One of the ways that I survive here in the paradise of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains is by taking photographs of the many resort rental properties in the area. I love to get up before daybreak, get a log cabin all lit up and wait for those rosy fingers of dawn to just begin to appear. For a short 10 minutes or so the lighting is perfect for a dramatic showing of the cabin.
If you would like to see more, there is a larger gallery of cabin images. But for now on this page, the sun has come up and the mountains are calling their song of being miles away from any cares and worries …
The last week of October 2012, the long arms of Hurricane Sandy produced a Smoky Mountains wonderland of snow in autumn. The Smokies offered stunning photos from all the overlooks. The photo above was taken from the Gatlinburg by-pass, with the Park Vista hotel in the lower left corner, and the Roaring Fork Motor Trail heading up the valley in the center of the picture. This was the same location that produced some fabulous photos last April of a spring snowfall.
The photo below was taken from Campbell Overlook, showing the western shoulder of Mt. LeConte. Total snowfall in the highest elevations was nearly 3 feet!
The trail to the Chimneys is a favorite Smoky Mountains hike. In the photos below the Chimneys are the two bumps on the left side. This is a rugged climb under the best of conditions, but snow and ice make it a special challenge.
If you are visiting the Smokies, please consider a stop at the William Britten Gallery along the historic Arts and Crafts Trail on Glades Rd. in Gatlinburg. The gallery features Smoky Mountains landscape photos, as well as magnets, mugs, and notecards.
It’s that time of year again. Time to pack up the van with framed Smoky Mtns photos, display panels and all the rest of our gear.
The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair begins this Thursday at the Convention Center in downtown Gatlinburg. The Fair will run from October 11th through Sunday October 28th, from 10 to 6:00 each day except 10-5:00 on Sundays.
Look for William Britten Photography in our usual spot at the bottom of the escalator as you enter the main exhibit hall. We will have a full display of Smoky Mtns photos, in frames as well as prints, magnets and notecards.
And during the fair please stop out at the William Britten Gallery in the Arts and Crafts Community along Glades Rd. The Gallery will remain open as well during the downtown fair.
These pictures were taken by Dutch Roth. The text from his journal below describes the fascinating history in the early days of Smoky Mountains tourism, when Gatlinburg was barely a destination on the edge of the mountains.
“So many of our hikes used to begin and end at Gatlinburg. Back in 1929 the only thing there was here, was a few buildings and a dusty road, that forded Bearskin Creek that ran through the middle of town. The old Mountain View Hotel had a wooden picket fence around it and down in front of it at the junction of the Parkway and Roaring Forks Road, was an old general store. Here you could get most anything that you wanted. It was made out of wood and had a front porch across the front of it. We used to leave our cars at the Hotel and hike from there to whereever we wanted to. Then when we would return from our trip, hot and tired or in the winter, cold and hungry, we would find a hot supper waiting for us there at the hotel. Most of the time we would have country ham and hot biscuits and honey.”
“I took a picture of Gatlinburg at this time showing the old dusty road and the creek and an old house. The only hotels were the Mountain View and the Riverside on the river. Gatlinburg has changed since those days. Now it is a good size city and is incorporated now. It only takes about an hour or so to get to Gatlinburg now from Knoxville, where it use to take all day long. On December 8, 1934, we had our annual Hiking Club banquet at the Mountain View Hotel at Gatlinburg. After a nice meal we had the elections of officers, then we square danced till midnight. Then we gathered around a log fire in the lobby of the Hotel and saw some movies and sang till 2 in the morning. After which we started on a mystery hike. We got back to the hotel about 4 A.M.”
Once more, it’s Craft Fair time in Gatlinburg! The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community begins the annual Easter Show this week (Thursday April 5th) in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The show will run through Saturday, April 7th, and we will be open from 10 to 6.
To find the fair, turn up the hill at stoplight number 8 in downtown Gatlinburg. The convention center is on the right going up the hill.
