Barnstorming the Smokies with Sky High Air Tours! Go ahead and add this to your bucket list now! Enjoy an incredible bird’s eye view of the Great Smoky Mountains from the front seat of a vintage 1927 Waco Biplane. Climb aboard this lovingly restored, authentic aircraft and take a nostalgic flight with modern-day barnstormer and pilot, Marc Hightower.
During the golden days of aviation, the Waco Model 10 was the pinnacle of aviation technology. It was the first general aviation aircraft to be equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. Waco Airplanes were used for crop dusting and as mail planes.
As long as you are able to climb into the open-air cockpit, then the rest is a breeze, literally! You’ll love the feel of the wind in your hair and the sunshine on your face. Headsets are provided for comfort and communication during the flight. Leather helmets, goggles and silk scarves are available for fun and memorable photos!
Two can fly for the price of one! Bring a friend and double your pleasure on this romantically nostalgic adventure into the wild blue yonder.
Introductory Flight ($99 + tax)
This 6 to 8 minute flight takes your over Sevierville and makes a broad circle around the airport. Your flight is between 1,000 to 1,200 feet in elevation which offers amazing views of the area.
Adventure Flight ($150 + tax)
This 15 minute flight takes you a bit further to Pigeon Forge and surrounding foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The aerial view of Dollywood is quite amazing!
Barnstormer Flight ($275 + tax)
This 30 minute flight takes you over the beautiful French Broad River and Douglas Lake. From there you follow the route of the Adventure Flight down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.
Special Occasion and Sunset Tours are also available.
Call 865-742-2FLY (2359) for reservations! Learn more about Sky High Air Tours at www.SkyHighAirTours.com.
Sky High Air Tours is located at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport; which is actually located in Sevierville at 134 Air Museum Way, just off Dolly Parton Parkway.
Check out our video of HeySmokies’ flight with Pilot Marc Hightower and Sky High Air Tours!
Vow renewals are a popular way to celebrate your marriage and there’s not a more beautiful backdrop for the ceremony than the Great Smoky Mountains! It used to be that couples would celebrate such traditional milestones as a 25-year or 50-year anniversary. However, in today’s modern times couples choose to renew their vows at whatever stage of their marriage that best suits them, whether it’s 6 months, 6 years, 18 years, 36 years, or whenever. Renew your wedding vows in the romantic Great Smoky Mountains!
Really, the most important question asked in a vow renewal ceremony is, “Would you do it all over again?” It’s a rhetorical question of course, as the couple is already married. The vow renewal ceremony is a religious or secular ceremony, rather than a legal ceremony. However, it does offer the opportunity for reflection on one of the most important decisions a person ever makes – to marry that special person and spend your life with them.
Couples have many reasons for choosing to do a vow renewal ceremony:
The main one is to celebrate how happy they are in their marriage.
Sometimes, though, it is a chance to recommit after trouble in a marriage.
Sometimes it is a chance to reconnect after a long separation, especially when military spouses come home after a long deployment.
Another reason is that a couple may have just had a short civil ceremony when they first got married. Now they can have that church ceremony the wife always wanted.
It is also a way to celebrate with family since the Smokies are a popular family reunion vacation destination, especially if many in the family couldn’t come to your wedding.
A vow renewal is also a way to revisit happy memories if a couple married or honeymooned in the Smoky Mountains.
Best of all, a vow renewal is a chance to create new, happy memories together with the person you love most in your life. Now that you’ve experienced the joys and the challenges that life brings, you know how important the love and support of your spouse is. So the answer is, “Yes, we would do it all over again!”
The chapels, wedding venues, and ministers in the Great Smoky Mountains would be delighted to help you plan your vow renewal ceremony. They have ceremonies prepared for you, or you can add your own vows to share how your love has grown over the years. After all, a vow renewal ceremony is your celebration of your marriage! (It is recommended that you bring a copy of your marriage license with you to show to your minister to confirm that yes, you are already married.)
A drive through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park may not always result in a bear siting, but you can bet on spotting a stream side angler no matter what the season. Why is fly fishing so special in the Smokies? Why should you cast your cares away and give it a try? We’ve got the best info on how and why you should get out there and enjoy the “reel” experience of fly fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains. Fish on!
“The child who learns to fish will become a better person because of it” ~ Angler Wisdom (photo credit: Brevard/Transylvania NC Tourism)
Ask any fisherman and he’ll tell you that a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work, right? That old adage especially rings true in the Great Smoky Mountains! The diverse landscape with its free-flowing mountain streams offer unique fishing opportunities from top to bottom. The large, cool-water streams of the Park’s lower elevations are known for their native smallmouth bass populations while the Park’s remote, higher elevation streams are where you’ll find wild mountain trout.
