Holiday Weekend Great for Sevierville

To say that Thanksgiving weekend is a cash cow for Smoky Mountain towns like Sevierville would be putting it very lightly. This past long weekend, which included Thanksgiving and the quasi-holiday of Black Friday saw long lines, long waits, and even longer receipts in stores and restaurants.

Area cabin rentals and hotels had been sold out for weeks – an encouraging sign in these economic times, all that was left was for people to return to their buying habits of years past. And oh did they. Restaurants like the new Joe’s Crab Shack at Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Mall, Red Lobster, and the Applewood Farmhouse reported waits over the weekend as long as an hour and many local eateries even stayed open to serve Thanksgiving dinner. Thousands people came through Sevierville restaurants over the weekend be it locals and visitors alike.

It helped that it was a holiday weekend, but with all the Christmas events and shopping opportunities, the Smokies are just coming into their busy season. Most, being it cabin rental companies, hotels, or just retail stores, mark Thanksgiving as the start of the busy shopping/traveling season in the Smoky Mountains.

Even officials with the University of Tennessee in nearby Knoxville have gotten in on the act, predicting a strong year economically for the area as compared to 2011.

Sevier County, considered the engine that powers the East Tennessee tourism machine, saw an 8.4 percent increase in hotel room sales from January to September 2012 compared to the same nine month period last year. This from UT officials. After this weekend, it’s likely that the trend will continue through the end of the year. A great way to start the busy holiday season in the Smokies and an even better way to end it.

Flea Traders Paradise

A True Shoppers Paradise

I can’t resist a good dirt mall and one of the best in the Smokies is in Sevierville, right on Winfield Dunn Parkway.  It is called Flea Traders Paradise and from Friday through Sunday during the busy times of the year, the place is jumping with every kind of merchandise imaginable there for you to peruse and purchase.  Socks to shirts, furniture to electronic, Flea Traders Paradise is a paradise for those looking for a good deal from great people in a great location.

Flea Traders Paradise is a climate controlled, indoor flea market.  It comes in at more then 40,000 square feet.  A lot of the vendors inside Flea Traders Paradise have been there for years.  You get the fun of flea market shopping while staying cool in the warm months and warm when it is cold outside.  And, while they do have outside space for rent, during the majority of the year, the inside area is filled to capacity.  Here are just a few of the types of merchandise that you might find in the booths at Flea Traders Paradise:

  • Antiques
  • Art
  • Clothing
  • Coins
  • Collectibles
  • Comic Books
  • Crafts
  • Historic and Military Collectibles
  • Housewares
  • Native American Handcrafts
  • Shabby Chic Furnishings
  • Tools
  • Trading Cards
  • Upcycled Items
If you have never been to a flea market, here is what you should expect.  When you walk in the door you are going to be shocked by the sheer number of vendors that you will be met with.  Lined up and down the rows, stretching in every direction, there is something new waiting down every section.  You will move from a booth specializing in makeup and beauty aids to a booth full of comic books.  From a booth with tables covered with designer purses to a booth that has plates and housewares.  Flea markets are the home to the remandered, the place where closeouts go to be sold.  They have variety and they have great prices.  Flea Traders Paradise is no different.  The thing that Flea Traders Paradise has above a lot of other flea markets is that it is indoors.  You are not stuck out in the sun, sweating while you shop, you are in a climate controlled building.  You are out of the heat and the sun, the wind and the rain, you are in a mall with hundreds of vendors, selling everything imaginable.

Flea Traders Paradise
1907 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville, TN
865-429-2716g\t

http://www.fleatradersparadise.com/

Frank Allen’s Market

If you ask a local where the best burger in town is, you will probably get one of two answers.  Some of the people are going to say it is Dunn’s Market on Uppoer Middle Creek Road but another segment of the local population is going to tell you that the only place in town to get a hamburger is Frank Allen’s Market on t Parkway in Sevierville.  And though Frank Allen’s used to be a little further down the road (close to Walmart and Governor’s Crossing), the burgers the make are still out of this world.

