Heading to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains for the first time? It can be overwhelming at first. But you won’t regret it! It’s our absolute FAVORITE place to visit! There’s SO much to do! To help you, I’ll be walking you through six steps to planning your trip. Take it a step at a time, [...]
Last week, a hiker was rescued after being stuck in the sudden, unexpected snow from Superstorm Sandy for nearly 24 hours. According to WBIR, Steven Ainsworth, 56, was hiking the Appalachian Trail alone when he got stuck: “He was hiking the Appalachian Trail in reverse, and was actually in one of the most rugged sections [...]
According to the Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog, U.S. Forest Service officials at the Cherokee National Forest say that a wildfire has burned almost 200 acres in Polk County since Monday. About 50 rangers and volunteer fire fighters are trying to contain the blaze. The effort is made more difficult by the terrain, which is steep [...]
Fail. That’s me! For almost two and a half years, I’ve written the CabinConnection blog three times a week, except on holidays. Until last week. Huh. Last week, I only managed to produce ONE blog entry! I could make excuses about Mother’s Day and my birthday (yes! I turned 34 last week!) and the new [...]
Oh yes, they are furry and cute. According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, bald eagle parents “Independence” and “Franklin” gave birth to three babies last week in the “Eagle Mountain Sanctuary” at Dollywood. Apparently, the babies are called triplets because they all hatched from their eggs within a 30-hour period, which [...]
Okay, so I’m not a huge fan of sleeping in a tent. But I know a lot of people are. Two of those people happen to be in my family. For sure, I’ll be spending at least a few nights in a tent this summer. Maybe even in the Smoky mountains. If so, I’ll need [...]
As I write this, I am hot. I’m teaching (well, sorta. and writing a blog) in a lab. It’s stuffy, and for the first time this year, really hot. And I’m dreaming of hiking in the mountains with a beautiful (COLD) mountain stream trickling past and a powerful (COLD) waterfall thundering down. Ahhh… think I [...]
UPDATED WITH 2013 INFO! The Synchronous Elkmont Firefly viewing for 2013 dates have been set for June 6-13. The viewing will again be limited by advance reservation only. So don’t wait until the last minute to decide to see this natural phenomenon.
When we aren’t visiting the mountains, we live in a suburb on the north side of Indianapolis. I love being close to the city. But we do pay for it with all the usual trappings — lots of traffic, etc. Today was ride your bike to school day for our kids. This is kind-of funny, [...]
So, I was all set to write a great post about Arbor Day, and how to celebrate it with your kids. I had some great ideas. Only thing left to do? Find out exactly when Arbor Day is. Here’s the very strange thing I learned: Arbor Day varies from state to state. Most states will [...]