October 2005 Archives

On November 5th, the City of Pigeon Forge residents in partnership with Boyds Bear Country will join forces to attempt the largest group hug in history! For this to be a success, 5,118 participants must embrace at once. Guinness World Records recorded the last massive hug on April 23, 2004, when more than 5,117 students, staff and friends of an Ontario, Canada high school hugged in a huge circle for 10 seconds.

So, on Saturday, November 5th come out to Boyds Bear Country’s four-story bank barn at 10 a.m. to break the latest record! Not only will you help get Pigeon Forge in the Guinness Book of World Records, but you will also help support the displaced Katrina victims who have settled in the area. Group hug participants are asked to bring a winter coat or a new unwrapped toy for hurricane families.

Halloween in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a festive time when people from all walks can go a little crazy with creative costumes, wild parties, intricate pumpkin carving contests, and candy, candy and more candy! Trick or treating is by no means the only fun thing to do at this time when excitement runs high and the chill in the air at dusk makes your spine tingle with thoughts of spooky adventures to be had.

Sevier County and surrounding areas offer many fun activities, both spooky and sweet, to participate in this Halloween. From haunted hikes and hayrides, dark corn maze treks, brisk fall festivals, nightmare inspiring haunted houses and caves, to lighthearted carnivals and dramatic judgment house scenes, you will be able to find something fun and entertaining for the entire family in Pigeon Forge this weekend!

Cades Cove and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park are offering hayrides during the Fall Harvest Festival coming up from October 26 through Saturday, October 29. Guided hayrides will leave the Cades Cove Riding Stables at 7:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Each ride will last approximately two hours. Park rangers dress up in period costumes and tell humorous historical stories at various locations on the Cades Cove Loop.

The cost is $8.00 per person for everyone two years and older. You can make a reservation by calling (865) 448-6286. Reservations are required.

With the cool weather and moisture we have been experiencing, we are seeing the colors on the trees change! The Smoky Mountains are coming alive with reds, browns and oranges. Although a little slower this year, we are happy that the leaves are still on the trees and that fall did not bypass us entirely. Book your cabin or hotel reservation now for the weekend!

One PigeonForge.com commenter, Maralyn, asked us how Pigeon Forge derived its name. To find the answer, we must journey back to Pigeon Forge in the late 1700’s, when pioneers coming in from the Carolinas were settling the area.

When many people think of Pigeon Forge, they think killer attractions, marathon shopping, Smoky Mountain cabin retreats, bears, Dolly Parton, mountain top weddings, country music and commerce, commerce, and more commerce.

The weather is cooling down and the leaves are starting to turn! It’s the perfect time of year to visit Pigeon Forge and its surrounding areas and what better way to enjoy the autumn air and beautiful scenery than to find something fun to do outdoors!? Recreation opportunities abound in Sevier County. Simply walking or running in Patriot Park, Pigeon Forge City Park, Sevierville City Park or strolling up and down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge or the downtown area in Gatlinburg, you will find plenty of pedestrian trails to keep you busy and healthy. For anyone who wants to go for a bike ride, consider a trip to Townsend for a scenic bike trail or just enjoy riding up and down the sidewalks all over the county! This is also a great way to avoid traffic on the main roads in our quiet little towns since almost all of the pedestrian paths are located just outside the motels, hotels, cabins, and condos visitors stay in.

How about a different kind of ride? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville are all home to several horseback-riding stables. Take a ride through the forests and see the fall colors popping in every direction. Find information on Five Oaks Riding Stables on www.PigeonForge.com or ask at the desk in your accommodations to research your choices or possibly find coupons.

Autumn in the Smokies is always a gorgeous time when the deep green forest hues burst into blazing red, yellow and orange tints. The Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the best places to come to immerse your eyes in the fall colors.

Usually the last two weeks of October offer the most vibrant views of the leaves, though the color transformation varies according to temperature and elevation. Cooler temperatures and higher elevation will cause the leaves to change sooner.

Before you visit, you can get a Fall Foliage Report by visiting www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/. You can see the foliage yourself through one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Web cams as well. The view from Look Rock can be seen by visiting http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmcam/grsmcam.cfm, and the view from Purchase Knob can be seen by logging on to http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmpkcam/grsmpkcam.cfm. If you don’t have the Internet handy, then call Tennessee’s "Fall Color Hotline" at 1-800-697-4200.

...What comes to mind? Cabins? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Theaters? Dollywood? Car Shows? We posed this question in our weekly eNewsletter. We were overwhelmed with response! Here's what some of you had to say...

“I went from a cesspool to a rose garden,” Gayle Fontenot remarked on her re-location from Slidell, Louisiana to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Gayle and her 12-year-old son, Casey, escaped the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina just in time to spare their lives, nothing else.

Starting from scratch, and resolving to settle in Pigeon Forge permanently after weathering prior hurricanes Betsy and Camille, Gayle explains that she is not looking for handouts, but a permanent paycheck for sustenance. A former hotel food and beverage director, Gayle Fontenot is sending resumes to local hotels and hopes to financially recover soon.

There are literally thousands of cabins and chalets in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountain area. So, how do you pick the one that is right for your vacation?

Many cabin rental companies in Pigeon Forge have websites with pictures and virtual tours of their chalets or cabins. Pigeon Forge cabins and chalets are available in many sizes. Some can accommodate large groups and families while others are small one bedroom types for a honeymoon couple. Some cabins and chalets often come equipped with pool tables, hot tubs, fireplaces, cable TV and other amenities that are sure to please.