Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Serves Good Eats

Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Serves Good Eats! Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant partners with Lodge Manufacturing Company and announces new menu.

Dollywood’s Aunt Granny’s Restaurant has forged a new alliance and spruced up its menu. The popular Dollywood eatery and Tennessee-based Lodge Manufacturing Company, which crafts nostalgic cast-iron cookware, has teamed up to offer a buffet of mouth-watering ”vittles” served up home-style in the iconic cast iron cookware
Aunt Granny’s, which was recently awarded Amusement Today’s 2017 Golden Ticket Award for Best Theme Park Food, has revamped and expanded its menu to offer new favorites.

One addition, Stone Soup, harkens back to Dolly’s childhood when times were hard and food often scarce. In her cookbook, Dixie Fixins’, Dolly said “Sometimes I like to call this ‘rock consommé, but that’s just a fancy name for the soup Mama used to make out of what seemed like nothing.” Based on the fable of “Stone Soup” Dolly’s mom used what ever was on hand to make the soup. “We always had tomatoes put up, and of course, hocks from the pigs Daddy butchered, so they always went into the soup,” said Dolly. Other ingredients were supplied by the family garden and the hand-picked stone was added by one child “who needed special attention” recalled Dolly. Dolly also shared that her nieces and nephews gave her the special nickname “Aunt Granny.”

Dollywood Vice-President Phil Bernard has high praise for the restaurant’s new menu. “Dollywood is known for its quality southern food offerings, and a visit to the buffet at Aunty Granny’s certainly should be on the list for any foodie,” Bernard said.
Enhancing the focus on great Southern food and partnering with Lodge made good sense, said Mike Otterman, president of Lodge Manufacturing Company, “We are extremely excited about the collaboration between these two great Tennessee companies.”

Aunt Granny’s Restaurant, constructed in 1986 and located in Dollywood’s Rivertown Junction, in Pigeon Forge, has proved a favorite dining spot for guest. Its all-you-can-eat format offers a delightful selection of Southern favorites. Whether you grew up enjoying this type “vittles” or you are just a Johnny-come-lately to these regional gastronomic delights, you are sure to enjoy a visit to Aunt Granny’s.

The following recipe is courtesy of Aunt Granny’s.

Mama’s Stone Soup

2 quarts chicken stock (or canned broth)
1 lb. potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small head of cabbage (chopped)
1 lb. turnips (peeled and diced)
2 large carrots (diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
Ham hock
One very clean stone (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine stock, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onion garlic and ham hock in a large soup pot. Add stone and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until soup is thick and vegetables are fork-tender (about 2 hours). Remove ham hock. Cut meat from bone and chop into half-inch pieces and return to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Hey Dolly, soup’s on!

NOTE: The HeySmokies “culinary crew” likes this served with hot buttermilk cornbread, cooked, of course, in a Lodge cast-iron skillet.

Bonus Tip: Remember to remove the soup stone before consumption or you may become your dentists new best friend!

20th Annual Sevier County Relay for Life

20th annual Sevier relay for life

We need your help to defeat cancer once and for all!

20th Annual Sevier County Relay for Life slated for Saturday, June 2, 2018. The Annual Sevier County Relay for Life, which celebrates cancer survivors and honors those who have lost the battle, will begin at noon and continue till midnight, at the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville on Saturday June, 2 2018. This free, family-friendly event also raises money to fund research that will someday find a cure for the disease that ranks as one of the nation’s biggest health problems. Come cheer those who have been affected by cancer whether they have been diagnosed 10 days or 10 years. A survivors lap will honor and inspire those facing a cancer diagnosis, and a caregivers lap will recognize the selfless act of those caring for cancer victims.

There are numerous fun activities planned though the day! Be sure and catch the special performance by Priscilla and Little RicKee

american cancer foundation severe county relay for life

Get in step to defeat cancer!

for some toe tapping tunes. A ceremony featuring luminary bags representing loved ones lost to cancer will provide an opportunity to grieve while offering comfort. Participants will walk continuously to signify that cancer never sleeps. Campsites are available around the park and food and beverage vendors are also scheduled to help with fundraising. Activities, music and entertainment is scheduled throughout the event.

