A week from today - it's all over!

That's right.  One week from today is August 1, and our July 31 one-day 16th anniversary sale will be history!  We're getting lots of inquiries for dates throughout the rest of 2012 - and even some for 2013.  So we know that folks are making their plans.

Marcia and I are ready.  I'm going to stay up late on the night of Monday, July 30, so I can change all the prices on our reservation sites at midnight.  And if you join me and make your reservations just after midnight, I'll even confirm them before I go to bed.  We'll sleep for a few hours, but we'll both be ready to go again on Tuesday morning, July 31 to confirm your reservations.

Here are just a few reminders:

• Before next Tuesday, you should go to our Web sites (see below) and check the availability of your dates.  The calendars are always correct, because they're tied directly to the reservation system.
• When you're ready to make your reservation, you can use the links below to take you right to the reservation site.  That will give you a slight jump on the people who will be linking through our sites.
• If you have a question before July 31, please write to us directly - Dave@SmokiesRentDirect.com or Marcia@SmokiesRentDirect.com.

Now, here are the links I promised:

All Decked Out -
   -Date Availability - http://www.SmokiesRentDirect.com/All-Decked-Out/Availability
   -Reservations - http://www.ivacationonline.com/Rentals/Rental_View.asp?PropertyID=985

Smoky Mountain Tower -
   -Date Availability - http://www.smokymountaintower.com/about-the-cabin/availability/
   -Reservations - http://www.ivacationonline.com/Rentals/Rental_View.asp?PropertyID=963

And remember, you'll save money by booking on July 31 - because a week from today, the prices will be a little higher!

"One thing leads to another..."

I've been thinking this afternoon about what to post on our blog and on Facebook.  I could remind you about our July 31 one-day anniversary sale, but you probably already have that on your calendar (at least, I HOPE so!).

But I decided to link you to a blog story we did recently for VisitMySmokies.com.  This site is run by the Sevier County Economic Development Commission.  Kelly DeBord, who manages the site for Sevier County, asked me to write up the story of how we came to purchase our cabins in Gatlinburg.

So here's the link: http://www.visitmysmokies.com/Blog/.  Then click on the July 19 post, titled "One thing leads to another..."

We'd love to hear YOUR story, too.  Why are you interested in the Smokies?  What do you like best.  You can post it right here, so send them directly to us at dave@smokiesrentdirect.com.

And while you're at it, please tell us what you'd like to read here.  What information can we provide that will make your trip to Gatlinburg more enjoyable?  What would you like to know about our cabins, or our family rental business? 

We sure hope to hear from you!

An Anniversary GIFT for you!

In just 13 days - Tuesday, July 31, we will celebrate the 16th anniversary of the day we bought All Decked Out and started renting it out.  Two years later - to the day - we bought Smoky Mountain Tower and began renting it, too.

I know - we should have celebrated the 15th anniversary!  But we forgot.  So we're celebrating this year in a special way.

On Tuesday, July 31 - just 13 days from today - we're going to lower all our prices by 16% for all open dates between August 1 and May 23, 2013.  We're even including holiday dates.  So you will be able to stay at All Decked Out or Smoky Mountain Tower for as low as $125.16 (plus tax).

Actually, this is an even better deal.  The reason is that, on August 1 - the day after the sale - we're going to raise all our non-holiday prices by $10.00 a night.  We hate to do it, but it's been almost a year since we had a price increase.  I just checked the prices of several hundred other cabins and we will still be among the lowest priced comparable cabins in the area.  But that makes our Anniversary deal even better - more like a 21% discount.

You can get all the details on our Anniversary Special on the Specials pages for both All Decked Out and Smoky Mountain Tower.  We've even prepared a special "Anniversary FAQ" on both Web sites  to answer your questions.

So start making plans now.  We are posting this special deal on our blog and on Facebook today, so you can get an early start on your planning.  But we will publicize this deal as widely as we can.  So you might want to stay up late on Monday night, July 30.  At 12:01 am EDT on Tuesday, July 31, we will change all the prices and you will be able to make your reservation.  But the discounted prices will only be available for 24 hours.

We hope you will help us celebrate our anniversary by saving yourself some money. 

Friday the 13th could be your 'lucky day!'

There are just a few more minutes left in the last "Friday the 13th" for 2012.  The first one was in January and the second one was in April - so they were all 13 weeks apart!  For those of you who worry about this, there won't be another one until September 2013!

We pay attention to Friday the 13th, but not because we are superstitious.  You know Marcia, who helps us with Gatlinburg reservations.  Friday the 13th is a special day for them.  If my facts are straight, they got engaged on a Friday the 13th, and they got married on a 13th (but not Friday).  So whenever Friday the 13th comes around, they try to do something special.  And it's usually something "anti-superstitious."

A few years ago, they decided the best way to celebrate the day would be to stand on the bridge of the Titanic.  No, not the actual bridge - it's underwater!  But there is a replica of the bridge in Pigeon Forge at the Titanic Exhibition.  So they and their boys came over to Gatlinburg and visited the Titanic on Friday the 13th.  Here's a photo to commemorate the event:















You, too, can enjoy the Titanic - and lots of other things in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  In fact, just today - Friday the 13th - we got an email from guests who are coming for Labor Day.  They wrote, "We just realized how much there is to do in Gatlinburg, so we want to stay an extra night!"  We were happy to be able to accommodate them.

