Christmas in Gatlinburg!

From the first time I ever visited the Smoky Mountain town of Gatlinburg back when I was a nineteen year old boy, I always thought it would be the greatest adventure to spend Christmas there.  All of these years have gone by, and I was never able to get away for a Christmas in that gorgeous village that is nestled into the ridges of the Smokies below storied Mt LeConte.

And, when I discovered early in my relationship with Cindy that she, too, had always dreamed of a Gatlinburg Christmas, we made a vow to spend Christmas there the first chance we got.

It happened this year!  We made reservations almost a year in advance at the Edgewater Hotel in the heart of the downtown area.  Our room overlooked the Little Pigeon River, and we had a balcony that jutted over that friendly rill, and our view of Mt LeConte and the Space Needle and the surrounding hills was spectacular.

We were in easy walking distance of all of downtown---the shops and galleries and restaurants and yes, the tourist traps.  And walk we did---all over the place.  Our cameras were ablaze both night and day.  Oh, what fun!

Come with me now as our December 23d, 24th and 25th come alive again on Lyrics of Love and Lore.......

 

Our Hotel...The Edgewater on The Little Pigeon River

 

 

 

 

From our Balcony, Looking South Downriver

 

 

From Hotel Balcony, Looking East Toward Downtown Gatlinburg and the Space Needle

 

 

From Hotel Balcony, Looking North

 

 

 

 

Lotsa' Shenanigans Downtown

 

 

The Space Needle Observation Deck Towers 407' Above Downtown Gatlinburg

 

 

 

 

 

Our Hotel From the Observation Deck

 

 

The Tramway

 

 

Big fancy Homes With a View in the Surrounding Hills

 

 

 

Downtown Area---Shops, Restaurants, Tourist Traps, Etc....

 

 

It's Always Smoky In the Smokies

 

 

We Dropped in Here to See How Moonshine is Made.  Cindy Was Given a 1-OZ Free Sample and She Wanted to Stay a While...."They Call It That Good Ole Mountain Dew / And Them That Refuse it Are Few..."

 

 

Lotsa' Chocolate Goodies From The Stores On the Main Drag

 

 

 

River Shots

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

 

Gatlinburg, The Crown Jewel of the Great Smoky Mountains.......

The Great Smoky Mountains at Dusk



Gatlinburg is Nestled Between Ridges and Peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains

Last Sunday was a lazy day.......at least until I unexpectedly (even to myself) blurted out at 9:00 AM, "Let's go to Gatlinburg today!"

Chapman Highway Scene---Kudzu Covers All

You never saw such a hustle and bustle of excitement from Cindy!

Chapman Highway Scene---The Smokies Loom Ahead!

We love spur-of-the-moment trips!  And, with the beautiful mountain town of Gatlinburg only an hour and a half away, it is a wonderful getaway for the day.

We Passed Dolly Parton's Theme Park



The Titanic Sails Again in Pigeon Forge

We loaded our small ice chest, stocked with Gatorade, water and diet 7-up (no absinthe!), binoculars, cameras and a few snacks and headed south on I-75, following the storied Chapman Highway to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, past Dollywood and over country roads to the Great Smoky Mountains Park and its crown jewel---Gatlinburg.

The Little Pigeon River Tumbles Through Gatlinburg

We arrived around noon, and Gatlinburg was open for business. The Little Pigeon River sang its gurgling, babbling song to us as we entered the town.  The burg was packed with summer vacationers.  The many lodges, hotels, inns and B and Bs were crammed.  The sidewalks were alive with the nation's tourists---after all, the Great Smoky Mountains make up the country's largest and most visited national park.

You See Many Strange Folks on the Streets

The Cinderoo and I cruised the main drag and finally found a parking space at the far end of town.  Time for some serious walking!

Pullin' Taffy at a Street Candy
Shop

Makin' Moonshine!  Cindy Had a Taste and Said "HI-DEE-HO!!!"

It was hot---93 degrees.  And yet, we were in our heaven.  For five hours we made our way up one side of the main street to the end and then navigated our way back down the other side.  We went inside many shops.  I bought a leather hat that I intend to perform in at my concerts.  Cindy got some things for her hair.

I Tried To Fool Around When Cindy Wasn't Lookin'.   Note the .38 Special in Her Right Hand

We stopped at one of the restaurants and ate a light repast.  We were tired and sweaty. 


I'm Tired!

But the lure of the old Smoky Mountains had called, and we had answered.  That night, visions of rushing mountain streams, jagged peaks, black bears, moonshine, the Cherokee, and Appalachia filled our heads as we slept.