During the fair the William Britten Gallery will be open as usual out on Galdes Rd. along the historic Arts and Crafts area of Gatlinburg.
What a cozy scene! Snuggled in a winter wonderland, a fire warming the cabin, family or friends gathered for the holidays. No need for White Christmas on TV!
Christmas in Gatlinburg
Christmas in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains is an enchanting time of year.
I hope you and your family are enjoying the season, wherever you are, whatever the weather.
Travel safe, stay warm, and enjoy the season everyone!
It’s that time of year again. The classic cars strut their stuff on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for the Fall Smoky Mountains Rod Run, September 15-19. The cars look their best early in the morning with the sun coming up and the dew still clinging to all that fresh wax.
Wow, can’t you just picture reefer-mad Robert Mitchum with a load of moonshine, raising up some dust down Thunder Road in the 1950 Ford below?
When you’re done cruising with the ghosts of Saturday night, please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountains Photos at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN. I’m on the historic Arts and Crafts Trail along Glades Rd. in the Morning Mist Village shopping area.
The Sky Lift in downtown Gatlinburg (near stoplight #8) offers great opportunities for dramatic Smoky Mountains photos. The ride itself is a fun activity, but the vistas of the mountains and the town of Gatlinburg are fabulous! The photos above and below are examples of what you can see from a chair on the Sky Lift.
The ride is open until after dark, so you can get some wonderful sunset and night shots of the town and the Smoky Mountains. The photos below show the ride in May with the Mountain Laurel blooming all over the hillside of Crockett Mountain, and at the bottom of the page is a sunny day after a winter storm. In winter there are incredible photo possibilities, but the ride is not always open.
For a full display of Smoky Mountains photos please stop by the William Britten Gallery on Glades Rd in the historic Arts and Crafts district. There’s a Smoky Mountains memory waiting to ride home with you!
Excitement builds for the first craft fair of the season at the Convention Center here in Gatlinburg. The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community puts on this show every year during Easter week. This year the fair starts Wednesday, April 20 and goes through Saturday, April 23rd, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.
For the community of artists and crafters, each show starts with a blank canvas, an empty space in which each of us must create a temporary art gallery.
For me, I love the feeling of community about the fair and all the preperations. Most of us know each other, and many of us have shops along the Arts and Crafts Loop in Gatlinburg. It’s nice to all join together in creating this four-day art and craft fair.
The William Britten Gallery will remain open during the fair, and many of my customers drop in at both the fair and the gallery to see the complete collection of Smoky Mtn photos that I offer. If you are in the Gatlinburg area, it’s a great time for you to find a Smoky Mtn memory to take home.
We had another dusting of snow not too long ago, and I was out roaming around, looking for winter scenics. Just across from the Greenbrier entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the road leading to Emerts Cove Bridge, and along that road there is a pasture for some riding horses. This guy was looking cold and forlorn, so I pulled over to say hello. As I approached, he started talking, just like Mr. Ed! (Who is Mr. Ed?)
Ok, we look for excitement anywhere we can find it here in Gatlinburg in February. If you’re in the area, please stop in for a visit at the William Britten Gallery on Glades Rd.
What to write about on Valentine’s Day? Smoky Mountain weddings!
Gatlinburg is second only to Las Vegas in the number of wedding ceremonies each year … around 10,000 for this small village near the Smoky Mountains. To accommodate all those weddings, Gatlinburg has quite a few chapels. Many are located on Glades Rd, which is also home to the Arts and Crafts Loop. The image above was taken on a rainy night, and I had fun zooming the lens during a long exposure. Seems like a metaphor for the typical wedding experience!
Gatlinburg has so many weddings that it is not unusual to see a bride and groom in full attire down at Food City stocking up on groceries for their honeymoon.
If you’re on your honeymoon, or celebrating your anniversary, please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery in Morning Mist Village on Glades Rd. Mention this blog post, and you’ll get a 10% discount on any matted prints!
