Looking forward to skiing at Ober Gatlinburg?  So are we!

Snowboarding on Ski Mountain, Gatlinburg TN

Skiing and snowboarding at Obergatlinburg is often the highlight of winter vacations in the Smokies.  Trails aren’t open yet, but many are counting the minutes until snowmaking can start and Mother Nature sends the flurries our way.  However, there is still plenty to do high on top of Ski Mountain.

Ride the aerial tram to Ober Gatlinburg to go ice skating or view the bear habitat, shop for Ober souvenirs, children’s gifts, leather crafts and more, or have a bite to eat at the Ober Gatlinburg Restaurant & Lounge where they tout “the only thing better than the view FROM your table…will be the food ON your table!”  Throughout the skiing season, the lounge will be hosting local entertainment most night from 6-9 p.m.  Visit here for the full entertainment schedule.

New this season, the ski resort will also be presenting a Women’s Wintersport Program offering a four-week ski and snowboard lesson package for all skill levels that will be taught by women instructors.  Call 865.436.5423 or visit www.OberGatlinburg.com for full program details.  Be sure to book your Gatlinburg reservations at Crossroads Inn or Twin Islands for a great place to relax after hitting the slopes!

Need inspiration?  Check out Ober Gatlinburg Ski Photos and Snowboarding Pictures.  We look forward to having you vacation with us at Ogle’s Properties for an ideal winter getaway in the Great Smoky Mountains!

October 1-2, 2011

Horror Weekend 2011 is not your usual Smoky Mountain event, but it’s coming to Gatlinburg this October 1-2!  Here’s your chance to meet and greet some of your favorite Horror genre stars at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.  Celebrity guests will participate in Q&A panels, autograph signings, and photo ops using your own camera.

The horror events take place Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday October 2 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  In addition to the celebrity activities and special movie screenings, the convention center will be filled with vendors specializing in all things scary, collectibles, costumes, party supplies, and more.

The celebrity lineup includes:
Heather Langenkamp (Nancy, Nightmare On Elm Street)
Tony Todd (Candyman, Night of the Living Dead)
Doug Jones (Abe Sapien, Hellboy)
Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees, 2009 Friday the 13th)
Margot Kidder (Amityville Horror)
Andrew Bryniarski (Thomas Hewitt aka Leatherface, Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
PJ Soles (Lynda Van Der Klok, Halloween)
Amanda Wyss (Christina “Tina” Gray, Nightmare On Elm Street)
Ari Lehman (The 1st Jason Voorhess, Friday the 13th Part I)
Be sure to check out his horror/rock band “First Jason” that will be performing.
J. Larose (Saw 3 & 4)
And More!!

Tickets are $20 per day, or $30 if paying for both days in advance.  Children under 10 are admitted free with a paying adult.  Want even more fun?  Purchase a VIP event ticket—of which only 30 are available—to have access to the Hard Rock Cafe Kick-Off Bash with live music by Radio Cult on Friday night and a VIP Party with the Stars on Saturday Night.  VIP purchases also include upfront screening seats, subscription to Fangoria Magazine, tickets to Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, and more!  Visit Horror Weekend in Gatlinburg for full details and ticket purchases.

Stay with us, just steps from the Hard Rock Café!  Call Twin Islands or Crossroads Inn directly for availability and some “not so scary” room rates.

Celebrate Each Weekend All Month Long!

Celebrate each weekend in October at Ober Gatlinburg!

Ober Gatlinburg is celebrating their 1st Annual Oktoberfest, being held each Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the month of October.  In the newly handicapped accessible restaurant you’ll find staff in German attire ready to serve up dishes from their special menu including Kielbasa and Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, Reuben Panini, Sauerbraten and special Oktoberfest beers! 

The Bavarian Fun Makers Band will entertain with folk dances, yodels, and traditional sounds during shows at 1, 4 and 6 p.m.   Plan to have a great meal and enjoy the complimentary entertainment.

Visiti Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort & Amusement Park for all the fun things to do at the top of the mountain!

