Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

The Spring Grand Rod Run is the kick-off event to a new season of car shows. Thousands of classic car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts make the pilgrimage to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville, Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains each year.

Special Event Car Shows have recently been scheduled to come to the Smoky Mountain area this summer! Read on for a brief list:

May 15-17- The 30th Annual Chevy Classics Round-Up will be headquartered at the Music Road Convention Center.
May 6-7- The Pontiacs in Pigeon Forge car show will be held at Music Road Convention Center.
June 13-14- Music Road Convention Center will host The 20th Annual Camaro, Chevelle, and Nova Nationals. The event is sponsored by The Southern Nationals Association.
June 19-21- The Great Smoky Mountains F-100 Run will be held at Smoky Shadows Motel.
September 5-6- Shades of the Past Rod Run XXVI.
September 11-14- Fall Grand Rod Run.

Are you traveling a long way from home for the car shows? A variety of welcoming lodging options are available to delight any visitor. Enticing options include cabins, chalets, hotels, motels, campgrounds, condominiums, inns, luxury resorts, private suites and quaint bed & breakfasts.

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Roll up your sleeves and dig into the tasty menu at Gatlinburg's 7th annual Ribfest and Wings festival on Thursday, April 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. on River Road and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza. Come out and enjoy live entertainment and children's activities promising a lip-smackin' good time!

This year's event returns to the Aquarium area with the entertainment menu spiced up by the return of the Beat Daddys, featuring their soulful rock 'n roll blues. Awards will be presented to the best ribs or wings in six categories. All vendors will be vying for the coveted "People's Choice Award" chosen by popular vote. "We think this will be our best Ribfest & Wings extravaganza ever," said George Hawkins, Special Events Manager for the Department of Tourism.

An armband for Ribfest & Wings may be purchased for $12 that allows as long as they last sampling, or shell out a "buck for a bone or two wings."

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As winter fades and the colors of spring begin to sparkle throughout the Smokies, Gatlinburg blossoms into the center of all things botanical during the Great Smoky Mountain Association's 58th annual Wildflower Pilgrimage. From April 23 through 27, people can experience access to some of the nation's leading botanical experts as well as Appalachian wildlife authorities.

The Wildflower Pilgrimage offers more than 150 programs, including instructional walks and guided hiking tours tailored to meet individual walking skills. There will also be demonstrations and guest lectures. Tours showcase the abundant varieties of wildflowers, plants, ferns, mosses, trees and shrubs, as well as birds, reptiles and amphibians - all native to the Great Smoky Mountains.

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It's hard to imagine but in less than two months time Dollywood will open the gates to a new season and welcome millions of visitors with their newest ride, River Battle.

The $5 million themed ride takes place at the site where a beaver dam flooded a ranger station. This sparks a battle between the beavers and the other woodland creatures, with both riders and spectators of River Battle able to join the ranks. The eight-passenger rafts are equipped with soaker guns which draw water straight from the reservoir on which they are floating. The guns work using a cranking mechanism and have a range of 16 feet. The ride can also be dialed down in cooler weather so that riders won't get soaked but can shoot at the interactive targets on the raft's 500-foot route along the channel.

The ride itself last about 5 minutes, with a capability of taking 800 visitors through each hour. Throughout the ride, there are over 100 targets at which passengers can aim. Some of those targets may include the spectators watching from three observation areas. But be forewarned, those spectators are armed as well. There will be 12-15 soaker guns scattered around the observation area so that spectators can join in the fun.

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Christus Gardens, a 47-year landmark located in the heart of Gatlinburg, will cease operations and if a pending sale of the property goes through, redevelopment of the land could begin in 2008.

Millions of people have visited the attraction which dramatically portrays the life and death of Jesus Christ, but 71-year-old Ronald Ligon of Franklin, Tenn., who conceived and built Christus Gardens, said that due to his age, poor health, and a lack of interest among family members to continue operations, he made the decision early last year to sell the property. "I think it's best to get some things worked out before something happens to me and I leave that responsibility to someone else," Ligon said.

As for the displays which include a six-ton marble carving of the face of Jesus, paintings depicting the parables of Jesus, and an heirloom Bible collection, Ligon said, "We will move it all into storage and hope that someone comes forward who will be interested in taking the business and moving it elsewhere. I've gotten too old to start over somewhere else."

Continue reading "The End Of An Era" »

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A record year for Dollywood took place in 2007 as the attraction and Splash Country exceeded 2.5 million visitors. Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens attributed the increased attendance to two factors: good weather and the new popular ride Mystery Mine.

Mystery Mine has garnered national and international attention, Owens said. The ride is based on three superstitions of mining, he said: take off your boots when entering a mine; birds other than a canary are bad; and don't whistle in a mine. The ride has multiple lifts and drops, and it drops 85 feet at a 95-degree angle in one part. The top speed is 55 to 60 mph at the second drop, according to Owens.

Besides the good weather and Mystery Mine, Owens said five shows throughout the year at Dollywood were the most honored from any theme park in the entertainment division at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in November. Among the honors, "Christmas in the Smokies" won the heartbeat award for greatest emotional connection with the audience.

New for 2008 will be a water ride called River Battle. Owens called it a family fun ride. The ride features nine rafts with eight passengers each followiing a 500-foot channel and battling each other with water supersoakers as well as shooting objects including talking animals.

Dollywood will stay open into January 2009, longer than usual because New Year's Day is on a Thursday. The scheduled last day of the 2008 season is Jan. 3, 2009. Days and operating hours are subject to change.

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