Head to the Smoky Mountains for the Scottish Highland Festival!
May 9, 2011 by admin
Filed under Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge TN
Formerly held in Gatlinburg, this year’s Scottish Highland Festival will be held about 20 minutes away in Maryville, Tennessee, May 20-22. Gather around your clan tent to watch athletic competitions which include the Caber Toss, Stone Put, Scottish Hammer Throw and Sheaf Toss. Other less athletic competitions include highland dance, pipes and drums, a dog show and a clan challenge. There will be plenty of musical entertainment on hand as several bands perform traditional and original Celtic songs; you will surely be dancing a jig after hearing these bands. Food vendors will be selling everything from fish and chips to the true Scottish delicacy of Haggis. There will also be plenty of unique merchandise readily available for purchase such as handcrafted Celtic jewelry, Scottish kilts, bagpipes, and clan attire. Don’t forget to book your Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge lodging!
While in the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge area, enjoy a peaceful hour-long Horseback Ride through the Smoky Mountains. Geared towards beginners, the guided tour will take you along a beautiful mountain stream, through lush forestry and by wonderfully colorful wildflowers. All of the horses used are extremely gentle and mild-mannered, due in part to the fact that they live in a pasture, not in stalls, and get the opportunity to run and play regularly. This is truly a wonderful way to spend some time in the Smoky Mountains!
For a more adventurous activity, hitch a ride aboard the ZORB, an 11-foot-tall inflatable globe that takes you down an 820-foot hill for a ride you won’t soon forget. The Zorbit, or dry ride, harnesses the rider into the globe and rolls head over heels down a straight track while the Zydro, or wet ride, places you in the globe with five gallons of water and lets you slip and slide your way down the straight track or the more thrilling zig zag track. You and two friends can even ride the Zydro together for a really wild time. ZORB is the only one of its kind in the United States so make sure and plan an afternoon for a ride like no other!
Have Your Last Fling for Summer at an Orlando Theme Park
As summer comes to a close, you may want to consider heading into Orlando and taking the kids to the exceptional theme parks in the area before they go back to school. With five different parks, you could spend a whole week having fun together in the summer sunshine.
You can’t visit Orlando without going to the Walt Disney World Theme Parks for one day or several days of theme park thrills. This park offers visitors of all ages the chance to be a kid again. Beloved Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Jasmine will greet you everywhere you go and rides themed after Disney movies and television cartoons are around every corner. There is no place on earth that is as magical as Walt Disney World!
Universal Studios Orlando has become famous for its cutting edge rides, shows, and attractions. This park offers you fantastic rides like the Disaster! Ride and 3D showings of classic movies like the Terminator 2. You can’t get this quality of entertainment and fun anywhere else. It’s perfect for ending your summer vacation on a high note!
Enter a world of whales, dolphins, and water adventures the moment you step into SeaWorld in Orlando. This theme park gives guests the opportunity to experience the beauty of marine creatures through shows, rides, and other attractions. Shows like Shamu Rocks let you see killer whales in action while rides like the Kraken will give you the chance to experience Orlando’s only rollercoaster without a floor. This park is awesome for anyone who appreciates the incredible world under the sea!
Put on your swimsuit and head to Aquatica where the beauty of marine life awaits you. Enjoy the many water rides, the wave pool, and the sandy beaches that you can relax on throughout the park. This park has exciting rides that you can’t find anywhere else like the water slide that takes you through a clear lagoon where Commerson’s dolphins live. This park is an incredible place to spend some of your time during these last days of summer.
Alligators, pink flamingos, and a huge variety of other wildlife are at Gatorland just waiting for you to come and see them. This theme park is perfect for animal lovers with its petting zoo, shows, aviary, and other attractions. You can even watch gators being fed or wrestled with at this exciting park. It’s certainly a one of a kind attraction!
Romantic Excursions in Orlando
Although Orlando is a great family destination, it never hurts to set some time apart for yourself and your loved one to enjoy a romantic evening out during the balmy Orlando nights. From the ocean to the sky, Orlando has many options for a memorable evening.
It is hard to go wrong with dinner and dancing, and they are made even more special when on a romantic evening cruise. The Rivership Romance Dinner and Dance Cruise is a three-and-a-half hour long tour on the St. Johns Rivers. The cruise features a gourmet dinner and dancing. The dinner menu features entrees like Tuscan Chicken, Herb Roasted Grouper, and Caribbean Pork, as well as salad, vegetables, and dessert. Whether celebrating an anniversary or a new-found love, the Rivership Romance is a great way to celebrate your relationship.
Although evening activities are popular, a breathtaking sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Orlando landscape is sure to be an unforgettable experience. The total experience lasts approximately three hours and includes transportation to the launch site, an hour-long balloon ride, a champagne ceremony, and a full breakfast. From the balloon, you will be able to watch the sun rise on Orlando and take pictures of the scenery, landscape, and Florida wildlife.