Frank Allen’s food is diner / greasy spoon style food.  Cooked right in front of you, the burgers have a character just like the characters that wait on you.  If you go ina lot, like the locals do, they will know your face and after a while they will know what you order.  But, before you start to have a ‘usual’ meal, check out their menu.  From their simple breakfast items to their short order lunch meals and the vast array of sandwiches, Frank Allen’s Market has a really good selection.  Pimento cheese to a killer chicken sandwich, everything is made to order, while you wait and that includes the burgers.

A Frank Allen burger is a thing of beauty.  It is grilled to perfection.  It is juicy and tender.  It is seasoned perfectly.  All the ingredients are fresh and the burger has only what you want on it.  You will pull it out of the white paper bag when you get your destination or out of the waxed paper if you eat it there, counter-side and I do recommend eating it right there.  Take it out of the wrapping.  Inhale it befor eyou dig into it.  This is what a burger should smell like and then ask for silence as you get ready to taste burger perfection.

And now that I have made myself hungry, I hope that I have made you hungry as well.  Go to Frank Allen’s the next time you are in Sevierville.  Sit with the locals and eat what many consider to be the best burger in town.

Frank Allen’s Market
1415 Parkway
Sevierville, TN
865-453-3617

Beef Jerky Outlet in Sevierville

The Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise store in Sevierville is just one of a handful of similar stores found in the Smoky Mountain region, and all feature some of the most unique and tasty jerky you’re bound to find anywhere. They specialize in beef jerky all the way from original to blazing hot. In all, we’re talking about over 200 kinds of jerky.

Besides Sevierville, if you’re in the area you can find similar stores in Kodak (just north of town), Pigeon Forge (south on down the parkway), and Gatlinburg (even further south).

As mentioned, the Beef Jerky Outlet is a unique national franchise specializing in all kinds of beef jerky. You’ll find the Sevierville store at 1811 Parkway Suite 102.

Some of the different kinds of jerky you’re bound to find at the Sevierville store include beef, turkey, wild game, alligator, and kangaroo jerky. Now, don’t knock it till you try it. Kangaroo jerky is some of the tastiest on the market today. Many are surprised by the sheer volume of jerky in each store. Barrels with bulk jerky for sale by the pound are noticeable once you walk in and large one pound jars and packs line the shelves. It’s a real simple way of doing things that has worked really well for this blossoming franchise.

Visitors will also find such goodies as sausages, popcorn, and jars of various kinds of peanut butter on the Beef Jerky Outlet’s shelves, still the specialty is beef jerky and they make no bones about it.

Another big drawing point are the free samples you’ll find everyday at the Beef Jerky Outlet in Sevierville. It’s a great way to ensure customer satisfaction before every purchase. Just think, you know you’re at least going to be able to sample some delicious beef jerky much less purchase some when you visit the Beef Jerky Outlet.

“People appreciate the opportunity to experiment a little with the flavors,” said Scott Parker, founding partner of the Beef Jerky Outlet franchise. “They commit to a purchase when they find something they love. The expense of providing samples is very small compared to the sales and customer loyalty it generates. If you are looking for a quality franchise that is also social and fun, then we may be the right fit for you.”

The Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise now operates 14 stores across the nation and is ready for operation in most states, as well as Alaska and Puerto Rico.

Next time you’re in Sevierville, be sure to stop at the Beef Jerky Outlet and pick yourself up a bag of alligator jerky, or whatever flavor you prefer.

Beef Jerky Outlet, Sevierville
1811 Parkway, Suite 102
Sevierville, TN
37862

Cirque de Chine

The Smoky Mountains area is home to some of the best attractions you’ll find in the Southeast. From the Titanic museum attraction to Dollywood to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and dinner shows like the Dixie Stampede, there’s no lack in entertainment opportunities in the Smokies. One of the more unique venues is Cirque de Chine in Sevierville.

Ever since they came to town in 2007, Cirque de Chine has been electrifying audiences of all ages at Sevierville’s own Smoky Mountain Palace. It’s an incredible show full of skill, grace, romance and illusion, and featuring some of China’s best acrobatic troupes.

Cirque de Chine is 2 full hours of non stop fun and excitement that anyone would enjoy, no matter your age or disposition.

