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In this issue:
Winter weather arrives early in the Smokies
- Collections Preservation Center groundbreaking
- Take our Smoky Mountain Quiz
- Check your answers - Grist Mill Quiz
- Website changes explained
- "Branch Out" in 2015
- Dreaming of a white turkey?
- Clingmans Dome to close for season
- Cornbread stuffing recipe
- Our FINAL Kephart Knife sale starts Friday
- George Ellison to discuss "Our Southern Highlanders"
- Staff Spotlight: Curt Talbot
- Business Member of the Month: Sevier County Bank
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Take our Smoky Mountain
'This & That Trivia' quiz
Everything except the kitchen sink - that's the topic for our last quiz of 2014. Hint: The answer to question #10 may or may not be pictured above.
Click HERE to find our quiz. The first person to correctly answer these general park trivia questions will win a toasty warm Eco-Throw, just in time for snuggle season.
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GSMA members invited
to 'Branch Out' in 2015
One of the most exciting and educational benefits of your GSMA membership is the opportunity to participate with other members in our monthly programs. And starting in 2015, we're putting an even bigger emphasis on our programs, including a new title to compliment our new membership logo.
Because GSMA members have made the decision to "Get Rooted in the Smokies," we are now inviting you each month to "Branch Out" in the Smokies with programs in both North Carolina and Tennessee.
Our list of "Branch Out" programs is complete through March 2015 and can be found HERE. In addition to a more thorough explanation of each activity, we've included brief program leader bios so you'll know even more about the experts chosen to help you learn more about this very special place.
If you have a special "Branch Out" program request or would like to volunteer to lead a session, please email us HERE.
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"Dreaming of a white turkey?"
White turkey hen & friend; photo by Sharon Plyler
Visitors to the Sugarlands area of the national park have been treated recently to sightings of rare whitish wild turkeys among a flock of about 15 birds. The birds are not albinos, but with their whitish-yellowish feathers, they definitely stand out among their black companions.
According to park wildlife biologist Bill Stiver, "We used to believe that the unusual white phase wild turkeys were a result of breeding with domestic turkeys, but further research indicates this may not be the case."
Stiver said that though rare, white phase wild turkeys are probably a 100% natural occurrence in the Great Smoky Mountains. He has also noted that most white turkeys are hens.
Wild turkeys were nearly extirpated from the Smokies before establishment of the national park in 1934. They have come back on their own, without any reintroduction efforts, and are now quite common.
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Visitor donates work of art
GSMA employees at Oconaluftee Visitor Center were thrilled and honored last week to receive a most special donation from a park visitor.
Susanne Kerper of Webster, NC, spent six months completing this full-size quilt, which includes needlepoint wildflowers in each square.
"Sue's quilt will be displayed at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near where we keep the patterns she used to create it for all to enjoy," said store manager Barry Hipps.
Stitch patterns have nearly all been sold this year, but a few more remain for the holidays. Act now HERE because supplies are limited. Be sure, also, to look for more to arrive in park stores just in time for 2015's explosion of wildflowers next spring.
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Official Park Store
Holiday Special:
Spend $100 or more and receive
*FREE SHIPPING!
My shopping list...
- A GSMA gift membership for your brother. Check.
- A "Proud Member" military hat for your dad. Check.
- "Mountains for the Masses" for your family's history buff. Check.
- A dozen GSMNP Wall Calendars for your boss and co-workers. Check.
- And "Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A history in Postcards" for your mom and favorite great-aunt. Check.
Not only is your shopping done and everyone on your list is guaranteed to be happy Christmas morning, but your shipping is free and your heart is warm with the knowledge that you just helped this national park!
Give the gift of membership - perfect for the people on your list who have everything, especially a deep love and appreciation for the Smokies!
