Entries by Matt Kustka

Spring 2019 Special

UP THE CREEK SPRING SPECIAL!! March 13-May 5, 2019: Stay for two nights and your third night is free for Classic Sites! One free night per household. Call us for details. 865-453-8474. upthecreekrvcamp.com

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Wilderness Wildlife Week – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

May 9-13, 2017, is Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Last year, the International Festivals & Events Association awarded Wilderness Wildlife Week as the “Best International Event of 2016”. Most events including demonstrations, classes, storytelling, and a photography contest will take place at the Leconte Center in Pigeon Forge. Outdoor Excursions are also part of […]

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Great Smoky Mountain Wildflowers

One of the first wildflowers to bloom each year, the fragile bloodroot appears well before trees leaf out. Native Americans used bloodroot as dye for baskets and clothing, as well as for body paint. In large quantities, the orangish-red juice found in its rhizome is poisonous and can be lethal. These flowers appeared near the […]

Chimney Tops Trail – Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains

Before the fires of November 2016, we went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a cold, cloudy day in December. The Chimney Tops Trail, accessed from the New Found Gap Road, is a 4-mile, round-trip moderate to difficult trail. Hiking through the clouds for almost the entire approach, we were pleasantly surprised […]

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Late Summer Wildflowers in the Smokies

There are still plenty of wildflowers blooming in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in August and September. This Turk’s Cap Lily (pictured right) was photographed from Newfound Gap Road. It is typically found in moist woods, balds or trail side thickets from July through September. This spectacular lily can also be seen on Kanati […]

Dolly Homecoming Parade in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

On May 6, 2016, the 31st Annual Dolly Homecoming Parade makes its way down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge to welcome the grand marshal, Dolly Parton, home. Join the celebration and enjoy local entertainers, colorful floats, military veterans, and marching bands. Pigeon Forge’s most popular parade draws over 50,000 Pigeon Forge and Dolly Parton fans alike, […]