Happy New Year!

Well, Christmas is finally over. My son recently asked me, "So Mom, do you have any new Smoky Mountain Adventures planned for us?"  After a year and a half of mountain life, you would think we had seen and done it all. But no, there is still a lot of trails to hike, shows to see, and things to do!

This year I'm hoping to take in at least part of the Smoky Mountains Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. That happens April 15-19. There are lots of hikes and classes to take. I want to try out my new camera and learn more about the many beautiful flowers found in these mountains. If you're interested, you can get more information at 

www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org

There's a new Alpine Sled Ride in Pigeon Forge that's getting to be quite popular. Apparently my nephew's kids had a blast riding that thing. I don't know if I'm up for it, but I'm sure the rest of my family will be and I will go along to take pictures. You can check out their website or see video on YouTube. It certainly looks like fun!

I also heard about Fox Mountain Adventures and the Swinging Bridge. This is one of those things that sounds like great fun and would probably be great to photograph, but I'm a wuss when it comes to swinging bridges. Inner ear problems, moving water, and a swinging bridge would be a lethal combination for me!  I would much prefer one of their back road ATV tours! Again you can check out their website. 

Of course, we renewed our season passes to Dollywood. Her new ride, Firechaser Express will be ready this Spring and I'm sure she will have even more amazing shows planned for next season. 

Of course there are some adventures we want to repeat this year. I'm sure we'll take in a few Smokies Baseball games. I want to take the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad to Dillsboro, NC. We want to go back to the Deep Creek area and do some tubing. The male half of the family wants to hike to the top of LeConte. The list keeps getting longer!  But most of it will have to wait a few months because right now it's cold and snowy on these mountains!  But still beautiful.