I have different varieties of beans and corn and herbs that are heirlooms that I could trade. I have Turkey Craw bean, Cherokee bean, Potato Bean, Anasazi Bean... Limited amount of Bloody Butcher corn, Earth Tones dent corn, Ohio Blue Claridge corn. I am looking for Tanacetum balsamita (Costmary) or Bible Leaf plant. It has a smell like bubblegum. It is an heirloom. People used to put a leaf in their bible to mark their place. Also used in baking and flavoring ale. I am also looking for a Calacanthus (Bubby bush) sprout. The old timers used twigs of it to brush their teeth. It has an allspice taste. the flowers are dark red-to brown.I am originally from near your area, but am in WV now. Thanks

It seems you are looking for a place where you can cook some meals if you like, but be close to places of interest during the day. I highly recommend the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. How many adults/children will be with you? There are some places that have several cabins close together. Most of them have grills and hot tubs on the porches. It's my favorite vacation destination. It's so relaxing. I've been there with DH and his brother's family and also a couple of my sisters and used to "run away" for a week together. So much fun. One thing to remember is that almost every realtor in that area specializes in cabin rentals and that's the route we've always taken--after the first time when we got stuck in the most remote, windiest road cabin in the state of NC :-) You are in for such a treat if you've not been there before. Pigeon Forge has Dollywood, several really nice outlet malls, water parks, etc. Gatlinburg has the scary ski lift cars that take you across the valley to another mountain. (I wouldn't have done it, but the guys feed me a couple of beers at the ice rink just before.) In the pictures I look pretty darned happy :-) Lots more shopping in Gatlinburg, too. Every time we've been to Cades Cove we've seen deer and bears. There is a sweet really old church and cemetary on the 11 mile ride around it. And other points of interest where you can park and look around inside. The old cemetary was really interesting to me. Oh, and if you see a lot of cars pulled over onto the side of the road, that usually means they're watching bears. So cool!! Gosh, now you have me aching to go NC!!

I'm not sure if you've ever been to Gatlinburg before, but if you haven't then you should probably expect to spend a day there. There are a lot of local shops plus that's where the aquarium is and you could ride the tram to go figure skating as well. You might even need more time depending on how much your kids and husband tolerate looking in the shops. I've gone to the area almost every year since I was a little girl. When I was younger, I wanted to stay in Pigeon Forge and ride go-carts and go to the arcades (that's where most of these type activities are), but my parents always wanted to spend time in Gatlinburg. Now as an adult, my husband and I like to spend most of our time in Gatlinburg, and maybe go to Pigeon Forge/Sevierville for a day. There are numerous things to do in both. You can take a scenic helicopter tour if you want (never done this myself). We like to take some time to drive through the Smokies on 441. You can drive up to Clingman's Dome and then hike the last little bit (maybe a mile-I can't remember) to the highest point in TN. It's a great view on a nice clear day. Also along 441, there are a lot of great pull outs to park and take some pics. Of course, as a child I used to hate these long car rides with my parents. For breakfast or lunch one day, you might want to try the Applebarn/Applewood? in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville. I think it is actually Sevierville, but the two really kind of run together. It has some little round donut type things that come with apple butter that are excellent. They come with most of the meals I think, but we always order an extra bag to take with us for the next day. In Pigeon Forge, there is the Dixie Stampede which is a show and dinner I think, but I've never been, so that's pretty much all I know about it. And then of course there's Dollywood. I don't know much about Cosby other than I've drove through it. I think it has some small shops and maybe a couple of places to sight see but I'm really not sure. If your family likes to hike, then there are a lot of trails to check out. It's good for some piece and quiet from all of the shops.

I love your beach cabin and location! Your door color is great, too, and you don't need to do anything different about your cushion or pillows. ETA I'm going hunting at a flea market in a few hours for a rustic coffee table for my future front porch - something like yours would be a great idea. Friends of mine are giving me a couple of rocking chairs that they'd gotten for free, but which don't work at their place.