Author Archives: VCRadmin

Bloomin’ BBQ and Bluegrass Festival-You Be the Judge!

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Our favorite street festival is in full swing this weekend in Sevierville, May 17-18, with music, food, crafts, kid activities and more.

Choose the food! Wet sauce or dry rub? Sweet tomato or spicy mustard? Taste and decide your favorite from this award-winning competition. Over forty cook teams smoke their best efforts to win the barbecue title. Even judging among the team names is an amusing activity.

Choose the music! An impressive slate of bluegrass talent provides free live music variety on multiple stages throughout the venue. If you are new to bluegrass, it’s a great crash course in music culture. Back again is the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition, where contestants select a Dolly Parton song (over 3000 of them!) to sing in any style. Select your winners.

Choose to come again! If you miss it this year, make plans to attend in 2014: the 10-year anniversary celebration promises to be even bigger. Come relax with us in a Sevierville cabin rental at Volunteer Cabin Rentals, and soak it up at this delicious event in the Smokies. We’ll be there, and hope you will too. www.bloominbbq.com

Is Hillbilly Living Right for your Vacation?

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Some of our friends were discussing their vision of an ideal vacation. One (the husband) said, “Our daily life is too much on the go. I want to do nothing as much as possible on vacation.”

If your objective is to relax completely and do nothing, a remote mountaintop cabin offers far more value for your dollar than a tight hotel room.

-While absorbing a panoramic view of rolling hills, unwind with a long soak in a personal hot tub, or curl up and leisurely read a book on a covered deck in the rain.

-Take a nap (or not) by the fireplace, and watch a ballgame, movie, or a home improvement marathon on the flatscreen television. Lose some time exploring Pinterest on the leather couch.

-Grill a meal, or make whatever suits you in a fully-stocked kitchen. Sip coffee exactly as you like it, or bake your secret family recipe dessert.

Cabins offer plenty of space to live with your family “at home” on vacation, without workday responsibilities. Some pet-friendly rentals are also available, so the entire family can be together. No camping out in a cramped hotel room on top of each other! Do you really travel several hours to settle for that?

Another friend (the wife) said, “I can only sit still for so long. I want to do things I don’t get the chance to do at home.”

If you must be on the move to explore, a Wears Valley cabin makes a great home base for whatever activities you desire.

-Outdoor adventures abound with the National Park border literally next door: hiking and walking trails, fishing, river swimming, tubing, skiing, horses, picnic and historic areas, and more are all a short distance away.

-Pigeon Forge attractions are also just minutes from the front door: all the miniature golf, racing cars, and Dollywood theme park amenities you could want.

-Sevier County shopping also offers something for everyone: from great namebrand bargains at outlet centers to a world class craftsman community, to the tackiest gag gift souvenir for that poor coworker who needs a vacation.

Check out the special offers currently available at Volunteer Cabin Rentals. No hassles or regrets. Come relax your way with us. We hope to see you soon.

Wears Valley—A Biker’s Destination

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Motorcycle enthusiasts are among the fastest growing segments of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s no wonder; the Smokies have hundreds of miles of scenic, twisty, curvy roads that are a biker’s dream.

At Volunteer Cabin Rentals, our Wears Valley cabins are ideally situated for any two-wheeler fan. We’re centrally located to all the major biker routes in the area, including the Tail Of The Dragon—that famously curvy 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129—as well as the Cherohala Skyway.

Of course, Wears Valley offers direct access to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or you can head to other parts of the park through nearby Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Headed in the other direction, Wears Valley also offers easy traveling to Maryville, TN, home of one of the area’s most popular Harley Davidson dealerships.

And at Volunteer Cabin Rentals, many of our properties are ideally suited to motorcyclists. Some cabins have spaces to accommodate bikes on trailers, plus there’s a parking lot near our main office where you could also leave a trailer during the day.

3 Fun Things To Do Outside This Week

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What a week we’re having in the Smokies. Sunny, blue skies, mild temperatures are making this the ideal week to get out and make the most of this gorgeous Smoky Mountains scenery. Here are just a handful of ideas for making the most of nature’s cooperative mood.

• Go for a hike in the national park – There are hundreds of miles of trails and nature walks that will let you explore high mountain peaks, waterfalls, historic communities, wildflower regions and more.

• Go ziplining – There are several zipline vendors throughout the area that offer a variety of fast, high-flying adventures among the treetops and spanning vast mountain valleys.

• Go horseback riding – You’ll find a number of horseback riding stables in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and even the national park. So saddle up and hit the dusty trail and experience the scenery the old-school way.

And when you’re in the market for a rental cabin experience in the Smokies, don’t assume that Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg cabins are all that’s out there. At Volunteer Cabin Rentals, most of our properties are located in beautiful Wears Valley, Tennessee—close to all those other places but in the middle of some of the most beautiful landscapes in the area and bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

National Park Webcams

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Even if you’re not staying in one of our Pigeon Forge cabins this week, you can still experience some of the beautiful sights via two webcams that are operated by the National Park Service.

