Friday night (May 20), take a little time to visit with the barbeque cook teams you’ve seen on cable channels like the Food Network as you stroll through the “Que Zone.” Then make sure you bring a lawn chair for the free bluegrass concerts with rising stars and legends of the bluegrass genre. Friday night, hear Jerry Butler & The Blu-J’s (5pm), Blue Moon Rising (6pm), Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier (7pm) and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out (8pm). On Saturday (May 21), catch Mountain Ruckus (1pm), Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers (2pm & 5pm), Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice (3pm & 6pm), Balsam Range (4pm & 7pm) and Grammy Award winner Sam Bush at 8pm.

Saturday morning (May 21), start the day early and watch as championship cook teams turn in their competition meats. Then stay for the announcement of winners at 4pm. During the competition the teams will cook an estimated 2,832 pounds of meat including 20 pounds of pulled pork, 24 pounds of brisket, 5 pounds of chicken and 10 pounds of ribs each. Winning teams will receive recognition in Chicken, Ribs, Pork and Brisket as well as specialty categories like “Anything Bush Beans”, “Anything Wampler’s Farm Sausage”, Sauce and Dessert.

An expanded Kids’ Zone and the Bluegrass Music Tent, sponsored in part by The Music Outlet, add fun and enrichment for the kids and families who attend Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass. The Kids’ Zone includes attractions like climbing walls, bounce houses and old-time toys while the Bluegrass Music Tent gives kids (and kids at heart) the chance to touch and play bluegrass instruments such as banjos, fiddles and more (don’t worry, instructors will be on site to help). Both of these attractions will be open until 9pm each day of the event.

A highlight of Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass is the 7th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition Finals held on May 21. Finalists from around the nation will sing their hearts out for a chance to win prize money, a recording session in Nashville, Tennessee and a guitar autographed by Dolly Parton. This competition, the only one of its kind that festival organizers know of, honors the songwriting of Dolly Parton. Competitors, male and female, must sing a song written by Dolly Parton (there are over 3,000) and do so in their own style (rock, rap, country, bluegrass, swing, soul, etc.).

Admission and concerts are free thanks to great sponsors, including the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce which encourages you to stay in Sevierville while visiting Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass. For more information about Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass, call (888) 889-7415 or visit www.BloominBBQ.com.

Sevierville’s 7th Annual Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass Event – Entertainment Lineup

Friday May 20

5pm Jerry Butler & The Blu-J’s
6pm Blue Moon Rising
7pm Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier
8pm Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out

Saturday May 21

1pm Mountain Ruckus
2pm Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers
3pm Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice
4pm Balsam Range
5pm Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers
6pm Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice
7pm Balsam Range
8pm Sam Bush

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass

“I am excited that visitors and park travelers with cell phones or access to the Internet can now obtain information on road status changes immediately,” said Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent, Dale Ditmanson. “While better serving the public, we can also reduce the workload to the Park’s Communications Center.”

The Park’s recorded information line receives more than 1,000 calls per day during the severe winter weather from people inquiring about road conditions. When all of the incoming lines are in-use, the calls rollover to the park’s Communications Center staff, often resulting in more than 600 calls to be answered, hampering the staff from responding to calls requesting park information and emergency assistance.

Those who wish to be notified of the status of the Park’s four most popular roads – Newfound Gap (U.S. 441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road – can opt to get text messages to their cell phones by texting follow smokiesroadsnps to 40404. To stop receiving the text message alerts, text stop smokiesroadsnps to the same number. Standard text rates will apply.

The public can get that same information via the Internet by going to: @smokiesroadsnps to read recent road notification postings. This is a Twitter website maintained by the Park, but anybody can access it at any time, without having to establish a Twitter account.

Anyone having a Twitter account can go an extra step and choose to have updates set to them by going to the site listed above and clicking the “follow” button to see the updates on their own account page and receive the notifications in the manner they specify.

In addition to notifications of winter road conditions, Park officials plan to notify travelers throughout the year of road openings and closings due to rock slides, fallen trees, and accidents. Anytime the status of one of the listed roads changes, a message will be sent.

