New Year's Eve in Gatlinburg

            At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2012, the Space Needle area will shine with a red glow from the surrounding rooftops at the beginning of a music program which includes selected songs followed by a choreographed fireworks show produced by Pyro-Shows of LaFollette, Tennessee.

Leading up to midnight, popular musical entertainment will be headquartered on the balcony of the Gatlinburg Convention Center at the

Historic Nature Trail/Airport Road

entrance. Party favors provided by Mr. Tablecloth will be available near the base of the Space Needle on Historic Nature Trail.

            “It has become a tradition for families and friends from across America to come back to celebrate the New Year here in Gatlinburg,” said George Hawkins, Special Events Manager. “We expect to have another big crowd to help us usher in 2012 with their loved ones and friends.”

            The highlight of the evening is the ball drop from the Space Needle, signifying the old year is over and a new one has begun. Then music encouraging crowd participation and the fireworks show off the 342-foot structure will welcome the New Year in dazzling style.

The entire city of Gatlinburg celebrates New Year’s Eve in a big way with many restaurants and attractions offering special celebrations. Popular hotspots are right in the middle of the fireworks area below the Space Needle and offer varying packages which may include music, buffets and a champagne toast.

For lodging information, visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals!

The Gatlinburg Tunnel

A Gatlinburg landmark, this is the tunnel you pass thru on your way to Pigeon Forge. Thousands of motorists pass thru daily and many of them "honk" their car horns as they go thru! For some, it's even a family tradition.

Gatlinburg Vacation Rentals

Gatlinburg - A Romantic Mountain Getaway!

Gatlinburg, TN is a romantic mountain getaway! Spend some quality time with that special someone exploring the National Park, walking the streets of downtown, relaxing in your private mountain retreat, or enjoying a fabulous romantic dinner at one of the area's wonderful dining establishments. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains are perfect for honeymoons, weddings, anniversaries or just when you need a little alone time. Call us today to plan your romantic mountain getaway! 

1-800-371-0341               Visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals Online

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Planning a Family Vacation to the Smokies? Here's a 3 Day Gatlinburg Itinerary to help you plan the perfect vacation!  

Day One

Begin the day with a hearty breakfast at one of Gatlinburg's many pancake restaurants. Fortify your body and relax your mind as you prepare for one of the best family vacations ever!
Spend the day on top of Harrison Mountain at Ober Gatlinburg! Take the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway on a picturesque 2.2-mile ride then spend the day on top of Mt. Harrison, where there's year-round fun and entertainment.
There is something here for everyone. Make the most of Gatlinburg affordable family vacations and enjoy ice skating year-round and snow skiing when the weather turns cold. Enjoy the amusement park rides and wildlife habitat viewing area when the weather is warm. Travel to the top of the mountain in one of the nation's newest gondolas!

Day Two

Start your day with a journey into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg is known as the gateway to the Great Smokies and is the perfect place to call "home" while visiting this national treasure. Spend half a day on the trails—which offer everything from light adventure to quiet strolling—a very family friendly vacation activity.
After lunch, tackle an afternoon of outdoor fun! Gatlinburg is home to some of the greatest trout fishing around. There are even locations where only children can fish - giving them a chance to learn and a place that is their own. Gatlinburg is also home to a wheelchair accessible fishing pier so that everyone can join in this family activity.
Plan to spend the evening walking the Parkway—Gatlinburg's Main Street. Enjoy Gatlinburg shopping, go-carts, miniature golf courses, haunted houses, museums and much, much, more! Plan to spend the entire night, until you simply must go to bed!

Day Three

Today is a day for fun and that’s completely affordable! Family vacations in Gatlinburg would be complete without a trip to the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Here, the entire family will delight in learning about the fascinating creatures living in the sea. Special exhibits vary seasonally.
After lunch, plan to visit the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community. This 8-mile loop is unparalleled in variety and features the largest group of independent artisans in North America. Established in 1937, these artisans whittle, paint, sew, cast, weave and carve to create original collectibles such as candles, baskets, quilts, brooms, pottery, jewelry, dolls, ceramics, scrimshaw, silversmithing, leather, stained glass, wearable fashions, fine photography, frameable art, oils and watercolors. Your kids will all agree; Gatlinburg is one of the best family vacations they’ve had.

