It has been a while since we went however there is still plenty of things for you and your young family to do. Isnt Dollywood in that area. I havent been ther but i heard it is fun. There are also plenty of shops and i do remember riding a chair lift up a mountain. That was alot of fun. A word of caution, When i went my kids were very young too. I noticed this man was following us throughout the stores. I knew something was up and i started to yell at him. He then ran away. I approached a police officer and he told me he was probably trying to steal my diaper bag which was positioned between the seats of the double stroller. He said it happens all the time. Be safe where ever you travel.

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 have a Methley plum on order for the spring time and was wondering if anyone has experience or knowledge if will grow and produce? On that note, I also have an asian pears on the same order......................will they do well in my area or am i wasting my time with both plants? Thanks

I agree, plant the area with three ideas in mind. One to make it look natural, two to make it so you enjoy looking at it, and three plant it with the idea of attracting wild life. One of the most difficult things is to make a woods look natural. It takes time to work the area cutting the poison ivy and green briar, and similar plants while at the same time encouraging the good native plants like Virginia creeper, and the hundreds of other plant native to your area. To make it attractive I would add some flowering trees and bushes. Consider not only the flowers, but also the color of the foliage. While you are some distance north of us, we have placed azaleas and camellias. There are things like Hydrangea, lilac and such that also produce flowers. Lastly do things to encourage the wild life in your yard. While in some ways they are a pest squirrel are a lot of fun to watch as they jockey for position on the feeder, Flowers encourage Hummingbirds, again watching their dog fights is enjoyable. Flowers also encourage butterflies, You have not lived until you see a doe with two fawns and the fawns are bouncing around the yard and playing while the doe watches over them