Are you on Facebook by any chance? There are alot of pages dedicated to the mountains..Never been in the fall, but if I am not mistaken around 1st week of Oct is the best..it just depends on the type of year we have had..My friend went the second week of Oct and there was not alot of fall color left..Some but not alot.. Two years ago, we rented a cabin from Cabins for you..We stayed out from Pigeon Forge...Micks Hideaway. My friend always stays down around Cades Cove, but I dont know the name of the cabins off hand..but can get it for you if you are interested. If you are on facebook, let me know and I can share alot of my pages with you..

Littlebit who is getting ready to plan her trip back there..

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabins

Do some research on-line to confirm, but I believe that the fall colors peak around the last week in September. Many excellent views can be seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Excellent colors are seen from south of Asheville on northward.

Be advised that on the two weekends when colors peak, Easteners (Leaf Lookers) flock to the hills and nary a motel room can be found. Make your rooom reservations one to two months in advance, else you will have to go 50 to 70 miles away from the Blue Ridge to find a room.

On the Parkway, stop at Mabry's Mill, the most photographed feature on the Ridge.

Friday night dining in Ashville is a plus. It has been many years since we dined at Bill Staley's in downtown Asheville. Its a barbeque place that featured southern dishes and on occassion, impromptu entainment. The night we wre there, the Oak Leaf Cloggers with their fiddlers showed up (State Champions) and put on a show the likes of which I have never seen. It was a smash hit. Check to see if they are still in business and their menu and entertainment.

I have not toured the Biltmore near Asheville, but will some day. A fairly hefty fee is charged for the tour, but it is a mansion and gardens that rivaled Europe's best in its day.

Asaheville and its suroundings was the summer playground of the super rich in 1900. They came there in summer to escape the heat and hob nob will fellow industrial barons. The invention and production of home air-coniditioners wiped out the alure of the hills in summer and the rich sought other places leaving their estates for the common folks to enjoy.

For a less hectic pace, look at Hendersonville south of Asheville.

Places like Franklin offer folk music in the the town square on Saturday night.

A day at the Cherokee Museum (Cherokee Reservation) is well spent. A better appreciation of the Cherokees may develop after taking in demonstrations and talks.

The Smoky Mountains form a ridge between N. Carolina and Tennessee. East of this ridge, the landscape falls away to the piedmont. The edge of this drop in elevation is marked by waterfalls.

Both North Caroloina and Virginia played significant roles in the Revolutionary War. Burgonne surrendered at York. A monument was erected in honor to Baron DeKalb who died in this war. He is the only Foriegn National to have been so honored. He came with Laffette to aid the Colonists. DeKalb is an interesting footnote to our history. He was not an official Baron; He was a German mercenary living in France and he bestowed this title on himself.

Farmers and plantation owners who lived in the foothills of the Alleghenies in Virginia and North Carolina supplied men who formed an uneducated rag tag force for the Revolutionary War. They were the "grunts" who supplied labor, ran supply wagons, and guarded prisoners. If you are a history buff, brush up on the history of the region before you go. It will enhance your enjoyment of the area.

I'm 73, and family spent many summer vacations at Fontana Village.

Worth chcking out.

Many many memories!

We were there the first week in Oct. and the colors were breathtaking. Another time, we visited the last week in Oct. and it was already getting cold.

I live in Asheville. Let me know if you have specific questions about the area.

Oh, lucky you! To me, this is one of the most beautiful areas in the country. If you end up staying near the Cherokee Reservation, go see Mingo Falls. It is really spectacular. Last time hubby and I made a trip to the Smoky Mountains, on our way home we saw a wild turkey and her babies walking beside the highway, near the edge of the forest. Enjoy your trip!

Littlebit, I am on Facebook, but rarely go beyond my page and that not very often. What do you suggest I query on Facebook, please. And thanks for the great link, I have save it in my Travel folder. And if you would please get the name of the cabins your friend stays in in Cades Cove, I would appreciate it. At this point we are not ruling out anything (of course, the ultraexpensive is automatically ruled out). Thanks for offering to do this for me.

Jemdandy, thanks so much for the reminder of Asheville. I did my internship in Asheville, but for some reason had not even thought of it as a possibility.

Mamatoad, any suggestions as where to stay? We have decided that the first week in October will be our goal week.