You’ll want to make sure you pay attention when the graceful “Butterfly Lovers” fly through the air. Be amazed with the incredible “Hoop Divers” who take diving to extreme through hoops up to 10-feet high. The “Five Flying Motorcyclsts” race inside a 26-foot steel globe that will leave you breathless watching them race around the cylinder. At Cirque de Chine, it’s almost like the impossible is second nature.

Cirque de Chine’s 6th season – 2012, hasn’t ceased to amaze even the staunchest of critics. This year it’s even more exciting and entertaining than in years past. As far as a theatrical production west of New York and east of Las Vegas, Smoky Mountain Palace’s Cirque de Chine stands out on its own. If you’re in Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains, it’s a must see show and one you’ll be telling your friend about for years to come.

Cirque de Chine
179 Collier Drive
Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 429-1601

Healthy Balance Meals

Tired of the regular fast food choices offered up along Main Street and the Parkway? If you are, give Healthy Balance Meals a try and discover something new and good for you!

Now, we know what you’re thinking…. If it’s healthy, it can’t be that good. Wrong! To go along with appropriate portions, Healthy Balance Meals are delicious and they aren’t loaded down with preservatives and other additives that frankly most people don’t need. And, the food is also prepared just like if you were cooking it in your own kitchen.

Healthy Balance Meals’ menu consists of  lean cuts of meat, low fat cheeses, fiber rich carbohydrate sources as well as organic and locally grown produce. All the food is prepared and cooked by hand and consists only of fresh, healthy ingredients.

Perusing the menu, you’ll find your share of salads from buffalo chicken to taco salad, soups, sandwiches like the french dip and chicken pesto, paninis like the Italian panini and turkey pesto caprese, great burgers, wraps, make your own pizzas that are just to die for.

Have a group to feed for lunch? Call in your order and pick it up. Healthy Balance Meals can handle your box lunch needs as well as catering. Or, if you just want to take a large order home to your family, they can do that as well.

Healthy Balance Meals hours:  Monday-Friday – 10 am – 6 pm,  Saturday – 10 am – 2 pm, and Sundays they are closed.

Healthy Balance Meals
313 Court Ave.
Sevierville, Tn
865-809-0316

Winter Weather in Sevierville

Break out the big coats because winter weather is back in Sevierville!

Sevierville, Tn is an ideal destination if you’re looking to experience all of nature’s seasons in full – especially winter. And with each new Sevierville winter and following season, one seems to outdo the other as spring blooms into life with its wondrous flowers and wildlife, and summer brings on the warm, sunny days – perfect for taking a dip in the pool, lake, or one of the many mountain streams. Trees of spectacular color, the numerous local festivals, foods, and that sweet lil’ nip in the air make fall the most popular time to come to the Smokies. Meanwhile, the winter season often covers the mountains with a thick, white layer of snow. That’s the best time to be in a cabin up in the Smoky Mountains, right in front of a big fire. When you sit back and look at it, there isn’t a “bad” time to visit the Smoky Mountains and Sevierville. There’s always something to do, regardless of the weather!

For all you planners and trip advisers, we’ve posted the average daily temperatures below as well as a link to find the current weather conditions and forecast in Sevierville, Tn:

Average temperatures in Sevierville, TN

Month Avg. High Avg. Low
Jan 46°F 25°F
Feb 51°F 27°F
Mar 61°F 34°F
Apr 69°F 43°F
May 77°F 53°F
Jun 84°F 61°F
Jul 87°F 65°F
Aug 86°F 64°F
Sep 81°F 57°F
Oct 71°F 43°F
Nov 59°F 35°F
Dec 50°F 27°F

Insider tip:
Get weather and road condition information in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN by calling:
Using your cell phone in TN: 511
Nationally: 1-877-244-0065
Locally in Pigeon Forge: (865)436-1200

Walters State

Walters State Community College in Sevierville is a public community college aimed at educating East Tennessee residents and improving the overall economic offerings of the Smoky Mountain region.

Walters State offers an educational curriculum that prepares students to earn associates degrees in Arts, Science, Science in Teaching, and Applied Science, or certificates in programs of study of one year or less. Walters State also supports non-credit programs that offer workforce development.

