Tag: tennessee

Property Management

So you have purchased a rental cabin and you have decided that you want to rent it out as an investment property.  While the vacation rental industry is alive and well in the Smokies, and it can be a highly lucrative business, there are basically two ways to manage your vacation rental property:  V action Rental By Owner (VRBO) or through a Property Management Company (PMC).

VRBO

Running your vacation rental as a VRBO is still a valid way to do business. In this scenario, you take the bookings, manage the property, handle the cleaning, the maintenance and take the payments.  Of course, that also means that you are handling the booking, the maintenance, the cleaning and all of the other things that go along with renting your investment property as a vacation rental.  The good side of a VRBO is that you keep all of the money from the rentals, the bad part is that you are the owner and the property manager, something that can be difficult if you live in town and almost impossible is you live further away.  Most people do not want the hassle of renting the property themselves, instead they opt to hire a Property Management Company.

Property Management Company

iring a property management company is the way that most investment property owners chose to run their vacation rentals.  A PMC does exactly what the name suggests, they manage your vacation rental for you.  Here is a short list of what the PMC should be doing for you:

  • Marketing – The PMC should be spending their time making sure that people know your cabin is available to rent.  In print ads, radio spots, TV ads or online, the PMC should be reaching out through the various marketing medias to get more and more people into your cabin.
  • Reservations – The PMC is going to take those reservations as they come in and make sure that the guest is booked and that that money paid as a deposit is held for the reservation. They will handle all of the questions from the guests about the reservation and the property, saving you countless hours on the phone or spent emailing back and forth with potential guests.
  • Maintenance – When something breaks in the cabin, you have to fix it during the stay of the current guest or before the next guest comes in.  The PMC will take care of those maintenance items that happen over time.  They will also let you know when there are items that need your attention as the home owner becoming your eyes and ears.
  • Housekeeping – After every guest checks out, the vacation rental property has to be cleaned.  Scheduling that can become very time consuming, the PMC can make sure that the cabin stays clean and well maintained, even for those last minute bookings.
  • Payment Distribution – At the end of the month, or whenever your contract describes, the PMC will distribute the money that you have earned from the bookings throughout the previous period.

Using a PMC does mean that you are going to take a smaller profit for each night rented but when you look at the amount of time that will be consumed for each rental, it becomes easy to see that a PMC can be your best friend when you try your hand at an investment property.

Real Estate

There are many opportunities for those looking for Real Estate in the Smoky Mountains.  Whether you are looking for an investment property, commercial property or a home to relocate to, real estate of every shape and size abounds in the cities around the Smokies.

Relocation

After you have visted the Smokies for the third or fourth time in one year, you are going to start thinking that you ought to just move to the area.  And for those of us that have relocated to the SMokies, we welcome you with open arms.  When you start looking, there are a few pointers that might help you in your relocation efforts:

  • Look to the outlying areas for the best deals.  Right in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg is going to cost you (even in a buyers market).  Head to the cities that feed into the main towns for the best deals on land and homes.
  • Check out the school systems and see what each area has to offer.
  • Find a job – Unless you are retiring to the area, you are probably going to be looking for work.  You will find in the Smokies as in lots of tourist areas that the jobs are seasonal, based on the number of people that are in town.  If you are headed to a tourist area to live see what the seasonal jobs are going to look like and prepare yourslef and your budget accordingly.

Commercial Property

Maybe you are looking at bringing a business to the Smokies.  If so, the economy boom that the area experienced and then the downturn that the country had has left many store fronts and buildings vacant.  Obviously you can find a Realtor to assist you with the search for the perfect piece of property but it might be a good idea to spend some time in each of the areas.  See where the traffic is actually flowing.  Look for the empty store fronts, find a local and find out why they are really empty.

Don’t be suckered in by a good deal only to find out that the traffic pattern has changed and now that part of town is a ghost town during the best part of the year.  Do your research and make sure that you know as much or more about the area as the Realtor before you start the actual buying process.

