While the excitement of the holidays may technically be over according to the calendar, you have only just begun your New Year’s resolutions to be more active, more adventurous, to be a better partner; the list goes on. Sometimes, however, as the energy of the Christmas holidays diminishes and there are still 2 more months of winter, some of the steam in your enthusiasm dissipates as the decorations come down and the post-holiday blues creep in.
Well, not in 2019! In addition to the fact that studies have found even just planning a vacation can alleviate the winter blues, there is also plenty to do in the Smoky Mountains – even after the holidays have passed! Take a weekend getaway with friends, sweep your loved one their feet, or surprise the kids with a little more Christmas fun with a Pigeon Forge Cabin getaway! Get your resolutions going with a strong start and your spirits reignited in 2019. (Plus, cabin stays get cheaper, on average, during the months of January and February!)
Here are a few events and adventures to take in the Smoky Mountains as you strive to make 2019 the best year ever!
Enjoy the Winterfest Wonderland Without the Crowds
While the Smoky Mountains is the place to be if your favorite components of Christmas are the extravagant lights and incredible holiday shows, this undoubtedly draws in the crowds by the thousands during November and December. So if traffic and crowds are not things you are willing to trade off to experience the incredible magic of Winterfest, you are in luck! Winterfest – the lights, the shows, and the shopping – keeps going long past December 25! In fact, the extravagant light displays stay all the way to February 28.
But wait, there’s more! Even Dollywood’s astounding shows keep going until January 5! Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas is an experience both the young and the young at heart will absolutely cherish, because it has it all: theme park rides, tasty treats, millions of lights, shows full of talented actors, singers and dancers, and a parade at the end of each day with millions more lights. It’s why it is the 10-time award winner of America’s Best Christmas Event at any theme park! Going in January is your best bet on missing most of the millions of visitors that pass through the gates of Dollywood for this soul-stirring event.
Discover the Winter Wonderland of the Smoky Mountains
Sparkling icicles dangling among the waterfalls, serene snow-covered forestry, and white-capped majestic mountains create an all-natural winterfest to behold during the months of January and February in the Smoky Mountains. Throw on a couple extra layers, because these hiking views are just as beautiful as the other seasons of the Smokies. With the leaves not yet returned to the trees, guests are privy to clearer, sweeping views of the mountains from many of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee cabin’s decks and patios. The chilly temperatures make cups of hot cocoa and snuggling in front of a cabin fireplace all the better.
Start your resolution of “being more adventurous” or “getting more active” with an invigorating hike to frozen waterfalls or cross-country snowshoeing and skiing to the breathtaking views of Clingmans Dome! Afterwards, come home to your relaxing Pigeon Forge cabin and soothe your hard-worked muscles in the hot tub or with a soak in a large jetted tub.
Get Adventurous!
Just a little north of Pigeon Forge in Sevierville, Tennessee, visitors to the Smoky Mountains can tour the industry’s best and newest recreational vehicles and accessories from January 4 through January 6 at the Sevierville Convention Center. The Knoxville RV Show boasts an incredible display of RVs, tow vehicles, special factory rebates, financing, and seminars. If you and your husband or wife have always dreamt of traveling the United States, this is the show for you, and who knows, maybe you will be inspired to finally live out those dreams when you find the perfect RV!
Love is in the Air
The romance of an alluring log cabin tucked away into the beautiful, majestic Smoky Mountains is pretty obvious, we believe, but the Titanic Museum hosts an extra “toast” to love during Sweetheart Month – all February. While many romantics will look to the fictional romance of Jack and Rose, there were real love stories onboard the RMS Titanic that are honored and revered at the Titanic Museum, like the infamous and honorable Ida and Isidor Strauss.
Before cuddling by the fire or a soak in the cabin’s hot tub, experience Sweetheart Month to really stoke up some of those flames. And for those looking to make good on a secret New Year’s resolution, the breathtaking Grand Staircase of the Titanic Museum is available by reservation for special moments like, let’s say, a proposal…
Loosen Up
Here is a resolution that many of us need to consider adding to the list. Loosen up and enjoy some tear-jerking laughs during Improv Fest hosted by Sweet Fanny Adams Theater, an official National Historic Treasure of Gatlinburg! While usually this event takes place in February, this upcoming year the shows are March 8-10, 2019. Hailed as one of the country’s most unique and hysterically funny theater companies, visitors are in store for a weekend full of laughs and great memories. Enjoy the entire weekend for just $25 a ticket! However, if you are visiting the Smoky Mountains during January or February, the theater’s regularly scheduled original shows are something of a cultural Gatlinburg experience you won’t want to miss!
Beat back the winter blues, the post-holiday downers, and the lackluster embarkation of your New Year’s resolutions and start your year with an incredible beginning in the Smoky Mountains!
