Travel Information

Whether you consider yourself a semi-professional photographer or you are just looking for ways to enhance your family’s photo album, it is always a good idea to learn about how you can take better pictures of the Smoky Mountains. Not only will this help improve your skills as a photographer in general, it will also ensure your vacation photos will be the ones all of your loved ones will be talking about long after the trip is over.

If you love vacationing in the Smoky Mountains, then you are not alone! We took a survey of recent area guests and asked them how often they visit the mountains. From their answers, we discovered a ton of facts about Smoky Mountains vacations that were pretty surprising!

Packing travel bags and suitcases is one of our favorite things about vacation. Think about it – between gathering vacation gear, planning out outfits and getting it all to fit into the bag, it’s like pre-vacation party to get you even for excited about your getaway. With so many great places in the Smokies to explore, we have had a lot of packing practice. That’s why we’ve compiled some of our best Smoky Mountain vacation packing tips along with a packing list.

Throughout the year, road conditions are likely to change due to weather, construction and traffic all across the Smoky Mountain area. We want to keep you up to date on all of the road conditions throughout Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so you and your family can enjoy a stress free vacation without worrying about the roadways.

It has been quite some time since we in East Tennessee saw gas prices drop below the $2 mark. In fact, prices have been hovering around the $2.50 to $3 range for quite some time. However, over the recent weeks, we at Visit My Smokies have seen the price of gas drop dramatically in the Great Smoky Mountains. In fact, as of Friday, January 9, 2015, the average price per gallon of regular gas in Tennessee hits a record low of $1.997 per gallon, according to a recent report from AAA.

“Are we there yet?” Unfortunately, this is a phrase that most parents have heard at least once in the car on their way to the Smoky Mountains. Whether you have thought it yourself or you heard it from one of your kids in the backseat, it is hard to shake the feeling of being bored in a car once it settles in. The trick, however, is to eliminate the possibility of boredom before it even happens.

Are you planning a Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg cabin vacation this winter? There are a few benefits of choosing to take a vacation in the winter months. Here’s why you should choose a winter vacation:

Christmas in the Smoky Mountains is one of the most magical times of the year. This is when families from all across the country are invited to the Smokies for a fun and memorable holiday experience.

The fall colors are at their peak and the beautiful reds, yellows and oranges are shining brightly throughout the Smoky Mountains. But the fall colors are quickly coming to an end, and the winter weather really is on its way!

Even though the fall leaf season isn’t over just yet, there’s many early signs that winter may be on the way. The fall leaves have hit their peak in many areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the weather is quickly beginning to cool down.

At this point you already know that taking a Smoky Mountain vacation can help you live longer, however there are still a few things you will want to avoid while you are here. To help our visitors get the most out of their Smoky Mountain vacations, we at Visit My Smokies have put together a list of the top 7 things you should avoid while visiting the area.

Did you know that nearly 90% of Americans have a cell phone? That is over 282.5 million people! If these people are anything like us, they are attached to their cell phones. We are constantly texting, Tweeting, checking in, liking, emailing, and everything else you can imagine that you can do on a cell phone. It is almost as if our entire world lives in this small hand-held device. However, what is all this connectivity doing to our Smoky Mountain vacation experience?

Many families that vacation in the Smokies do so year after year. Little do these families know, however, that their annual vacation is actually helping them live longer. To find out how this is possible, keep on reading!