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GSMA Executive Director Terry Maddox
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Your dad loves the Smokies, enjoys being a GSMA member, and needs a new hat. We've got you covered - he'll be proud to wear this new GSMA member military cap.  NEW - "Mountains for the Masses: A History of Management Issues in GSMNP" The perfect read for the serious Smokies history buff. Never before has there been so much authoritative park history in one place, from the critical decisions leading up to park creation to the long simmering debates over Elkmont, wilderness designation, the North Shore Road, entrance fees, bear management, fishing and much more. Commissioned by GSMA for the National Park Service.
One look at the images inside the 2015 GSMNP Wall Calendar, and the vacation planning begins!
The history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park comes to life through these vintage postcards and lush storytelling. For those who enjoy this type of walk down memory lane, try "Building the Blue Ridge Parkway," which includes more than 200 black-and-white photos and stories that take you back.
*Free shipping offer on sales of $100 or more good Nov. 28 through Dec. 23. Final date to order to guarantee in-time-for-Christmas delivery is Dec. 15 by 4:30 p.m.
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Business Member
of the Month
Sevier County Bank
111 East Main Street
Sevierville TN 37864-5288
Phone: 865.453.6101, Email: HERE
Sevier County Bank specializes in personalized customer service providing loans and deposit accounts designed with customers in mind. Over 100 years of service to Sevier County enables us to see needs and react with financial products and expertise that folks find useful and comforting. Continuous service gives the bank the opportunity to see the big picture and relate to the ups and downs of financial services. We are a Charter Member of the FDIC and are constantly seeking to assure our customers of safety and soundness while providing banking that they find personal and helpful with their daily lives.
New Business Members
Timber Creek Realty & Cabin Rentals
3121 Wears Valley Road
Sevierville TN 37876
Phone: 865.774.8988, Email: HERE
High Range Designs
7609 Lupin lane
Victor ID 83455
Phone: 208.787.2277, Email: HERE
GSMA Members Benefit...
GSMA members earn discounts at more than 50 North Carolina and Tennessee businesses. Think about it - 20% off here, $5 off there, and before you know it, your membership dues have paid for themselves. It's our way of saying "Thank You" for your membership! See our complete list of supporting business on our website.
Can I get my business seen here?
If you own a business and want to become a GSMA Business Member and reach more than 40,000 email inboxes each month, please contact Westy Fletcher HERE.
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Join our Fans on Facebook!
We're up to more than 368K FANS on Facebook! We get more "Likes" when you help. Share our posts and invite your FB friends to "Like" us on
 Follow us on Pinterest
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Collections Preservation Center
groundbreaking held
 With ground officially broken on the afternoon of Nov. 13, construction on the new Collections Preservation Center in Townsend, TN, can now commence.
"Great Smoky Mountains Association is honored to be a part of this landmark project that pays tribute to the people who gave up their homes and communities for the creation of this national park. Of all the park projects GSMA has supported over the last 61 years, this is one of the very most important," said Executive Director Terry Maddox.
Read more HERE about the work to be undertaken at the CPC, which has been made possible by many participating partners, including GSMA. And click on the video below to hear even more details from GSMNP's John McDade.
 | Collections Preservation Center Groundbreaking
Video by Valerie Polk |
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Our present to you: A Sneak Peek
of next 'Smoky Mountain Explorer'
 | | Grandstand of the Smokies - Llama Sequence |
With hundreds of hours of filming now complete, GSMA cinematographer Gary Wilson has begun the editing phase of the next Smoky Mountain Explorer film. "Mt. Le Conte: Grandstand of the Smokies" is expected due for release by Spring 2015.
In this sequence Gary shows us how supplies are delivered the lodge twice a week - by llama train. Have a look by clicking on the image above.
The first two Smoky Mountain Explorer films are available now:
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GSMA members who enjoy connecting with the park through our website by now have seen our changes and have navigated around to pages they enjoy most - the Fall Foliage Report and webstore have both received tremendous views since we launched. Thank YOU!
