Colonial Properties Travel Blog

A Guide to Yoga and Wellness in the Smokies

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:40:51 +0000

Plan a restorative Smokies trip: mobile and in-cabin yoga, goat yoga, gentle trails, hot tubs, and how to build an unhurried wellness getaway in the mountains.

How the Park Is Funded and Why the Parking Tag Exists

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:33:45 +0000

The Smokies charge no entrance fee — but you need a parking tag. Here’s the history behind the free entry and why the Park It Forward tag exists.

Photographing Fall Color in the Smokies: A Technique Guide

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:30:35 +0000

How to actually capture Smoky Mountain fall color — light, layering, composition, and technical tips that work on a phone or a camera, plus the best spots.

Where Dogs Are and Aren’t Allowed in the National Park

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:25:56 +0000

Planning a Smokies trip with your dog? Only two national park trails allow pets. Here’s exactly where dogs can and can’t go — and where to take them instead.

Nature Journaling with Kids in the Smokies

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:15:33 +0000

A simple, screen-free way to slow down a family trip: nature journaling with kids in the Smokies — what to pack, easy prompts, and the best spots to try it.

Driving Newfound Gap Road End to End: A Stop-by-Stop Guide

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:04:49 +0000

A stop-by-stop guide to Newfound Gap Road, the Smokies’ only cross-park drive — Sugarlands to Cherokee, overlooks, Newfound Gap, Kuwohi, and the elk fields.

Juney Whank Falls: A Complete Guide

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:01:19 +0000

Juney Whank Falls is a short, rewarding Smokies hike near Bryson City, NC. Trail length, what to expect, the Deep Creek waterfall loop, and tips for your visit.

A Guide to Local Bookstores and Reading Spots in the Smokies

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:59:07 +0000

Bookstores and the best reading spots near Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge — The Next Chapter Bookshop, cozy cabin porches, and a book-lover’s day trip.

Renting Adjoining Cabins for Weddings, Reunions and Multi-Family Trips

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:51:57 +0000

Planning a wedding, reunion, or multi-family Smokies trip? How booking several cabins near each other gives your group room to gather and to retreat.

A Complete Guide to the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:43:23 +0000

Everything to know about the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge — the real-passenger boarding pass, Grand Staircase, hands-on exhibits, and visiting tips.

A Guide to the Smoky Mountain Highland Games

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:38:35 +0000

Your guide to the Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games in Townsend — Highland athletics, pipes, dancing, clans, and making it a cabin weekend.

What the Smokies Are Actually Like in Late January

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:32:19 +0000

An honest look at the Smokies in late January — the cold-but-quiet off-season reality, what’s open and closed, crowds, prices, and who it’s really for.

Tubing the Little Pigeon River: Where to Go and What to Know

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:27:03 +0000

How to go river tubing on the Little Pigeon River near Pigeon Forge and Sevierville — how it works, summer season, water-safety tips, and what to pack.

A Guide to Smoky Mountain U-Pick Orchards and Apple Season

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:47:20 +0000

Where to pick apples near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge & Sevierville, when apple season peaks, Carver’s Orchard in Cosby, and the Smokies’ cider-and-apple-butter culture.

EV Charging Near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville Cabins

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:39:14 +0000

Where to charge your EV in the Smokies — fast-charging hubs, where chargers cluster, charging at Dollywood, a mountain-range tip, and whether you can charge at your cabin.

Accessible Smokies: Mobility-Friendly Trails, Attractions and Cabin Features

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:27:09 +0000

A practical accessibility guide to the Smoky Mountains — wheelchair-friendly trails, free all-terrain chairs, accessible attractions, and finding a mobility-friendly cabin.

Dollywood 2027 Calendar and Operating Schedule

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:37:11 +0000

Dollywood’s 2027 season, festivals, and hours — I Will Always Love You, Flower & Food, Summer Celebration, Barbeque & Bluegrass, Harvest, and Christmas. Full calendar.

How the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Was Actually Created

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:25:31 +0000

Unlike western parks, the Smokies had to be bought acre by acre — with state funds, Rockefeller money, and schoolchildren’s pennies. The real origin story.

Day Trip from Gatlinburg to Asheville, NC

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:15:53 +0000

Biltmore, downtown, the River Arts District and more — plus the current I-40 gorge route caveat. Your complete guide to an Asheville day trip from Gatlinburg.

Cosby and Greenbrier: The Smokies' Overlooked Entrances

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:06:37 +0000

Skip the crowds. A guide to Greenbrier and Cosby — the Great Smoky Mountains’ quietest entrances, their best hikes, old-growth forest, and how to get to each.