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 In This Issue
(click on title to go directly to story)
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Happy 100th Birthday, NPS!
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As August 25 - National Park Service Founders Day - gets closer, many of you may be taking time to reflect on what our country's parks mean to you and your family. After you watch this beautiful birthday video above, click below to read "How National Parks Tell Our Story-and Show Who We Are" from National Geographic. What does this statement bring to mind for you: "They're more than scenic places. They're a nation's common ground."
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New Release:
New Old-Time
Smoky Mountain Music
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"This is one of the most insightful, interesting, passionate, and authentic compilations of American roots music that I've heard in a long time." -Kithfolk Magazine
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Old-time mountain music lovers rejoice! Our third CD of music inspired by recordings Joseph S. Hall made in the Smoky Mountains during the 1930s and '50s is on store shelves now. After you've listened for yourself, tell me: Could another Grammy nod be far behind?!
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GSMA videographer Gary Wilson captured several studio recording sessions for "On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-time Smoky Mountain Music." Click on the image above to watch. Be sure to turn on your volume.
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The number of exciting elements wrapped up in this album are too numerous to list here, but this one we just have to share...
Dolly Parton herself has rerecorded and donated a hauntingly beautiful version of "Little Rosewood Casket" for this CD, the sale of which supports this national park.
Two CD launch events are planned to introduce " On Top of Old Smoky: Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music" to the world. First, in North Carolina, music lovers familiar with the Back Porch Jams at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee will be thrilled to learn that on Saturday, Aug. 20, they'll be treated to an extended version of this local tradition. Musicians expected to perform include local favorites French Kirkpatrick and Friends, Corbin Hayslett ( Something's Always Sure to Tickle Me), and potentially Dale Jett and Hello Stranger ( Will The Circle Be Unbroken).
Then on Saturday, Sept. 10, look for the huge tent on Park Headquarters' lawn near Gatlinburg, TN, where NPS and GSMA will host a full day of mountain music, including our second launch party, which gets underway at 3 p.m. Featured CD musicians expected to be on hand include John Lilly (Man of Constant Sorrow and Mule Skinner Blues), The Brother Boys (The Ramshackle Shack and Conversation With Death), and Corbin Hayslett. The day's bill officially begins at 10 a.m. Stay tuned for details coming soon.
Those attending either or both launch events are encouraged to bring your own chair, as seating could be limited. As always, feel free to bring an instrument to the Back Porch Jam at OVC at 1 p.m.
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THANK YOU - WE WON!
THANK YOU to all who supported our effort to win a $250,000 grant from American Express, National Geographic, and the National Trust For Historic Preservation to refurbish the Clingmans Dome tower. Our successful effort means construction should start sometime next year!
Anyone who has visited recently knows the Clingmans Dome tower has been showing its age as of late. And who can blame it? The tower is open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. It is estimated that the majority of the more than 600,000 visitors traveling the 7-mile road to the top of old Smoky each year visit the tower. In 2015, 284,000+ visitors stopped for information at the GSMA-staffed contact station at the foot of the trail leading up to the tower and rangers made 80,000+ visitor contact on trail.
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Almost every Appalachian family kept bees as part of their food source years ago. Some techniques may have improved and changed over the years, but the end result is always a sweet goodness along the way... and maybe a few bee stings, too!
Last month's summer wildflower winner: Nita Johnston, Tennessee
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SAVE THE DATE!
Smokies to be ideal viewing location for 2017 solar eclipse
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Mark your calendar now to be in the Smoky Mountains for the Aug. 21, 2017, solar eclipse.
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A total solar eclipse, during which the moon will pass between the sun and Earth, will take place Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, and all indications say our park's western half will be directly in line with its path across America. You've got more than a year to plan your perfect viewing spot in the Smokies. Take our poll and tell us where you'd like to be when the darkness falls...
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Did National S'mores Day
sneak up on you again this year?
