Highlights for February 2012

February, like most months in the Smokies, is yet another magical time for it's own unique purposes. Far beyond Valentine's Day, February itself is heir to an annual ambiance of romantic bliss in the mountains that just comes from cooler weather and a subdued attitude and Mountain Laurel Chalets offers everything you need to get your romantic getaway started at www.mtnlaurelchalets.com.

And here are some thoughts and ideas of how to further supplement your Valentine's, Honeymoon, Anniversary, what-have-you for when you get here; courtesy of our sister site www.thechaletcompany.com:

#1 Surprise
The element of surprise is a very powerful tool. It shows foresight and planning, and it says "I care enough about you to go to lengths to, well, surprise you." Women especially seem to relate surprise with romance. It doesn't need to be an elaborate scheme, just show forethought.

Also consider In Cabin Services to provide a wonderful surprise for you both and it will be waiting upon your arrival.

#2 Creativity
Creativity in your dating life and dating in your married life keeps things fresh and fun. When was the last time you did something silly on a date? Had a pillow fight or water war? Finger painted? Read poetry out loud? Better yet, combine two or more of these activities!

Fill the Jacuzzi with warm water and scented salts, take a romantic walk in the woods, or have a private, mountain picnic. Let your imagination make the most of your romantic adventure!


#3 Interest
Okay, this seems like a no-brainer, but for a successful romantic event, one or both of you need to be interested in the activity.

The Great Smoky Mountains offer a variety of indoor and outdoor activities that can be turned into a romantic adventure! A romantic picnic or hike is usually a great idea for nearly anyone. Consider a picnic in your Chalet and read him/her your personally written love letter. The views alone will stir the heart!

#4 Planning
Planning is what separates a truly impressive and memorable romantic getaway from a mediocre one. Call ahead, make reservations, do a little research.

#5 A Sense of Humor
Along with your most romantic plan, have a Plan B in mind and a sense of humor to get you through it. Even with the other four elements -- surprise, creativity, interest, and planning - dates can still be affected by circumstances beyond your control. The ability to laugh together is the mark of a great romance. Horribly ruined dates can become private jokes and fond memories if you keep your sense of humor intact.

We hope you get to enjoy your Romantic getaway with us here at Mountain Laurel Chalets. Hope to see you soon!

New Years and January 2012

The New Year starts with a 15-minute long bang in the Smokies and offers plenty of great entertainment and activity for Winterfest long after the holidays are over.

Gatlinburg is, naturally, the center of the biggest party in the Great Smoky Mountains during New Years Eve. The Pyro-shows production company will be playing music from the center of town until the countdown starts. Once the ball drops from the Space Needle to ring in the New Year, the tower will explode in a prolonged and incredible fireworks display the likes of which you won't see for another year! Only Gatlinburg offers something that grand here in the Smokies.

Following shortly after that is another major treat for visitors to the mountains with the ever-popular Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge. This is a week-long treat, from January 7th to the 14th for nature lovers as it promises plenty of lectures, presentations, guest speakers, a gorgeous photographic exhibit, vendor with nature supplies and much more! You can see more of that at http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events_winterfest_wilderness.aspx.


Stay with Mountain Laurel Chalets and get the best of convenience and luxury accommodation. See our chalets at www.mtnlaurelchalets.com and stay tuned for more events in February!

The Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade

This Friday, December 2nd, is Gatlinburg's famous Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade down the main downtown street of the city! It's been a yearly Winterfest tradition for years and years, and every year just gets better and better!

Starting at 7:30PM, the parade will start just after Alamo Steakhouse on Highway 321 and continue down the road until Stoplight #10. For more than an hour, all your favorite Christmas characters, both new and old, will be appearing and waving and dancing and singing along with you and the kids. The Polar Express train will make an appearance, the pipe and drum bands will be playing the bagpipes and, of course, no Christmas celebration is complete with Santa Claus himself and, yes, he will be appearing as well!

Get a good spot early because this is expected to draw tens of THOUSANDS of people. Then come on back home with us at Mountain Laurel and enjoy the rest of the night and weekend in the best cabins on Ski Mountain Road! www.mtnlaurelchalets.com

Looking forward to Winterfest 2011!

Winterfest will be upon us sooner than you think and it's definitely not too early to think about making plans if you're staying with us in November!

