Christmas Eve - who has time to read blogs and Facebook?

Does anybody really have time to read blog posts and Facebook on Christmas Eve?

Well, just in case you do, our family wants to wish you a wonderful, blessed Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

We also have a Christmas and New Year's gift for you, our blog and Facebook friends. From now until midnight, December 31, we're offering you a 15% discount on available nights from now until May 24, 2012 at either All Decked Out...


...or Smoky Mountain Tower.


This is a special offer ONLY available to our blog and Facebook friends. It's not even listed on our Web site! Here's the deal:

Book at least a 3-night stay between now and May 24, 2012 and we'll take 15% off the already-low-price of $149.00 per night. That means you'll only pay $126.65 per night (plus tax).

You have the best choice of dates if you book NOW. And you get the discount!

To get this special price, enter the coupon code CHRISTmas15 exactly as shown (see instructions below). Remember, you must book at least 3 consecutive nights, and you have to make your reservation by New Year's Eve. If you have any questions, write to us.

Now, here are the instructions:

-Select your vacation property and go to the Web site:
-All Decked Out - www.SmokiesRentDirect.com/All-Decked-Out
-SmokyMountainTower - www.SmokyMountainTower.com

-Click the "Book Online Now" button on the Web site. This will open a new page at our IVOL reservation site.

-Enter your arrival and departure dates, then click "Review & Book."

-On the page that opens, go to the "Coupon Code" section. Enter the coupon code shown above. Be sure to enter it exactly as shown - coupon codes are case-sensitive. After entering the code, click "Redeem." You will see that the price has changed to deduct the 15%.

-Now just complete all the information requested, click the blue box that says "Click Here to Book Online Now, enter your credit card information and make your reservation.

If you have any questions, please contact us immediately. We'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a difference a year (or two) makes

I just checked the weather forecast for the next 15 days in Gatlinburg. High temperatures are supposed to be somewhere between 46 and 64 degrees. Lows could get below freezing right around Christmas and New Year's. Tomorrow's low is in the high 40s! Yes, there is some rain forecast, but there is not a single snowflake showing up in the forecast. In fact, it looks like Ober Gatlinburg has not even started making snow yet. They're showing no trails open.

Two years ago, we were posting notices on our blog and our Web site about the bad roads and difficult travel conditions. You may remember that I-40 was closed through the Smokies because of a rock slide. So the only 'short' way to get to Gatlinburg was through the National Park. It looked like this:


Last year, we were actually in Gatlinburg for Christmas. On Christmas Day, the view from the main deck at All Decked Out looked like this.


And the next morning, this was the front of All Decked Out. Yeah, those big white spots are snowflakes. It snowed for 2 straight days and we got about 15 inches.


In fact, it was so bad that our cleaners couldn't get up the mountain. We had guests coming in to Smoky Mountain Tower. So we drove up to the road behind the cabin and walked through the woods so we could clean the place. Our daughter and grandchildren from Chicago were with us, and they're used to this type of weather. But it was a struggle for us! The guests had to stay down in town for a day, but Smoky Mountain Tower was ready for them.


We're very thankful that the weather seems to be cooperating a little better this year. After the last two years, we are ready for a little relief. So, unless the temperatures really drop and the rain turns to ice, the guests arriving at Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out for Christmas and New Year's should be able to get up the mountain! As always, we urge our guests to be careful and to check weather and road conditions often.