It's hard to believe National S'mores Day (Aug. 10) is nearly here again this year! With days yet to prepare, GSMA is here to provide you with the best possible chocolate filling around. With only three ingredients in most S'mores recipes, it's important that the chocolate, marshmallow, and Graham crackers all be real crowd-pleasers, and our dark, milk, and white chocolate bars fit the bill! Just one look at these happy faces, and you'll know for certain you're giving them the best.
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The deadline to register for this year's annual Membership Weekend in Cherokee, N.C., is Sept. 2. Don't delay - reserve your spot today! |
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On Thursday, Sept. 15, those planning to arrive early for this year's Members Weekend are invited to spend part of the day volunteering at the Mountain Farm Museum at Oconlauftee Visitor Center.
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"With our weekend headquarters in Cherokee this year, we've partnered with the Cherokee Indian Museum to provide the bulk of our Saturday activities," said Marketing and Membership Director Lisa Duff. Program offerings will include traditional Native American dance, pottery making, storytelling, medicinal plants, and more. From this year's vantage point, we're also excited to include the annual Mountain Life Festival at Oconaluftee Visitor Center as an on-your-own activity.
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GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash will lead a hike on Saturday
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"GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash will lead a hike this year as part of the NPS Centennial Hike 100 program," said Duff. "Additionally, the recently announced Top 100 Most Influential People in Park History will be recognized during a ceremony Friday night. It's certainly an understatement to say we've got a lot going on this year."
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Recommended August Hike:
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Playful Threesome ~ GSMA photo by Gary Wilson
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By Marti Smith
Marketing and Membership Associate
GSMNP 900 Mile Club Member
Looking for a variety of hiking experiences in one hike? This one may be for you. The Cucumber Gap Loop Trail, an approximately 5-mile, round-trip hike, provides hikers an outstanding combination of mountain environments, essentially making it a 5-for-1 experience. This hike includes a quiet walk in the woods, a waterfall destination, a riverside walk, an opportunity for wildlife watching, and a sampling of Great Smoky Mountains National Park history...
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Smoky Mountain Mystery:
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| | Photo courtesy M&D Photography. See more of their work HERE. |
Those of you who have walked to the far eastern edge of Newfound Gap parking area have probably noticed the old roadbed that traces the former route of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) into North Carolina. Several miles of the old road were rerouted in the early 1960s as part of the Mission '66 initiative to improve infrastructure across the entire national park system.
One result of the reroute (which added a giant hairpin turn into the roadway) was to create a road with fewer shady and icy areas and more breathtaking scenic views. The other outcome was the stranding of a substantial, ornate archway tunnel under Clingmans Dome Road less than a mile west of the junction with Newfound Gap Road...
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Shop the Smokies:
NEW - Spring wildflowers and summer butterflies are yours to enjoy year-round with our new collection of earrings. Show off your love of the Smoky Mountains's Black-eyed Susan, flowering dogwood, blue phlox, and Orange Sulphur, just to name a few, with more designs set to arrive in the Smokies through fall. Find them all HERE.
As the official bookstore operator for Great Smoky Mountain National Park, GSMA is here to tell you that we consider every day National Book Lovers Day. And for good reason... we don't just sell the finest, most enjoyable, most educational, and most authoritative books on this national park, we also publish them. Russell Heenie, who you may have seen in our Cades Cove store halfway around the loop, really enjoys leafing through Heirlooms & Artifacts of the Smokies during his afternoon breaks.
NEW - Hats, hats, hats... Keep your cool and show your Smoky Mountain pride at the same time when you don our new lineup of ball caps, each illustrated with iconic national park favorites, including a black bear, elk, and our park's name in bold print.
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Powell Boys and Girls Club listen to mountain tales as park ranger Jared Ownby plays mountain music on the dulcimer. NPS Photo.
GSMNP and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park rangers are leading a variety of summer programs for youth from the Knoxville Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley including Adventure Camps. Youth participating in the camps will spend three days in the Great Smoky Mountains and one day in Cumberland Gap learning about the unparalleled diversity of plant and animal life, rich cultural history, and numerous opportunities for recreation in our national parks.
