The Smoky Mountains – a Christmas Time Getaway of a Lifetime
Gatlinburg, TN. and Pigeon Forge, TN. are two wildly popular vacation destinations during the summer and autumn months. With a wide array of things to do from shopping, theme parks, arcades, scenic hiking trails and horseback riding, it is like a family vacation paradise. But did you realize that these neighboring towns turn into magical holiday villages from mid November – February? It’s true, and it’s the stuff dreams are made of.
My family has made a tradition of taking a Holiday vacation to the Smoky Mountains every other year. We are a large bunch, and it’s never a problem for us to book a cabin that will accommodate all of us under one roof. Now let me backtrack for a moment. When I say cabin, do not picture a small wooden house with a stone chimney, like something you’d expect to see your great, great Grandfather standing in front of. No, picture the most breathtaking ski chalet you can imagine, made of beautiful pine, native to the Smokies. That would be more in line with what I’m trying to describe. On our last trip, we rented out a 7 bedroom, 6 bathroom “cabin” which included amenities such as an outdoor hot tub on the enclosed deck, video games, pool table, 7 TV’s with satellite and two master suites with Jacuzzi tubs.
We arrived at our beautiful cabin, which we rented from an outfit called Sunset Cottage Rentals & Realty. The name of our cabin was Angel Crest Lodge. When we got there, we saw why they named it such. Perched at the very top of the mountain, our cabin offered a spectacular view of the mountain ranges around us. Since we were vacationing in early December, we had brought along a few little Christmas decorations from home, to make the cabin feel festive. There was no need. Our cabin was all decked out for the Holidays! There were stockings hanging by the fireplace, a tree decorated with ornaments and lights, and small whimsical touches throughout the whole cabin.
The days to follow were filled with a flurry of activities, including some fabulous shopping, both at the quaint little shops in Gatlinburg, and the many outlet malls in Pigeon Forge. Our nights were spent in the cabin, cooking homemade meals, where everybody pitched in and helped on in some way or another. One evening we drove down to Pigeon Forge to take the bus tour of the Winterfest Light Display. Our announcer gave us quite a few tidbits about the town which we didn’t know, and the lights were amazing. That same night we spent hours in “The Christmas Place”, the South’s largest Christmas Village, located in the heart of Pigeon Forge. All of the children were in awe as they saw one tree after the other, each one more lovely than the last. An entire room was devoted to nothing but miniature Christmas villages, with themes ranging from Charles Dickens era to Disney. Noses were pressed to the glass in this room, as they oohed and ahhed over each one.
If you’re a fan of the ever popular Boyd’s Bears, you cannot miss visiting the Boyd’s Bear Store, which is literally a huge red barn, and filled with more of these adorable critters than you can shake a stick at! There is even a play room for the kids, where they can run and slide and even climb on a huge bear. If you’re hungry, be sure to visit their restaurant. Their broccoli & cheese soup was so delicious, and it came to us hot and steaming in a wonderful sourdough bread bowl. Talk about hearty! It warmed us through & through, and prepared us for the brisk walking we were about to do in Gatlinburg, as we shopped in “The Village” and the other little shops. Oh, and you must stop at Fannie Farkle’s and have an Italian Sausage smothered with peppers and onions. My husband and I have these several times each visit.
My favorite memory of the whole week would have to be this. It was our fourth morning there. For some reason, I woke up shortly after 5:00 a.m., and couldn’t go back to sleep. I went upstairs to the kitchen to make me some hot chocolate. After I made my mug, I stepped out onto the huge back porch to see how it felt outside. It was quite crisp, but since I had nice warm sweats on, and socks, it was bearable. There was just the slightest hint of light beginning to tint the sky. I heard a noise, and it was my husband. He had woken up alone and had come to find me. He sat down on the porch with me and we held hands in the quiet morning. A few minutes later, my sister and her husband both came out on the porch. Not long after that, one family member after the other made their way to the deck. The only ones still asleep were the children, who had been allowed to stay up extremely late the night before. There we were, all out on the porch, watching the sun make its slow ascent up into the sky. Each moment brought more light to the mountains, and before long, the entire valley below was washed in sunlight.
There was the quiet chatter of my family, everyone planning out their day. Who was going to what outlet mall, who was driving into Gatlinburg, who wanted to go hiking, etc. I just sat there and enjoyed it all. The togetherness that we never get to experience when we’re all back home living our hectic lives. Even though we gather for Sunday dinners, it’s not the same as being in that beautiful cabin at the top of that majestic mountain. We’re all looking forward to our next visit, and Angel’s Crest Lodge has officially become our favorite cabin of all time.
If you would like information on renting this beautiful cabin, or for information about the other wonderful cabins from Sunset Cottage Rentals & Realty, visit www.sunsetcottage.com or call them at (865) 429-8478. They are a friendly operation, and have cabins of all sizes to meet your family’s needs.
Maybe we’ll see you there one year, we’ll be the family who travels in a herd, and sticks together like glue, because there is just something about that town that brings families closer together. Maybe it’s the beauty of nature, maybe it’s the friendly townsfolk, or maybe it’s something more, that I will never understand, but I will always hold a special place in my heart for Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