For the best lodging in Gatlinburg, visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals!

100 Things to Do in the Smokies - #98 - The Village, Gatlinburg, TN

The Village - Gatlinburg, TN

Just past traffic light #6, adjacent to the Pancake Pantry, lies one of Gatlinburg's most memorable shopping experiences, "The Village". Here you will find a collection of 27 unique shops and eateries set in a quaint European village atmosphere. The brick pathways, abundant landscaping and bubbling fountains provide a tranquil escape from Parkway traffic. Tucked away in this quaint haven are gift and specialty shops, clothiers, galleries and eateries that break away from the cookie cutter variety of retailers to which most of us have become acquainted. Whether you're looking for a remembrance of your visit or something refreshing to eat or drink, you will find it here. Grab a Village directory as you enter the distinctive brick archway and discover the diversity of these 27 special establishments. A visit to Gatlinburg will not be complete without a stop in The Village. Make sure you visit all 27 shops. You will not be disappointed!

For lodging information visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals

100 Things to Do in the Smokies - #99 - Cooter's Place, Gatlinburg, TN

Cooter's Place

Y'all come on in and make yourselves at home in Hazzard County. Visit the Dukes of Hazzard Museum & Shop, free of charge, and enjoy Cooter's fabulous collection of Props, Costumes, and Memorabilia from the "Dukes". Be sure to visit often so as not to miss regular appearances by Ben "Cooter" Jones and other cast members.  There's even more great family fun at Cooter's Place.  Race the "General Lee" at Gatlinburg's only INDOOR slick track for 40 laps at speeds up to 23 mph in Go-Karts equipped with the finest safety features. Play 18 holes of miniature golf at the Hazzard Country Club with a trip down the "Dukes" memory lane.

For loding information visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals

100 Things to Do in the Smokies - #100 - Forbidden Caverns

Forbidden Caverns

With over 8,350 caves, Tennessee has more caves than any other state in America. The Forbidden Caverns are an ideal attraction for travelers any time of the year since they remain at a cool 58 degrees year round. The site is around a 35-minute drive from Gatlinburg (45 minutes if you’re traveling from Knoxville), and the drive should be enjoyable in itself as you cruise by picturesque views of Mount LeConte and English Mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Forbidden Caverns first use was as a shelter for the Eastern Woodland Indians while hunting and during bad weather and harsh winters. There is a constant stream rolling through the caverns serving fresh water. It is believed that the water comes from an underground body of water located under English Mountain. There is also a limited amount of flint and chert, which were used to make arrowheads, knives and many other handy tools by the Indians. The story has it that an Indian princess was lost in a “hollow mountain of two streams”, which was considered forbidden land (thus the forbidden caverns).
Moonshiners inhabited the cave from the early 1920s until 1943. The isolation and never-ending supply of water made the location an ideal brewing station. In 1964, the initial planning began towards opening the caverns to the public. It took three years of excavating and developing the area, but the Forbidden Caverns were officially opened to the public in the summer of 1967. Visitors are able to see the plethora of unique stalactites and calcite formations that have been there for centuries.
The cavers have been enhanced with lights and hand rails for the areas that are hard to maneuver around. The guided tours usually last just shy of 55 minutes, and there is a souvenir shop and refreshment stand to indulge in after the tour. Tickets cost $14 for visitors 13 and older and $8 for visitors between 5 and 12. Children 4 and under are free. Parking is also free! They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM until 6 PM April through November. They are closed on Sundays and Thanksgiving Day. You can get more information on their website as well as by phone at (865) 453-5972.

For lodging information visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals

Bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the few places remaining in the eastern United States where black bears can live in wild, natural surroundings. For many, this famous Smokies' resident is a symbol of wilderness.

Bears inhabit all elevations of the park. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate that roughly 1,500 bears live in the park. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile. At one time, the black bear's range included most of North America except the extreme west coast. Because of the loss of habitat, the black bear is now confined to wooded areas or dense brushland.