"These camps are great opportunities to experience the Appalachian Mountains up-close and for our youth to make a connection with two national parks right in their backyards," said Joy Absher, GSMNP's acting education branch chief. "The national parks belong to them and we hope to inspire them to make a connection with these special places. The future of our parks is in their hands and we are ready to pass it to our next generation."
These camps provide a unique range of opportunities, including a visit to Clingmans Dome, along with the exploration of mountain streams for salamanders, walking in the footsteps of early pioneers in Cumberland Gap, and assisting park staff excavate archaeological sites. Campers have the opportunity to soak up spectacular views, breathe in the lush Appalachian forests, listen to mountain music, and make national park memories lasting a lifetime.
Vestal Boys and Girls Club takes in the scenery at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. NPS Photo.
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Recent winning entries have included (left) Hooded Warbler by Chris Myers and Roaring Fork by Nelson Ziegler.
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The invitation as gone out for artists to enter the 2017 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage juried art competition. The winning artwork will be featured on the cover of the 2017 Wildflower Pilgrimage brochure, T-shirts, and used for publicity. The artist also will have the opportunity to exhibit a small selection of original artwork in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts from April 11-May 13, 2017.
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American chestnut burs and leaves - photo courtesy the American Chestnut Foundation
This month marks your last chance - to qualify for the Chestnut Challenge and potentially walk away with...
- A private, full-day tour of Cades Cove with retired GSMNP ranger Mike Meldrum. Few know the Cove's secrets like Mike, who served many years as a volunteer and park ranger in this area, considered by many as the park's most impressive cultural and natural gem.
- Exclusive VIP Guest Pass for two to 32 Gatlinburg-area attractions, including all Ripley's locations, the Space Needle and Sky Lift, Ober Gatlinburg, Christ in the Smokies, Hillbilly Golf, and much more! Expires December 31, 2018.
Deadline to enter the 2016 Chestnut Challenge is midnight Aug. 24. Our winner will be notified on Aug. 25, 2016, the 100th Birthday of the National Park Service.
To learn more about upgrading your membership, click HERE or give us a call at 865.436.7318, Ext. 222 or 325.
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Smoky Mountain Recipe:
Corn Meal Muffins
Mountain Makin's in the Smokies, the very first cookbook GSMA sold some 50 years ago, has recently been redesigned and reprinted. This book is filled with delicious, old-time recipes from the heart of the Smoky Mountains, handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter. Sifted and blended with a few mountain anecdotes and tales.
Smoky Mountain
Corn Meal Muffins
Ingredients: - 4 TBSP shortening - 2 TBSP sugar - 1 egg - 1 1/4 C milk - 4 tsp baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt
Directions: Cream shortening and sugar. Add the well beaten egg, then flour baking powder, and salt sifted together. Mix with cornmeal. Gradually add milk. Beat well. Bake in well greased muffin pan in 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
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Monthly Visitation Count
Wondering if this park is on target to beat last year's record 10.7 million visitors? Each month in this location we'll keep track by updating the park's visitation count according to the National Park Service's Recreation Visitors Report.
| January | 379,730
| | February | 353,532
| | March | 778,211
| | April | 859,420
| | May | 1,018,224 | | June | 1,354,158
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Year-to-Date Total: 4,743,275* *Number subject to change following verification |
Smokemont Riding Stable is a National Park Service-authorized concessioner offering guided horseback riding and wagon rides within the GSMNP. Located on the North Carolina side of the Smokies just off US 441, they offer a variety of trail rides to ensure riders enjoy the Smokies on horseback.
NEW Business Members
Hike the Smokys.com
Sevierville, TN
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The Smokies are just a click away...
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Got questions? We have answers.
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Connecting Today to Yesterday; Preserving Today for Tomorrow
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