Bunnylover, thanks for the offer of info about Asheville. I will definitely contact you if that is where we decide to stay.

Vicky7, will you be willing to share information about where you stayed, please. Thank you for the mention of the Cherokee reservation.

I have driven through Tennessee many times, but have never stayed there, so I am hoping to get as much info and many recommendations of accommodations and places to see from all of you. If you donâÂÂt want to post publicly, you can send me an private e-mail. Thanks in advance.

My family is so excited about this. We have never had a vacation where all of us went together.

Our family goes to the Smoky Mountains every year. Last year we went the week of October 22 - 27 and the fall colors peaked that week in the lower elevations - it was beautiful. We rented cabin # 193321 Nature's Dream from VRBO and I would highly recommend it. It's located in a quiet area but easy access and halfway between Gatlinburg and Cades Cove. We saw bear (Mama bear and cubs,) deer and turkeys that week in Cades Cove. But please be aware it is extremely busy that time of the year, and I would recommend going the week of instead of the weekend or you will spend alot of time in traffic.

These are all on facebook..

Great Smoky Mountains Association
Cades Cove
Smokey Mountain Money Savers
Bearly Rustic cabins
Tiptons Cabin Rentals
Cosby Creek (this is the one my friend rented from)

When you go to their page, their main website is usually under their about us section..
It was our 1st time there.. We loved staying in a cabin, we planned our meals for the week, I took all of the groceries that we needed and did all of the cooking there. Hubby grilled most nights! We saved money by not having to eat out every meal. Even had a washer and dryer so no dirty clothes when we got home!
We also saw a bear and her two rather large cubs in the Cove..I promised myself after DDs wedding last year I would go back..but the funds were left. I am planning on going back this summer..

I live about an hour away from there and would recommend the second weekend rather than the first. Otherwise you might be too early for the peak beauty.

Thank you so much, Littlebit. I will go to Facebook today and look at those. And, thank you, jae, for the timing info - somehow I had the impression that the first weekend in October would be best.

Please keep the suggestions coming folks. My family and I appreciate each and every one of them.

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 have nothing to add except to say how wonderful so many KTers have offered such great suggestions,!!!!

Patti, thank for the info re: 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 :-)

I had not even thought of going through a realtor, but that sounds most sensible.

We are all adults and there are 11 of us and maybe 3 dogs (we are still trying to decide if we want to take the dogs, the more I think of it, the more I think I don't want to do so).

sorry to have taken your time....after all, I just live here. You might read this info also.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall color in the Smokey's

ds1 and family have goen 2-3 times in the gatlinburg area(dollywood and lots of typical toursit traps i LOVE)....we did stop at an official park with typical homes...no more than one room cabins that were very interesting...it's so hard to judge just when to get the best color...it really depends on so many factors...(rain no rain, hot or cold, ect) but ds1 and pals have golfed and their cabin actually had a hot tub on the porch!

Below are our comments to each other after your helpful tip to me about the timing of the best color. I must have worded my response to you in a way that was upsetting to you, and I do apologize for that. I was thanking you for letting me know that the 2nd weekend in October was best for color and advising that somehow I had the impression that the 1st weekend was best. Your comment made me change what week we would visit. I appreciate any advice and suggestions you give. Again, I apologize for wording my response to you in a way that was offensive. And thanks for the link with the great info.

My comment to you: And, thank you, jae, for the timing info - somehow I had the impression that the first weekend in October would be best.

Your comment to me: sorry to have taken your time....after all, I just live here. You might read this info also.

Walnut - thanks for your explanation. I realized, in re-reading even before coming back here now, that I maybe had taken your comment the wrong way. I initially thought you were saying that there were others saying the first week was better and therefore, I must be wrong. At any rate, I'm sure
Murphy's law will prevail and it will be the third weekend, lol! I kept waiting for that big pop of color this year and it never happened. We went from green to some yellows then brown and dead. The weather has been very strange all year. From what I thought I heard many years ago, the fall color is determined by how much or little rainfall is recorded in the Spring. Having said that, I don't recall which was what.

Jae, thanks for the explanation. And the other tip about the possibility of no color. I will be more careful in my phrasing in the future.

Seems like some colourful conversation around here - and it's only January!

Sometimes it helps if we take ourselves a bit less seriously.

o j