These are our friends Gary Wayne and Jane Morris, aka New Rain, down at The Ship on Glades Rd in Gatlinburg last Saturday night. It was a reunion of sorts, with Jane and Gary returning to our neighborhood bar after an absence of a few months. We all had a great night.
This is also my first video with a new camera! (Panasonic GH2) I’m hoping to add more videos to the blog posts … bears eating tourists and such … in the months to come. If you want to see New Rain, check their facebook page for where they will be playing.
Emerts Cove Bridge is one of only two covered bridges near the Smoky Mountains in Sevier County (the other being Harrisburg Bridge off Rt. 339). Emerts Cove bridge is just north of Rt 321, just off Rt. 416 north of Pittman Center. The simplist way to see it is to follow the road directly across from the Greenbrier entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The bridge spans the Little Pigeon River, just a mile or so out of the Park.
The last time we visited this bridge was back in September, when it was warm and very green. On the day pictured above and below it was too cold to linger for long and enjoy the peaceful setting. But I did like the big wreathe that someone thoughtfully added to the bridge for winter!
All photos in this blog are available for purchase. Call, email or stop in for a visit to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery on Glades Rd. in Gatlinburg, TN.
Continuing this week’s snow theme. Dozens of cabins perch on the mountainsides surrounding Gatlinburg. The area just to the west is known as Chalet Village. From my frozen perch atop the Space Needle, I was able to zoom in on some of the cabins, looking very Alpine with their fresh winter coats.
The roads should be clear by now, even way out in the Glades, so please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery.
The picture above is Mt. LeConte and the Smoky Mountains looming over downtown Gatlinburg. Taken from the observation deck of the Space Needle two weeks ago after our big Christmas snowstorm. The Space Needle offers a great vantage point to view the Smokies up close and also get a panoramic view of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains.
You can click on the black and white image below to see a larger version.
As always, the welcome mat is out at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN. Please stop in for a visit and browse my complete collection of Smoky Mountain Photography.
It’s New Year’s Eve! Last weekend’s big snow has melted a bit, but it’s still very festive here in Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains still have plenty of snow in the higher elevations. The picture above was taken from the observation deck of the Space Needle, looking out over the Park Vista Hotel towards Mt. LeConte.
Tonight is Gatlinburg’s 23rd Annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and fireworks extravaganza. Thousands will gather near stoplight number 8 to watch the ball drop from the Space Needle and to celebrate the new year with a fireworks display.
I will not be among those thousands in downtown Gburg! Sarah and I plan to settle into a more quiet cantina over in Pigeon Forge and listen to our favorite local band, New Rain.
The folks who rented this cabin Christmas Eve got their money’s worth! It’s been snowing ever since … all through Christmas Day, and now still some light snow on the 26th. About 8 inches on the ground now. Of course the wonderful view of the Smoky Mountains and Mt. LeConte from this cabin has vanished into the white. The travelers were checking out this morning, and I hope they made it down the hill and into Gatlinburg.
Tomorrow the sky will clear, and the Smokies will be sparkling with new snow, but today is another day to snuggle inside!
It has been frigid cold here in Gatlinburg! Temperatures in the teens for several days. The morning light has a watery winter translucent quality. Our little cabin stares into the face of a stern and slumbering Mt. LeConte.
But it’s also a warm time of year. A fire in the stove, bread in the oven, a cat on the lap, tea in the cup.
If you’re in the area, stop in and visit me at the William Britten Gallery in Morning Mist Village on Glades Rd. in Gatlinburg. No need to purchase anything … stop in and I’ll give you a cup of coffee or tea!
Happy Friday everyone! I recently took a break from our craft fair and stopped in at the Gatlinburg Festival of Trees, at the Mills Center just after Thanksgiving. In the picture above you might be able to see my reflection in the ornament, with the trees all around me. Very M.C. Escher, isn’t it?
