Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Dates Announced

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a sweet place to view the fireflies!

Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Dates Announced. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced the dates for firefly viewing in Elkmont. Shuttle service to the viewing area will be provided beginning Thursday, June 7 through June 14th. All visitors wishing to view the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont must have a parking pass distributed through the lottery system at www.recreation.gov.

Every year in late May or early June, thousands of visitors gather near the popular Elkmont Campground to observe the naturally occurring phenomenon of Photinus carolinus, a firefly species that flashes synchronously. Since 2006, access to the Elkmont area has been limited to shuttle service beginning at Sugarlands Visitor Center during the eight days of predicted peak activity in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a safe viewing experience for visitors that minimizes disturbance to these unique fireflies during the critical two-week mating period.

The lottery will be open for applications from Friday, April 27 at 12:00 noon until Monday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. Results of the lottery will be available on Wednesday, May 9. A total of 1,800 vehicle passes will be available for the event which includes: 1768 regular-parking passes (221 per day) which admit one passenger vehicle up to 19’ in length with a maximum of six occupants, and 32 large-vehicle parking passes (four per day) which admit one large vehicle (RV, mini-bus, etc.) from 19’ to 30’ in length, with a maximum of 24 occupants. Lottery applicants must apply for either a regular-parking pass or large-vehicle parking pass and then may choose two possible dates to attend the event over the eight-day viewing period.

The lottery system uses a randomized computer drawing to select applications. There is no fee to enter the lottery this year. If

“The most impressive natural light show I have ever seen!” – Bill Durning.

selected, the lottery winner will be charged a $20.00 reservation fee and awarded a parking pass. The parking pass permits visitors to park at Sugarlands Visitor Center and allows occupants to access the shuttle service to Elkmont.

Parking passes are non-refundable, non-transferable, and good only for the date issued. There is a limit of one lottery application per household per season. All lottery applicants will be notified by e-mail on May 9 that they were “successful” and awarded a parking pass or “unsuccessful” and not able to secure a parking pass.

The number of passes issued each day is based primarily on the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot capacity and the ability to accommodate a large number of viewers on site. Arrival times will be assigned in order to relieve traffic congestion in the parking lot and also for boarding the shuttles, which are provided in partnership with the City of Gatlinburg. The shuttle buses will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area at 7:00 p.m. A $2.00 round-trip, per-person fee will be collected when boarding the shuttle. Cash is the only form of payment accepted.

The shuttle service is the only transportation mode for visitor access during this period, except for registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. Visitors are not allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road due to safety concerns.

Firefly Etiquette

  • Take a flashlight (it will be dark) and cover the lens with blue or red cellophane tape. Shine directly on the ground and use only until you reach your viewing site.
  • Stay on trails to protect firefly habitats.
  • Pack out all garbage (your mother does not work here!)
  • Do not catch the fireflies!

The HeySmokies expeditionary team never misses this event! Photo credit – Jerold Mills

Visitors may visit the website www.recreation.gov and search for “Firefly Event” for more information and to enter the lottery. Parking passes may also be obtained by calling 1-877-444-6777, but park officials encourage the use of the online process. The $20.00 reservation fee covers the cost of awarding the passes, viewing supplies, and nightly personnel costs for managing the viewing opportunity at Sugarlands Visitor Center and Elkmont.

For more information about the synchronous fireflies, please visit the park website at NPS.gov.

Shine And Dine On Bruce

Great food and music at Shine and Dine on Bruce

Great food and music awaits you at the Sevierville Shine and Dine on Bruce!

Shine And Dine On Bruce, or Cinco In The City, is an amazing day showcasing local food and live music in downtown Sevierville, Tennessee on May 5, 2018 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

This 5th annual community celebration fundraiser benefits the Sevierville Commons Association. Area drink and food vendors will congregate all in one location for you to sample the best of the best. Local restaurants will be serving up some of the tastiest grub while a variety of distilleries will help you get your shine on!

Food and drink are not the only reasons to put Shine and Dine on your calendar, there will also be great music. The tunes will commence with the acoustic stylings of Rossdafareye’s laid back sound. As the sun races around to shine no more the 80’s cover band, The Breakfast Club, will take the stage. Be sure and get your big hair done and “Don’t you forget about me” will be our theme for the day!

“We love Shine and Dine,” said Bill Smith, “My whole family will join me again this year and we plan on having a blast!“

Tickets for the event are only $30 and this includes admission, food, drink, and live entertainment. If you don’t plan to drink alcohol or are under 21 years of age you may pick up your ticket for only $20! Either way you will get to eat some great food and hear some awesome live music in a beautiful outdoor venue. All of the proceeds of this event will go to support future events and growth in downtown Sevierville, TN.

There are a limited number of tickets available for this event so don’t wait, get yours today and be sure and bring you a comfy camp chair to sit back and take it all in. For updates visit Shine and Dine On Bruce.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove Clean Energy

Cades Cove solar array

The new Cades Cove solar array powers the Cable Mill visitor center and more! Photo credit – NPS.

Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove Clean Energy. The new solar array in the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove is up and running!

The new green energy project will reduce greenhouse gases by 23 tons thus reducing fuel costs by $14,000 annually. Until now the park used a diesel-fuel generator for powering the site which was noisy and adversely affected the natural experience of park visitors and wildlife.

“This is a great step in making our park operations more environmentally friendly,” said Park Superintendent Cassius Cash. “The solar panels will provide a great, natural source of energy for the Cable Mill Area that enables us to provide a better visitor experience and to be better stewards of the park.”