First check out the view from Purchase Knob, which is at the eastern end of the park and offers views to the northeast.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmpkcam/grsmpkcam.cfm

Also, take in the views from Look Rock, which is at the western end of the national park and offers great views of Mt. LeConte, Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmcam/grsmcam.cfm

This time of year, you’ll see some great, clear views before the haze of summer sets in. Although overall, scenic views have degraded over the last 50 years thanks to man-made pollution. Since 1948, the average visibility in the southern Appalachians has decreased by 40 percent in winter and 80 percent in summer.

Cabin Of The Week – Cowboy Way

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Looking to hit the dusty trail to the Smoky Mountains this spring or summer? If your answer is “yes,” then consider bunking down for a few nights in Cowboy Way, a spacious and charming two-bedroom rental cabin in the Hickory Hollow section of Wears Valley.

Located on a hillside, this three-level property offers up nice mountain views, which you can enjoy from the peaceful repose of one of two covered decks. You can kick back in a rocker as the crickets’ night song sets in, or you could take a soak in the outdoor hot tub and let the sound of churning, bubbly waters soothe your mind as your muscles relax.

Other amenities include two gas fireplaces, four cable TVs, two whirlpool tubs in bathrooms and a game room with pool table. There’s a full kitchen to meet all your vacation dining needs, or you could cook the cowboy way out on the charcoal grill. And of course, all the fancy city amenities are on hand too, including a washer and dryer and a kitchen full of appliances.

Cowboy Way is just one of many cabins in Wears Valley that we offer as a family getaway spot. Check out more details about this property or any home in our inventory today.

Spring Specials

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Now that we’re getting into the season when folks are getting serious about their vacation planning, we thought it would be a good idea to remind you that we usually have some kind of seasonal special going on our Wears Valley cabin rentals.

Right now, we’re offering free nights in April and May, depending on how many nights you book with us. For reservations on stays through May 30, you’ll get a 10-percent discount on a three-night stay, you’ll only pay for three nights with a four-night stay, you’ll pay for four nights with a five-night stay, and if you book a six- or seven-night stay, you’ll only pay for five.

Keep in mind that this is a special Internet deal, so you’ll need to mention that when calling to make your reservation. It only applies to currently available cabins and not any previous bookings. Unfortunately, this deal does not apply to any holiday nights.

And by booking your trip for April or May, you’ll enjoy the warmer weather here in the Smokies, but you’ll get to enjoy the area before the crowds of peak season start arriving. We hope to see you soon!

www.volunteercabinrentals.com

A New Bird’s-Eye View In Pigeon Forge

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Visitors to Pigeon Forge will have a new way of getting great views of the Smoky Mountains this year thanks to a brand-new attraction. The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, a huge Ferris Wheel ride, will be carrying passengers as high as 200 feet into the air in 42 enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas.

Located at The Island development near Belz Factory Outlet World, the attraction is just one component of what will ultimately be a full retail-entertainment-dining-lodging complex.

Also new in Pigeon Forge this summer will be RiverRush, Tennessee’s first water coaster, which will open in May at Dollywood’s Splash Country. With all the climbs, drops, twists and turns of a traditional roller coaster, the 1,175-foot-long ride climbs as high as four stories tall and includes hairpin turns and dark tunnels.

If you’re seeking a premium overnight rental property to stay in during your visit to Pigeon Forge this summer, be sure to check out our selection at Volunteer Cabin Rentals. We’re close to Pigeon Forge and the national park, and we offer one of the widest selections of luxury cabins in the Smokies.

Smoky Mountain Scenery

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Whether you’re staying in one of our secluded Gatlinburg cabins, convenient Pigeon Forge cabins or scenic Wears Valley cabins, chances are you’re going to want to do some sightseeing. And as it turns out, the Great Smoky Mountains are the most beautiful sight we have to offer.

No matter what time of year you visit or what area of the national park you choose as your destination, nature always seems to be at its best in the Smokies. From towering mountains, to green forests to rolling meadows, there’s no shortage of locations that show off the wild side of one of the most beautiful places on earth.

 

Just to give you an idea of the sights you can feast your eyes on, check out the gorgeous high-def footage in this video. Consider it a DVD postcard from us to you.

http://youtu.be/XtWONxVCYBw

 

Cabin Of The Week – Southern Nights

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Sometimes, a huge cabin is what you need on a Smoky Mountain getaway. But sometimes, the situation may call for the exact opposite, especially if a honeymoon or romantic weekend for two is part of your travel plan. If so, then Southern Nights may be just what the love doctor ordered.

This one-bedroom log home is in the Happy Hollow area of Wears Valley and is blessed with a secluded location and beautiful wooded views. Inside, you’ll find two fireplaces and a heart-shaped whirlpool tub, while outside is a hot tub on the deck for warm-water relaxation in virtually any season.

And as is the case with all our rentals, this cabin comes with all the necessities like a kitchen with appliances, dishes and utensils; bed linens and towels and all the bathroom and household supplies you’ll need to get through your stay.

If Southern Nights doesn’t suit your fancy, continue to browse our diverse selection of secluded Pigeon Forge cabins and properties in the Wears Valley community.