Tenn. ideal location for getaway

• By CYNTHIA V. CAMPBELL
• Travel editor
• Published: Jan 11, 2009 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Family attractions and the magnificent scenery of East Tennessee make the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area hard to beat. Southern Living magazine’s annual “Reader’s Choice Awards” poll named the towns No. 1 on their list of “Best Weekend Getaways” and No. 5 on their list of “Best Family Destinations.” Results in 14 categories are in the January issue.

Family-friendly attractions, particularly the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, earned praise from readers and editors.

Pigeon Forge, which has only 5,800 residents but about 11 million visitors a year, offers people year-long events, more than a dozen entertainment theaters, six outlet malls, craft shops and art galleries.

In addition to Dollywood, there’s Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede and WonderWorks. Finding a place to stay is no problem. The community has about 10,000 lodgings, including hotels, motels, chalets and cabins.

A new attraction, Belle Island Village, is scheduled to open this spring. Its major components will include Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum and the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience.

Winter visitors to the area can participate in two special events in Pigeon Forge. Wilderness Wildlife Week, featuring hikes, lectures and more, runs now through Jan. 17. The Mountain Quiltfest March 11-15, attracts some of the country’s leading quilting designers, artist and instructors.

Information on all aspects of Pigeon Forge is on the Web site at http://www.PigeonForge.com or by calling (800) 251-9100.

Gatlinburg offers visitors numerous outdoor activities. Known as a center for southern folk art, the community offers more than 100 shops, studios and craft centers to visit. For complete information visit http://www.gatlinburg-tennessee.com or call (800) 343-1475.

Other Tennessee favorites in the Southern Living poll included Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga as top of the “Best Scenic View” list, which also included two destinations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Cades Cove (No. 5) and Clingman’s Dome (No. 7).

Balloting has already begun for the 2009 awards at http://www.southernliving.com/readerschoice. Voting ends June 30.

Additional information can be found on the state of Tennessee tourism Web site, http://www.tnvacation.com.

Underground Railroad ties
Throughout January and February, Americans celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans with Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in January and Black History Month in February. In recognition, BedandBreakfast.com suggests planning a getaway to a B&B that once served as a “conductor” or “station” on what became known as the Underground Railroad. Among the B&Bs on the Web site are: Amelia Island Williams House, Fernandina Beach, Fla., where the owner Marcellus A. Williams, who bought the house in 1859, allowed escaped slaves to use his home as a haven during their journey to freedom. The Steamboat House in Galena, Ill., was built by a steamboat captain and his physician wife. A tunnel still remains under the house, which offered an escape route for slaves.

Throughout 2009, guests at Christopher’s B&B in Newport, Ky., receive two adult tickets to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center when booking a stay in the Loretta or Beverly Rose Junior Jacuzzi room. The package price is $140 for a one night stay. Passages Inn, Gettysburg, Pa., gives guests a chance to take the “Freedom Lies Just North” Underground Railroad tour of Adams County. Learn how local Quakers sheltered escaping slaves while aiding their passage to freedom. The Freedom package includes two nights’ accommodations, daily gourmet breakfast, guided town tour, plus a visit to the Wills House/Lincoln Museum where the “Great Emancipator” stayed before delivering the Gettysburg Address.