The newly solar array boasts 80 photovoltaic panels that provide a quiet, passive energy source to serve the small visitor center, bookstore, and restroom facility at the unofficial halfway point around the Cades Cove driving loop. The panels can be found behind the restroom in an open area that receives maximum exposure to both morning and afternoon sun. A berm was raised around the array and planted with native plants to minimize disturbing visitors view of the historic area.

Cades Cove is one of the most popular parts of the Smokies and averages around 2 million visitors per year. Many visitors stop at the Cable Mill area to tour the old mill, blacksmith shop, Cable house and other historic structures located there. Due to the isolated location at the west end of Cades Cove, the Cable Mill area is completely off the TVA power grid and it is necessary to generate all power on site.

The Southeast Region of the National Park Service provided the funding for this project. The work was completed by Solar Power Integrators, a veteran-owned company. The Smokies is also home to another solar array at the Sugarlands Visitors Center near Gatlinburg which has been helping to reduce greenhouse emissions for several years.

Gatlinburg Dining

HeySmokies Dining Smoky Mountain RestaurantsGatlinburg dining is always a special event in the Smoky Mountains! Gatlinburg is home to fabulous food.

Whether your taste runs from home-cooking to more exotic fare, you are sure to be pleased at one of the many area eateries located in Gatlinburg. Crawdaddy’s restaurant and Oyster Bar promises great food (think raw oysters and other seafood delicacies, piles of crawfish and buckets of beer) and good times with karaoke for all ages and free meals for kids. Boasting the only rooftop patio in Gatlinburg, Loco Burro’s menu includes it’s “world famous” fajitas, “Ritas” and sangria along with nightly entertainment. Hankering for some authentic Italian cuisine? Check out Taste of Italy which bills itself as the “Best Kept Secret in Gatlinburg and allows patrons to bring their own wine with no corkage fee. Big Daddy’s Pizzeria serves up made-to-order, sizzling hot homemade pizzas straight out of a 500-degree oven. One of the newer Gatlinburg attractions, and we hear through the grapevine the best cheese steak sandwich in town, is J.O.E. & Pop’s Sub Shoppe. Located just a few minutes outside the Great Smoky National Park boundary, and perhaps the most structurally impressive restaurant, is The Park Grill. The massive log structure is literally a work of art that features a contemporary décor and artistic nods to the Park’s wildlife. The Park serves American classic food and specializes in great steaks, comfort food and scrumptious desserts. So, toss that diet, or walk off the calories from one of these fabulous meals on the nearby hiking trails‑ these restaurants are just too good to miss.

Bonus tip: A short drive will take you to the delightful Buckhorn Inn Bed and Breakfast. Located on a scenic hillside just six miles north of Gatlinburg in Pittman Center, the Buckhorn has served as a culinary destination for the discriminating traveler since 1938. Trip Adviser gives the Buckhorn a 4.5 star rating. Evening dining is open to the public as well as inn guests. Seating begins at 7 p.m. for the creative regional cuisine’s ever-changing menu featuring a home-made soup, salad, fresh baked bread, a gourmet entrée and coffee and dessert.

America’s First Indoor Snow Tubing Park Headlines New Pigeon Forge Attractions!

Smoky Mountain indoor snow tubing!

The entire family will love the new Smoky Mountain indoor snow tubing attraction! Photo credit: CF Moller.

America’s First Indoor Snow Tubing Park Headlines New Pigeon Forge Attractions!

Pigeon Forge, located in The Great Smoky Mountains, announces an exciting array of new adventures for 2018 that includes year-round snow-tubing at Pigeon Forge Snow, the first indoor snow facility of its kind in the U.S., slated to open this year. What better way to end a sultry, summer day of hiking, shopping or rafting than to step into the 35,000 sq. foot winter wonderland complete with 15 lanes of snow-tubing fun on a fresh powder of real snow. Play areas will accommodate guests who want to build a snowman or participate in a friendly snowball fight. Snow on the slopes does not mean frostbite in this attraction where the indoor climate will remain between 60 and 70 degrees year-round.

Construction is also underway on a 200-foot-tall Mountain Monster which features three separate rides. A drop ride, dive ride and swing will all be part of the fun on this three-in-one thrill ride anchoring the new Tower Shops at Mountain Mile, an 180,000-square-foot retail and entertainment development spanning some 174 acres. The new Mountain Monster was designed by Stan Checketts who is responsible for similar attractions atop the Stratosphere in Las Vegas as well as one of the world’s fastest roller coasters which is located in Japan. Nearby lodging includes Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton, currently under construction.

The new attractions prove exciting additions to perennial Pigeon Forge Favorites like nearby Dollywood whose showstoppers this year include such entertainers as Blind Boys of Alabama, Marshall Tucker Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, the National Dance Company of Siberia, the Flamenco Kings, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, just to name a few. Dollywood’s annual Rock the Smokies event will feature TobyMac and Crowder.

If golf is your game, tee off at the $7 million Crave Golf Club, a brightly colored and highly themed 36-hole course designed in a multilevel facility that covers 18,500 square feet and multiple levels. Each round consists of 19 holes and includes options for indoors, hillside or rooftop courses. Crave (true to the name) also houses a candy shop and a gourmet milkshake bar and is located on the Pigeon forge Parkway.

The new Lumberjack Feud Show, slated to open in late spring, offers audience participation in high-energy athletic competitions performed in an outdoor venue.

Kids and adults alike will marvel at the world’s largest replica of the RMS Titanic built from 56,000 LEGO bricks now on display at the Titanic Museum Attraction, the first location the U.S. this year to feature the replica. Constructed by 10-year-old Brynjar Karl Birgisson from Iceland, the replica measures 25 feet in length. Birgisson, who is autistic and the author of a self-penned book My Autistic X Factor, has become known as LEGO Boy.