Smoky Mountain "Winterfest in Motion!" Lights! Camera! Action!

If you have neighbors who go EXTREME with the Christmas lights hanging outside their house, you will appreciate my neighbors in the Smoky Mountains region of East Tennessee.  This year, Smoky Mountain Winterfest is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with more than 12 million lights illuminating the region between Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

  

Making the drive to see the lights is an annual traditional for my family and it is definitely time well spent.  If you do not believe that you have the time to make the drive, let me take you on a fast trip that I call Winterfest in Motion! Watch video. 

The excitement begins with a driving tour at Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland located near I-40, exit 407 at Smokies Stadium.  Except for paying for admission into Shadrack's and Dollywood, the remainder of the tour is free.

In addition to the communities making things bright, entertainment theaters offer themed shows that also echo the wintery sentiment. Dollywood adds to the magical fun with its own award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas. Chilly weather adventure is at Ober Gatlinburg and the spellbinding mystique of the Great Smoky Mountains offer a priceless opportunity for guests who visit.  There is no shortage of lodging options either that range from resorts and cabins to the more traditional hotels and bed & breakfast inns.

I recently wrote about this in a Tennessee Triptales blog for the state tourism office.

Hand-Picked Daytrips for Weekend of Dec 5, 6 & 7

This week, my Hand-Picked Weekend Daytrips include setting a world record with a very, very shiny nose, a 1791 candlelight tour, Olympic ice skaters, storytelling and free admission inside an American art museum.  Cheers everyone!

Storytelling Christmas Concerts:  Dec 4 – 6, Jonesborough.  The Uncalled for Trio, featuring Bil Lepp, Kim Weitkamp, and Andy Offutt Irwin, returns to celebrate their 5th anniversary Christmas tour, offering fresh stories and good cheer to take you through the holiday season.  Matinees and evening shows each day. http://bit.ly/1FMDaxZ

Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade:  Dec 5, 7:30pm, Gatlinburg.  Join 2014 American Idol winner Caleb Johnson as the city attempts to break a Guinness World Record for most red Rudolph noses ever worn at a single event.  Plus 2014 American Idol winner Caleb Johnson.  http://bit.ly/1ziZZHz

42nd Annual WIVK Christmas Parade:  Dec 5, 7:00pm, Gay Street in downtown Knoxville.  http://bit.ly/1HFY5X2

Christmas on the Mountain:  Dec 5-7, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Pikeville.  A weekend of Yuletide fun, holiday music, handmade crafts and gifts for the little ones. Activities include making Christmas crafts, storytelling, breakfast with Santa, and a 3-day mountain craft show for everyone.  http://bit.ly/1ykrnqf

1791 Candlelight Tour:  Dec 5 – 6, 4:30pm - 9:30pm, Rocky Mount Living Museum, Johnson City.  Join with the Cobb Family in celebration of Christmas in the year 1791 with candlelight and decorations as the custom of the late 18th century.  Music, dancing, decorations and sacred tales as well.  Tours begin every fifteen minutes starting at 4:30 and lasts around 60-90 minutes. Reservations highly recommended.   http://bit.ly/1vNpYq9

Scott Hamilton and Friends on Ice:  Dec 6, 5:00pm, Knoxville Civic Coliseum. This event features 13 Olympic and World Champion figure skaters, to a live concert by MercyMe.  Proceeds benefit the Provision CARES Foundation and Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation.  http://bit.ly/1vLbQie

Free First Sunday at Hunter Museum of American Art: Dec 7, 12:00pm – 4:30pm, Chattanooga.  A free day of gallery exploration, collection tours, crafts for the kids and a chance to explore the Christmas trees throughout the museum. $5 fee is required to view the special temporary exhibition, New York Times Magazine Photography. Save time to visit the Bluff View Art District and enjoy pastries inside the Bluff View Bakery.   http://bit.ly/1vjKzyr

Admission charges may apply.  Always verify dates and times.

Braggin’ Rights

You know someone has had a fabulous vacation when they come home with braggin' rights. In the Smoky Mountains region that might include, "saw Dolly at Dollywood," "touched a stingray at Ripley's Aquarium," "hiked to Mt. LeConte," or "saw a bear in Cades Cove."

Usually, braggin' rights are documented with a photo and digital cameras have made the process so much simplier and cheeper. And now, thanks to the social media, such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, someone's brag can be heard around the world in just a few moments.

Sometimes, braggin' rights come in the form of the unexpected. (Can someone say Susan Boyle?) Last year while my daughters and I were waiting for a ride out of Elkmont, we met Toni, the park ranger. We were returning home with the braggin rights we came for: synchronus fireflies. However, it was our encounter with Toni and her inspiring story that made that evening an unexpected pleasure. Seth Godin might call it a "purple cow."

Last Saturday, some new friends from the AAA Auto Club joined me and my friend Walter for a short, guided hike behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center. There to greet us was our guide, Toni. She can really "wow" an audience with her humor, her heart and her perspective on nature and life.

Along the hike, a young lady out from nowhere with a book in her hand, caught up to Toni and asked for her autograph. (Gathering braggin' rights I'm sure.) Toni's story is now in a book sold at the park's gift shop.

Along the hike, Toni took us to the smallest waterfall in the park, Cataract Falls. One blogger called it "nothing great." Too bad the writer was not on Toni's hike. Someone missed out on a life lesson from a park ranger with cerebral palsy. She reminded us that waterfalls and people don't have to all be alike to be beautiful and useful.

That day, numerous guests on the hike documented their own braggin' rights: standing next to Toni in front of the smallest waterfall in the park. Two unexpected treasures inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.