As the National Park Service prepares for its 2016 centennial celebration, officials are increasingly utilizing technology to connect the American people to their national parks. For more information about Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and for a link to the Twitter site, go to the GSMNP website. Information on all of the roads in the Park as well as other Park information may be obtained by calling the park’s information line at (865) 436-1200 and following the prompts.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Status of Roads in GSMNP Now Offered Via Twitter and Text

At year’s end, attendance at all of the Park’s entrances except the outlying areas was ahead of 2009. Gatlinburg, Tenn., reflected a 2 percent rise; Townsend, Tenn., recorded a 3 percent gain; and Cherokee, N.C., showed a 5 percent increase. The outlying areas, comprised of 13 lesser-used entrances in North Carolina and Tennessee, tallied a 9 percent decrease.

When compared to 2009 monthly visitation, 2010 started out with decreases during the first three months: January (-6%), February (-28%) and March (-3%). April recorded the first increase of the season (+10%) with succeeding months in May and June reflecting increases (+1 percent, +15 respectively). July entries were flat, August entries dropped (-9 percent), and September reflected no change. While October saw a large increase (+19%), November reflected a large decrease (-12%). December was off significantly by 35 percent.

“A number of anomalies occurred in Park visitation this year that may explain the visitor use patterns we received,” said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “Extreme weather in 2010 left its mark on Great Smoky Mountains National Park from a cold chilling winter to sweltering heat in summer,” he continued. Above average snowfall in the high elevations caused more frequent closures of Newfound Gap Road and other Park roads January through March and then again in December. Both February and December marked record snowfall at Mt. LeConte (6,593 feet), 52 inches and 53 inches, respectively. Then during the summer months, a heat wave hit and the Park recorded a long string of 90-plus temperatures in the low country with August seeing above average highs. For the first time in several years, autumn foliage, attracting hundreds of thousands leaf seekers, peaked on time in October and not in November as in past years which may account for the changes recorded.

“Other occurrences that had both negative and positive influences on Park numbers during the first part of the year were several landslides on primary thoroughfares through the mountains both in and outside the Park,” Ditmanson commented. The most significant one was the landslide that closed all lanes on Interstate 40 at the North Carolina and Tennessee border from October 2009 through April 2010. During this impasse, travelers used the Park’s Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) as a detour which most likely pushed April visitation up.

Meanwhile, the Park had a large number of major road construction projects which limited access to some Park roads and facilities throughout the year and played a part in altering visitor statistics. For instance, the Outlying Areas tally recorded double digit decreases several months during peak season when two significant secondary entrances were affected by construction on the Foothills Parkway (Cocke County) and Cherokee Orchard Road.

Camping in the Park’s 10 developed frontcountry campgrounds reflected a yearly decrease. A total of 310,662 camper nights were recorded, a 2 percent decrease over 2009. Backcountry camper nights were flat totaling 79,480.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park 2010 Visits

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

GSMNP 2010 Visits On Par With 2009

Anytime is the right time to send flowers, when you use Maggie’s.

Maggie’s Florist carries a vast array of flowers in Newport, TN for every occasion, from beautiful anniversary flower arrangements to cheerful get well flower bouquets. Valentine’s Day flowers, Mother’s Day flowers, birthday flowers, any day will be special when you send fresh flowers! Let Maggie’s Florist, a top florist in Newport, help you create the right impression with a spectacular arrangement of vibrant flowers. If in the unfortunate instance you need to express your sentiments with sympathy funeral flowers we are here for you as well. Sending flowers in the Smoky Mountians has never been easier. We gladly accept orders online or you may browse our website and phone in your order to our shop. If you don’t see exactly what you want, we can create a custom gift baskets designed to perfectly fit your special occasion. When you need to send the very best, select Maggie’s Florist, your local Newport flower shop.

The Prefect Florist For the Perfect Wedding in the Smokies…

Maggie’s Florist is a full service wedding florist. We will handle all the details from original concept to perfect wedding, allowing you to relax and enjoy your special day. During your consultation Maggie’s Florist’s Bridal Consultant will create a written wedding plan for you in detail, including all of your preferred flowers and requests. These requests and your happiness are our first priority. Maggie’s Florist offers competitive prices and usually can match or beat any written quote you’ve recieved from another florist. You are welcome to bring any other quotes you’ve recieved to your consultation. Communication is very important in our business and we are always here for you. Brides, family, and attendents are welcome to schedule as many consultations and call as often as they choose. There is never a charge for consultations and calls.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Maggie’s Florist

Saddle Up!, Feb. 24-27, 2011, is part of Pigeon Forge Winterfest, a four-month season of activities that begins in November.

