12 minute read
Travel and Recreation
Winter Wonderland Fun for Everyone Winter Wonderland Fun for Everyone 5 hours or less drive from Knoxville
WE TEND to not get a lot of snow here in Knoxville (understatement!), so if your friends and family are longing for more of the white stuff, here are a few ideas of where to make that happen. Whether it’s a day trip or an extended stay away, going towards winter weather creates a break from the ordinary and makes space for new activities and experiences.
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Taking your traveling companions to snow is an adventure within itself. We have all seen kids play in the smallest, slightest bit of snow available, so how fun would unstructured time with an accumulation of snow be? Snow angels, building snowmen and forts, throwing snowballs - let your inner child have some fun!
Ski resorts are specifically set up to provide wonderful vacations for their patrons. Most are open through mid-March and are worthwhile destinations even if you are not a skier! The resort lovely settings are fun for everyone in your party by offering other activities in addition to winter sports. So whether you are someone who has snow skied before or are just interested in trying it out, or someone who simply enjoys hanging out by a warm fire with an awesome view, a ski resort may just fit the bill.
There are also many private rentals available in snowy locations. Check for accommodations like Airbnbs, Vrbos, and quaint hotels the area you are interested in visiting to see what best suits you and your traveling partners. Maybe a fireplace and a large room with bunkbeds for the kids? Or a gorgeous view of the slopes from an outside deck?
Let’s start with the clothing essentials for winter play: • Dress everyone in layers so clothing can be added or removed as needed • Thermal underwear (top and bottom) is highly recommended for wicking moisture to keep you more comfortable • Wear waterproof pants and a windproof/ waterproof coat • Waterproof gloves or mittens are also a
must, as staying dry is key for playing in the snow • Avoid cotton fabric, as it tends to get wet and stay wet • Quality sunglasses and/or goggles are also a good idea • Use sunscreen on face and neck that are exposed, as snow really reflects the sun
Now that everyone is suited up for a day at play, let’s find something to do:
Skiing and Snowboarding
Taking to the slopes - whether a seasoned skier or snowboarder or an absolute beginner - is fantastic exercise that becomes more enjoyable as you practice. First time or seldom skiers/snowboarders are encouraged to take lessons at their destination. Learning the basics or having a refresher course (stopping, being an important skill!) will keep you and those around you safer.
Skiing is a sport that can begin at just about any age, with resorts set up for the novice, as well as the experienced, to enjoy their time and efforts. Most include graduated areas beginning with flatter, smooth trails for beginners so everyone can enjoy improving at their own pace. So if burning a few calories and beating the winter blues are an important part of your vacation agenda, then skiing and snowboarding are an excellent choice.
Snow Tubing
For those who want the fun of traveling down the side of a mountain without as much effort, there is always snow tubing. Just hop on the inflated rubber tube and enjoy the ride! This activity is great for all ages (most have a height or age restriction, so check before you go), and many resorts also include a “magic carpet” to return you to the top of the run - yay! Tubing with friends and family is really fun with laughs to spare! Most vacation resorts have snow tubing areas or one located nearby, and some are set up exclusively for tubing.
Outdoor Strolls and Hiking
Maybe walking in a winter wonderland is more of your speed - just being out in nature and taking in the fresh air can be exhilarating and a welcome respite from the busyness of everyday life. Cooler temperatures make it easier to enjoy a short hike where leafless trees don’t block the views of sunrises and sunsets. Appreciate the quiet beauty, marvel at the snow laden trees, and practice your winter photography. Surreal landscapes, frozen waterfalls, and friends with pink cheeks and noses all make excellent subjects to create lasting memories of your trip.
Relaxing
Many resorts, vacation areas, and lodges have indoor heated pools, hot tubs, and/ or spa services - the perfect way to warm up and relax after a fun day in the winter weather. Treat yourself to a massage or facial as a break from outside activities - or instead of them!
Snow on the ground is an undeniable excuse to cozy up to a warm fire with a steaming mug of your favorite beverage! It could be a shared fireplace in a lodge, an outdoor fire pit, or the cozy one in your rental cabin. Your “ski” vacation could very well be simply enjoying the snow-covered views from the window next to the fireplace with a good book - aaaahh!
Find Your Winter Wonderland
Remember, even if you’re not a skier, you can still enjoy the ambiance of snow covered mountains and plenty of winter activities: Shopping, ice skating, relaxing, meeting new people, sitting fireside, re-connecting with family, snowshoeing, catching up with friends, playing in the snow, and so much more.