Investment Properties

The real estate boom in the 90s and early part of the 21st century has left a lot of cabins open for new investors to walk in and buy for a great price.  In most cases, it is true that investment properties in the Smokies are cabins but of course there are exceptions to this rule.  If you happen to decide that you want to get into investment real estate in the Smoky Mountains, here are a few things to watch for before you buy:

  • Have the cabin inspected.  Make sure that past renters and property management companies have done a good job of maintaining the cabin.
  • Check the roads that your future renters will be taking into the cabin.  Make sure that they are well maintained, talk to the HOA for the area the cabin is in and see who maintains the roads in winter.
  • Check and see if the cabin is on city sewer, a septic tank or on a privately held utility for waste removal.  This becomes crucial to know when you are dealing with issues at your rental property.
  • Check out the property management company that is currently managing the cabin, see how it is renting and see what they do for the cut of the profits.

Investing in real estate in the Smokies is always a good idea but you need to do some research and make sure you know what you are getting into.  The upside of a rental property in the Smokies is that you always have a place to stay when you decide that you need a break from city life and need a vacation of your own.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Fluent Flavor Spoken Here

One of the premier restaurants in Asheville has recently expanded to the other side of the mountains.  Tupelo Honey Cafe strives to take southern cuisine to the next level.  They take the traditional and the extremely southern, you know soul food, and they turn it on ts head and put their own spin on it.  The original location in Asheville expanded there to a second location.  Now, with the new location in Knoxville, Tupelo Honey Cafe is bringing their take on southern tradition to the next level.

Their menu reads like a Sunday dinner at your grandmothers house… but different.  They take those comfort foods from our youth and make them their own.  Cheesy Grit Cakes, Appalachian Egg Rolls and Homemade Pimento & Cheese are on tap for the starters.  If you are looking for a good sandwich then you can sink your teeth into When Shrimp Met Taco, Southern Fried Chicken BLT or a Grateful Dead Black Bean Burger.  Their menu items cover everyone’s taste.  From those in your group that live a vegetarian lifestyle to those that want BBQ, there is something for everybody.  And part of the something for everybody includes their selection of Main Courses.  Shrimp and Grits, Chorizo-Crusted Colossal Sea Scallops with Basil Cream Sauce and a BBQ plate.  Go look at their menu online and you will feel your mouth start to water.

And now, because dessert is as southern as…well as apple pie, let’s look at their desserts.

  • Brown Butter Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean and Caramel Sauce
  • Honeybee Apple Pie
  • Naked Chocolate Cake a La Mode
  • Banana Pudding
  • Blueberry Hill Thrill Cream Cheese Pie
  • Old Fashioned Soda Parlor Float
One thing that has become a part of our culinary choices is a gluten free menu and the gluten free menu at Tupelo Honey Cafe is terrific.  Full of flavor and wonderful, the gluten free menu is extensive and gives the choice of southern favorites without gluten but with all of the flavor.

Locations:

Downtown Asheville
12 College St
Asheville, NC

Market Square Knoxville
1 Market Square
Knoxville, TN

Southside Asheville
1829 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, NC

Make the Tupelo Honey Cafe a stop on your next trip to the Smokies.  You can choose either side of the mountains now and enjoy southern favorites with a more modern style.  Experience the flavor and thrill of eating at Tupelo Honey Cafe.

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Knoxville Ice Bears

The ice glows as you walk into the arena.  You can feel the coolness of the rink seep into your bones.  You take your seats and get ready for the action.  The Ice Bears take the ice, the adrenaline starts pumping through the crowd.  The puck starts flying and if you are lucky, you might even get to see a fight.

The Knoxville Ice Bears, a professional hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League, have been thrilling locals and visitors alike in Knoxville, TN since 2002.  Since the date of their establishment they have won four William B Coffey Trophies (as regular season champs) and they have won three President’s Cups (playoff champions).  The Ice Bears bring a fun and aggressive playing style to the ice that the people of Knoxville and East Tennessee have embraced.  Of course, the fact that their home ice is located so near downtown Knoxville doesn’t hurt.  With plenty of parking at the Civic Coliseum getting in to see a game is easy.

