and "She's Taken a Shine".

For the Grand Finale of the live entertainment at the Patriot Park Independence Day Celebration in Pigeon Forge prepared to be rocked by the Classic Rock All Stars - a supergroup up hit makers of the 60s and 70s. The high energy rock and roll set they will play starts and 8:15 pm and with musicians Pete Rivera, Dennis Noda, Jerry Corbetta and Mike Pinera the Smokies will never be the same!

And did we mention the fireworks? The Smoky Mountains fireworks display will begin at 9:45pm. Prepare to be dazzled!

Though the 4th of July Pigeon Forge celebration schedule and the performing artists are subject to change or cancellation without notice, the lineup is so great we hope nothing will change.

What we know won't change is the great value and service you will get when you rent a cabin or chalet in Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains for the 4th of July Independence Day Holiday or any time of the year!

July 4th Events in Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountain Rentals

2009-06-30T17:31:00.006-04:00

The 4th of July is a great time for a family to get away and take a vacation and the Smoky Mountains is a favorite destination of many because of the fun events, perfect location and you can still find a few great cabins and chalets for rent in Gatlinburg.

4th of July Independence Day events start earlier in Gatlinburg Tennessee than anywhere else in the nation with the famous Nations First 4th of July parade taking place at midnight to an estimated 100,000 spectators.

Gatlinburg's 34th Midnight Independence Day parade will also include a special 75th Anniversary event in celebration of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To commemorate this historic even there will be a Presidential Motorcade with vintage automobiles and vintage motorcycles to escort the motorcade with everyone wearing costumes from the 1930s.

The recreation of the FDR presidential motorcade will be part of a mile long parade that will also include a large contingent of our armed services men and women, marching bands, equestrian displays and of course parade favorites: elaborately decorated parade floats and helium balloons.

The city of Gatlinburg is already starting to get decorated with flags and red white and blue and before the parade even begins on the night of the 3rd, the whole parade route in the city of Gatlinburg will feature pre-parade entertainers will get everyone excited about the parade to follow.

Gatlinburg is a great location as you can enjoy so many family friendly activities such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park, many Ripley's attractions such as the world class Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Believe or Not Museum, the Glades arts and crafts community, tons of fine restaurants and close by there is white water rafting, horseback riding and so much more.

Right now there are still a few 1, 3, 5 and 8 bedroom cabins and chalets for rent in Gatlinburg available on the Fourth of July independence day weekend - all just minutes away from all the action.

Fourth of July in your own cabin in the Smokies, what could be better?

Help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Get a Discount on a Cabin Rental!

2009-06-18T09:25:00.008-04:00

Everyone wants a cheap price on vacation accommodations and why not? What's even better is when you can find low cabin rental prices in a popular place such as the Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains and it's even better when you can get a special discount on a cabin rental!

The Great Smoky Mountains national park is the most popular national park in the United States hosting almost 10,000,000 visitors a year and never charging anyone a cent to enter the park. The park is very under funded and the best cabin rental company in the Great Smoky Mountains: America Mountain Rentals wants to help the park and save tourists who stay in the Smokies money - all at the same time!

Times are tough for most everyone and it's even tougher for people to help contribute to the national park so America Mountain Rentals in Pigeon Forge Tennessee in the heart of the Smoky Mountains is giving a 10% discount off the price of a cabin or chalet rental to anyone who is or becomes a member of the Great Smoky Mountains most important organizations that help the National Park: The Friends of the Smokies or the Great Smoky Mountains Association.*

Membership to either organization is tax deductible and as low as $25 a year and for such as low price you will earn a 10% discount off of the already low cabin rental prices on more than 150 beautiful feature packed vacation rentals in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville Tennessee.

All of these cabins and chalets rentals in the Smoky Mountains feature the three things: location, location, location, all being only minutes away from the Great Smoky Mountains national park, Dollywood theme park, Dolly's Splash Country, the Glades artist community in Gatlinburg, tons of outlet stores along the Parkway in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Douglas Lake and so much more.

When you rent a cabin in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg from American Mountain Rentals you can expect clean well maintained vacation rental accommodations most with stunning mountain or wooded views with the amenities you expect from a luxury cabin rental company such as private secluded locations, hot tubs, game rooms and pool tables, fireplaces, Jacuzzi's, spacious living areas, fully equipped modern kitchens, TVs with DVD players along cable or Satellite service so every vacation in the Smokies will bring back fond memories.

When you drive, hike or bike in the Great Smoky Mountains national park you expect to see stunning vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains and beautiful waterfalls in rivers teeming with local brook trout.

You also expect the hiking and horse trails to be clean and well maintained so they are not only enjoyable but they are safe as well. Of course you also want to see our majestic eastern hemlock trees reaching high up into the sky and the elk that have been extinct for centuries in the Smokies roaming freely again.