  • Noon – Relay Begins

  • 12:30 – Entertainment

  • 5:00   – Official Ceremony & Survivor Ceremony (Presentation of survivors, Survivor & Caregiver Lap)

  • 7:00   – 20th Anniversary Celebration

  • 8:00   – Past Committee Recognition

  • 8:30   – Live Auction

  • 9:30   – Luminaria Ceremony

  • 10:00 – Entertainment

  • 11:00 – Womanless Beauty Pageant

  • 12:00 – Closing Ceremony & Winners Announced

 

 

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower Closes

Clingmans Dome observation tower closesClingmans Dome observation tower closes. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will be closed Tuesday, July 10, 2018 through Friday, July 27, 2018 to complete a rehabilitation project that began last year. Workers need to apply a final surface overlay along the tower ramp.

Park visitors will be glad to know that Clingmans Dome overlook and parking area will remain open offering amazing views of the North Carolina side of the park and the surrounding mountains. The trail to the tower, visitor contact station/store, and all trailheads will remain open during the rehab work. Construction traffic is expected to make the drive to the overlook from New Found Gap slower than normal so give yourself extra time.

Last year, contractors repaired deteriorated areas on the concrete columns and walls, stabilized support walls at the base of the ramp, and repaired stone masonry. This work has been made possible through funding received from a Partners in Preservation (PIP) grant. The $250,000 grant was awarded in 2016 to the Friends of the Smokies on behalf of the park after being one of the top nine, most voted for parks in the Partners in Preservation: National Parks Campaign.clingmans dome heysmokies

Straddling the North Carolina and Tennessee state line at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the second highest peak east of the Mississippi river.  The tower is an iconic Smoky Mountain landmark and is the highest point in the park. The observation towers unprecedented design is part of the National Park Service’s Mission 66 program. The program transformed park planning, management, and architecture and fundamentally altered the visitor experience in national parks. Since 1959, millions of visitors have climbed the tower and it is a regular hiking destination for the HeySmokies expeditionary team!  One of the rewards of climbing the tower is the 100 mile view on clear days! The minimal preservation work being done will ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy the tower and surrounding beauty for years to come. For more information about the Clingmans Dome Tower, please visit the park website at NPS.

Partners in Preservation is a joint effeort between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarding preservation grants to historic places across America. Since 2006 PIP has committed $16 million in preservation funding to nearly 200 diverse sites in eight cities across the country. The program hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.

5 Great Smoky Mountain Fathers Day Ideas!

Smoky Mountain Fathers Day!

There is no end to the fun on Fathers Day in the Smokies!

5 Great Smoky Mountain Fathers Day Ideas!  Fathers Day in The Great Smoky Mountains is right around the corner on Sunday, June 17, 2018. The Great Smoky Mountains offer so many ways to celebrate Dad’s special day. If your Dad prefers, hiking, biking, fishing, great food or a cold brewski, the forests, towns and valleys located around the park have you covered.

Mountain coasters are a great way to get his adrenaline flowing. The fun begins with a tow to the the top of a mountain and then the rest is up to you and gravity! You control the speed and intensity of your ride. There are multiple coasters in Sevier County for your dad to choose from. Goats On The Roof is easy to find on Wears Valley road in Pigeon Forge and so much fun. If the entire family is not feeling the need for speed they will find spending time with  friendly goats is not too “baaaaaaad!”

Does your dad have a hearty appetite? The Smokies are a great place to sit down for a delicious meal. One of the most sought after foods in the mountains is Rainbow Trout. The iconic Smoky Mountain Trout House has been serving up good eats for decades and is easy to find on the strip in Gatlinburg. Trout can be fried crispy, baked with lemon or anyway you can imagine it. The HeySmokies trout eating team loves the trout almandine with a couple of slices of lemon on the side. No matter what your taste buds have a hankerin’ for you won’t leave hungry!