From a sunrise ride to a sunset tour, the One Hour Night Airboat Tour is an evening experience unlike many others. On this airboat tour, you will tour the Florida swamplands, all while taking in a scenic Florida sunset over the swamp land. While exploring the swamp, you will watch for Florida wildlife, including alligators gliding through the water. Although this tour may not be as relaxing as a dinner cruise, it will still certainly be a night to remember and a bonding experience between you and your loved one.
See the Smoky Mountains from the Sky with a Helicopter Tour
July 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge TN, VME
The Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area is nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. Whether dressed in green during the summer or wearing a snowy blanket in the winter, the Smokies always offer breathtaking scenery. One of the best ways to see the Smokies is with a bird’s eye view provided by these helicopter tours.
For a quick flight around the area, choose the Smoky Mountain Helicopter Tours. You can customize your ride to be up to 40 minutes covering 100 miles. The helicopter takes you over the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge as well as the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. The ride will provide you unparalleled breathtaking views of the Smokies as well as the surrounding areas. Different tour options include the Gatlinburg tour, the See It All tour, and the Bluff Mountain/Pigeon Forge ride. Helicopters can accommodate up to six people, making it the perfect size for a family activity.
For more tour options, check out the Fly the Scenic Skies tours. The tours offered cover a variety of different sightseeing options. The River Island tour will take you over the French Broad River from a height of 1,200 feet. The Douglas Lake Flight covers 12 miles over the Douglas Lake. Another option is the Gatlinburg tour, which is a 36-minute flight that goes over Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Mount Leconte. With the Grand Tour, you can see all of this and more. Whatever you want to see, you will be sure to find the right tour for you. The ride is narrated by your pilot, so you will know what you are seeing. Whichever tour you choose, it will certainly be an unforgettable experience.
If you would rather explore the Smokies from the comfort of the ground, try Smoky Mountain Carriage Rides. Perfect for a romantic lunch or evening activity, these tours will take you on a scenic ride through the countryside. You can enjoy views of the Smoky Mountains as well as the seasonal beauty of the area, from beautiful fall foliage to pretty spring flowers. You can choose a romantic ride for two or a fun ride for four.
Bring Your Family to Kids Fest at Silver Dollar City
May 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Branson MO, VME
Silver Dollar City is one of Branson’s biggest attractions for good reasons: it features fantastic rides, family-friendly entertainment, and wonderful shows year round. Silver Dollar City routinely features great festivals, and this summer the annual Kids Fest will be coming to Silver Dollar City, making this summer a great time to bring your family for a day of fun in the park. Kids Fest is running from June 6 to August 9.
Kids Fest features special guests and shows in addition to the already wonderful shows at Silver Dollar City. The world-famous illusionist Peter Gossamer will amaze visitors with his illusions, while the Swedish performance group JEERK is sure to delight you and your family with their percussion skills, dance routines, and high-energy show.
Other special features of Kids Fest include the VeggieTales: The Invention of Sillyness with Pa Grape feature presentation. Your kids will even have the chance to meet Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber after the show! If your kids love making messes but hate getting in trouble for it, they will love the Kids Concoctions workshop area. This interactive workshop allows your kids to create Gooey Gunk and watch the experts make exploding volcanoes.
On top of all of these fun extras, your family will love Silver Dollar City for all of its great rides! Featuring rides for everyone from your toddler to your teenager, rides like the GIANT swing and Wildfire are sure to thrill and excite you. Your young children will enjoy rides and activities just for them in the Grand Exposition.
To take a break from the heat, head over to White Water Splash Park. Featuring twisting slides, fountains, and children’s water playgrounds, this park is sure to please anyone in your group. A fun day spent in the wave pool or lazy river is a perfect way to beat the heat and bustle of Branson. Combing White Water with your Silver Dollar City vacation is the perfect way to entertain your family and save money when you buy Play and Splash tickets, which give you admission to both Silver Dollar City and White Water.
Center Your San Diego Vacation Around a Theme Park
San Diego area theme parks are a wonderful way to enjoy your San Diego area vacation. The San Diego Metro area has many different theme parks that are appropriate entertainment for children and grown ups of all ages. Enjoy your next San Diego vacation with a visit to one or more of the citys wonderful theme parks.
Universal Studios
For a full day of fun and adventure you cannot beat Universal Studio San Diego. Here you can visit backlots and dressing rooms for actual Hollywood productions. You can also take an exhilirating ride on Hollywood blockbuster themed roller coasters like the Terminator and the Jurassic Park. Universal Studios San Diego is sure to leave you begging for more.
Disneyland Parks
In the San Diego area you can choose from one of two amazing Disneyland Parks—Disneyland or the newer California Adventure. Disneyland will put you face to face with characters like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Buzz Lightyear, while California Adventure will offer you the same Disney charm but with a uniquely Golden State focus.
For ocean fun and high performance marine animal tricks, visit Sea World San Diego where Shamu and the gang will keep you on the edge of your seat. Feed the dolphins, watch a Sesame Street 4-dimensional movie or thrill to a high speed water ride at Sea World San Diego.