The Winterfest Kick-off/Chili Cook-off is November 10th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM and it's a reason to come to the Smokies by itself! Over 30,000 cups of chili from 20 or more different vendors and restaurants, plus free entertainment, plus the official switch for the million dollar lighting displays to come on (and thus officially starting Winter in the Smokies) make it the biggest party for miles around on the 10th of November!

And don't forget about Thanksgiving either. W.L. Mills auditorium is hosting The Gatlinburg Festival of Trees, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Holiday Show and the Nutcracker "Sweet" performance on the same weekend. Thanksgiving Weekend to be precise! From November 22nd to the 26th, you can enjoy all three of these in one place. Perfect to bring the whole family to.

Do we offer cabins to accommodate the whole family? We certainly do! See our chalets list at www.mtnlaurelchalets.com/chalet_index.html

Time to finally say goodbye to Summer and hello to Autumn and the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival!

If you haven't been to Mountain Laurel Chalets during the Harvest Festival Season, "You don't know what you're missing" doesn't begin to describe what is available here during September, October and November. Even if you didn't leave the chalet from the moment you got here until it was time to go home, the views in conjunction with our luxury accommodations are worth the trip alone! Can you even imagine absorbing the majesty of the Smoky Mountains with the colors sprawled before you for miles and miles ahead while you soak in the hot tub with a loved one - champagne possibly? It's even better than it sounds.

But don't take our word for it - make a reservation at www.mtnlaurelchalets.com. We have over 100 chalets on our program, ALL on Ski Mountain Road overlooking the city of Gatlinburg and the Great Smokies. It will be worth the trip and many more!

Should you decide to venture out of the chalet for a little bit after all, you'll very likely find something worthwhile to do in our events calendar. The following are a list of events and dates that correspond to the Harvest Festival season in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Mark your calendars and build your itineraries because it's going to be an awesome Autumn for the Smoky Mountains!

Taste of Autumn
Location: Gatlinburg Convention Center
Description: The Taste of Autumn has been Gatlinburg's tastiest charity event for 13 years. A $25 donation will give you access to food from all kinds of vendors with the best food in town at the huge W.L. Mills Auditorium. All proceeds go to the United Way of Sevier County.
Start Date: September 15th
End Date: September 15h
Link Out: http://www.eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=7

Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament
Location: Gatlinburg Convention Center
Description: This popular event is hosted by Rocky Top Outfitter and is open to children as well as adults, visitors as well as local. Admission prices apply.
Start Date: September 24th
End Date: September 25th
Link Out: www.rockytopoutfitter.com

Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg
Location: Ober Gatlinburg
Description: German food and German fun on top of the world for the Fall Season! Get in early and join in the music, dancing and everything else Ober Gatlinburg has to offer
Start Date: September 30th
End Date: October 30th
Link Out: www.obergatlinburg.com

Ripley's Fright Nights

Location: Ripley's Haunted Adventure
Description: An entire month of screams, frights and thrills to celebrate Halloween in Gatlinburg. Character parades, the living dead, and things you better say your prayers to prepare for.
Start Date: October 1st
End Date: October 31st
Link Out: www.ripleys.com/gatlinburg/

Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair
Location: W.L. Mills Convention Center
Description: Artists and Crafters local and from hundreds of miles around gather at the Gatlinburg Convention Center where over 120 booths and all kinds of handcrafted items, plus the artists, are on display.
Start Date: October 6th
End Date: October 23rd
Link Out: www.craftsmenfair.com

Trick or Treat Kick off Karnival
Location: Downtown Gatlinburg
Description: From Noon to 3 P.M. Gatlinburg will celebrate Halloween with the Gatlinburg Police Department and Gatlinburg Fire Department working in conjunction to offer a safe, family fun filled trip for everyone!
Start Date: October 31st
End Date: October 31st
Link Out: www.eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=54

Winter Magic Kickoff & Chili Cookoff
Location: Downtown Gatlinburg
Description: Offering mouth-watering recipes of homemade chili ranging from mild and delightful to wild and adventurous, the City of Gatlinburg celebrates the start of Winter with an awesome Chili Cookoff! Bring admission and a lot of napkins.
Start Date: November 9th
End Date: November 9th
Link Out: www.eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=11

Trolley Ride of Lights
Location: Downtown Gatlinburg
Description: Visitors can soak up the spirit of the season from the comfort of a Gatlinburg Trolley by taking the relaxing Gatlinburg Winter Magic Trolley Ride of Lights. These are popular guided excursions that are sure to become a tradition.
Start Date: November 9th
End Date: January 30th
Link Out: www.eventsgatlinburg.com/event_detail.aspx?id=13

Plan a Trip to Cherokee, North Carolina

Have you been across the National Park to Cherokee, NC? Cherokee is a sort of bookend to Gatlinburg and well worth a day trip visit out.

