"It's so WELL TAKEN CARE OF!"

Earlier this year, we wrote a couple of posts about our great cleaning crew from Y-US Cleaning. Now we want to tell you about another vital member of our team - Mark Kalinowski.


Mark and his family moved to Sevier County from Michigan several years ago. He did maintenance work for us a long time ago, but then he got busy remodeling houses and we lost track of him. A couple of years ago, we literally spotted him in a parking lot and re-established contact - and he's been helping us ever since.

What does Mark do? Well, just about anything! In the picture above, he's getting ready to replace all the window mechanisms in the sunroom at Smoky Mountain Tower. Earlier this week, he replaced the toilet in the Tower half-bath. We think it might be leaking, but it was never "caught in the act." Rather than take a chance, we just asked Mark to replace it.

Mark has removed "popcorn" from ceilings and repaired them, done electrical work, and installed windows. He works both inside and outside. When you go to All Decked Out, take a look at the floors in the entryway, bathrooms and laundry room - that's all his handiwork. So, thank you, Mark, for being willing and VERY able to help us with so many of our maintenance problems! Mark is one of the major reasons why our guests comment on how well things work at both Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out.
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Happy Birthday, Angie

This post may seem a bit "off subject," but it isn't, really.

Today is our daughter, Angie Jones' birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGIE.

So what does that have to do with Gatlinburg? Everything!

When we had moved away from our management company in 2006, we just left Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out sit empty. But in the spring of 2007, we wondered if we could possibly rent our cabins ourselves, using the Internet for advertising and reservations. It was then that Angie came to us and said, "Yes, you can do this and I can help!" So even though she was a new Mom, and with the help and encouragement of her husband, Tim, Angie figured it out.

Angie worked with a friend (Josh) to design our first Web site - SmokiesRentDirect.com. She maintained it and still takes care of major design changes.

Angie figured out how we could accept credit cards for payment and set up the entire system.

Angie worked out the Quicken accounts to keep track of our income and expenses.

Angie put together the spreadsheets for managing our tax receipts and payments to the state and county.

Angie obtained our business license from the county.

Angie set up our first advertising on the Internet.

And today, Angie is still involved - backstopping us when we're traveling, fixing the inevitable glitches that come along, and providing her counsel when we run into a difficult situation. She does this while supporting Tim in all his work and caring for their two boys, Drake and Adam.

So, have a wonderful day, Angie - and THANK YOU for all you do to make All Decked Out and Smoky Mountain Tower so enjoyable for our guests. We love you very much.