And the Knoxville fans love to go see this team.  Part of the fun of an Ice Bears game is seeing the fans get into the action.  Shouting for the home town players, encouraging the stars on the ice and having a great time.  If you start going to a lot of games you will find that the number of season pass holders almost always outweighs the people that are first time visitors.  These folks will suck you in with their passion for the team and their love of the game.

Also, if you are looking for a great night out, you could do a lot worse than a night at the rink with the Ice Bears.  This is a professional team.  This is a great team.  The action is always exciting, the team plays until the bell at every game, win or lose and of course it is not an expensive night out.  Tickets, at the door, start at $12.  This is for standard seating, which is fantastic, you can get closer tot he ice and even find seating behind the glass but it is always necessary if you want closer seating to call ahead or go to their website and check out the available seating for the day you are wanting to attend.  Spend the evening with a great professional hockey team here in the Smoky Mountains.  Get out and enjoy one of the best sporting events that Knoxville and East Tennessee has to offer.

Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community

There are several staples in the Smoky Mountains: gem mining, hiking, waterfalls and craft shops.  In Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community (GSACC) is the home to 100s of crafts and artisans that have established a community on Glades and Buckhorn roads right outside of town.  Potters to woodworkers, painters to glass blowers, crafts of every shape and size.  People from all over the country come to the GSACC to shop and pause in wonder at the amazing works of art that are being turned out in and in some cases handed down to the next generation.

When you visit Gatlinburg, you will see signs for the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community everywhere – plastered on some of the buildings and on each and every trolley.  Finding the GSACC is just as easy.  When you get to traffic light #3 turn up 321 and head toward Cosby, TN.  You are going to travel 2.7 miles from traffic light #3.  This will put you at the traffic light that is the turn off to Glades Rd.  Once you have made the left hand turn onto Glades, you are now in the GSACC.  You are now ready to experience one of the best arts and crafts communities in the southeast.  As you drive along Glades road you will find that you are passing small galleries, craft shops and in some cases small craft malls.

The owners of these shops are the artists and crafters.  In most cases the person that turned out the works of art that you are viewing is the person that you find sitting behind the counter.  The best part is that in some cases you might catch them working while you are at their shop.  You can watch the painter put brush to canvas and get creative, you can watch the potter at their wheel turning clay into a vessel or a vase or maybe you will be able to watch the woodworker with chisel in wood discovering the creature or creation that is hiding in the grain of the wood.

As you watch them work, take the time to talk to them about their craft.  There is a reason that they are working in public.  They want to talk about their art form.  They want to explain to you why they work in the medium that they work in, they want to talk.  Get them in a discussion of the piece that catches your eye.  They will tell you the story of the photograph they took that they created the painting from.  Instead of rushing through each of the shops at a break neck speed, try spending time in each shop.  And if you have the kids with you get them involve din the discussion.  Let them ask questions and you might find that you have opened their eyes to a whole new world.

Next time you find yourself in Gatlinburg, head to the Arts and Crafts Community.  Follow one of the trolleys out of town to Glades Road and spend the day touring hte craft shops that line both sides of the road.  Get some early Christmas shopping done and don’t be afraid to ask questions and get to know the artists that run the shops.

Oak Ridge, TN

The Secret City

Oak Ridge is not only known as the Secret City but it is a secret that needs to be passed on to tourist visiting the Smoky Mountains.  From great museum based around its atomic history to cultural events, this town, right outside of Knoxville is a great day trip while you are in the Smokies.

Oak Ridge, TN

Though people (both natives and settlers) had been living in this area since the Woodland Period, it was in 1942 that Oak Ridge came to national notice – or lack of notice.  The Army Corps of Engineers began buying land in the Oak Ridge area and using “declarations of taking” to ‘persuade’ those people that didn’t want to sell their land.  Soon they had enough land to establish the National Laboratory in the southeast that was part of the Manhattan Project – the project that developed the atomic bomb.  The Secret City, as it has become to be known, was an entire city that was not on the map, thousands of people (around 75,000) were working and living in a town that was not on the map for national security reasons.

