Colors are changing in Gatlinburg

Colder nights are moving in to the Great Smoky Mountains and the fall colors are starting to come alive!

Just spent the last five days in Gatlinburg - it was great! The whether was perfect during the day, in the 70s, -  with the fresh, cool, evening air you had to bundle up a bit - Fall has certainly arrived in the Smokies!

The tourist  were in full force and seemed to enjoy the colorful fall decorations that the City Gatlinburg and shop owners have provided. One thing missing if you  not visited in a while is the telephone poles and wires that used to be every where. It took several years but there all gone!! Looks great and so much more inviting.

Several new shops have opened up over the past few years. A few new restaurants and attractions giving a fresh new look to the downtown area.  I'll tell a little bit more about on future post.

The Gatlinburg Craftsmen Fair is in it's 37th year. It is held at the convention center from Oct. 11 til Oct 28th.  Stop in and visit us in booth 707 - Cherry-Pit-Pac.  There are over 200 booths from crafters from all across the US.

Gatlinburg - Cirque De Chine

One of the great advantages of living in the Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge area is the entertainment and shows that are always available.  A few weeks ago my wife and I and some good friends decide to go to the "Cirque De Chine" show in Pigeon Forge.

We have seen a few of the "Cirque De ..." shows and have always been impressed. Upon arrival we were greeted at the door by some young performers and although they did not speak any English, they did a good job at making us feel welcome.

Our seats were near the front so we did have excellent comfortable seating. The theater was formally a music venue so the sound system was very good - crisp and clear!

The show started right on time and for the next 2 hours it was none stop action and amazement. Thrilling and sometimes unbelievable acrobatics, dazzling colors and costumes along with well choreographed music and dancing. Judging from the audience reaction everyone truly enjoyed themselves. I  believe that many of the performers participated in Beijing Summer Olympics opening ceremonies.

After the show the performers greeted the audience in the lobby and my wife and I had our photo taking with the  "stars" of the evening.

A great show and one that I would recommend to anyone.!

Also, if your are in the Gatlinburg area stop in and see us at Simply Savory Gift and Gourmet and So Very Cherry. Also visit us at Cherry Pit Pac on the web.

Gatlinburg - Beginnings

I travel through the Smokies several times per month, from our home in South Carolina to Gatlinburg, TN. - nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains. This area is full of history and culture. And as I drive or hike through the forest, I am amazed at what it must have been like arriving to this area for the first time.  - Settling among these giant trees, rocky hills and rushing rivers would have been inspiring yet extremely challenging.

Around 1802 story of Gatlinburg  beginnings when William Ogle explored the area he selected a building site for what was to be the first "home" to be built in Gatlinburg. After cutting the logs for the cabin, he returned to South Carolina to get his family. He told them that he had found "The Land of Paradise" in the mountains of East Tennessee. While preparing to bring his family here, he fell ill, probably with malaria, and died in 1803.

In 1807, Williams wife, Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, at age 46 or 47, came to her late-husband's "Paradise" with her two daughters and five sons, her brother, Peter Huskey, and his family. From William's oral directions, they located his hewed logs, completed the cabin, and started a new life.

The cabin was in the valley of the Little Pigeon River's West Fork, surrounded on three sides by the majestic mountains.  The area was abundant in White Oak Trees, thus the settlement was first named White Oak Flats.
Soon after the Ogle s arrived, other families moved into the area, settling among the hollows and along the rivers. Names like Reagan, Trentham, McCarter and Whaley are now common street and building names.

In the early 1800s, subscription schools, where parents paid for each child's education were started. Then 1912, a public settlement school was formed in Gatlinburg. Created by the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, the school not only provided academic and practical education, it also contributed to a rebirth of Appalachian
 arts and crafts and the "cottage craft industry" movement.

In 1850, Noah Ogle, became Gatlinburg's first merchant, establishing a store on a site that later became the Riverside Hotel. Ogle and Company store also housed the Post Office.

In 1854, Radford C. Gatlin arrived in White Oak Flats. He opened the village's second general store. However, controversy soon surrounded him and was eventually banished from the community. However, the city still bears his name. ( More on this in future blogs)

For those of you who love  history you will enjoy exploring the past of Gatlinburg and its surrounding areas!

If your in the Gatlinburg area, stop in and see us at So Very Cherry and Simply Savory Gift and Gourmet both located in the arts and crafts community

Welcome to Gatlinburg - Smoke Signals

My slow, but inevitable move to the Great Smoky Mountains began  over to 50 years ago on a family vacation. My most vivid memory of that vacation was my father feeding the bears. At that time it was a common practice to throw your left over peanut butter sandwhich to Momma bear - We got some great photos, but certainly not a good idea, especially by todays standards.

In 1972 I was once again drawn to the mountains when my  wife and I honeymooned in Gatlinburg. The cabin  at Brookside Hotel is now long gone, but recently we where able to tack it to its new location a few miles away.
In 1995 we began participating in the Gatlinburg Craftsmens Fair at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. About  five times a year we would set up at the craft show to sell our microwave heating pad - the Cherry-Pit-Pac

In 2002 we opened our first retail shop in the "Craft Community". The shop -  So Very Cherry features our Cherry-Pit-Pac as well as other cherry themed items. It is now located at 170 Glades road # 17 at Smoky Mountain Arts and Craft Village.

Several years later, in 2007, we opened Simply Savory Gift and Gourmet, just across the hall from So Very Cherry. Simply Savory features gourmet tea, coffee, sauces, dips, and many other unique gourmet foods and accessories.

When every you are in the Gatlinburg area stop in and see us.!