Smoky Mountain Luxury Glamping
Smoky Mountain Luxury Glamping. Camping in luxury, Glamping, comes to the Smokies
Glamping (short for glamorous camping) is the latest trend in the Smokies. Brought to you by Under the Canvas Great Smoky Mountains, this new experience, slated to open Sept. 20 and run through Nov. 19, features luxury safari-inspired tents tricked out with king-sized beds dressed with upscale linens. A variety of tents (that sleep from four to seven people) are available with amenities that include private or communal baths. If you opt for the more upscale tents, you can enjoy ensuite bathrooms that include a shower, sink and flushing toilets; wood stoves, guaranteed to keep you toasty on cool mountain evenings, and a private deck that provides a great place to gather for early morning Yoga or evening drinks and meals. The Stargazer tent comes with a unique ceiling window allowing guests to view celestial sites from the comfort of their bed. While all the tents feature king-sized bed and luxurious linens, the Suite tent also boasts a lounge area with a leather queen-sized sofa-bed, and a more secluded and sheltered location with premium views. All 40 tent sites offer convenient access to more than 800 square miles of forests, amazing mountain views and the famed Appalachian Trail. Embers, an on-site restaurant, will offer breakfast and dinners. Lunches, pre-ordered the night before, are available on a get-to-go basis. According to company spokesperson, Matt Thomas, Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains is also working with local vendors to enhance the camping experience. “Guests can not only stay with us, they can also enjoy activities (led by local guides, such as hiking, horseback riding, etc.)” said Thomas. Tent prices range from $189 – $499 per night “depending on day of the week, holidays and other variables,” said Thomas. The venue is located on a 182-acre camp.
Trails Forever Volunteers Needed
Trails Forever Volunteers Needed
A group of dedicated volunteers has spent the last five years making much needed trail improvements in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Working in tandem with experienced trail building staff, they are using sustainable materials to preserve the trails while also protecting the trail corridor. Smokies Trails Forever teams first-time volunteers, as well as those who have donated time and skills with previous trail restoration projects or volunteered in other capacities within the park, will be teamed with experienced trail builders. This is your chance to make a lasting positive impact in the Great Smoky Mountains.
REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) has funded trail reconstruction along Forney Ridge and Chimney Tops Trails and also provides a Trails Forever equipment trailer.
For more information on how individuals and groups can help, go to friendsofthesmokies.org or call 828-452-0720.
Eighth Annual Bear Necessities Event
Eighth annual Bear Necessities event on Sunday, September 23, 2018 will be a night to remember.
The event will be held in Gatlinburg at the new Gatlinburg Event Center. The festivities will feature a delicious meal prepared by local chefs so come hungry. A small silent auction will have amazing Smoky Mountain items for the discerning bear lover. A bear-themed performance by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will create music to soothe the savage beast in you.
Denali National Park Wildlife Biologist Patricia Owen will provide an update on management efforts for all of our North American bears and bears in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Mark your calendar for September 23, 2018 and make your reservations for this “Black Fur (not Tie!) and Blue Jeans” event. Reservatons are available for $125 per person and include dinner catered by the Barn Event Center of the Smokies and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performance.
Joe – Pye Weed: Summer Ends
Joe – Pye Weed: Summer Ends, as it must. And you can tell its end is near and autumn’s arrival close at hand by what is happening in the fields of Cades Cove. The plants that bloom now are the tall ones. Like Ironweed and Goldenrod and Joe-Pye weed. Plants that, out of necessity, tower over their neighbors in order to get their share of the sunlight, now lessening each day. Although they are present in the meadows and woodlands all summer long, they remain inconspicuous until they begin to bloom in late July or early August. Moreover, their flowers differ from those of the spring and summer plants with colors that are deeper and darker.
Most often found in low-lying moist meadows near woodlands, Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is more than a harbinger of summer’s final weeks. It is an excellent wildflower, worthy of domesticating in our own gardens. Because of its height (5 to 7 feet), it creates a perfect backdrop for borders of flowers and shrubs, blooming when many other plants have stopped.
Joe-Pye weed loves full sun but tolerates partial shade, though it may not grow as tall. It does require a moist to wet humus and so is not very drought tolerant. Maintaining a thick mulch helps solve this problem, however.
Its dusky pink flowers develop as whorls of tiny blossoms atop a strong pinkish stem that, conveniently, requires no staking, despite its height. Also the flowers give off a rich vanilla-like scent and are much loved by a wide variety of butterflies, making Joe-Pye weed a perfect addition to a pollinator garden.
It has no insect enemies but is susceptible to powdery mildew and rust, especially when air circulation is blocked by neighboring plants. Therefore, proper spacing, typically 2 to 4 feet, is important.
Whether you watch for it in our wild meadows or in your own backyard, Joe-Pye weed is a wildflower well worth knowing.
For more on Joe-Pye weed see the Missouri Botanical Garden website:
Joe – Pye Weed.
Carl Parsons