Thanks to Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association who fund all of these projects to keep the GSM National Park as nice as it is as well funding scientific programs, educational materials and many of the seasonal personnel throughout the park.

Now you can help fund these projects and more with a tax deductible membership for as little as $25 and get a 10% discount on the best cabins for rent in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville. Help the Great Smoky Mountains national park and get a fantastic discount on a cabin rental in the Great Smoky Mountains, what are you waiting for?

* All new rentals on any of the more than 150 cabins or chalets American Mountain Rentals rents qualify for this special discount which cannot be combined with any other discounts or used on holidays.

Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg

2009-06-08T08:14:00.006-04:00

You can't come to the Smokies in spring and not see the synchronized firefly show in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park near Gatlinburg Tennessee.

No one is really sure why the lightning bugs are only synchronized here in the Smoky Mountains, in small areas in Kentucky and Asia. There are more than a dozen species of lightning bugs but only one of these fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Photinus Carolinus, gives us the light show that attracts thousands of visitors a year.

The peak of the lightning bugs synchronized light show is happening right now so shuttles are running from the Sugarland's Visitor Center off Newfound Gap Road to firefly viewing area in Elkmont in order to accommodate the almost 1,000 people a day who may come to see lightning bugs along the Little River flash in unison for hours.

The green light called bioluminescence the synchronized firefly uses to attract its mate is caused when an enzyme produced by the beetle is mixed with oxygen. As long as you stay away from bright lights you can see the fireflies light up from quite a distance and in various shades of from light green to blue.

While the lights from the lightning bugs will seem sparse and random at first, slowly the lights start to flash and roll up and down the mountainsides and fields in waves and at times in patterns, then huge sustained flashes and then total darkness. Random light flashes from the fireflies start again and then the whole light show begins all over.

You can't bring a cooler on board the shuttle tram which is the only way to get into Elkmont until Monday the 15th of June but you can bring a picnic in a carry on bag or backpack. Many people who come to the firefly show in Elkmont take along a blanket and enjoy a picnic dinner near the Little River, or along the hiking trail.

Since the beginning of the firefly viewing area is a hiking trail on an old road bed which is paved, it is accessible for people of all ages and levels of mobility. The trail is miles long and though most people who come to the lightning bug show stay close to the trail head near the parking lot, there is plenty of room for everyone to stretch out.

If you walk further down the trail there are plenty of boulders to sit on along the Little River and enjoy the fireflies, and a few log benches as well. To enjoy the light show look to the right side of the trail away from the river.

You can bring along a flashlight but you need to use one with a red lens cover or if it has a red led. Dark red cellophane works well too. If the light is not covered it can disrupt the fireflies from flashing and will make it harder for you and those around you to see well in the darkness.

The shuttle trams start running at 6 pm from the Sugarland's Visitor Center parking area for a $1 a person round trip to the Elkmont Firefly light show viewing area. The trams return back with the last tram arriving back to the Sugarlands around midnight.

Want to avoid the crowds? Check out the light show on your own next week starting next Monday. Until then the only way to get into Elkmont during the evening will be with the shuttle. The firefly light show will still be fun for all of next week too.

If you are staying in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or Sevierville the firefly light show in the Great Smoky Mountains national park should not be missed!

The Smokies Blog

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The 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Day Schedule

Huge Brand New Custom Built 4 Bedroom Luxury Cabin For Rent In Gatlinburg Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

Enjoy the Journey - Gatlinburg TN4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 10

New Log Cabin with Great Mountain Views for Rent in Wears Valley Pigeon Forge Resort

Simply Breathtaking - Pigeon Forge TN1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 6

American Mountain Rentals now has 40+ cabins for rent in Brothers Cove Cabin Rental Community in Wears Valley

When is the best time to see fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains?

How to Have a Cheap and yet Great Vacation in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains

Alone at Last in a Wears Valley Cabin for rent!

Alone at Last - Pigeon Forge TN1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 4

Wireless Internet Access in a 3 Bedroom Gatlinburg Log Cabin for Rent

Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains

Free Nights Stay on a Vacation Rental in the Smoky Mountains July - September 2009

Pigeon Forge July 4th Independence Day celebrations and cabin rentals

July 4th Events in Gatlinburg and Smoky Mountain Rentals

Help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Get a Discount on a Cabin Rental!

Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg

Sweet Mountain Air - Pigeon Forge
3 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 10

The Honeymoon Sweet - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 6

Hoot 'n Hollar - Pigeon Forge TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 12

Majestic View - Pigeon Forge TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 14

Enjoy the Journey - Gatlinburg TN
4 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 10

Simply Breathtaking - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 6

Alone at Last - Pigeon Forge TN
1 Bedroom Log Cabin - Sleeps 4