All black bears in the park are black in color, but in other parts of the country they may be brown or cinnamon. They may be six feet in length and up to three feet high at the shoulder. During the summer months, a typical male bear weighs approximately 250 pounds while females are generally smaller and weigh less slightly over 100 pounds. However, bears may double their weight by the fall. Bears over 600 pounds have been documented in the park. Wild bears can live 12-15 years or more. "Panhandler" bears, who have had access to human foods and garbage, have a life expectancy of only half that time.

Bears, like humans, are omnivores. Plant materials such as berries and nuts make up approximately 85% of their diet. Insects and animal carrion provide valuable sources of protein for bears.

Bears have color vision and a keen sense of smell. In addition, they are good tree climbers, can swim very well, and can run 30 miles per hour.

Bear BehaviorBears are most active during early morning and late evening hours in spring and summer. Mating usually takes place in July. Both female and male bears may have more than one mate during the summer.

Bears choose a denning site with the coming of cold weather. Dens are usually hollow stumps, tree cavities, or wherever there is shelter. Bears in the Smokies are unusual in that they often den high above the ground in standing hollow trees. Bears do not truly hibernate, but enter long periods of sleep. They may leave the den for short periods if disturbed or during brief warming trends.

One to four cubs are born during the mother's winter sleep, usually in January. Bears weigh eight ounces at birth. Females with newly born cubs usually emerge from their winter dens in late March or early April. Commonly born in pairs, the cubs will remain with the mother for about eighteen months or until she mates again.

Join us in the Smoky Mountains for an unforgettable vacation, Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals.

The story of Halloween

The Story of Halloween

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.

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Is it Smokey or Smoky???

Is it Smokey or Smoky?

If you think we spelled it wrong, you're in the majority. Wrong, but in the majority. Both are common spellings. But if you want to be correct about it, spell it the way the National Park Service does - the Great Smoky Mountains.

History of the name is vauge at best. The park is named for the mist or blue haze that surrounds the mountains resulting from the interaction between the moist environment of streams and waterfalls and the thick vegetation. The Cherokee name for the area, Sha-co-na-qe, means "place of blue smoke." Rising upward through the blue "smoke" arc thirty-six miles of mountain peaks standing five thousand feet or more above sea level, sixteen of which exceed six thousand feet. The Cherokee Indians, the earliest settlers in these mountains, revered them as the sacred ancestral home of the entire Cherokee Nation, which at one time stretched from Georgia to the Ohio River.

During the mid-nineteenth century, a number of American atlas publishers produced engraved maps of the United States, its regions, and individual states. Some of these maps were the earliest to show localities eventually incorporated into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 1861 Johnson and Browning map of North Carolina identifies the "Iron or Great Smokey Mts," as well as Cade's Cove in Tennessee, which was first settled by Americans in the early nineteenth century. Evidence of the frontier community established there is present today in the partially preserved residences, churches and other buildings exhibited in Cade's Cove, which is one of the most visited sites in the park. In addition, the map shows Quallatown, the Cherokee settlement that later became the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and Old Bald Mountain in North Carolina.

How it got from Smoke to Smoky is probably a misspelling on a map many years ago. Names have a tendency to get distorted over time in this neck of the woods. Cades Cove, for instance was really named for someone with the name Kate. And so it goes.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, encompassing some of the oldest mountains on earth, is located in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The state boundary line bisects the park, which is one of the largest in the eastern United States. Measuring fifty-four miles long and nineteen miles across at its widest point the park consists of slightly more than half a million acres. Great Smoky Mountains National Park attracts the largest number of visitors annually of any national park, perhaps because it is located within a day's drive of over 60 percent of the nation's population. In recent years, more than nine million visitors have come to the park each year.

For the best cabin, condo and chalet rentals in the Smoky (Smokey) Mountains, Click Here to visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals online!

October 21, 2011 Fall Color Report - Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are now a mosaic with fall colors in some areas past-peak, some at peak, and some pre-peak. At elevations above 4,000 feet, fall colors are gone but three inches of snow and lots of rime ice now decorate the landscape. Fall colors are at peak at the mid elevations. At the lower elevations, where the forest is rich with maple and oak trees, colors will likely peak next wee...k.