Actually, if you've been following our news, you know that today COULD be your "lucky day."  We still have a great 3-night package open at All Decked Out.  You can arrive on Wednesday, July 25 and stay until Saturday, July 28 for only a TOTAL of only $475.00 - including everything, even the tax.  That works out to only $140.43 per night, which is a discount of almost 17%.  To get the discount, just enter coupon code July3 at the time you make your reservation.  You can easily book online by going to our Web site at www.SmokiesRentDirect.com and clicking on "Book Online Now."  But you'll have to do it quickly, because this package will expire 10 days from now.

See you in Gatlinburg - either in July at our special price, or this fall - we still have lots of good dates open!

Did Jesus ever laugh?

Now, what does that headline have to do with Gatlinburg?  Read on...

Today is Sunday - a day that we Christians think especially about Jesus.  Last night, I was updating the "Favorite Links" pages on our Web sites.  I found a really cool map of the Gatlinburg parkway that shows every shop and every restaurant on the parkway.  You can find it, too, by visiting our Web sites and going to the "Favorite Links" pages.  Here are the direct links (click on the cabin names below):

Smoky Mountain Tower
All Decked Out

While I was doing this, it reminded me of a recent trip to Gatlinburg, when we visited the Thomas Kinkade gallery at the south end of the Parkway, just before you go into the National Park.  I was really struck with a painting in the window by a Kinkade associate, Mark Keathley.  It shows Jesus dancing with a whole group of children, and He is laughing!  Not just smiling, but really laughing!
You can find out more information about this wonderful painting at this link:

 http://shopping.artofthesouth.com/p-2870-dance-of-grace-by-mark-keathley.aspx

What do you think?  Did Jesus laugh?  I think so, because the Bible says he experienced everything we do, but without sinning.

So when you're in Gatlinburg, you might want to wander by the Kinkade gallery and see the painting for yourself.

Happy Birthday, America

Today is our great country's 236th birthday.  We are celebrating by taking two boys from The Netherlands to a ball game and fireworks tonight.  One of the boys was born in the US, so he enjoys dual citizenship.  The boys have come to America to attend (and work at) Hickory Cove Bible Camp.  They came a little early so George could celebrate our nation's birthday in his "birth" country.

We were going to take the boys to Gatlinburg so they could experience our Americana decor at All Decked Out (here's a sample):

But All Decked Out is booked for all but five nights in July.  We sure hope Lisa and her family are enjoying their time at All Decked Out this week.  This is a great time to visit Gatlinburg!

It's not too late for you to spend a little time in Gatlinburg at All Decked Out during July.  We have two sets of dates on which we have really reduced the price - up to 20%.  Here is what is available:

• Two nights - July 16 and 17 (leave on July 18) - $325.00 total - including tax
• Three nights - July 25-27 (leave on July 28) - $475.00 total - including tax

You can get all the details and coupon codes on the Specials page at our Web site.  But don't wait too long.  We listed two other specials a couple of days ago and they're already booked.  Remember, these prices include everything!  You know that we don't charge extra fees, so this is a great deal.

We hope you can make it.  As always, contact me if you have any questions.

It's HOT!

I just got another heat advisory for Gatlinburg from the National Weather Service.  It's supposed to be in the high 90s again today in Gatlinburg.  But I just checked one of the Gatlinburg cams at http://www.gatlinburgtnlive.com/gatlinburg/gatlinburg-downtown-webcam.asp and it looks like people are having a great time.  Right now (about 11:00 am), the temperature in Gatlinburg is 83 degrees.

But up at Smoky Mountain Tower or All Decked Out, our guests are probably enjoying cooler temperatures.  It's typically 10 degrees cooler up at our cabins than it is in Gatlinburg.  In fact, the Weather Channel is reporting 76 degrees right now at Ober Gatlinburg!

So if you want to beat the heat, you should come to All Decked Out or Smoky Mountain Tower.  Because the thing that's REALLY hot there are our prices.  We have been comparing our prices to similar cabins in the area and we are almost always the lowest price for comparable cabins (3 bedrooms, 2 or 3 baths, over 2,500 square feet).  Other cabins sometimes have a little lower nightly rate.  But by the time they add on registration fees, cleaning fees, and extra person fees (plus some other weird fees like hot tub cleaning), we almost always end up to be cheaper.

In fact, we sometime have people ask us, "What's wrong with your cabin, that the price is so cheap?"  The answer is - NOTHING is wrong.  Our guest book comments and reviews on our advertising sites prove that!  We've chosen to keep prices low so we can keep them filled.  But we can't keep prices this low forever.  Our costs are going up, just like everyone else's. 

July is almost completely booked, but there are still a few good dates.  And there's lots of availability in August.  So be cool and come to Gatlinburg, while the prices are hot.