After the war, the National lab became more public and the city of Oak Ridge began to grow outside the boundaries of the lab facilities.  The lab shifted to be under civilian control and since that time, Oak Ridge has brought in other manufacturing companies and is a center for science and industry in the Smokies.  In fact, it is home to the Jaguar super computer.

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Highlights

Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge – Designed as an education and cultural experience, the children’s museum teaches through the eyes of a child and allows you to step back into your childhood learning about the history of the area, architecture, the wonders of a rain forest and much, much more.

Secret City Festival – Each year, Oak Ridge celebrates with future generations by teaching about its past.  The festival has music, crafts, arts and one of the few World War II demonstrations that you will ever find.  With tanks and a reenactment of a WWII battle, this is sure to stick in your memories for years.

American Museum of Science and Energy – A hands on museum of the first order!  With lots of educational opportunities and plenty of displays about the Y-12 plant and their advancements of nuclear science, this is a great afternoon adventure for the whole family.  Included in your trip is a replica of one of the laboratories used during the height of Oak Ridge’s days in the Manhattan Project and lots of science experiements.

New Hope Visitors Center at Y-12 – This visitor’s center is designed to allow people visiting Oak Ridge to learn more about the Y-12 plant – one of the original Manhattan Project facilities.  This facility was one of the plants that helped to enrich uranium for the development of the atomic bombs used during World War II.  The New Hope Visitors Center has videos on the past, present and future of Y-12 along with displays that show you how the ‘secret’ of the Secret City was kept.

Maryville, TN

People are the Key

Maryville, TN sits in the shadow of the Smokies but has always had a huge connection to the mountains.  A quite little town with its own definite culture, Maryville has lots to offer those that come across its borders for the day.  Looking for shopping, an event or a stroll through a classic downtown, Maryville has

Maryville, TN

With the establishment of Fort Craig, Maryville really started to become a going concern in the Smoky Mountains.  The 50 acres next to the fort became the first plot of the town that would be Maryville and it has grown to become the county seat of Blount County.  In 1808, Sam Houston’s family made the move from Virginia to Maryville.  Houston was 15 at the time.  Though he lived for a time with the Cherokee, he came back to Maryville to open a one room school house in 1811.  Maryville was the base for the abolitionist movement during the 19th century and though it was under Confederate control throughout most of the Civil War (it was liberated in 1864) the people of Maryville were pro-Union the entire time.  In fact they elected the second African American mayor in US history in 1869.

Today, Maryville is a city with plenty to offer its citizenry.  Manufacturing powers lots of jobs in the area, moneys are spent to renovate the downtown area and of course its proximity to the National Park has made it a jumping off place for many adventures into the Smokies.

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Country Tonite Theater

16 Spectacular Seasons in Pigeon Forge

Country Tonite Theater - Pigeon ForgeFor years, during the height of the live theater shows in Pigeon Forge, the variety show was the staple form of entertainment.  Now, you can still see variety show excellence at Country Tonite, right on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.  Located at traffic light 1 in Pigeon Forge, Country Tonite is easily found  and in fact a short walk from some of the major hotels.  The show boats world-class entertainers and even brings in some nationally known talent in the Celebrity Concert series.  And then there is Christmas at Country Tonite which is one of the best ways to get you and your family into the Christmas spirit.

The main show at Country Tonite is a country music variety show the likes of which you have never seen before.  Packing the theater with more than a thousand people nightly, and bringing enough entertainment to fill a theater twice its size, Country Tonite puts on the best of today’s country music along with some of the great hits from the past.  Dancing, singing, comedy and much more are packed into each and every show.

