New Guide Showcases Tennessee's Beautiful Equine Trails

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has just released and new statewide equine directory. The 50-page guide features easy to use regional sections with symbols to indicate private trails; private stables; overnight stabling;city parks; state parks;national parks and forests; state forests; bed and breakfasts with stabling; cabins; primitative camping; camping with electrical hookups, restroom and shower facilities; even wagon trails. "Whether you are looking for a place to camp or a romantic bed and breakfast where you can also stable your horses, you can find it in the new trail guide,'said Wendy Lofton, livestock and equine marketing specialist for TDA. According to the latest statistics from USDA, Tennessee ranks sixth in the nation in the number of horses with 143,000 equine of all types. Guides can be requested by visiting www.picktnproducts.org. Click on "Equine Resources."

TN Hospitality's Associate Award of Excellence

One of Tennessee's greatest resources is the genuine and friendly hospitality of the women and men who call Tennessee "home." This brand of customer service is notably obvious to our guests who eat in our restaurants and sleep in our hotels, motels and cabins.

Recently I was honored with the Associate Award of Excellence during the Tennessee Hospitality Association's annual "Stars of the Industry" banquet. I am proud to work along the side of those who lead in Tennessee's thriving tourism industry. You are very kind. Thank you!

Snow in the Forecast for Titanic Pigeon Forge

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is guaranteeing snow this holiday season. Starting Saturday, November 13, 2010, guests are assured real snow at the Titanic every FRIDAY and SATURDAY evening at 7:00PM. The two-day snow event will take place through January 1, 2011 as part of the museum's "Christmas in a Winter Wonderland." The attraction has invested $150,000 in snow equipment (the same type of equipment used to make it snow at Walt Disney World's Magic Kindom every Christmas) that will produce real, falling snow every week-end at the museum. An additional $100,000 will be spent on Christmas trees, carolers and musical events, holiday lights, and ornamentation to decorate the interior and exterior of the Titanic. Tickets are available online at http://www.titanicpigeonforge.com/. Visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670.

African Black Footed Penguins Coming to Gatlinburg

It's hard to believe that Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is celebrating 10 years of entertaining visitors to Gatlinburg. I recently went on a hard-hat tour of their soon to open exhibit: Ripley's Penguin Playhouse.

Relief! I was so worried that this exhibit would be a duplicate of the exhibit at the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga, which I love too. But it is not.

These are not birds of ice and snow. These African Black Footed Penguins were origionally from south of the Equator along the coast of South Africa. African penguins have evolved shorter feathers because, unlike Antarctic species, they do not face extremely cold environments. To help stay cool, they pant like a dog and swim in the chilly water.

It really will be a playhouse! Aquarium guests will be able to view the penguins from both above and below water level and unique to this exhibit, visitors will be able to crawl through clear underwater acrylic tunnels and pop up on the penguin’s private beach to view the birds nose to beak. At the same time, as visitors crawl through the tunnels, penguins swimming above and below them will be able to get a good close up of the human species!

African penguins are considered “Vulnerable,” which means they are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Major reasons include depletion of their food from overfishing and pollution. Since 1930, the African penguin population has dropped from an estimated one million birds down to 150,000 today.

Ripley's Penguin Playhouse is scheduled to open in March, 2010.

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