|
Fauna Crossword Puzzle
Click here to take our newest crossword puzzle about fauna of the Smokies!
|
|
Great Year for Oconaluftee
Although it has not yet been a full year since the new visitor center and museum at Oconaluftee opened, the change in attendance has been dramatic.
For the year ended December 31, visitation at the facility is up more than 35%, or 113,722 people. Because the new Oconaluftee center did not open until April 1, 2011, the actual increase since the site opened is even higher.
|
30% Off Sale
Free Shipping on Orders Over $25
Enjoy the specials on logo tote bags, shirts, caps, lapel pins, and patches.
GSMA Logo Tote Bag
 GSMA Logo Women's Hiking Shirt |
|
Chef Heather's Recipes
Using Local Foods
Chef Heather O'Donnell shares some recipes that rely on foods of the Smokies.
Sourwood Honey Banana Smoothie
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sourwood honey
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 bananas
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 ice cubes
Perfect for a quick breakfast treat "to go"!
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy for a quick, healthy, breakfast treat! Makes 2 servings.
Bakery Granola
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups pecan halves
1 1/2 cups dried sweet cherries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup canola, sunflower, or light olive oil
1/3 cup sourwood honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350.
Toss oats, coconut, pecans, and cherries in large bowl.
Drizzle with oil and honey.
Add cinnamon and stir.
Pour onto sheet pan.
Bake to golden brown, stirring when necessary to maintain consistency, 25-30 minutes.
Remove, cool, and store air tight.
Great for snacking on the trail, after the gym or school, and wonderful as a topping on yogurt.
For added protein you can use vanilla Greek yogurt. It has little or no fat, double the protein, and a richer consistency than regular yogurt.
Honey is good for your immune system.
|
|
Business Members
Greenbrier Valley Resorts
& Real Estate
29 East Parkway
Gatlinburg TN 37738
800.546.1144
www.WeLoveGatlinburg.com
AAA approved 3 diamond since 1993 Greenbrier Valley Resorts offers 70 individually owned cabins and chalets fully furnished and equipped with every possible amenity in the Village of Cobbly Nob.
From 1 to 12 bedrooms, sleeping from 2 to 34 people. All have a hot tub and at least 1 fireplace.
We offer pet friendly, waterfront, incredible mountain views, free hi-speed wireless internet, and homes that offer complete privacy and seclusion.
Our location is between 2 entrances to the park which makes it easy to access all the Park has to offer and close to Gatlinburg for some quality dining, shopping, and fun.
As a bonus, our location at the Village of Cobbly Nob gives you access to 3 outdoor swimming pools, tennis, 24 hour security, and the Gary Player designed Bent Creek golf course.
GSMA members in good standing: Stay two nights and receive 1/2 off the third night.
To see the discounts offered to GSMA members, click here.
If you own a business and would like to be included in this newsletter and our website, contact Westy Fletcher at 423.487.3131 or Westy@GSMAssoc.org
Diamond Mountain Rentals
239 East Parkway
Gatlinburg TN 37738
865.430.4060
cabins@diamondrentals.com
www.diamondrentals.com
GSMA members in good standing, stay two nights get the third one free. Holiday weeks and the month of October excluded.
Alpine Chalet Rentals
103 Silverbell Lane
Gatlinburg TN 37738
800.235.2661
alpinechalets@gmail.com
www.alpinechaletrentals.com
Hearthside Cabin Rentals
in the Smokies
702 Wears Valley Road
Pigeon Forge TN 37863
888.993.7655
reservations@
hearthsidecabinrentals.com www.HearthSideCabinRentals.com
Ely's Mill
393 Roaring Fork Road
P.O. Box 73
Gatlinburg TN 37738
865.719.4078
info@elysmill.com
www.elysmill.com
|
If you'd like to receive 1 online newsletter a month from us, click on the icon above. We never share your address with anyone and we never send any spam. |
|
|
|
GSMA's New Look and New Address
We don't want to miss any of your correspondence, so be sure to note that GSMA has a new snail mail address.
