This year will be the first time Tanger Outlet in Sevierville, Tn. has started “Black Friday’” on Thanksgiving Thursday! That’s right, the doors at Tanger Outlet will be unlocked at 10 PM Thanksgiving day and will not be locked again for 24 hours! Many stores have opened for business very early in the morning on the Friday following Thanksgiving for a long time now. Tanger is, without a doubt “raising the bar”!

With the lights of Winterfest guiding the way, shoppers will no doubt take this opportunity to get a jump on the Christmas shopping season. Many dads stuffed with all the good food they could possibly hold will most likely opt out and be perfectly fine watching the end of the football game! Many moms will be perfectly content to finally break away from the day’s cooking, dishes and crowds to spend some quiet time searching the aisles for those perfect gifts.

With so much to do in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park area be sure you take the time and enjoy some of the other wonderful Sevierville attractions!

Have a lot of fun and be safe during this year’s holiday season!

I’m a guy so I really shouldn’t be as excited as I am, but I can’t help it; IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME (and I love to shop)! So this weekend, I’m maxing out my cards! I don’t care, I’m sick of recessions, bad economic data and all that “bah humbug”!  I got sons,nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and a mailman counting on me and I promise, I won’t let you down! But first, even though my house is looking  like “Santa gone wild” already, I still need more Christmas stuff! Good thing I live in Sevierville because I know just the place to get what I need to fill in those last few empty corners of my home before I head out to the outlet malls…the Christmas Place! I love it there!

This time of year, I don’t know what happens to me but it turns me into a little kid! I walk in there and transform into an eight year old, it’s crazy! If you’ve never been there you really need to go. Your senses will be filled with the colors, smells and sounds of what I think is without a doubt, the best part of the year. This will be my third time to go there in the last month or so and I’ll probably be back again before Christmas!

Sorry for the short post, but I’ve talked myself right into the mood and I’m outta’ here!  I’m going to call my buddy and see if he wants to meet me later for some  Pigeon Forge arcade action at my other favorite place to feel young again, Lazerport!  Have a  merry Christmas everybody!

It’s that time again and moms, in particular, are gearing up for the Christmas shopping season! While it can be a lot of fun to explore each and every store at a great place for shopping like, Tanger Mall at Five Oaks, it can be tedious for any restless teens or youngsters you have with along for the day! But I have a great idea so all have a fun time!

Right across from the street from the mall in Sevierville you will see a new landmark. It’s a zip line tower where folks from all around are getting a chance to try this exciting activity. Just drop those kids off (maybe call it an early Christmas gift) and let them spend a few hours riding the zip lines and horses! They’ll love you for it and you will have some time to concentrate on the task at hand; shopping!

Completely safe, your youngsters will be in good hands accommodated by two guides on every line and attached to not one but TWO zip line cables designed to keep people safe while having fun. The trail rides at Adventure Park of Five Oaks also have guides. The kids will get to see the mountains on horseback and view the entire Smokies from a really cool ride. Ask about their “combo-package” and you’ll get a discount for each person too.

Check out their Pigeon Forge zip line and riding stables web page and learn more. I have also included another link if you would like to see other Pigeon Forge attractions and options available for mom to have a free day filled with shopping! Have fun mom!

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Every year at this time mother nature sets the stage and puts on one of the best shows in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville absolutely free!  Just like clockwork,  cars bearing license plates from all around the country start making their way to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to see this awesome display of natural colors. This area is perfect for the many people that enjoy viewing, photographing or just being out among the colorful backdrop of Autumn. With over 100 different species of trees living throughout these mountains, the array of colors is phenomenal!

Since the shows are free, what about seeing them like you never have before?  I know a place conveniently  located right across from Tanger Outlet Mall at Five Oaks that will let you see the mountains while taking a horseback ride or zip line tour.  Adventure Park at Five Oaks sits on a gorgeous,  seventy acre nature park complete with a mountain lake! While the riding stables have been there for quite a while, the zip lines are just several months old. If you’ve never tried zip-lining or horseback riding, this weekend would be a perfect time to start!  Weather forecasters are saying that temps will be in the upper 70s to low 80s and no rain for the foreseeable future so gather up some family and friends and make your way to traffic light 13.1 in Sevierville for a day that will truly be; picture-perfect!

If you happened to be around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville  in March of this year, you might have joined in on the fun at the Corvette Expo held at the Sevierville Convention Center. If you happened to have missed it, not to worry because they are returning!

Coming up on October the 23rd at 10:00 am, Cooper Events and Thompson-Carr Auctions will be having another auction there at the convention center. The promoter of this event, Byron Cooper, says that at least 10 Corvettes will be auctioned off with no reserve price. This could be a great opportunity for anyone that has longed to own one of these legendary automobiles.

For only $10 you can have a day of fun watching these beauties being auctioned off and if you’ve never seen one of their auctions on TV they can be pretty fun. Just to get you excited I’ve posted a video that has pictures of the March, 2010 Corvette Expo held in Sevierville Tn.

While you’re in this area having a good time you might also want to make time to ride the new Sevierville zip line at Adventure Park at Five Oaks across from Tanger Mall at Five Oaks.  This is a cool thing to do for people from 3 to 103 and believe me, the older folks are  joining in on the fun! There was a lady celebrating her 90th birthday this year at the adventure park and she wasn’t there for the riding stables (which would have been impressive enough) but she actually did the zip line tour!

We got quite a surprise at the office a few days ago when a guy walked in with a bag. What was in that bag???

Some of the freshest, best tasting food I have ever had! Out promoting his relatively, new, healthy place to eat by giving away delicious samples of his tasty items! I’m not talking a little piece of cheese on a toothpick either, these were complete, freshly made meals!

It’s rare to see new businesses doing everything right but I must hand it to “Healthy Balance” because I like this guy’s ideas a lot!

Basically, they look for the best places to buy the freshest, locally grown produce and as far as I can tell carefully choose everything down to the pine nuts! I’m not kidding, I have never written a restaurant review before but I was so impressed with this entire operation that I felt compelled to pass on my new find.

If  you are visiting or living in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Sevierville and want something good to eat that’s also good for you do yourself a favor and try this place.

They are located (I still have the brochure he left in front of me) at 1223 Ridge Rd. in Sevierville, Tn. but you don’t have to find them they will bring it to you! Also, (this is awesome) you can buy “Super Packages”  that keeps you eating healthy for 2 weeks or longer. They will let you know precisely what you are getting in each meal including; calories, carbs, proteins and a fat count so this is the perfect way to start a new diet!  The average meal is 300 calories or less and I’m telling you, absolutely delicious!

I  have no stake in this company at all but if I did have money I would invest in a franchise just like this. This operation could easily go nation wide and be franchised out if everyone took as much care in their product as this person does.

Go check their menu out and learn more and lets go on a diet together (I really am!).

Great healthy place to eat.