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  • Charlotte, NC, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Charlotte is an ambitious and very rapidly growing city in the southern part of central North Carolina. It is the largest city in the state. As of 2006, the Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury combined statistical area (CSA) had a regional population of 2,389,763. It is the center of finance, industry, technology, and entertainment for the region.

    Primarily known in the past as a business center, Charlotte is steadily developing its fledgling tourist industry; currently its central core is one of the most visitor-friendly districts in the Carolinas.

    Charlotte Info Center 330 S Tryon St and 200 E Seventh St, are the main locations in city center, while a third is inside the airport. Brochures, souvenirs, and advice are available for first-time visitors as well as long-time residents.

    Charlotte is a city that thrives on big business (specifically banking and is thus the second leading banking center in the country). Its most visible employers are Wells Fargo/Wachovia (the city’s largest employer), Bank of America, Duke Energy, Nucor, Sonic Automotive, Continental Tire NA, SPX, Lowe’s and Family Dollar.

    Attractions :

    * Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
    * Billy Graham Library.
    * Carolinas Aviation Museum, 4108 Airport Dr.
    * Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum .
    * Charlotte Nature Museum in Freedom Park.
    * Charlotte Trolley Museum in Historic South End.
    * Discovery Place on N Tryon between 6th and 7th.
    * Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville (Coming Fall 2010).
    * Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture.

    * Historic Rosedale Plantation.
    * Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E 7th St.
    * The Light Factory.
    * McColl Center for Visual Art.
    * Mint Museum of Art, 2730 Randolph Rd.
    * Mint Museum of Craft + Design.
    * NASCAR Hall of Fame.
    * Second Ward Alumni House Mu.

    Charlotte benefits from a highly centralized location in the Carolinas, giving visitors the option of driving to either the beach or the mountains if they choose. Cities within day-trip range include Asheville, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and the Raleigh/Durham area. If you are interested in seeing smaller Southern towns, consider a short drive to Matthews, Davidson, or Huntersville; all are within 15 minutes’ drive on the interstate.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Asheville, NC, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    The city of Asheville is nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina. The city is the largest city in Western N Carolina, the 9th largest city in the State.

    Asheville is a popular tourist destination and is known as a liberal, artsy community. This “Paris of the South,” has also been described as the “San Francisco of the East,” “New Age Mecca,” and “Land of the Sky.”

    Points of interest :

    * Biltmore Estate – 1 Approach Rd. A French Renaissance-inspired chateau; with over 250 rooms, it is the largest single family home in the U.S. and the largest privately-owned house in the world, just a few minutes outside the city and should be on any visitor’s itinerary. Basic admission includes access to the fabulous gardens, stables, expansive hiking trails, winery and self-guided house tour.

    * Blue Ridge Parkway – Some of the most beautiful waterfalls can be reached via the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park your car on any Parkway overlook and there will most likely be a trail nearby. Popular spots include Mount Pisgah (15 miles south on the Parkway), Graveyard Fields (25 miles south on the Parkway), Craggy Gardens (24 miles north on the Parkway), and Mount Mitchell, the eastern United States highest mountain (35 miles/1 hour drive north on the Parkway). The Parkway intersects Asheville at US 25, US 70, US 74A and NC 191.

    * Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

    * Grove Park Inn – 290 Macon Ave. Completed in 1913, this historic resort hotel is an important example of the Arts and Crafts style.

    * North Carolina Arboretum – 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Wy.

    * Smith-McDowell House – 283 Victoria Rd.

    * Sliding Rock – Pisgah National Forest.

    * Bent Creek – Pisgah National Forest.

    * Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and is the country’s most visited national park.

    * McCormick Field – is a baseball park and home of the minor league Asheville Tourists.

    * Basilica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St.

    * Asheville City Hall. This building epitomizes the Art Deco style of the 1920s.

    * Buncombe County Courthouse.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Cherokee, NC, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Cherokee is a town in Swain County, North Carolina within the Qualla Boundary, the proper name of the Cherokee Indian (Eastern Band) Reservation.

    This is the center of Cherokee culture in North Carolina (and indeed the eastern US). Many natives call this area home, the Cherokee language is also spoken by many in this area. The town was established by the Cherokee who stayed behind while the US Government forced them west in the Trail of Tears. Those who stayed behind hid in the mountains that now make up the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

    The Cherokee people lived in houses made of woven grass covered with mud, and after the European settlers arrived, log cabins.