If you've been waiting for the upcoming holidays to sit down with the new site, remember....
All GSMA members automatically have an online account, one that guarantees you'll receive your shopping discount at our online store.
Please, DO NOT create another account.
If you do, your discount will not work!
- Login: The email address you gave us when you became a member
- First-time users should select "forgot password" to set your unique password
- All others should proceed as usual
Have you seen our improved Calendar of Events with details on each event and photos? Check it out HERE.
If you're still stumped after spending some time on the site, please let us know HERE. We're happy to help you get the most from your www.SmokiesInformation.org experience. |
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Clingmans Dome closing event
is this Friday-Sunday*
This year's Clingmans Dome closing event gets under way this Friday, Nov. 28, and continues until closing Sunday, Nov. 30. Not only will we close up this shop for the winter, but the 7-mile road to the park's highest peak will also close for the season.
This also marks the last closing event to be hosted by store manager Barry Hipps, who is set to retire in early December. GSMA members, park visitors and all other brand of well-wishers are invited to say a fond farewell to the long-time North Carolina team manager during this three-day event. Highlights of this year's closing event will include delicious refreshments, a warm fire and savings on a variety of Dome-related products, including all our Clingmans Dome t-shirts. For those of you who cannot make it to the Dome the weekend after Thanksgiving but want to wish Barry well in retirement, please send him an email HERE.
*The closing party at Clingmans Dome is weather dependent. Be sure to check forecasts and GSMNP's Twitter feed for up-to-date road conditions. |
Don't miss this opportunity to meet and talk with Bryson City author George Ellison about his work on "Our Southern Highlanders," the newly-expanded 3rd edition of this classic collection of essays on mountain life and lore by author
 | | Bill Landry |
Horace Kephart. If you cannot make it to Bryson City on "Black Friday," a second signing date has been added on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, from 10:30 a.m until 2 p.m. Purchase your copy HERE or two - one to keep and one to share. Book and video signings continue throughout the weekend with Bill Landry, famed host of "The Heartland Series." Bill is also the voice of our "Smoky Mountain Explorer" series of DVD/Blu-Ray films about GSMNP, the third of which is due out in the spring and highlights Mt. Le Conte. Check HERE for specific details about dates and times for all GSMA events.
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FINAL Kephart Knife sale
starts Friday
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Our inventory is nearly depleted! This could be your last opportunity ever to purchase our commerative Kephart Knife. In his renowned book Camping and Woodcraft, Horace Kephart says: "For years I used knives of my own design, because there was nothing on the market that met my notion of what a sensible, practical sheath knife should be; but we have it now in the knife shown here. It is of the right size, the right shape, and the proper thinness." We've slashed the purchase price of this timeless treasure for the holidays - starting this Friday and ending when they are gone, purchase an non-numbered Kephart Knife for $217.49, reduced from its original $289.99. *Some restrictions apply. Ask store associate or see website for details. |
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Smoky Mountain Recipe:
Cornbread Stuffing
To stuff or not to stuff? That is the question on everyone's mind today, right?
Whether you prepare this treat inside or outside your holiday bird, be ready with an extra batch in the kitchen, because second helpings are a sure thing with this stuffing recipe.
Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients:
Cornbread crumbles (recipe below)
7 slices oven-dried white bread1 sleeve saltine crackers8 TBSP butter2 C chopped celery1 large onion, chopped7 C chicken stock1 tsp saltFreshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon sage, optional1 TBSP poultry seasoning5 eggs, beatenPreheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, then add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Great Smokies Great Cornbread
1½ cups sour milk or buttermilk
2 eggs2 Tbsp. sugar½ tsp. salt½ tsp. baking soda1½ cups cornmeal½ cup flour ¼ cup melted butter or margarineBeat the first five ingredients together. Stir in cornmeal and flour. Add melted butter. Mix. Pour batter into a greased 8" square pan. Bake at 425° F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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ATTENTION GSMA MEMBERS - We've started a collection of recipes on our new website HERE. Be sure to log in to the Smokies Insider to find all these mouth-watering delights.
