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About the Valley

Welcome to the September 2007 issue. This issue is all about NEW—a new season, a new convention center, a new heritage festival, and a new magazine! And, as always, a NEW recipe!!!



FALL HAS ARRIVED!!!

Fall has arrived and the weather in East Tennessee is just beautiful. With the fall season comes the greatly anticipated beautiful colors of the Great Smoky Mountains. The bright colors travel down the mountain from high to low elevations. There are about 100 different species of trees in the Smoky Mountains, making the color displays so spectacular.

The timing of the fall colors depends on many variables, so the dates for the peak season are difficult to predict. According to the National Park Service, currently, there are some yellow colors beginning to show at elevations above 4,500 feet in the park. Some red color is appearing but it is very scattered. You can also find some colorful wildflowers throughout the park.

The National Park Service website provides updates of the changing colors. The September 26, 2007, update says the park has had a very dry summer and this may affect the timing, duration, and intensity of the fall leaf season. There will be another update in early October. Visit http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm to keep up with the progress of the fall colors.

 

SEVIERVILLE EVENTS CENTER

Sevierville, which is a short drive from Wears Valley, has a brand new facility—the Sevierville Events Center at BRIDGEMONT. This beautiful new facility offers exhibition areas both inside and outside and convenient parking facilities. We visited an event at the BRIDGEMONT this weekend and had a wonderful time.

Visit http://www.seviervilleeventscenter.com to learn more about the BRIDGEMONT events center. Check out the list of scheduled events. You will enjoy visiting the new facility.


TOWNSEND NEWS

Blount County (which is home to the town of Townsend) has been designated a “Preserve America” community as part of an initiative led by First Lady Laura Bush to recognize and encourage heritage activities. This will provide national recognition and make the county eligible for grants to promote and preserve the area’s heritage.

Celebrating heritage is a Townsend favorite with residents and tourists. The Townsend Heritage Festivals held in the spring and fall are always favorite events. A Winter Heritage Festival is being added to the program and is set for February 7-10, 2008. The festival focuses on the cultural heritage of Tuckaleechee Cove, which includes Townsend and other foothills favorites.

There are many other heritage favorites you won’t want to miss! Two very popular sites are the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend and the always famous Cades Cove, where the heritage of the pioneer days is displayed.

For more information on Townsend cultural events, visit:

http://www.townsendthepeacefulside.com/townsend_visitors_center/visitors_center.htm.

 

NEW MAGAZINE ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE

We just learned about a new magazine, East Tennessee Life, and if you love this area, you will love this magazine. The magazine is published four times a year—spring, summer, fall, and winter—and is devoted to the people, places, events, and history that make living (and visiting) East Tennessee so special.

The current issue is Fall 2007 and it has a great article on hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can find this publication at retail outlets in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia or visit http://etnlife.com/ for more information.


PEANUT BUTTER PIE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:

1 package cream cheese (4 ounces), softened
½ cup confectioners sugar
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup milk
1 tub whipped topping (8 ounces), thawed
1 chocolate crumb pie crust

INGREDIENTS:

If you are intereIn a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy; add peanut butter and milk. Beat slowly until smooth, 3 minutes. Blend in the topping until no streaks appear. Pour into pie shell and freeze.

To serve, top with a mixture of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a light sprinkling of crushed toasted peanuts.

A GREAT INVESTMENT!!

If you are interested in owning a vacation home or rental home in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, we are offering Pine Cone Lodge for sale. Pine Cone Lodge has been a real winner on the rental program—over 250 days rented for the first year.

Thanks for subscribing to About the Valley. We look forward to bringing you more news next month. As always, if you have any questions or comments or want to share your favorite place to visit in the Smoky Mountains, e-mail us at .



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