Trout Farm Fishing - Kids will never forget catching their own dinner. Try the Tuckaleechee Trout Farm Restaurant in Townsend, Tennessee. You can catch your own or let one of the staff catch and clean it for you.

Hikes to Waterfalls - Some of the best hikes in the Park also have a waterfall as a reward for the journey. Great photos by Chuck Summers and descriptions about how to find the waterfalls.

Whitewater Adventure - There are some great opportunities for whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking. Local outfitters can help you with an easy family trip or a more challenging one on one of five rivers in the Smokies area.

Wildlife - From the big city? Never seen an eight point buck or a black bear who seriously wants your food? How and where to spot wildlife and a few cautionary comments (and a tale) about the 500 or so black bears in the Park.

Ogle's Water Park - Wave pool, 10 slides, children's play area, tube and locker rentals, dressing rooms, restaurants and concessions. 2530 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN (423) 453-8741

Acquarium - Smoky Mountain visitors will be able to view some of nature's most exotic undersea life in the protective comfort of downtown Gatlinburg. When completed, the $42 million, 100,000-plus square foot marine attraction will be home to thousands of fish and other types of aquatic life from around the world. The centerpiece of the aquarium will be an underwater acrylic tunnel in which visitors will ride through 700,000 gallons of water on a 320-foot moving glide path, bringing viewers just inches away from large sharks, poisonous ocean predators and numerous varieties of tropical fish whose beauty will definitely impress spectators. Intern study programs will eventually be developed for those seriously interested in careers in Marine Science. Tours of Ripley's Aquarium will be self-guided, and guests should plan on as long as two-and-a-half hours to do it justice. Besides all the exhibits of sea life, visitors will also find Ripley's Cargo Hold gift shop and a deli-style restaurant complete with outdoor veranda. There will even be meeting rooms as well as banquet and wedding facilities available on the property. The first phases of the aquarium's construction are underway at a 6.9-acre site in downtown Gatlinburg, a location that was previously home to the Greystone Hotel.

Great Smoky Mountain Mega Theater - This 689-seat theater, with it's 70' tall and 90' wide screen, shows the large format motion pictures that have been filmed in IMAX and other formats utilizing film frames that are six times larger than that of conventional 35mm feature films. Current films include "Everest" and "Grand Canyon-The Hidden Secrets," and alternate every hour from 9am to 10pm daily. The films are approximately 45 minutes in length. A portion of all ticket sales directly benefit the National Park through contribution to Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Their signature film, "The Great Smokies," is currently in production and is scheduled for release during early 2000. (423)-430-9999

Smoky Mountain Class AA Baseball - Ground has been broken for a new Class AA minor league baseball team called the "Smokies". The stadium will be built on the northeast corner of the intersection of Interstate 40 and State Hwy 66 at exit number 407. We will keep you informed as to progress and the proposed opening date.