First legal Tennessee Moonshine distillery opening in Gatlinburg

Tennessee’s first legal moonshine will soon be available to the public July 2nd.

What was once a very hard thing to get will soon be easily available to anyone over 21.

The distillery will have a grand opening celebration on Friday, July 2 and will offer free tours, free samples of moonshine to adults over 21, and moonshine for sale.

Ole Smoky Distillery is located at 903 Parkway, and will offer original unaged corn whiskey moonshine, apple pie moonshine, sweet tea moonshine, and peach moonshine. The facility will include a working still. Moonshine cherries will be available for purchase during the holiday season.  The Ole Smoky recipes are the product of the hard work and experience of local families who have made moonshine in the mountains for over a century. Dave Pickerell, who served as the Master Distiller for Maker’s Mark for over 15 years, assisted with the refinement of the recipes in order to ensure a superior mountain – made moonshine.

This was just pure genius to bring this to Tennessee.  Another cool thing is the moonshine will be distributed in Mason Jars.

Update: I went to the Distiller the other day. Right now when you go there they are allowing you 3 shots of Moonshine. They aren’t full shots but you get enough. They start you out with 2 clear shots of shine, and then give you a apple shine shot. You can’t buy the apple moonshine until sometime in October or November. It’s about 25.00 a jar. There is a 10% Local discount if you happen to live around Gatlinburg. The moonshine is 100 Proof, not quite as high as the illegal shine. Definately worth buying a few jars to have around the house when you entertain.

What are the most popular Gatlinburg attractions?

Want to know some of the popular Gatlinburg attractions to enjoy during your vacation in the Smoky Mountains?

There are a lot of Attractions in the Smoky Mountains!  I’ll just go over a few of the popular ones.  In the future I’ll discuss them in a more detailed review. Read more

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Trip

Situated on both sides of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park still remains the most popular national park for every road trip planner. Attracting over nine million adventurers and sightseers every year, it is the most visited national park in the United States. This summer, grab your gear and head off to the massive Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Planning your summer road trip will make you realize that there are so many things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You would most certainly want to experience all of them. The size of the park might pose as overwhelming, but the Smoky Mountain Heritage Driving Tour will surely help you discover the park at your own pace on a self-guided automobile tour. Take your time driving yourself around to seek out landmarks, mountain culture and heritage, the captivating aura of the neighborhoods and, of course, the history of the Smoky Mountains.

If you are looking for a unique way to wander around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then the English Mountain Llama Trek is perfect for you. The llama treks also allow you to move at your own timetable as you are welcome to arrange them for varying lengths of time. You have the option to choose a trekking trip with a picnic or even an overnight stay at one of the cabins and/or campgrounds affiliated with English Mountain Llama Trek. Children six years of age and older can join the treks as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult.
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Ski Ober Gatlinburg

If you’ve flipped on the TV to the news channels in the last 3 days I know you’ve seen story after story about the massive snow storms plowing through the east coast of the United States. Cities are reporting double digit snowfall in just hours, in fact Washington D.C. has been shut down completely for the last two days. It’s just been insane.

But it’s not just the major cities on the east coast getting slammed… mountain destinations are being hit too. It sucks for people who live there but is awesome for vacationers looking to hit the slopes! Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials say Mt. LeConte got 14 inches new snow for a total depth of 27 inches. Ober Gatlinburg ski area is located pretty close to Mt. LeConte so you know they’re getting tons of snowfall too.

Ober Gatlinburg has eight skiing trails and three chairlifts. They also have a multi-tracked snow tubing slide that is great for kids and families.

Here are some pictures taken from Ober just a few days ago. If they don’t convince you to strap on those snowboard boots then I don’t know what will.

Great Smoky Mountains Wilderness Week

The Great Smoky Mountains are home to an amazing array of wild animals and some of those most beautiful vistas in the United States. We share the Park with black bears, deer, elk and more. Wilderness Wildlife Week in the Great Smoky Mountains begins Saturday, January 9th 2010 – it’s an annual event that pays tribute to the National Park and to Mother Nature in general.

Locals and visitors come to the Park every time this year to celebrate this precious place. About 150 experts — rangers from the National Park Service, biologists, botanists, nature photographers, animal rehabilitators and Smoky Mountains residents — donate their time to present lectures, classes, photography shows, musical performances and demonstrations.

Wilderness Week is a free event and runs through January 16. Most of the activities can be found in Pigeon Forge, but there will be signs of celebration all throughout the park. It’s important to remember how scared the Smokies are and we shouldn’t take them for granted.