    Cherokee is one of the gateways to the “Great Smokey Mountains National Park”, and it’s economy is mainly tourism based. There is no “downtown” to Cherokee; the entire built up area is mainly composed of hotels and tourist shops selling “Indian” themed junk.

    Cherokee is only accessible by mountain roads. Most visitors will come from the direction of Knoxville or Asheville.

    Visit the Oconaluftee Indian Village and learn about Cherokee Native American culture. The tour takes you through various live demonstrations of Cherokee life, including two educational and informative talks.

    There is also The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which is a small, dimly lit affair mainly filled with arrow heads and pottery shards.

    A popular attraction in Cherokee is Harrah’s Casino, which is owned by the local Cherokee tribe. There are a limited number of other attractions in the area, most of which are related either to Indian culture or natural landmarks.

    There are several locally owned restaurants offering typical American food, but sadly no Native American food. The town panders to it’s primary tourist base who tend to be Southern Americans.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Smoky Mountains, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a US National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an International Biosphere Reserve that straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Because of its substantial size, its location within a few hundred miles of several large cities, its year-round accessibility, and of course its general appeal to a wide variety of people, it consistently ranks the most-visited national park in the USA, with 9-10 million visits per year.

    The Park was established on June 15, 1934 after a long process of land purchases starting in with Congress’ authorization in 1926. Rockefeller family donated $5 million. This great deed was honored by the erection of a memorial at Newfound Gap. The park was officially dedicated on September 2, 1940 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

    Travelling by car is the best method to visit the park. The most popular entrance into the park is from the North through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. You can also enter from the South on the North Carolina side of park, through Cherokee, Maggie Valley, or Bryson City.

    There are no entrance fees charged for visiting this park thanks to restrictions imposed when the park was established. Take your car or backpack. Yes, you can walk through the park on the Appalachian Trail.

    The park has several visitor centers inside the park as well as some in the surrounding areas. These centers offer various ranger-led programs, facilities, services, and exhibits. Visitors can get information to help plan their visit to the park and get answers to their questions from park rangers. There are two main ones:

    * Sugarlands Visitors Center Serves the Tennessee half of the park with a gift shop, small museum, and theater
    * Oconaluftee Visitors Center Serves the North Carolina half.

    In addition, there are visitors centers outside the park in Gatlinburg and Townsend.

    * A drive around Cades Cove, an historic farming valley, is very popular due to the frequency of wildlife. However, due to congestion and “deer jams,” the effective speed on this 11 mile (17 km) one-way loop is very slow – allow a few hours.

    * Take the walking path to the top of Clingmans Dome (6643 feet / 2025 m), it is the highest point in the park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest point east of the Mississippi river. From the Sugarlands Visitors Center, go south 13 miles on Newfound Gap Road, to the also stunning Morton Overlook, and west 7 miles to the parking lot, before hiking a fairly steep path .5 mile to a concrete overlook.

    * Morton Overlook En route to Clingmans dome.

    * The easiest waterfall hike is 2.5 miles round trip to Laurel Falls. The trail is paved and accessible even to strollers.

    * US Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) runs north to south through the park connecting Gatlinburg, Tennessee to Cherokee, North Carolina. The road has steep grades and some tunnels as it winds through the mountains. There are many pull offs offering different views of the park, including the road to Clingmans Dome.

    * Bears The park is home to more than 1,000 black bears.
    * Snakes Twenty-three (23) types of snakes make their home in the park’s lands, but only two varieties are venomous: Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.
    * Waterfalls Do not climb on the falls.
    * Hypothermia Be cautious when in the park’s streams.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Pigeon Forge, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern US. Situated just five miles north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge is primarily a tourist resort. The city’s attractions include Dollywood and numerous outlet malls and music theaters.

    The Fun Time Trolley is a public transportation system serving Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Trolley stops include places such as Dollywood, Dolly’s Splash Country, Tanger Outlets, and many other stops along the parkway and other points of interest.

    The West Fork of the Little Pigeon River flows north from its source high on the slopes of Mount Collins through Sevier County before linking up with the Middle Fork in Sevierville. Pigeon Forge occupies a narrow valley along this river between Sevierville and Gatlinburg.

