Saturday, September 22, 2012 was the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox— when day and night are almost equal in length.
My grandma says, "If autumn leaves are slow to fall, it'll be a cold winter." I happen to believe that the longer the leaves hang on? The longer I get to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.
Our landscape here in Tennessee, though mostly green at the moment, is beginning to burst with vibrant tips of red and orange. It will be a couple of weeks before the children can begin running and jumping into piles of leaves.
One of my favorite trees of autumn is sassafras. The leaves have the most curvy and unique shape, and they are easy to identify. On your hike in the Smoky Mountains, pick up a sassafras leaf from the ground, and crush the sassafras leaf in your hands. It fills the air with the scent of root beer!
Sassafras trees are abundant, but paw paw trees are a rare sight. Leaf seekers who raft and fish often see paw paw trees located close to water. Paw paw leaves turn bright yellow in the fall. The leaves are very large and yellow, and they droop down from the stem in clusters like bananas!
Take your hikes and visit historic sites early in the day, because the sun is beginning to set earlier and earlier. "From this point on," reports The Weather Channel, "daylight in the Northern Hemisphere will gradually grow shorter until the winter solstice which occurs on December 21, 2012."
Cool evenings after your daytime activities in the Smoky Mountains are the perfect time for visiting Pigeon Forge shops and theaters. This is a great time of year to rent a log cabin with a fireplace.
The
Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair is one of the Southeast's most popular events! Whether you're interested in
shopping, art, crafts, or music, you will find over 200 booths featuring some of the nation's finest work. Artisans and craftspeople are on-hand to demonstrate their skill, answer questions and offer their unique art for sale. There will also be live bluegrass and country music feauturing Dennis Lee and Band! The fair is taking place at the Gatlinburg Convention Center October 11 - 28th , from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and closing at 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission will be $6.00 for adults and 12 and under is free. Come on out and see for yourself why it is a favorite to so many. Book your
lodging now!
Planning a church retreat, girl's getaway or family reunion? Would you like a PigeonForge.com T-shirt for your upcoming trip to the Smokies? We have just the perfect one for you! We are now selling these adorable
PigeonForge.com T-shirts! We have sizes Small through 2XL available for purchase through Paypal. These shirts will be the perfect souvenir for your Pigeon Forge family vacation. They would even be great for family reunion trips! We want each and everyone one of you to be able to take a piece of the Smokies home with you to wear around your hometowns!
Purchase your PigeonForge.com T-shirt TODAY!
The Smoky Mountains are experiencing cool autumn nights, and PigeonForge.com is predicting one of the brightest fall leaf color seasons. 2012 has been the warmest year on record, so trees here at the base of the mountains began turning color about two weeks earlier than normal...especially Dogwoods. Take a scenic drive above 3,000 feet to experience more orange and red leaf colors. Sumac trees, which naturally flourish near roadsides and in ditches, are currently the brightest red.
The ideal conditions for fall leaf coloring are sunny days followed by cool autumn nights. Maples are currently a beautiful combination of green with bright pops of yellow, and orange.
Here in the foothills, fall leaf colors and fall storefront displays are more vivid this week against a backdrop of mostly green. Plan on seeing the most color variety and the least amount of greenery October 1 through 10.
Another fall sight? Green apples bathed in golden caramel. Experience the taste of autumn during this special time of year known as Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival. There is nothing like bundling up and stepping out into a crisp cool autumn evening on the Pigeon Forge Parkway to see a show and eat at a great restaurant. From fall leaf colors to log cabins to candy apple shopping...fall is in the air, and you need to plan a getaway to Pigeon Forge.