A Fair Trade Retailer

Ten Thousand Villages, named one of the world’s most ethical companies again in 2010, offers fair trade shopping in the Smoky Mountains!

This non-profit retailer opened its doors on August 6 in the Belz Annex on Teaster Lane.  Inside you’ll find a relaxing, culture-filled atmosphere and friendly faces eager to share a cup of coffee and the beautiful artwork and handicrafts of artisans from over 38 countries around the world.

The store features home decor, tableware, baskets, personal accessories and jewelry, and global treasures and collectibles.   There are gifts and decorations from Haiti, Uganda, India, Peru and the Phillippines just to name a few.  Several pieces even have the name of the artist on the tag.  The items are as unique as you will find anywhere, and would make wonderful additions to any home.   Getting married in the Smokies?  You can create a wedding registry in store or online that celebrates your special event and your values.

When to stop by, be sure to have that complimentary cup of coffee and even join the Coffee Club!  You can register at the counter for their enewsletter offering the latest Ten Thousand Villages news and special discounts.  The sales associates are also more than willing to introduce you to the concept and principles of Fair Trade that include:

• Providing opportunities for Third World producers who are economically unable to participate in the conventional trading system
• Help develop those producer’s independence to build sustainable operations
• Fair purchase prices
• Equal wages for equal work among men and women, and gender equality
• Safe and healthy work environments for all artisans

Say hello to Ashley and Debbie and have a wonderful time discovering treasures of the world!

Don't Feed the Bears!

Bears have been sighted in the parking lot at Twin Islands Motel, and it appears they’ve come to stay!

OK… so they aren’t live bears, but they are just as neat to look at. Instead of removing the once vigorous tree at the edge of our family playground and picnic area, we decided to contract a local chainsaw carver to create a work of art.

We now have three black bears that will remain in our parking lot for years to come, and provide a perfect “photo spot” so that you can take home pictures of you and your family with Great Smoky Mountains wildlife.

Visit our Facebook page to see a photo gallery of our carving from start to finish!

Shop Tax Free August 6-8

Tax Free Back-to-School Shopping

This coming weekend is your opportunity to shop tax free for clothes, school supplies, and computers at some of the best outlet shopping malls in the area! The 2010 Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on August 6 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 8.

Purchases don’t have to be for students; they just cannot be purchases made for business use. Now is the time to get your new home computer, get Grandma hooked up with laptop, and purchase clothing for the entire family! Here are detailed lists of items eligible for tax savings:

Tax Free Clothing Tax Free School Supplies Tax Free Computers

To help you make the most of this much anticipated holiday, we have a few suggestions for you.

1. Book your reservations with us and plan to arrive no later than Thursday.

2. Make your shopping list while relaxing by the swimming pool and then get a good night’s rest.

3. Rise early, eat a hearty breakfast, and put on your most comfortable shoes.

4. Review your bargain hunting game plan and Go Get Those Deals!

Don’t forget to use our $10 Off coupon for your stay!

August 6 - 10, 2010

Chongqing (pronounced Chung-Ching) is a major city in China, with its history dating back as far as 3,000 years. Beginning August 6, that history comes to life in Tennessee when some of China’s finest artists and performers will be in Sevierville at the Smoky Mountain Palace, current home of the Cirque de Chine. This extraordinary event will include free admission from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. to view cultural displays in the lobby throughout the day, with an hour of demonstrations and live performances at 6:30 p.m. Plan to stay and purchase tickets for the evening show when all performers share the stage at 7:30 p.m.

This 5-day event will feature:

Wang Yi – a master of the Yang Qin (a hammered dulcimer), and Chief of the Chongqing Folk Arts Troupe

Wang Yali – a master of the Erhu, a centuries-old traditional two-stringed Chinese fiddle

Liu Yingying – a Sichuan Opera star internationally recognized for her skills in Face Changing, rapidly changing face masks technique.  Successors of World Intangible Heritage

Liu Guibing – an architect who creates highly detailed sugar sculptures

Zhou Mingchun – one of two inventors of the patented Leaf Veins Painting

Chen Zifu – a magician of fans who can create exquisite fans from any material

Wen Yuguang – a master of wood engraving depicting Chinese peasants’ daily lives

Liang Su – traditional art craft of Paper Cutting

Hu Wenfu – renowned for his unique calligraphy technique, using only ink, his fingers, palm and fist

Cast of Cirque de Chine – the theater’s own resident award-winning masters of dance, acrobatics, and contortion.