“Though once an activity relegated to upper class old men, fly fishing is gaining an increasing popularity with a younger, and more diverse, audience.” says James Joiner in a recent article he authored in The Daily Beast.
What is the lure of fly fishing? For most lovers of the sport, it’s the opportunity to get outside and immerse oneself in nature. Many fly fishermen, and fisherwomen, attest to the singular focus and relaxation found in the rhythms of the water and presentation of each cast. It’s easy to learn the basics of fly fishing; however it can take years of practice to perfect your technique. As most anglers know, catching a fish is usually a bonus!
What makes fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains so special? Being one of the most biologically diverse places on planet earth, a large amount and variety of aquatic insects live in the streams with hatches occurring year-round. The proper equipment used at the right time of year can make for a pleasant fishing outing during any season. A visit to a local fly fishing shop can guide you on what insects are currently hatching – remember, you gotta match the hatch for success!
How to get started fly fishing in the Smokies? There are a few things to know before heading out on a fishing excursion in the Great Smoky Mountains. A Tennessee Fishing License or North Carolina Fishing License is required for all persons 16 age years or older. Either state license is valid throughout the Park. A special permit is also required for fishing in Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC. Licenses are available online and at retail outlets in nearby towns. It’s also important to know there are limits and restrictions on how much you can catch, the size of the fish, and even the lures that you use. That’s why HeySmokies recommends a first-stop at one of our local fly fishing outfitters – they can hook you up with the easiest way fully enjoy the experience!
HeySmokies recently asked The Smoky Mountain Angler, Gatlinburg’s oldest fly fishing outfitter, to help us get started learning the ropes of fly fishing. As you can see here, they are great guides and will take away any apprehension you may have about trying the sport. To prepare for a guided excursion, all you really need is to wear neutral color clothing (no bright colors that will spook the fish; greens and browns/tans are excellent choices) and a pair of good, polarized sunglasses to cut through the water’s glare. Your guides have rental equipment to take care of the rest!
Thanks again to The Smoky Mountain Angler for a great afternoon! You can visit some more of our fishing friends at HeySmokiesFishing.com. Book your Smoky Mountain fly fishing experience today! Fish on!
Just announced! The area’s first ever microbrew festival! The inaugural Bruce Street Brewfest will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2016 in beautiful downtown Sevierville. The event will be held at the Sevierville Commons at 138 Bruce Street from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Over 30 professional and home brewers will be there along with live music and good eats! Stay tuned as we’ll keep you updated as we get more details!
The Bruce Street Brewfest is for guests 21 years of age and older. General admission tickets are $40 per person with tickets for designated drivers priced at $25 per person. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. Be sure to check out Bruce Street Brewfest on Facebook!
The Bruce Street Brewfest is sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Home Brewers and the Sevierville Commons Association. Proceeds from the event will go to various charities in the local community.
The Sevierville Commons Association is a non-profit community organization that has worked diligently over the past few years to bring life and culture to the unique area of downtown Sevierville. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the Sevierville Commons Farmers Market on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Mountains of thanks to all the lovers of the Smokies who voted for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to receive a $250,000 grant as part of the Partners in Preservation: National Parks Campaign!
Thank you to all who voted for Great Smoky Mountains National Park! (photo/Sean Pavone)
The Great Smoky Mountains made the list of the top 9 most voted National Parks in the contest. The grant money is set to be awarded in September with work on the observation tower to begin in 2017. Very exciting!
According to the National Park Service over 600,000 visitors drive the Clingmans Dome Road between April and November to hike to the beloved landmark that serves as the highest elevation point (6,643 ft.) in the National Park and in the state of Tennessee. The new Visitor Center and restroom facilities have been welcomed by visitors, and a newly refurbished observation tower is sure to make the Clingmans Dome Experience even better!
Built in 1959, the Observation Tower is in need of structural repairs due to settlement. Although the tower is still structurally safe, repairs are needed to the concrete and masonry walls and flagstone terrace which will only continue to deteriorate over time in the harsh, high-altitude mountain environment.
The $250,000 grant money will be provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and corporate partner American Express.
For more information on how you can support and protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit Friends of the Smokies.
Barnstorming the Smokies with Sky High Air Tours! Go ahead and add this to your bucket list now! Enjoy an incredible bird’s eye view of the Great Smoky Mountains from the front seat of a vintage 1927 Waco Biplane. Climb aboard this lovingly restored, authentic aircraft and take a nostalgic flight with modern-day barnstormer and pilot, Marc Hightower.
As long as you are able to climb into the open-air cockpit, then the rest is a breeze, literally! You’ll love the feel of the wind in your hair and the sunshine on your face. Headsets are provided for comfort and communication during the flight. Leather helmets, goggles and silk scarves are available for fun and memorable photos!