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GSMA Staff Spotlight:
Curt Talbot
Curt Talbot works as a wholesale sales representative for books and other products produced by GSMA. He also handles the advertising for the ever-popular Smokies Life Magazine.
Q: Where do you hail from, Curt?A: I am originally from Gatlinburg. Q: How long have you worked for GSMA, and what did you do before then? A: I have been with GSMA 12 years this month. Before that I worked for the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce and managed a few hotels in the area and even worked for Food City before taking this job. Q: You must have seen a lot of changes in Gatlinburg in your years. What was it like here when you were a boy? A: I can remember walking home from Pi Phi Elementary School and being the only one on the main street after Labor Day. The season back then was May through October and there were only 3,000 people living here so we really got to know each other. Q: Didn't you have family who lived in the Smokies prior to the creation of the national park? Could you tell us a little about them? A: My grandmother was born at the headwaters of Little River about where Backcountry Campsite #30 (Three Forks) is today. My great-grandparents started in the Huskey Gap, Sugarland Branch area and migrated toward Elkmont. My grandfather was from New York, and he worked for the CCC camp in Elkmont. He met a mountain girl and never went back. Q: What became of them when the park was created? A: They moved to Gatlinburg and started a family business. Q: What are your favorite outdoor activities in and around the park? A: We just got through doing a family hike. Usually about 15 or 20 of us get together and go to the places where our relatives used to live in the Smokies. We like to map out the old homesites and visit remote places most people never see.
Q: What are the favorite parts of your job? A: I have the opportunity to meet a lot of really nice people in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.
Want to read more?
Click HERE for more staff spotlights. As spotlights are added to our new website, staff are including a list of their favorite Great Smoky Mountains products, including beloved books, Foods of the Smokies, and fun, new products, all 100% NPS-approved for superior quality and value standards.
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| Answers to last month's Grist Mill Quiz | -
This structure directs water to a mill's waterwheel: Millrace
- Which day of the week was usually considered "mill day" in the Smokies: Saturday
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Stones for grinding corn were cut from local granite, but wheat stones were made from quartz imported from: France
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Mingus Mill was the largest mill in the Smokies, with customers coming from as far as 15 miles away. About how many families did it serve at its peak of operation? 200
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As water heads toward the mill this device holds back leaves, twigs and other debris: Chunk rack
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Cades Cove was at its population peak between the 1850s and 1870s. How many mills served its 700 residents? 4-5
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Widows were seldom asked to pay a "grain toll," but others deposited a percentage of the grain they brought to the mill in the mill's toll box. The miller either kept this or converted it to cornmeal or flour to sell. This percentage of grain was usually: 1/8
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Various types of wheels operate mills. The Cable Mill in Cades Cove is operated by this type of wheel: Over-shot wheel
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Tub mills were suited to mountainous terrain since they fit easily along narrow streams where they took advantage of low volume, high velocity water flow. A prime example is located directly on Roaring Fork. It is the: Reagan Mill
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10. Besides being the largest mill in the Smokies, Mingus Mill's other distinctive factor was it was operated by this: Metal turbine
Winner was Judy Shillito, South Carolina. Congratulations!
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| Have Questions? | - For questions about online purchases, click HERE and the Mail Order department will help you.
- For questions about membership, click HERE and Judy or Marti will help you.
- For questions about business membership, click HERE and Westy will help you.
- Want to volunteer with GSMA? Click HERE and Lisa will help you. |
EXTRA!
Read all about it! |
The following are all instantly available, digital, GREEN publications...
+ The all-new Fall 2014 Smokies Guide (the official GSMNP newspaper) is available for viewing, reading and printing. Click HERE. + Read back issues. Archive editions of the Cub Report can be found HERE. |
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All purchases support this national park. 
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