Established in 1970, Walters State serves around 7,000 credit students and over 4,000 non-credit students between its campuses in Sevierville, Morristown, Greeneville, and Tazewell, TN.

Currently, Walters State fields 6 nationally competitive intercollegiate athletic teams in the sports of baseball, softball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, golf, and volleyball.

The Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center hosts over 60 events annually including horse and livestock shows, BMX racing, boat and RV shows, concerts, high school and college graduation ceremonies and rodeos. Located in White Pine, TN, the expo center is a 98,000 square-foot pavilion with a 300′ x 150′ show ring and seats 3,900 comfortably. Also included the Ray and Barbara Bible Equestrian Center, which includes four horse barns (100 stalls each), a covered warm-up ring that connects to the pavilion and an outdoor ring. A campground for RV’s with 32 parking spaces that include water and electric hookups is located on the property as well.

Walters State Community College is currently presided over by Dr. Wade McCamey, president.

Walters State Community College
Sevierville Campus
1720 Old Newport Hwy
Sevierville, TN 37876
865-774-5800

Our Place in Cosby

For most, when it comes time to do a little Christmas shopping, especially for those loved ones who like books, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, as well as Kindle gift cards have become the norm as far as shopping goes. Let us turn you on to place in the Smokies you might not be familiar with, but should check in to. The place is call Our Place and it’s located on Hwy. 321 in Cosby, TN.

A family run business, Our Place is characterized as a unique book store that specializes in new, used & rare books, as well as the best in organic coffees, Smoky Mountain souvenirs, and more. As far as coffee goes, Our Place sells Larrys Beans Coffees, a fair trade and organic bean as well as various other varieties from regions around the globe. The expresso is hard to beat – smooth, rich goodness. Buy it by the bean, or ground up.

Back to the books. On any day, you can find anywhere from 35,000 to 40,000 books aligning the shelves at Our Place. If you’re looking for something in particular, ask someone there, it might still be in the back and not on the shelf yet. The main genre at Our Place is non fiction, but they aren’t lacking in fiction. From cook books to civil war books and children’s books to mysteries, Our Place in Cosby, TN has it.

Just a glance at the shelves and you’ll spot local/Southern titles from authors that live in the area, Great Smoky Mountain National Park titles, children’s books as well as games, toys and puzzles, a large selection of mental and physical health books, gardening titles that address topics from organics to local plants to design, history titles, travel books that span from area-specific to guides, biographies, photography titles, numerous classics and best sellers.

Our Place also buys books in all genres, especially local interest books. Please be clean, and in a condition that is fit to sell.

Our Place also carries DVD’s, CD’s, Boyd’s bears, Smoky Mountain souvenirs, T-shirts, mugs, local honey, jams & jellies, and organic & healthy snacks.

Our Place books for sale on Amazon.com

Our Place
On 321
115 Cricket Hollow Rd.
Cosby, TN 37722
423-487-4565

Laurel Falls Trail

Laurel Falls, an 80 foot tall Smoky Mountain waterfall, is named for the mountain laurel which blooms along the trail and near the falls in May. Mountain laurel itself is an evergreen shrub. A walkway divides the falls which crosses the stream at the base of the upper falls. Laurel Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the park and parking at the trailhead is limited. The area is especially busy on weekends year-round and on weekdays during summer.

Access trail: Laurel Falls Trail

Trailhead: From Sugarlands Visitor Center, turn toward Cades Cove on Little River Road and drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead where there are parking areas on both sides of the road.

Trail Notes: The roundtrip distance to the waterfall is 2.6 miles and the hike is considered moderate in difficulty. It takes about 2 hours to hike to the waterfall and back.

Carry drinking water with you. Pets and bicycles are prohibited on the trail.

The trail is paved but the pavement is rough and uneven. The trail has short, steep sections which can be slippery in wet weather. Portions of the trail have steep drop-offs. Closely supervise children at all times. Due to the steep grade and roughness of pavement, this trail is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

Do not climb on rocks around the waterfall. Over the years, several people have fallen to their deaths and many others have suffered serious injuries from climbing on rocks near waterfalls or along the riverbanks. These rocks are slippery due to mist and algae.