Posts By: Tony Perez

About Tony Perez

I'm a people person, and I enjoy the atmosphere that working with Cabins Of The Smoky Mountains entails, interacting with different types of people and trying to relate to each one uniquely. From Michigan originally, I've been coming to the Smoky Mountains since I was a child, with family in Wears Valley. Summer fun for me is exploring the Cades Cove area, swimming in the creeks, and hiking Mount LeConte and many other trails. I love the Smoky Mountains.

Music in the Mountains Spring Parade 2019

For the 34th year, Pigeon Forge holds its annual spring parade, on Friday, May 3, 2019 starting at 6 pm. It’s the Music in the Mountains Parade, northbound on Parkway from Traffic Light #6 to Light # 3.

The parade welcomes back baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr again as Grand Marshal, and this year he is joined by Paula Deen, to lead the parade in a grand celebration of Smoky Mountains heritage and Music

Image courtesy of Pigeon Forge

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Hosting a Large Group in Gatlinburg? Stay in a Large Cabin

Gwendolyn is a lifestyle blogger who lives with her husband and daughter in East Tennessee, and runs the website Finding Sanity in Our Crazy Life. Recently she visited the Smoky Mountains area with a large group of other women for a ladies’ church retreat, and she chose to stay in one of our luxury cabins and share her thoughts about the trip on her blog.

Like many people, Gwendolyn was drawn to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains for a vacation because the area is home to many different kinds of attractions, activities, and dining options that can please every member of a large group.

However, even when you choose a destination that has something for everyone, it can still be difficult to coordinate accommodations for a large group traveling together, especially without having to fuss with multiple hotel rooms, adjoining rooms, being spread out across the town, and other headaches. That’s why Gwendolyn and her crew were so pleased to discover Cabins of the Smoky Mountains, as we were able to provide her and her group with a relaxing and functional space where they could all enjoy their time away together.

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2019 Easter Craft Show in Gatlinburg

The largest community of independent artisans in the nation is right here in Gatlinburg. They’ve been busy in winter, working on their latest creations. And on Wednesday through Saturday, April 17-20, they gather again to show it all off in the 2019 Easter Craft Show – admission Free!

Hosted in the huge Gatlinburg Convention Center at traffic light #8, the show regales the visitor with display after display of totally unique and high-quality, handcrafted items. The artists themselves are also in attendance, most of them actually at work on their craft, and all of them with endless patience to explain the finer points to all comers.

Images courtesy of Arts & Crafts Community

Images courtesy of Arts & Crafts Community

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Spring Rod Run 2019

There’s quite a sight to see in downtown Pigeon Forge this April 11-13 as the Spring Rod Run comes to town. This event, as in years past, celebrates classic and muscle cars cruising the strip with an all day and late-night street party and festivities. Hundreds of vehicles are expected, giving visitors plenty to see and do.

Images courtesy of the Rod Run

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Things To Do in April 2019 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Here’s what’s happening in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in this month of April, 2019. There’s a lot going on as always – see the full list below.

And note our current Cabin Specials with deals up to HALF-PRICE. Check the Specials page for our Two Weekends in May 50% off large cabins (round up the gang!) as well as our Weeknights (Sun-Thurs through May 17) “Buy 2 Get 2 Free” specials on all cabins – that’s half price on a 4-night stay!

UPDATE: The Lottery for a parking pass to view the Synchronous Fireflies is open April 26-29. You can register here: recreation.gov. Lottery winners will be announced May 10. The dates for the viewing are May 30 – June 5, 2019.

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21st Annual Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament in April 2019

Image courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The first full weekend in April means it’s time for the 21st Annual Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament, on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, 2019. Cash and gift prizes are awarded in multiple categories, with hundreds of entrants fishing, and thousands of rainbow trout stocked in over 20 miles of local streams.

Keeping things fair, there are different divisions for children and adults as well as for locals and visitors – but wait, it’s even more fair than that, with a $500 cash prize for largest trout caught AND $500 for the smallest trout caught! A total of $10,000 is awarded in the spring and fall contests, while 10,000 trout are stocked each year in the largest trout tournament in the Smokies, acclaimed as the best.

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Synchronous Fireflies in 2019: Two Ways to View This Event

The world-famous Synchronous Fireflies natural occurrence will happen again this year, in early June 2019, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding area. Now is the time to be thinking about how to to watch this unique event that, outside of the U.S., happens only in southeast Asia.

There are two ways to get a seat at the show.

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Vacation for a Large Family in a Smoky Mountain Cabin

Shay is a mother of seven who blogs about her family life and a variety of topics at Wonderfully Chaotic, and recently she and her husband brought their family to Gatlinburg for a vacation. Shay and her family stayed in The Crown Jewel, one of our 5-bedroom luxury cabins that sleeps up to 18 people. After the trip, she shared her unique perspective about what makes our cabins such a great choice for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of traveling with a large group of friends or family.

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Family Reunion Cabin Vacation in the Smoky Mountains

This February, we were delighted to welcome writer Shelley and her extended family to our 5 Star Lodge at Gatlinburg Falls Resort. Shelley had visited Gatlinburg before, and enjoyed her stays, but this was her first time at our resort. Happily, she tells us it was also her favorite visit!

Shelley’s cabin featured 5 king bedrooms, 2 queen sleeper sofas, and 2 twin sleeper sofas — perfect for her entire family. Other amenities included a fireplace, premium cable and 7 flat screen TVs, a home theater, and a game room. Everyone in the group loved the beauty of the Smoky Mountain views right outside their windows and found the stay just what they needed for quality time together.

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