Country Tonite Theater - Pigeon ForgeBut what happens when you take the variety show greatness that is Country Tonite and mix in a heaping helping of Christmas… you get one of the best Christmas Shows in the area.  Dripping from every corner of the stage, you will fill like an elf exploded in the theater.  Christmas favorites and plenty of good ole country fun are there for the taking at the Country Tonite Christmas show.  And of course, what Christmas Show in the Smokies would be complete without the big guy – yes, Santa makes an appearance in each and every Christmas Show at the Country Tonite Theater.

Of course, if you want something different, each year the Country Tonite Theater hosts a Celebrity Concert Series.  These celebrity artist were the people that made country music what it is today.  They laid the foundation for modern stars.  Each season, celebrities like:  Mel Tillis, Merl Haggard, George Jones, Ray Stevens and many more cause their fans to make a rush for the seats at the Country Tonite theater.  Packing the people in the seats, these stars from yesteryear prove why they are still superstars.  Get your tickets early because these shows almost always sale out.  Just think, while you are on vacation you have the chance to see some of the greats from country music’s history that made that genre of music popular.

Country Tonite Theater - Pigeon ForgeMake sure that you check out Country Tonite will you are on vacation in the Smokies.  See what a variety show should be like.  Experience all they have to offer, whether you are taking in the regular show, their Christmas show or one of the celebrities they work with to bring world class entertainment to the Tennessee side of the Smokies each and every year.

Country Tonite Theater
129 Showplace Slvd
Pigeon Forge, TN
865-453-2003
http://www.countrytonitepf.com/

Festival of Nations

Dollywood's Festival of NationsFor all the spectacular rides and water adventures offered by Dollywood every year, it’s the theme park’s shows that draw just as many crowds to them as any coaster or slide. If you’re from the area, you know that Dollywood’s Festival of Nations draw some of the biggest.

Dollywood’s Festival of Nations in Pigeon Forge, TN is a great way to discover Dollywood if this is your first time at the park, as well as a great event for those who have been a time or two. Festival of Nations has been an end of March through the beginning of May event in years past featuring international performers highlighting their cultures through dance, song, and culinary delights. It’s one of Dollywood’s most captivating events showcasing a world of entertainment, plus art, dancing, music and food, that’s most won’t see in person over an entire lifetime.

In 2011, Le Grand Cirque and the show Imaginé was back for another run on the Festival of Nations stage. But this is no Americanized “Circus”. This is a mouth-dropping performance weaving the flavor of numerous cultures into one spell binding show. These performances combine aerial acrobats, gymnasts, clowns, jugglers, and high wire artists in fantastic costumes. It’s a dazzling display of amazing feats set to great music. Really a can’t miss for the Festival of Nations.

Dollywood's Festival of NationsOther shows that have wowed the crowds at the Dollywood spectacular include Keona, an act unlike any other from Switzerland.  They perform using an instrument called the hang drum, which produces fascinating rhythms on many different drums. The Equadorian group Atahualpa captures the crowd with traditional South American song and dance. Native instruments as well as modern keyboards and guitars are just a part of their show, resulting in a melting pot of cultures and sounds. Calpulli Danza Mexicana has also put on a lively performance in years past featuring the Mexican variations of music and dance. Ceremonial dances and rich costumes from Mexico play a large part in Calpulli Danza Mexicana’s number.

DRUM!, a Nova Scotian group featuring 20 musicians, puts on quite the musical spectacle with dancers, drummers, and singers performing songs from four principle cultures – Aboriginal, Black, Celtic and Acadian. This 45-minute stage show is an upbeat combination of music, dance, poetry, video, rhythm and song, and is known the world over for its melding of different cultures into one spectacular performance.

Dollywood's Festival of NationsAnother group found to have combined together different cultures, Zambian Vocal Group brought numerous tribes together for their performance last year. Their united performance in a capella – no instruments, brought the crowd to its feet following a show of traditional hymns as well as original pieces to the backdrop of African rhythms, unique vocal percussion, and complex harmonies.

