Smoky Mountain Service Day Volunteers Needed

Smoky Mountain Service Day Volunteers Needed.  Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are excited to announce the popular “Smokies Service Days” volunteer program resumes this month.

This is your chance to lend a hand in much needed national park restoration projects. Park staff will lead service opportunities beginning June 9. Individuals and groups are invited to sign up for the scheduled service projects that interest them. Service Days will provide opportunities to help care for park campgrounds, native plant gardens, and other natural and cultural resources in the Smokies.

The goal of these programs is to complete much needed work across the park and is ideal for those seeking to fulfill community service requirements. High school and college students, scout troops, civic organizations, visitors, families, and working adults are all encouraged to participate! Each project will provide tasks appropriate for a wide range of ages and skill levels. Volunteer projects begin at 9:00 a.m. and last until noon on Saturday mornings. Each project will conclude with an optional enrichment adventure to immerse participants in the natural and cultural resources of the park.

Park staff will provide tools and safety gear, including gloves and high visibility safety vests. Wearing closed-toe shoes is a requirement and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be provided as necessary.  You will definitely want to bring a sack lunch if you plan to stay for the optional enrichment activity.

Those interested in volunteering should contact Project Coordinator, Logan Boldon, at 865-436-1278 prior to the scheduled event date to register. Space may be limited.

Current service opportunities include:
June  9  : Campground Clean-Up at Elkmont
June 16  : Campground Clean-Up at Smokemont
June 30 : Gardening at Oconaluftee
July    7 : Picnic Area & Campground Clean-Up at Deep Creek
July  21  : Campground Clean-Up at Cosby

Grandfather Mountain Slates Rhododendron Ramble

Grandfather Mountain Slates Rhododendron Ramble. Grandfather Mountain is set to showcase the iconic plant that ushers summer into the mountain’s high country, the Catawba Rhododendron.

Grandfather Mountain has scheduled The Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble, June 1-9. The event features a series of short, guided strolls each day at 1 p.m. led by park naturalists who will talk about the history, characteristics and roles these spectacular plants play in the mountain’s ecological communities. An extra added benefit is the spectacular views that are the park’s signature feature. Location for the hikes depends on which section has the best blooms and participants are encouraged to enquire at the park’s entrance gate for the starting point of each day’s hike.

The event culminates on June 9 with a native plant festival and multiple hikes. That day, hikes are scheduled on an hourly rotation and are divided into ability groups. The beginner level hike, from 11 a.m. – noon, travels a quarter-mile through fairly level Woods Walk, and the advanced level hike, slated from 1:30-2:30 p.m., traverses about 1.5 miles at Black rock and highlights a higher elevation rhododendron and acid cove forests. Intermediate level hike, scheduled from 2:30-3:30 p.m. is a one-mile loop that leads through McRae Meadows and ends at Point sublime. Participants are encouraged to select hikes based on ability. All hikes are led by a member of Grandfather Mountain’s naturalist staff.

Also included on this day, the park’s Let-It-Rain picnic shelter will be filled with local organizations, botanists and representatives from local plant nurseries who will share information about native plants. A kid’s craft activity, also located at the shelter, will provide youngsters with an opportunity to make their own Rhododendron blossom to take home.

Four species of rhododendron grow wild on Grandfather Mountain and three of them could be in bloom for this year’s event said, Amy Renfranz, the park’s director of education. The types include flame azaleas (R. Calendulaceum) which range from orange, peach or red; Catawba rhododendron (R. Catawbiense) , possibly the best know of all rhodos, blooms early to mid-June and their deep purple flowers provide a spectacular canopy over many trails. Rosebay Rhododendron (R. Maximum), the last to bloom in late July, spreads a blush of delicate pink blossoms.

Grandfather Mountain is a one tank trip up our sister national park, The Blue Ridge Parkway, and getting there is half the fun! Take a ride with us on a perfect day cruising the parkway!

Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Serves Good Eats


Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Serves Good Eats! Dollywoods Aunt Granny’s Restaurant partners with Lodge Manufacturing Company and announces new menu.

Dollywood’s Aunt Granny’s Restaurant has forged a new alliance and spruced up its menu. The popular Dollywood eatery and Tennessee-based Lodge Manufacturing Company, which crafts nostalgic cast-iron cookware, has teamed up to offer a buffet of mouth-watering ”vittles” served up home-style in the iconic cast iron cookware
Aunt Granny’s, which was recently awarded Amusement Today’s 2017 Golden Ticket Award for Best Theme Park Food, has revamped and expanded its menu to offer new favorites.

One addition, Stone Soup, harkens back to Dolly’s childhood when times were hard and food often scarce. In her cookbook, Dixie Fixins’, Dolly said “Sometimes I like to call this ‘rock consommé, but that’s just a fancy name for the soup Mama used to make out of what seemed like nothing.” Based on the fable of “Stone Soup” Dolly’s mom used what ever was on hand to make the soup. “We always had tomatoes put up, and of course, hocks from the pigs Daddy butchered, so they always went into the soup,” said Dolly. Other ingredients were supplied by the family garden and the hand-picked stone was added by one child “who needed special attention” recalled Dolly. Dolly also shared that her nieces and nephews gave her the special nickname “Aunt Granny.”

