Dogwood Winter, or Spring?

The dogwoods are in bloom, and I believe the cool weather we've had here and there has kept them blooming longer than usual. They are beautiful. If you've never visited the Smokies in the spring when the dogwoods are blooming, you need to do it. The woods are sprinkled with them, and they are in full bloom in residential yards. The white dogwoods are the most plentiful, but when folks plant a pink dogwood near a white dogwood, the effect is stunning. Come visit Townsend, and rent a cabin for the weekend. You'll have a great time. Hope to see you soon.

Herb & Wildflower Day

Have you ever been on a wildflower hike? It is amazing. You walk along just enjoying the day and all of a sudden there is a little, delicate flower tucked in amongst the greenery - one of the many wildflowers here in the smokies. Trilium, in the picture, is one of the more plentiful wild flowers here. April is the month for wild flowers, and April 2 is the Herb and Wildflower Day at the Townsend Visitors Center. Come up for the day or stay a night or two. It's still cool, but Saturday is supposed to be sunny and warmer.

Another work week at Tuckaleechee

Once again, our volunteers, both local and out of state, have come to help us get Tuckaleechee Retreat Center spruced up. Every spring and every fall, we invite them to come, and they come! What a blessing! They did a lot of weeding and mulching the flower beds, spring cleaning the cabins, staining the walkways, electrical work, and started building a laundry room for the Steeles, our maintenance man, Jim, and our office assistant, Peggy. There were only about 25 at the most here to work, but what a lot of work they did. It is always amazing what gets accomplished. If you want to be involved, go back to the website and call us. We will give you the dates and what we are trying to accomplish. www.tuckaleecheeretreatcenter.com

It's spring time in the Smokies.

It must be spring, because Tuckaleechee Caverns are now open! And do you know that they are only about 2/10 of a mile from Tuckaleechee Retreat Center? So, a great thing to do while you are here. Be sure to check out their website for more information.

There are many things to do in Townsend. Be sure to check out Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center for special music, exhibitions and workshops. Also, the Townsend Spring Festival is scheduled for May 6-7, 2011. Start making your plans to visit Townsend for the weekend soon.

Family Cabin Upgrade

It's always nice to "freshen up" the decor of any room. For our Hemlock Haven cabin, this has not been done for many years. Thanks to Marie, our in-house decorator, Hemlock Haven has been brought up to the 21st century. Sofa, table, lamps and drapes have been replaced, and they look marvelous! So, the next time you come to visit, maybe you'll be able to stay in Hemlock Haven and enjoy the new look.

Is winter over?

It's the middle of March and Townsend is still having cold weather, but it is getting a little warmer. Most days it's in the 50's or higher. At least we don't have that 20 degree weather. Remember the trouble we were having getting our driveway clear of snow? Well, praise God! We found someone who is willing and able to plow our drive. It's worth every penny we pay him.

I think it must be spring, though, because we are getting plenty of rain. The rivers are full and some are even overflowing. However, we can travel in the rain unlike in the snow.

Do you need to get away? Come to the mountains and spend the weekend. There are plenty of things to do even in the rain. The Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center museum in Townsend, the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, and many of the shows in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge are open and available. Come to Townsend.

It's almost spring time! Before you know it, the trees will be turning all shades of green and the spring flowers will be popping out all over. The redbud and dogwood trees will be blooming and beautiful, and the temperatures will be above freezing!
Have you made a reservation for a weekend in the Smokies? We can help. Check our website: www.tuckaleecheeretreatcenter.com or call 865-448-6442.