Some of the top performers in western music and cowboy poetry will perform during the 11th annual event. Among them are Wylie & the Wild West, the Quebe Sisters Band, Brenn Hill, Chris Isaacs, Jean & Gary Prescott, Yvonne Hollenbeck and Ray Doyle. Concerts (1 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 26) are $15 each.

“An Intimate Evening with Wylie & the Wild West,” a new dinner concert, is Thursday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. Presented by the Inn at Christmas Place, the event takes place at the Partridge & Pear restaurant and begins on a social note when ticket holders can spend time with the award-winning cowboy band. A four-course meal is followed by a concert. Tickets are $50 each, and fewer than 40 will be sold to keep the evening “intimate.”

One of the most popular components of Saddle Up! is a competitive chuckwagon cookoff, on Saturday, Feb. 26. The cookoff, sponsored by the Pigeon Forge Hospitality Association will be held at Clabough’s Campground. Chuckwagon cooks prepare a lunch for guests and evaluation by a panel of judges. Tickets are $10.

Belz Outlets hosts two activities—the new Western Marketplace, presented by Stages West (free admission), and the Western Swing Dance (tickets are $5), a perennial favorite. Sunday morning’s Cowboy Church, a non-denominational service preceded by a chuckwagon breakfast (tickets are $5), concludes Saddle Up!

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Schedule for the 11th Annual Saddle Up! is Set

While you’re there, be definite to visit the natural history exhibit area to get a taste of what you’ll find when you venture out in to the park. The soft lighting and background sounds of singing birds and dashing streams make you feel as if you’re already in the woods. The preserved animal exhibits—foxes, bobcats, black bears, turkeys, owls, red squirrels—with their tree and plant habitats are popular and will help you identify the wildlife you might spot if you’re blessed. You may also pick up a free newspaper which details events and other information about the park.

Special Programs
Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for locations and times.

Exhibits

Free admission to 20-minute film about the park. Extensive natural history exhibits.

Available Facilities

Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms and telephones. Soda and water machines. Backcountry permit station.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

The Sugarlands Visitor Center

If you see a bear remain watchful. Do not approach it. If your presence causes the bear to change its behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.)—you’re too close. Being too close may promote aggressive behavior from the bear such as running toward you, making loud noises, or swatting the ground. The bear is demanding more space. Don’t run, but slowly back away, watching the bear. Try to increase the distance between you and the bear. The bear will probably do the same.

If a bear persistently follows or approaches you, without vocalizing, or paw swatting, try changing your direction. If the bear continues to follow you, stand your ground. If the bear gets closer, talk loudly or shout at it. Act aggressively and try to intimidate the bear. Act together as a group if you have companions. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example, move to higher ground). Throw non-food objects such as rocks at the bear. Use a deterrent such as a stout stick. Don’t run and don’t turn away from the bear. Don’t leave food for the bear; this encourages further problems.

Most injuries from black bear attacks are minor and result from a bear attempting to get at people’s food. If the bear’s behavior indicates that it is after your food and you’re physically attacked, separate yourself from the food and slowly back away.

If the bear shows no interest in your food and you’re physically attacked, fight back aggressively with any available object—the bear may consider you as prey! Protect others, report all bear incidents to a ranger immediately. Above all, keep your distance from bears!

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Safety Tips for a Bear Sighting in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

There are over 270 miles of road in the Smokies. Most are paved, and even the gravel roads are maintained in suitable condition for standard two-wheel drive automobiles.

During 2010 some popular roads and trails will be temporarily closed due to repaving projects. Areas affected include Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and several other areas. For a complete listing including closure dates, please see the the advisory section of the park’s website.

The following is a partial listing of some of the park’s most interesting roads. To purchase a copy of the park’s official road guide, visit Great Smoky Mountain Association website or call (888) 898-9102.

Newfound Gap Road (33 miles, paved.)

This heavily used U. S. highway crosses Newfound Gap (5,046′ elevation) to connect Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg, TN. Highlights include numerous pullouts with mountain views and a variety of forest types as you ascend approximately 3,000 feet up the spine of the mountains.

Clingmans Dome Road (7 miles, paved.)

This spur road follows a high ridge to a paved walking trail that leads 0.5 mile to the park’s highest peak. Highlights are mountain views and the cool, evergreen, spruce-fir forest.

Little River Road (18 miles, paved.)