Dollywood Vice-President Phil Bernard has high praise for the restaurant’s new menu. “Dollywood is known for its quality southern food offerings, and a visit to the buffet at Aunty Granny’s certainly should be on the list for any foodie,” Bernard said.
Enhancing the focus on great Southern food and partnering with Lodge made good sense, said Mike Otterman, president of Lodge Manufacturing Company, “We are extremely excited about the collaboration between these two great Tennessee companies.”

Aunt Granny’s Restaurant, constructed in 1986 and located in Dollywood’s Rivertown Junction, in Pigeon Forge, has proved a favorite dining spot for guest. Its all-you-can-eat format offers a delightful selection of Southern favorites. Whether you grew up enjoying this type “vittles” or you are just a Johnny-come-lately to these regional gastronomic delights, you are sure to enjoy a visit to Aunt Granny’s.

The following recipe is courtesy of Aunt Granny’s.

Mama’s Stone Soup

2 quarts chicken stock (or canned broth)
1 lb. potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small head of cabbage (chopped)
1 lb. turnips (peeled and diced)
2 large carrots (diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
Ham hock
One very clean stone (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine stock, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onion garlic and ham hock in a large soup pot. Add stone and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until soup is thick and vegetables are fork-tender (about 2 hours). Remove ham hock. Cut meat from bone and chop into half-inch pieces and return to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Hey Dolly, soup’s on!

NOTE: The HeySmokies “culinary crew” likes this served with hot buttermilk cornbread, cooked, of course, in a Lodge cast-iron skillet.

Bonus Tip: Remember to remove the soup stone before consumption or you may become your dentists new best friend!

20th Annual Sevier County Relay for Life

20th Annual Sevier County Relay for Life slated for Saturday, June 2, 2018. The Annual Sevier County Relay for Life, which celebrates cancer survivors and honors those who have lost the battle, will begin at noon and continue till midnight, at the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville on Saturday June, 2 2018. This free, family-friendly event also raises money to fund research that will someday find a cure for the disease that ranks as one of the nation’s biggest health problems. Come cheer those who have been affected by cancer whether they have been diagnosed 10 days or 10 years. A survivors lap will honor and inspire those facing a cancer diagnosis, and a caregivers lap will recognize the selfless act of those caring for cancer victims.

There are numerous fun activities planned though the day! Be sure and catch the special performance by Priscilla and Little RicKee

for some toe tapping tunes. A ceremony featuring luminary bags representing loved ones lost to cancer will provide an opportunity to grieve while offering comfort. Participants will walk continuously to signify that cancer never sleeps. Campsites are available around the park and food and beverage vendors are also scheduled to help with fundraising. Activities, music and entertainment is scheduled throughout the event.

  • Noon – Relay Begins

  • 12:30 – Entertainment

  • 5:00   – Official Ceremony & Survivor Ceremony (Presentation of survivors, Survivor & Caregiver Lap)

  • 7:00   – 20th Anniversary Celebration

  • 8:00   – Past Committee Recognition

  • 8:30   – Live Auction

  • 9:30   – Luminaria Ceremony

  • 10:00 – Entertainment

  • 11:00 – Womanless Beauty Pageant

  • 12:00 – Closing Ceremony & Winners Announced

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower Closes


Clingmans Dome observation tower closes. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will be closed Tuesday, July 10, 2018 through Friday, July 27, 2018 to complete a rehabilitation project that began last year. Workers need to apply a final surface overlay along the tower ramp.

Park visitors will be glad to know that Clingmans Dome overlook and parking area will remain open offering amazing views of the North Carolina side of the park and the surrounding mountains. The trail to the tower, visitor contact station/store, and all trailheads will remain open during the rehab work. Construction traffic is expected to make the drive to the overlook from New Found Gap slower than normal so give yourself extra time.

Last year, contractors repaired deteriorated areas on the concrete columns and walls, stabilized support walls at the base of the ramp, and repaired stone masonry. This work has been made possible through funding received from a Partners in Preservation (PIP) grant. The $250,000 grant was awarded in 2016 to the Friends of the Smokies on behalf of the park after being one of the top nine, most voted for parks in the Partners in Preservation: National Parks Campaign.

Straddling the North Carolina and Tennessee state line at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the second highest peak east of the Mississippi river.  The tower is an iconic Smoky Mountain landmark and is the highest point in the park. The observation towers unprecedented design is part of the National Park Service’s Mission 66 program. The program transformed park planning, management, and architecture and fundamentally altered the visitor experience in national parks. Since 1959, millions of visitors have climbed the tower and it is a regular hiking destination for the HeySmokies expeditionary team!  One of the rewards of climbing the tower is the 100 mile view on clear days! The minimal preservation work being done will ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy the tower and surrounding beauty for years to come. For more information about the Clingmans Dome Tower, please visit the park website at NPS.

Partners in Preservation is a joint effeort between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarding preservation grants to historic places across America. Since 2006 PIP has committed $16 million in preservation funding to nearly 200 diverse sites in eight cities across the country. The program hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.