In my photography I seem to be drawn to worlds within the world, the miniature landscapes that might go unnoticed. As I roamed around the Festival Of Trees, the sponsors of the event became curious, and asked me several times what I was doing. They encouraged everyone to photograph the trees, but I was down on my knees, zeroed in on something that caught my eye, never took a single photo of an entire tree! It intrigues me to think about what a small segment will look like if it is presented as the entire world.
It’s December in Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains are looking somewhat cold and barren. So we turn our attention to the sparkle and lights of the Christmas season. More on that in the days to come ….
It’s a wonderful time to visit the Smokies. If you can get away, please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery out on Glades Rd. along the Arts and Crafts Trail.
When you come down the hill at the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stop in at Ely’s Mill. It’s a neat little gift shop that dates from the 1920s with local crafts, and honey taken from the hives that stand in the field outside. You can also get to Ely’s Mill by driving up Roaring Fork Road from Rt. 321 out of downtown Gatlinburg.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone! I’ll be spending the day down at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Fair. Come on down and visit if you are in town. The William Britten Gallery will be closed today, but will re-open tomorrow.
First storm of the season! Little ice pellets raining down. Mt. LeConte shrouded in a snowstorm. Travel over Newfound Gap in the Smoky Mountains not advisable.
Say hello to Ulli. I gave him a ride from Gatlinburg up to the Appalachian Trail at Newfound Gap early this morning. Ulli is a television producer from Berlin. His plan is to hike for 10 days, then come out of the woods and make it somehow up to New York City where one of his productions has been nominated for an Emmy. Ulli has climbed in the Andes and the Alps, and now he’s off for a stroll on the Appalachian Trail. Good luck Ulli!
Along Glades Road, in the heart of Gatlinburg’s historic Arts and Crafts Loop, you will find Morning Mist Village. Take a break from your Smoky Mountain exploring, and head out Rt. 321 at stoplight number 3 in Gatlinburg. Just past Food City, and then McDonalds, turn left onto Glades Rd. Morning Mist Village is about a mile down the road on the left.
And best of all, Morning Mist Village is where you will find me. Look for the Morning Mist Cafe, and I’ll be tucked in beside their outdoor courtyard. Please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN.
This day in 1977 Elvis Presely died at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, TN.
Just down the road from Gatlinburg, in Pigeon Forge, the memories live on. It’s a good show there, and never ceases to amaze me how Elvis had so much charisma that over 30 years after his death a man pretending to be Elvis will still command much of that charisma.
Set-up today for the July 2010 version of the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Running from July 16th through the 24th, look for me at the bottom of the escalator just as you enter.
Today was the usual job of starting with a blank slate … just a bunch of boxes and empty display panels. By the end of the set-up we’re waiting for customers in a temporary art gallery.
The William Britten Gallery will be open during the fair, so please stop in and see us at either or both locations. The Convention Center is located at stoplight number 8 on the parkway in Gatlinburg.
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg
If you are in Gatlinburg on a Smoky Mountain vacation, don’t forget about one of the most fun and unique activities … a leisurely shopping trip along the loop of arts and crafts shops that make up the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community.
Head out of Gatlinburg on Route 321 and watch for the big green sign at the Glades Road traffic light just past McDonalds. Or alternatively you can begin the 8 mile loop farther out at Buckhorn Road. Either way, there are dozens of interesting shops to catch your fancy along the route that has been in existence since 1937!
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg
And of course, please stop in at Morning Mist Village, which is where you will find the complete display of my Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery.
This morning, out walking the usual loop through the deserted development behind my cabin, suddenly there are big, muddy bear tracks crossing the road! There is a mud-hole from recent rains beside the road that he plowed through to get his muddy feet.
The boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is less than a mile away, but it’s hard to imagine that right here along Glades Road in Gatlinburg we have bears prowling around at night. Sometimes we hear trash cans being ransacked, and my dog showed up one day with claw scratches along her back.
Please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN.