Please send any and all future renewals, new memberships, and other correspondence to the following address:
Great Smoky Mountains Association
PO Box 130
Gatlinburg, TN 37738-0130
|
|
Hyatt Lane Church in the early 1900s. Note the separate doors for men and women to enter and exit. Gender segregation was common. NPS photo.
Modern "Witching" for Hidden Graves
According to Park Archaelogist Erik Kreusch, there are three ways to look for graves: archaeology (digging), dowsing, and ground penetrating radar (GPR). Kreusch used each of these methods in an effort to locate unidentified grave sites and cemeteries in GSMNP.
The land around the Primitive Baptist Church in Cades Cove and the former site of the Missionary Baptist Church on Hyatt Hill was studied and the search was a success. Experts were able to identify potential undiscovered graves in both areas by observing patterns of below-ground disturbance in neatly arranged rows.
|
 Photo by Gary Wilson Is GSMNP a Rainforest? New Video 8 Feet of Rain and Rising Weather statistics reveal that Mt. LeConte received 99.5" of rain in 2011. That's 8.3' of rain! This means the highest areas of the park are within half an inch of being a temperate rainforest. Gary Wilson captures the wet winter through beautiful waterfall and stream footage with interesting and educational narration about water in the Smokies. Click here to view his new video. |
|
Photo by ABR
Wilderness Wildlife Week
There were lots of great programs this year during Wilderness Wildlife Week as usual. Hope you got to attend. For those who didn't, you can click here to watch the first in a series of videos of the Appalachian Bear Rescue presentation.
|
|
Photo of the Chimneys by Green Photography
Park Has Over 9 Million Visitors in 2011
The 2011 results are in and GSMNP visitation again exceeded 9 million. The park had 9,008,831 guests to be exact.
December visitation was up 37.7%. But for the year, park visits were down 4.8%.
|
|
White-Tailed Deer Video
For Gary Wilson's beautiful new film featuring the white tail deer rut and wild turkeys. Click here.
|
|
Eastern Screech Owl by Deb Campbell
Whooo... whooo... gives a hoot?
Join us for an Owl Prowl and find out!
It could be a Great Horned Owl, Barred, Northern Saw-Whet, or an Eastern Screech Owl. What luck will you have finding these denizens of the night?
Join Butch McDade on Saturday, February 11 for a nighttime adventure into the elusive world of these amazing birds. Meet at Sugarlands Visitor Center at 7 pm. Dress appropriately in winter clothing, hiking boots or athletic shoes with tread, and bring flashlights or headlights, and maybe even a rain parka, just in case.
Please register in advance by calling 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254. This program is open to adults and children 12 and older. There is a $10 charge for adults and $5 for children 12-16 to cover the presenter's fee.
|
|
Photo by Deb Campbell
Save the Dates!
For Wildflower Pilgrimage & Members Weekend
Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage on April 25-29
Bye-bye to the winter doldrums and hello spring! GSMA is proud to be a primary sponsor for this yearly event, now in its 62nd year.
Choose from a wide range of hikes, indoor programs, exhibits, plant sales, and much more! Here is Valerie Polk's video of the pilgrimage so you can see what it's all about.
The Pilgrimage website, www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org, will be updated in mid-February. Check it out and plan your activities ahead of time.
A "Heads Up" for GSMA Membership Weekend
Mark your calendar. Our annual Membership Weekend will be September 14, 15 & 16, headquartered at the Center for the Arts in Bryson City.
If you haven't joined us in the past, we hope you can come this year. It's a well-attended weekend for park lovers, with both indoor and outdoor programs, and a Friday night BBQ with entertainment.
There's also a buffet dinner on Saturday night with entertainment. Look for more information in your mailbox around a month prior to the event.
Thanks for Your Gifts of Membership in GSMA
The Association received a tremendous response to our gift membership offer over the holiday season! We thank each of you who cared enough to honor a loved one and support the park at the same time.
Please keep in mind that there are several occasions throughout the year where a gift membership would make a wonderful surprise for that special someone: Valentine's Day, Easter, birthdays, anniversaries, a special "thank you", or "just because"!
|
|
|
|
|