The fall color display is exceptional this year. Suggested drives include Little River Road, Cades Cove, Greenbrier, the Foothills Parkway East (near Newport and Cosby), the Foothills Parkway West (near Townsend), and Cataloochee Valley.

Suggested trails and hiking destinations include Smokemont Loop, Cucumber Gap Loop, Old Settlers Trail, Deep Creek Trail, Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail, and Henwallow Falls.

As if the fall colors and high elevation snow weren’t enough, bear, elk, and wild turkey are very conspicuous right now. But remember, visitors should never approach or harass park wildlife. Approaching elk or bear closer than 50 yards is illegal and punishable by substantial fines and imprisonment.

 

For Vacation Rental information, visit Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals.

Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
800-371-0341

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a family destination full of awesome attractions, dining, shopping and entertainment. Spend the day at Dollywood, visit a a music theater, cruise over to the Dixie Stampede or just relax in your Pigeon Forge cabin rental. You and your family will enjoy a luxurious, fun-filled Pigeon Forge vacation! Visit Pigeon Forge for more information about the activities, attractions & dining in the area and be sure to check out Colonial Properties Cabin & Resort Rentals for the best lodging in the Smokies!

The Biggest New Year's Eve Party in the South!

Join us in Gatlinburg, TN for the biggest New Year's Eve Party in the South! Walk through downtown, check out the local night life and watch a spectacular fireworks display from the Gatlinburg Space Needle. It's one of the funnest events all year long! Bring the kids along too! They'll have a great time as the city rings in the New Year!

For more information Click Here! We look forward to seeing you soon in the Smoky Mountains!

Explore the Titanic - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Why do so many kids visit the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee? Because this 30,000 square foot ship-shaped structure provides a highly interactive, hands-on experience where children, teenagers, and adults of all ages can

• Simulate shoveling coal into a burning furnace.
• Learn how to send an SOS signal and tie rope knots.
• Steer the ship. Full Speed Ahead! Touch the side of the steel plates and feel the rivets.
• Feel a major iceberg - as it grows every day!
• Step into one of our lifeboats and hear the stories of the passengers that were on lifeboat #4.
• Stand on the deck of the ship’s stern and experience the different precise angles of the ship as it gradually descended into the water over a span of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
• Dive to the wreck site on a film expedition
• For young guests eight and under there is a special section (Tot-Titanic) devoted to them with various interactive elements for their little hands.
• And more...

Click Here for More Information About Titanic Pigeon Forge

2011 Fall Color Forecast Update

October 3, 2011

 

Fall Color Forecast Courtesy of Steve Kemp

The recent cold snap has been a catalyst for triggering some impressive fall colors. The mountains are now a mosaic with rich reds and golds at the highest elevations and along the tops of ridges. Along Little River Road, and elsewhere at the lower elevations, early-changing species like blackgum, sourwood, dogwood, sumac, black walnut, a...nd Virginia creeper are near peak.

This is a great time to take a drive on Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or Balsam Mountain Road. Little River and Laurel Creek roads also offer pleasant fall scenery.

Colors should be peaking at the higher elevations over the next 7-10 days. Look for a peak at the lower and mid elevations in late October and early November. And yes, there was snow at the highest peaks this weekend!

Sept 16 & 17 Flash Sale - 50% OFF

September 16 & 17 FLASH SALE

Join us for the weekend of September 16 & 17, and enjoy 50% OFF your stay! The first caller to reserve each property is eligible for these AWESOME SAVINGS! Below is a complete list of properties that are available for this discount. To receive the discount, you must phone us at 800-371-0341.

A Place to Remember
Bear Cove
Bear Tracks
Bear View
Creekside Paradise
Home Sweet Home
Diamond in the Rough
Sassy Lady
Eagle's Hyatt
Happy Days
Higher Ground
Miss B Haven
Naughty Pines

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Over one half million acres make up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's unsurpassed beauty, countless outdoor activities, abundance of wildlife and it's preservation of American history make the Smoky Mountains the most visited national park in the United States.

For more information about the Great Smoky Mountains, Click Here

Beat the Heat...in the Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains is a fantastic place to beat the heat this summer. From rushing waterfalls to tubing down a refreshing mountain stream, you are sure to find the perfect place to stay cool and wet.