Satisfy Dad’s sweet tooth in the Smokies. Sooner or later we all need a little sugar pick me up and the selection of sweet treats in the Smokies is sensational. Take a stroll down the strip in Gatlinburg to the Ole’ Smoky Candy Kitchen. The entire family will enjoy watching the vintage taffy stretching machine roll out sweet treats that have brought a smile to families faces for decades.

Saddle up for some Smoky Mountain trail riding! What better way to experience the Smokies than riding a trail with a personal guide. Jayell Ranch in Sevierville has miles of trails and the expert guides you need to have a safe and exciting equestrian experience. The view from the saddle is like no other in the mountains and those that give it a try, return to ride again and again.

Take a hike! When it is time to stretch your legs the possibilities are limitless in the Smokies. With over 900 miles of trails you can choose from a walk in a lush hardwood cove forest in Greenbrier or a high elevation hike on the the famous Appalachian Trail. Many say that hiking is the perfect way to celebrate with dad. You never know what you will find when you step into the wild lands of the Smokies. It is not unusual to see bear, turkeys or maybe even an elk or two. Remember to take only photographs and leave only footprints.

Bonus tip: After spending an awesome day in the Smokies, when the sun is setting low and you want to make sure your dad knows how important he is to you take a moment to give him a great big HeySmokies bear hug! They are free and possibly the best Fathers Day gift ever invented.

 

 

 

 

 

Second Annual Appalachian Bear Fest

Appalachian Bear Fest

Second Annual Appalachian Bear Fest is scheduled for June 2, 2018 from 11 a.m. til 3 p.m. at the ABR Visitor and Education Center, 121 Painted Trillium Way in Townsend, TN. This family friendly event benefits the Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) in Townsend.

Many fun activities are planned for the event including live music performed by Pistol Creek Catch of the Day, wildlife exhibits, artists nook, kid’s play area and a petting zoo! Charles the pig will make a special appearance and representatives from the American Eagle Foundation will be on hand to share their knowledge of America’s national symbol, the bald eagle. Smoky mountain hiking icon, Mike Maples, will share his adventures roaming the hills we call Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair, kick back and enjoy a lovely afternoon of fun and fellowship in foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Your participation will benefit the amazing and beautiful symbol of the Smokies, the black bear.

The idea for ABR began to percolate after a severe black bear food shortage in 1989 forced bears to forage in highly populated areas. Leaving the shelter of the mountains the bears had many unfortunate conflicts with humans which resulted in a large number of orphaned cubs. A concerned group of volunteers banded together with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Great Smoky Mountains National Park obtaining a corporate charter in early 1991 to make a difference in the lives of orphaned bears.

Since it’s founding ABR has received bears from numerous

Appalachian Bear Rescue's Clementine Bear

Clementine Bear gains confidence at ABR.

national parks, states and the wild lands surrounding the Smokies. Orphaned bears lucky enough to make it to ABR receive a second chance at life in the wild. To date ABR has taken in 269 cubs and yearlings. Current residents include Clementine Bear and Viola Bear. Volunteers work diligently improving the facility to provide the best possible care for each bear needing a new lease on life.

Recent improvements include constructing two new Wild Enclosures and a Cub house for transitioning cubs from the nursery to the outdoor areas. Each Wild Enclosure can support up to ten cubs or yearlings. The oldest building on the property is known as the Red Roof Recovery Center and has recently been upgraded from storage space to a recovery center for injured cubs that are unable to climb.

ABR’s mission is to educate the public on living safely with bears and how to keep them wild. School programs and the Townsend Education Center are vital tools used in accomplishing this mission. ABR offers regular classes and a detailed schedule is available at ABR.org.

ABR is grateful to all of it’s generous supporters without whom this important work would not be possible. Be sure and join us June 2, 2018 and show your support for the Black Bear and ABR.

For more information on Black Bears in the HeySmokies region check out this short, informative video with retired Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger Butch McDade.