Courtesy of Hawksnest
Can’t get much closer than this! Gatlinburg, TN - 1.5 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 10+ runs and trails • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Alpine Coaster • Aerial Tramway • Ice Skating • Restaurant & Bar
North Carolina 2. Cataloochee Ski Area
Just on the other side of the gorge Maggie Valley, NC - 2 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 18+ runs and trails • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Restaurant & Bar
3. Moonshine Mountain
Slightly south of Asheville, NC Hendersonville, NC - 2.75 hours from Knoxville • Snow Tubing • Food Truck
4. Zip N Slip
Family-owned and operated for over 20 years Mars Hill, NC - 2.5 hours from Knoxville • Snow Tubing • Limited tickets sold so no overcrowding
5. Wolf Ridge
Formerly known as Wolf Laurel Ski Area Mars Hill, NC - 2.75 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 15 runs and trails • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Restaurant Less crowded than the larger resorts Jonas Ridge, NC - 3 hours from Knoxville • Snow Tubing • Night Snow Tubing
7. Sugar Mountain
Surrounded by Pisgah National Forest Sugar Mountain, NC - 2.75 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 21 runs and trails • Night Skiing • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Ice Skating • Snowshoe Tours • Alpine Coaster • Restaurant & Bar
8. Beech Mountain
Highest elevation town in the southeast Beech Mountain, NC - 2.75 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 15+ runs and trails • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Ice Skating • Snowshoe Tours • Restaurants & Bar
9. Hawksnest
Longest tubing run in the southeast Seven Devils, NC - 3 hours from Knoxville • Snow Tubing • Ziplining • Small Restaurant
10. Appalachain Ski Mountain
Opened more than 50 years ago Blowing Rock, NC - 3.25 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 9+ runs and trails • Snowboarding • Restaurant Great place to practice Lynchburgh, VA - 5 hours from Knoxville • Skiing • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing
West Virginia 12. Winterplace
Voted best place to learn to ski by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine Ghent, WV - 4 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 28 runs and trails • Night Skiing • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Restaurants & Bar
Indiana 13. Perfect North Slopes
Online snow cams Lawrenceberg, IN - 4.25 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 22 runs and trails • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Restaurant
14. Paoli Peaks
Just northwest of Louisville, KY Paoli, IN - 5 hours from Knoxville • Skiing - 17 runs and trails • Night Skiing • Snowboarding • Snow Tubing • Restaurant
Courtesy of Pexels/Elliott Courtesy of Pexels/Krukov Courtesy of Cataloochee Courtesy of Winterplace
New Exhibitions Opening Emporium Center December 3
- Liza Zenni, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Alliance
Clay piece by Mary Ruden Acrylic work by Mary Nietling Watercolor by Judy Jorden
THE ARTS & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2021 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and threedimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew.
A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, December 3, from 5 to 9 pm. The 48th Annual WIVK Christmas Parade starts at 7 pm along Gay Street and passes in front of the Emporium.
Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle, and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Appalachian Arts Craft Center, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, Knoxville Museum of Art, Mighty Mud, and Oak Ridge Art Center.
Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as The Emporium,
Fiber/Quilt by Camilla Younger
17th Street Studios, Mighty Mud, Broadway Studios & Gallery, Knoxville Community Darkroom, West Fifth Studios, and Relay Ridge.
The 2021 Members Show will be on display throughout the Emporium Center, located at 100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville from December 3-23. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.
The Arts & Culture Alliance was created in 2001 through a highly participatory community-driven process. The Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the City of Knoxville.
The Emporium is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. Please note, we will be closed December 24 through January 2 for the holidays. Visit www.knoxalliance.com or call 865-523-7543 for more information.
Why not by give the gift of original art to your friends and loved ones this season? Visit www.KnoxAlliance.store to see the unique and diverse selection of available works of art within a wide price point for every budget. Wearable Items • Watercolor • Sculpture • Photography • Pottery • Collage Fiber Art • Turned Wood • Oil Painting • Stained Glass • Acrylic • Mixed Media
A Valuable Service and an Invaluable Resource
BY AARON HUNT, CO-OWNER OF PREMIERE CONSIGNMENT
MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year from Becky, Toby, and me! We would like to express our appreciation for the continued support along with all the encouragement we’ve received since we first opened the doors of Premiere Consignment in nearby Tellico Village in 2012 - almost 10 years ago!
We feel that Premiere Consignment has continued to provide a valuable service, and be an invaluable resource, to our community. For those of you who are recent arrivals to this area, we offer the perfect opportunity to find another home for the gently used furniture, home décor items, art, and area rugs that you may no longer need in your new home. Empty nesters? Downsizing? We are the right venue for you, too!
For those of you who are in the market to purchase items, Premiere Consignment is your source for high-end, upscale furniture from the nation’s top brand-name manufacturers - saving you up to 90% off the original retail prices - making it well worth the short trip over the dam to see our store. If you are an estate sale enthusiast, we keep a current list of our area’s sales, so check back often.
Our eBay store is another opportunity for selling your treasured collectibles and those items that are particularly attractive to online shoppers. Imagine having interested buyers from all across the globe! We can provide a fully turn-key eBay experience, including professional photography, detailed descriptions, auction set up, handling financial transactions, and then packing and shipping your sold goods anywhere and everywhere in the world!
Whether you’re hoping to sell your gently used, brand-name household items, add that accent chair to your living room before holiday company arrives, or purchase an entire home full of furnishings with new-to-you home décor pieces, Premiere Consignment is your one-stop superstore for savings or selling, so come out and see us before you pay too much! If you prefer to shop from your home, visit our website at www.premiereconsignment.com to view our current inventory, and check back often as new items are added as they arrive.
Wishing you the greetings of the season from the entire Hunt family! Hope to see you soon!
Premiere Consignment
320 Lakeside Plaza Loudon, TN 37774 865.458.9721 www.premiereconsignment.com
KNOXVILLE CIVIC COLISEUM
Saturday, December 11, at 3 pm Sunday, December 12, at 3 pm Monday, December 13, at 7 pm
JOIN US AS we celebrate the 53rd year of the Nativity Pageant of Knoxville - a presentation of the traditional Christmas story of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. With a cast and choir of more than 200, a professional orchestra, and live animals, the story is told in pantomime on realistic sets.
All performances are family-friendly. Admission is free - no tickets required. (Coliseum parking is $5/car.) Sunday and Monday performances are offered with interpretation for the deaf and hearing impaired.