Whatever time of year, it’s always a great time to be at Dollywood, and even more so during the Festival of Nations. For the month of April into early May, you get all the normal attractions, plus everything encompassing the Festival of Nations. For more Festival of Nations information, check out Dollywood’s Festival of Nations web page. You’ll also find anything you need if you’re visiting Dollywood for the first time.

Driving Directions to Dollywood:

  • From Interstate 40, take Exit 407 toward Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.
  • Follow TN Hwy. 66 South which becomes US 441.
  • At Traffic Light No. 8 in Pigeon Forge, turn left. Dollywood signs are posted along the road till you reach the park.

Using a GPS Navigation System:

Use the address 1198 McCarter Hollow Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862 to take you to  Dollywood’s entrance.

Pigeon Forge Rod Runs

With tourism being the business of the Smoky Mountains region, you could make a case for classic cars being the area’s hobby. Each year during the spring and fall, Pigeon Forge and the neighboring towns of Gatlinburg and Sevierville welcome thousands of car enthusiasts in for the Grand Spring and Fall Rod Runs. Since its inception, it’s become a gathering of metal and chrome not seen since Detroit’s hey-day during the early part of the 20th century.

On one street corner you’ve got shiny, chromed-up, vintage models like the classic ’56 & ’57 Chevys, while right down the road you might see someone trying to sell their unique fixer-upper that just needs a few of those oh so hard-to-find parts. Whether you’re there to fawn over that ride from your childhood, or finally lay down the green on that supped up ’70 GTO, there will be cars to drool over and cars to purchase. This is one of the largest gearhead gathering in the southeast, and it only happens twice a year. With so much metal and chrome, as well as brand name vendors from across the country in attendance, this is the car show to end all cars shows.

Traffic light No. 3 in Pigeon Forge is where the party starts. The endless line of cars runs almost all the way down the Parkway, while other cars are parked in every available parking space facing the road. To get you warmed up for the infusion of metal brought about by the Grand Fall Rod Run, the Shades of the Past car show gets the area started with its own chromed out festival the weekend prior.

Here, its cars as far as the eye can see. The thing to do is just park your car and walk either side of the Parkway. Cars of every make, model, and finish, especially cherry, vintage, American steel: a ’70 Chevelle Super Sport parked next to an Austin Healy; a ’68 Impala parked next to a ’38 Studebaker Bus. It’s an outdoor museum spread out along the Parkway.

Most of the car owners will be sitting near their rides – that’s one of the great things about the Rod Run, there’s no lack of car knowledge here. Everyone loves talking cars, especially if it’s their own. The owners will tell you everything from where they got it, any upgrades, and plenty of good stories. I’m sure you remember you’re first car, where you were, who you were with. And if they’ve not already been there a week, owners and their cars will start rolling in on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Friday the Parkway is literally roaring.

The spring and fall Grand Rod Runs bring in auto vendors from all over the country. Whether it’s just a vendor booth, a sponsor booth, or a demonstration, if you’re looking for stuff for your classic or muscle car this is the place. If you’re more into the mechanics of the automobile, you’ll see people representing Camaro Central to ET Motorgear, and Hunter’s Custom Automotive to Ausley’s Chevelle. These guys know how to keep a car running and have spent years doing it. They also know a thing or two about restoration. Ask them whatever you want; it’s why they’re there. Just be sure to head back over to the Parkway that night.

Each night, the constant parade of cars is palpable as owners fire up their engines and cruise the strip. Those same cars you admired that afternoon will be rumbling up and down the streets of Pigeon Forge to see whose is the loudest. It’s a mixture of steel, chrome and glass reflecting through the night. For some it’s a journey back in time. Each year, Pigeon Forge’s Grand Rod Runs let you relive it time and again.

Past Grand Rod Run Info:

• Participants:
30 Days Before Event = $30
Within 30 Days of Event = $40

• Vendors:
Outside Space (9×16) = $135
Inside Space (10×10) = $155
Sales Corral = $75

For more information about any of the Grand Rod Runs, contact:

MCS Promotions
865-687-3976
Monday-Friday 8am – 4pm EST