Why you need a winter Smokies getaway

A new year is beginning and after the wild ride that was 2016, I’m betting you could use a break, too. The holidays are over. The presidential election has been decided. And the end of the year seemed to be filled with unusually sad news. We could all use a little escape.

On a previous post, I listed my top 10 reasons to come to the Smokies in the winter. But here I wanted give you a look-see. It’s nothing like summer, trust me. The hot tub is steamy. The fireplace has a magical glow. The sun sets early, so there’s a desire to settle in sooner and watch a movie. It’s a slower pace; a more relaxing time in the mountains. A winter getaway lets you enjoy the moment. And for many of us, that’s good medicine.

January and February present the best chances for snow, so this is high season for tubing and skiing at Ober Gatlinburg. You’ll need to reserve your tubing time slot–especially when it’s busy on weekends. If you want to take a peek at what’s going on there, visit the webcam page on their site.

Just remember that with winter weather, there’s always the chance snow may change your plans. So bring plenty of food, drinks and keep a watchful eye on the local weather. I highly recommend that you download the Weather Channel app to your smart phone. It provides push notifications of incoming precipitation, fog, driving conditions and National Weather Service alerts. With a little advance planning and preparation, a winter trip to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville can be a great adventure.