Cherokee is located on the other side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Spur, on the same highway that the Sugarlands Visitor Center is on. From there, it is an hour's drive through the National Park, across THE most gorgeous scenery in the Tennessee Smokies (and over a dozen stopping-parking spots to take pictures, several hiking trails and plenty of picnicking opportunities), from the tops of the hills and then down again at the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center, which is your sign that you're 3-5 minutes away from Cherokee.

Once inside, you can go straight, take a turn left, or stop at the Arcade/Fun Center right at the gates into the town if the kids are getting antsy or you need a good place to stretch your legs a bit. Going left will take you to some hotels, some restaurants and some shopping alongside another arcade and fun center. Going straight will take you straight into the heart of the town. Cherokee is fairly small (about the size of Gatlinburg) and it's pretty hard to get lost.

From there are plenty of things to do from the aforementioned Arcades/Fun Centers to more cultural items of interest, like the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center, which offers a walking trail, historical architecture, and some exhibits on Appalachian culture from the old days, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which is, appropriately, the authority on Cherokee history and information with hundred of exhibits and excellent video presentations throughout the tour, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, which is a working Cherokee Indian Village meant to show you what life back in 1760 was like for the Cherokee Indians, and Unto These Hills, a dramatic production high in the hills showcasing the story of Tsali and more history plus incredible musical numbers.

Cherokee also features an island park where kids can wade in the Oconaluftee river or a canal in the center of the park plus a large, unique bamboo grove full of photo opportunities. If you have kids who like to skate, take them to the free skate park. If all else fails, Harrah's Cherokee Casino is a huge facility with entertainment like you can't get for miles and miles around.

Cherokee, NC is a little town with a lot to offer, so if you're looking for something different and you want to see a lot of gorgeous Smoky Mountain scenery on the way there, plan a day trip out and you won't be disappointed.

To get to Cherokee from Gatlinburg, take the Gatlinburg Bypass from the Spur (just 2 minutes before you reach the city from Pigeon Forge) and keep on straight for roughly an hour.

All pictures are copyright Ge'ne L. K. Lawhead

Mid-Summer Suggestions

July becomes a quieter, possibly the quietest, month of summer for the Smokies. With The 4th of July accomplished, the next thing people look at is Back-To-School season in early-mid August. While many see this as "the dog days of summer", a lull in the action exasperated by high humidity and nothing to do, this is definitely the wrong way to look at it.

Between the 4th of July and August is a dignified stretch of time thats as perfect to secure a summer vacation here in the Smokies. You don't need a holiday to come to Gatlinburg and enjoy dozens and dozens of restaurants within walking distance of each other, an entire day or even weekend's worth of family entertainment you only need to park once to enjoy, and more genuinely unique shopping areas with nearly everything ever the sun all between Stoplight #2 and #10.

Or why need to fill your weekend with action at all? Didn't you come to the mountains to relax too? If you consider this period a "lull", take advantage of it with our numerous cabins here at Mountain Laurel Chalets. Cook out on our porches over the sunset of the Smokies, soak in the hot tub, lie down on our luxury beds and watch your favorite movies or TV shows in a marathon and more options all simultaneously available under one roof. Those views of the Smokies will be all yours and unless you needed to restock groceries, there's no reason at all you'd even have to leave the chalet during your time here.

Of course, there ARE even still some special events going on, like the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair (July 15-23) and Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales. There's even FREE trolley access in downtown Gatlinburg (between lights #1 and 10) until August 14th.

Even if none of that interests you, this section of the summer is a blessing in disguise and absolutely you should take advantage of it for the Smoky Mountain summer vacation you've wanted or always wanted to take! See what cabins are available at www.mtnlaurelchalets.com/chalet_index.html