About the Valley

Welcome to the September/October 2009 issue of About the Valley. This issue talks about the new Zipline attractions in the area and an invitation to become a fan of Pine Cone Lodge on Facebook.

ZIPLINES

Ziplining, an adventure consisting of strapping into a harness, clipping the harness to a cable, and then riding the cable or "zipping" down a mountain, is the newest, most exciting sport to come to the Great Smoky Mountains area.

According to Wipipedia:

"A zip-line (also known as a flying fox, zip wire, aerial runway, aerial ropeslide or tyrolean crossing) consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable, usually made of stainless steel, by holding on or attaching to the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines come in many forms, most often used as a means of entertainment. They may be short and low, intended for child's play and found on some playgrounds. Longer and higher rides are often used as a means of accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy. Zip-line tours are becoming popular vacation activities, found at outdoor adventure camps or upscale resorts, where they may be an element on a larger challenge or ropes course."

There are several popular ziplines available in the area:

WAHOO ZIPLINES

Wahoo Ziplines is located in Sevierville, Tennessee, just a short drive from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Wahoo Ziplines is unique to the Smoky Mountains, with no other zipline of this magnitude in the surrounding area. With over 2 miles of cable, the zipline is split into 6 signature lines from 900 to 1600 feet long and from 40 to 250 feet in the air! Each line will amaze you as you soar through the mountains, taking in the panoramic scenery, and feeling like you're flying, as you zip under, through, and over the tree tops at speeds up to 40 MPH.

Wahoo Ziplines is open year round, 7 days a week (weather permitting) with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Reservations are required. Tours are run at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. General admission is $89 plus tax. For more information, visit http://www.wahoozip.com or call 865-453-7301.

SKYZIP DOLLYWOOD

SkyZip Dollywood is powered by Skyline Eco-Adventures, a Hawaii-based, award-winning zipline developer and operator dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment.

You will fly like an eagle over Dollywood and experience the majesty of the Great Smoky Mountains as you've never seen them before. Be a pioneer in the sky as you explore the first multiple station zipline attraction to open in a theme park only at Dollywood.

Each SkyZip zipline crossing offers a distinctive point-of-view as you venture from point to point on an elevated and inclined wire high above the ground. Based upon your pace, your entire tour includes five zipline crossings and can take 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. The crossings include the 100-foot FLYING SQUIRREL BLUFF practice line; the 700-foot BLACK BEAR DROP, flying directly over Dollywood's newest area, Wilderness Pass; the 600-foot RED FOX RUN, zipping you through an undisturbed area behind the Tennessee Tornado rollercoaster; a new adventure at the BROOK TROUT GORGE, where you will trek 200 feet up the mountainside and cross a lush chasm on a 100-foot swinging rope bridge; the 600-foot journey on the COUGAR PLUNGE high above the treetops, where you will enjoy endless views of Dollywood's natural area and wildlife; and finally, the longest flight, measuring 1,000 feet in length, called BALD EAGLE SWOOP, revealing breathtaking views of Craftsman's Valley.

In addition to park admission, a reserved ticket ($40 + tax per person) is required for each adventure. Gold Passholders save 20% on ticket prices. Tickets for this attraction are sold only at Dollywood. For more information, visit http://www.dollywood.com/land/SkyZip/About.html.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN ZIPLINES AND CANOPY TOURS

Smoky Mountain Ziplines is located in Pigeon Forge, just 1.5 miles off Highway 441. They offer a premiere zipline tour with 18 ziplines, including the 4 side-by-side superlines, 800 feet long and 100 feet high. The tour is about 2.5 hours through 14 ziplines.

The CANOPY TOUR (14 lines) is $79.95. The SUPER ZIPLINES (recommended for experienced riders) is $39.95. You receive $15 off when you bring a copy of the SMOKY MOUNTAIN ZIPLINES brochure (containing a coupon on the top front). Seniors receive 10% off and group rates are available.

Smoky Mountain Ziplines is located at 509 Mill Creek Road, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863; turn right at Pigeon Forge Traffic Light #10 and drive 1.5 miles, the office is on the left. For more information, call 865-429-9004, visit http://www.smokymountainziplines.com, or e-mail info@smokymountainziplines.com.

VISIT PINE CONE LODGE ON FACEBOOK

Pine Cone Lodge is now on Facebook. Please visit us and become a fan. You can view the latest photos and read about the latest news of the area and reservation rates/specials. We welcome your comments about Pine Cone Lodge and any questions about the cabin and the Great Smoky Mountain area.

BEEF AND CABBAGE SOUP

With the weather becoming a little colder, we enjoy soup. This recipe is the Beef and Cabbage Soup served at Shoney's (the first place I enjoyed this soup).

1 pound lean ground beef
½ head medium cabbage, shredded
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 small bell pepper, cut up into small pieces
1 medium diced onion
1 (16-ounce) canned kidney beans
1 (28-ounce) canned tomatoes, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can of water (use the 28-ounce tomato can to measure)
4 beef bouillon cubes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper, to taste

Brown ground beef and drain. Add remaining ingredients to ground beef. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 1 hour until veggies are tender.

If you are interested in owning a vacation home or rental home in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, we are offering Pine Cone Lodge for sale.

Thanks for subscribing to About the Valley. We look forward to bringing you more news next month. As always, if you have any questions or comments or want to share your favorite place to visit in the Smoky Mountains, e-mail us at .

Chestnut Ridge Cabins

IF YOU ARE PLANNING A TRIP TO THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS, PLEASE CONSIDER STAYING AT PINE CONE LODGE. THE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE OF A CHESTNUT RIDGE CABIN MAKE YOUR VACATION MORE FUN! CHECK AVAILABILITY AND RESERVE YOUR DATES EARLY -- MANY RESERVATIONS ARE MADE WEEKS AHEAD.