Snow Storm Slams Smokies

Over the last 4-5 days the Great Smoky Mountains have been blasted with snow: 10-30 inches in some areas. The ski resorts are loving it, but the casual travelers might not be as happy. Sure we all love seeing snow on the ground, but not if it gets in the way of your vacation.

The Great Smoky Mountains have had so much snow over the past few days that certain roads are restricted and trails are closed. Even Cades Cove, the most visited part of the Great Smokies was closed. There was a lot of ice out there making it very dangerous for people who are not accustomed to traveling in those conditions.

Check it this picture from Newfound Gap, it looks nothing like the photo I posted back in October.

So go and enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains this winter – it is truly a blessing to have this much snow so early, but please be careful when traveling and site seeing.

Great Smokey Mountain Skiing

Winter is almost here – it may be freezing outside, but technically winter doesn’t start until December 21. We’ve haven’t had the best snow storms come through here at the end of 2009, but I’m still hopeful for a strong start to 2010.

Most ski resorts in the Great Smoky Mountain area are open for business with limited hours. This early in the season you’re likely to be skiing on man-made snow – but hey, if you’re from Florida then all that matters is the slopes are open.

My favorite resort to ski at in the Great Smoky Mountains is Ober Ski Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you’re visiting the GSM during the winter months, then you really should plan a day or two on the slopes. Now for those of you who are used to skiing out west might find a mountain of this size to be disappointing. I’m not going to like – this is nothing like the Rockies.

But what you will find at Ober is 7 Trails accessible by 2 Quad lifts and 1 Double lift. Ober also has and ice skating rink and a scenic chairlift for those of you who don’t enjoy skiing.

Rates are modest at $30 for adults on non-holidays and they have on-site rentals. You really can’t beat this quiet mountain when traveling in the Great Smokies.

Spend New Years in the Great Smoky Mountains

Are you looking for something a little more out of the ordinary to do on New Year’s Eve? Tired of just sitting in front of the TV for Dick Clark’s Special and watching the ball drop? Well, if you’ll be in the Great Smoky Mountain area during New Year’s Eve then there’s an exciting opportunity for you to take advantage of. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad posted this special on their Facebook page:

Ring in the New Year on board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s New Year’s Eve Gala. Enjoy a gourmet journey on board the train with an evening of dining, dancing and live musical entertainment, cash bar, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight (or sparkling cider), plus party favors for everyone!

The GSMR is New Year’s Eve Gala would be great for other that private time away with just you and the spouse or for a group of friends looking to have a great time. The route of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad passes through fertile valleys, through a tunnel and across river gorges in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. It was truly be a majestic night.

Here’s a little more info on the train ride I took from the GSMR website:

This delightful mountain vacationland is like a nature conservancy in which small towns, rushing rivers, and ancient mountains reside. Railroad depots are located in three historic towns; Dillsboro (no current departures), a village of shops and crafts; Bryson City, located on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; and Andrews (no current departures), a scenic valley in the Snowbird Mountains. All were founded in the 1800s and have retained some of their original character, adding to their historic charm.

So what do you think?

Great Smoky Mountain Book Fair

It’s time for visitors and locals alike to come out to the 5th annual Great Smoky Mountains Book Fair. Stop by Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Christian Life Center of the Sylva First United Methodist Church. There will be more than 50 authors on site for book signings, story telling, and discussions. It’s a great time for families to come out and walk around. The weather should be good so there’s no excuse not to come!

Authors scheduled to appear include: Ron Rash, Pamela Duncan, Vickie Lane, Alan Wolf, Bob Plott, Fred Chappell, Jim Casada, Sheila Kay Adams, Ed Schubert, Terry Taylor, Wayne Erbsen, Doug Elliot and North Carolina Poet Laureate Katherine Stripling Byer.

Admission is free, and 20 percent of all book sales go toward the new Jackson County Public Library Complex.

Cades Cove Loop

Before the Great Smoky Mountain area was turned into a park, Cades Code was home to many of the frontiers first settlers. Of course I’m talking over a hundred years ago… but what makes Cades Cove (located in Tennessee) so spectacular is that many of the original settlers’ cabins, stables, and churches are still standing. Today Cades Cove is the single most popular destination for visitors to the park, attracting over two million visitors a year.

Cades Cove is known for an 11-mile loop that takes you through the entire region. It is a one-way paved road that is accessible by car, bike or foot. By car, you can expect to travel the entire loop in one to two hours, depending on how many stops you make to admire the settlements and abundant display of wildlife. I recommend you travel through Cades Cove via bicycle. Bicycles can be rented for $3.25 an hour at the Visitors Center at the beginning of Cades Cove.