All the exhibitions in the lobby prior to the evening event are free to the public. Each evening at 6:30 p.m., there will be live performances in the lobby by acrobats, demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy by Hu Wenfu, and demonstrations by the master craftsmen showcasing traditional folk arts.

Book your stay at Crossroads Inn or Twin Islands during this special event running August 6-10, 2010 at the Smoky Mountain Palace on Collier Drive in Sevierville, straight across from Wal-Mart.

June 24, 2010

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is hosting a biannual “Art 4 Art’s Sake” Live and Silent Auction on June 24. If you are vacationing with us, stroll just across the Parkway and treat yourself to this opportunity to experience the talent and creativity of artists whose works are sold in fine galleries and displayed in museums worldwide.

If you would like, you may make advance reservations to attend the 5:30 p.m. pre-auction dinner for $17 per person. Otherwise, attendance at the auction is free. Preview and silent auction are from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with the live auction immediately following. All proceeds from donated artwork support Arrowmont’s scholarship and education assistance programs.

If you miss the art auction, be sure to stop in any Monday through Saturday between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. now until July 4 to visit the Loggia Gallery and peruse Artists-in-Residence Collections featuring works of art by ceramics artists Martina Lantin and Thaddeus Erdahl, wood artist Kent Perdue, and metalsmith Victoria Altepeter.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is a nationally renowned center of contemporary arts and crafts education. Workshops are offered for weekend, one and two-week sessions from May through October each year. Check rates and availability to make reservations for a creative escape!

Traditional Gatlinburg Shopping

Reagan’s Carousel Mall has been remodeled, renewed, and renamed The Shops at Carousel Gardens.  Enjoy fine art, elegant shopping, and fabulous food right across the street from Twin Islands and just a couple doors down from Crossroads Inn.

The reopening of this shopping center brings the “Heart of Gatlinburg Home” by showcasing traditional arts and artisans of the Smoky Mountains.  Browse for a Smoky Mountain souvenir, heirloom gift for a summer bride, or just relax with a cup of coffee and enjoy the God given talents of local artists displayed throughout 76 nooks.

Twenty-nine artists’ creations are displayed on the shops’ two levels, including paintings, prints, pottery and hand-crafted works of art.  You’ll also find one-of-a-kind gifts, antiques, and collectibles offering a touch of Appalachia.  The mall offers Lu Lu’s Cookie Gallery with specialty coffees, fresh baked goods and delicious treats, and Sweet Pea’s Cafe & Antique Lounge for a wonderful meal so that you can browse and shop for as long as you like!

African Penguins come to Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokies April, 2010

A big “Congratulations” goes out to our next door neighbor, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, celebrating their 10th anniversary in Gatlinburg.   In addition to having had more than 14 million visitors, they were chosen ‘The #1 Aquarium in America’ by TripAdvisor.com.

If you haven’t visited the aquarium during previous vacations–and even if you have–this is a year you don’t want to miss!  We are eagerly anticipating the debut of their brand new Penguin Playhouse Exhibit, scheduled to open sometime in April.  The indoor / outdoor habitat will be the home and playground for African Black Footed Penguins and will give visitors an up close and personal birdseye view.   The interactive habitat will feature underwater, acrylic tunnels that allow visitors to pop right up on the penguin’s private beach, offering everyone above and below perspectives of these spectacular birds.

Stay with us, right next door at Twin Islands or just a block away at Crossroads Inn, and be one of the first visitors to the Smokies to experience the Penguin Playhouse Exhibit.  We have printable discount coupons available to use this April that will save you 50% off one night or give you one night free!