This road parallels the Little River from Sugarlands Visitor Center to near Townsend, TN. Highlights include the river, waterfalls, and wildflowers.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (6 miles, paved)

A steep, narrow, and scenic route through deep forest and historic farmsteads. From downtown Gatlinburg, turn at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail-Airport Road into the national park. closed due to repaving. Reopening date to be determined. Buses and RVs are not permitted on the motor nature trail.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Seeing The Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Car

March through May: Spring brings with itunpredictable weather. Changes occurrapidly––sunny skies can yield to snowflurries in a few hours. March is the monthwith the most radical changes; snow can fallat any time during the month, particularly inthe higher elevations. Temperatures in thelower elevations have a mean high of 61°F.Low temperatures, which are often belowfreezing, have a mean of 42°F. By mid-Aprilthe weather is usually milder. Daytimetemperatures often reach the 70s andoccasionally the 80s. Below freezingtemperatures at night are uncommon in thelower elevations but still occur higher up.April averages over four inches of rain,usually in the form of afternoon showers.May is warmer, with daytime highs in the 70sand 80s and lows in the 40s and 50s. Mayrainfall averages about 4.5 inches.

June through August: Summer in theSmokies means heat, haze, and humidity.Afternoon showers and thunderstorms arecommon. Temperatures increase through theperiod with July and August afternoon highsin the 90s in the lower elevations. Eveninglows are usually comfortable with readings inthe 60s and 70s. In the higher elevations, theweather is much more pleasant. On MountLe Conte (6,593′ elevation), no temperatureabove 80°F has ever been recorded.

September through mid-November: Clearskies and cooler weather signal the onset ofthe fall color season. Warm days alternatewith cool nights. Daytime highs are usually inthe 70s and 80s during September, falling tothe 50s and 60s in early November. The firstfrosts often occur in late September. ByNovember, the lows are usually near freezing.This is the driest period of the year with onlyoccasional rain showers. In the higher elevations,snow is a possibility by November.

Mid-November through February: Winterin the Smokies is generally moderate, butextremes in weather do occur, especially athigh elevation. It is not unusual to have warmtemperatures in the low elevations and snowin the higher areas. About half the days in thewinter have high temperatures of 50 degreesor more. Highs occasionally even reach the70s. Most nights have lows at or below freezing.But lows of -20°F. are possible at highelevations. In the low elevations, snows of 1″or more occur 1-5 times a year. Snow fallsmore frequently in the higher mountains andup to two feet can fall during a storm. Januaryand February are the months when one ismost likely to find snow in the mountains.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Weather and Climate Information For Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Byways Magazine, a group tour industry trade magazine, surveyed tour operators from throughout North America to determine the rankings. The survey asked operators where they think their groups will travel in the coming year. This is the 27th year for the survey.

Pigeon Forge, a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has ranked in the top 10 cities every year since 2007. It was in the top spot by itself in 2007 and tied for first place with Washington, D.C., in 2008.

The top 10 cities predicted for 2011 are Washington and New York City, tied for first place, then Nashville, Branson, Mo.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Pigeon Forge; Williamsburg, Va.; Atlantic City, N.J.; and Mackinac Island, Mich.

“Pigeon Forge is a solid favorite with consumers, and tour operators recognize that. We work every day to make consumers and operators alike know what Pigeon Forge has to offer,” said Joy McNealy, senior sales manager for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.

McNealy noted that Tennessee’s overall high rating and a high rating for Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry work in Pigeon Forge’s favor.

“The appeal of the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood and Pigeon Forge’s other group-friendly attractions combines well with itineraries that also feature Nashville and other Tennessee destinations,” she said.

As a state, Tennessee ranked fifth, behind New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. Virginia and Maryland rank well in part because of their proximity to Washington, D.C.

Tennessee’s visitor attractions captured three spots on the tour operators’ list of top man-made attractions. The Grand Ole Opry was fifth, Elvis Presley’s Graceland was eighth and Dollywood was 11th.

Cracker Barrel restaurants earned another accolade for Tennessee when it was named the tour operators’ top group-friendly restaurant. The nationwide chain is headquartered in Lebanon, Tenn.

“Every motorcoach you see in Pigeon Forge means paychecks for our community. We love seeing them roll into town, and we hate to see them leave,” McNealy said.

This post was originally published at Smokies Guidebook, be sure to visit Smokies Guidebook for the latest news about the great Smoky Mountain area.

Pigeon Forge Tops Byways Magazine List of Group Tour Destinations