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.

 

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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!