    U.S. Route 441(The Parkway) runs through the middle of Pigeon Forge en route to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where it crests at Newfound Gap before descending to Cherokee, North Carolina. The strip along 441 contains most of Pigeon Forge’s tourist attractions. U.S. Route 321 (Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge) connects the town with Wears Valley and Townsend to the west. Upper Middle Creek Road (a section of which is called Dollywood Lane) connects Pigeon Forge with Dollywood and the rural areas of eastern Sevier County.

    The name “Pigeon Forge” comes from an iron forge built by Isaac Love (1783-1854) sometime around 1820. The name of this forge referred to its location along the Little Pigeon River, in the vicinity of what is now the Old Mill.

    Attractions and events in Pigeon Forge include the Dollywood theme park, Titanic Museum, The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, the award-winning Country Tonight Theatre, the Comedy Barn, The Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Show, the Miracle Theater, Dixie Stampede, Zorb, Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, other entertainment venues such as magician Terry Evanswood’s at Magic Beyond Belief theater where magic shows are presented, and seasonal events such as Winterfest. These attractions and the natural beauty of the area draw approximately 11 million visitors each year.

    Pigeon Forge has become the southeast mecca for car and truck enthusiasts. The calendar of car and truck show events runs from April through September. Few of them are Pontiac Car Club Show; Camaro, Chevelle, Nova Nationals; etc.

    Pigeon Forge has two parks. 1. Pigeon Forge City Park 2. Patriot Park.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Gatlinburg, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Gatlinburg is a resort town located in eastern Tennessee. It is a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Downtown Gatlinburg may come as somewhat of a shock for those on their way to a nature getaway in the national park – from the Space Needle to the amusement rides, the town hasn’t necessarily chosen to embrace its “nature” side. That said, there is plenty of lodging, restaurants, and other amenities to make this town a useful base for exploring the park.

    Gatlinburg is best reached by the north by taking I-40 to TN 66 SOUTH. Follow TN 66 to US 441 in Sevierville and follow US 441 through Pigeon Forge and into Gatlinburg.

    From the south US 441 passes through the heart of the Smokies, bringing in traffic from Cherokee, NC. It is about 35 miles from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, but the high volume of tourist traffic on the road can make the trip at least an hour long.

    Gatlinburg offers a trolley that takes tourists around the town without fighting the traffic. There are several park-and-ride locations. The Gatlinburg By-Pass allows traffic heading into the National Park from the north to bypass the Gatlinburg business district. There are scenic vistas along this road as well.

    Most visitors to Gatlinburg are here due to the close proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but for those who want to escape from nature there are a vast number of attractions in town, ranging from interesting to educational to tacky & bizarre.

    * Cooter’s Place – Dukes of Hazzard store and museum.
    * Gatlinburg Sky Lift – Ride up Crockett Mountain for panoramic views
    * Gatlinburg Space Needle – Observation tower and arcade.
    * Guinness World Records Museum – 1200 incredible exhibits.
    * Hollywood Star Cars Museum – World’s best star cars collection.
    * Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.
    * Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum – 500 exhibits of incredible artifacts.
    * Smoky Mountain Winery – Complimentary tour and wine tasting.
    * Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre.
    * Hollywood Wax Museum, 903 Parkway.

    * Ober Gatlinburg – Includes an aerial tramway, alpine slide, bear habitat and ski resort.
    * Wild Bear Falls Indoor Waterpark.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Sevierville, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern US.

    Just why is Sevierville Where Smoky Mountain Fun Begins? That’s easy – because Sevierville is filled with great attractions, shows and fun things to do you just don’t find anywhere else.

    Experience adventure in the Great Outdoors by hiking the Great Smoky Mountains or exploring the caverns beneath the foothills. Take a walk on the wild side at educational attractions featuring exotic animals like kangaroos, zebras, snakes and emus.

    There are even museums featuring classic cars and warbird airplanes, plenty of go-kart tracks and even putt-putt golf to keep everyone entertained. Attractions in their sister cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are only minutes away. Have a day of fun at Dollywood or Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

    Sevierville shows are family friendly and dazzling anytime of day. From martial arts morning shows to acrobatic matinee performances and toe-tapping evening musicals, Sevierville offers a unique blend of shows.

    Shopping in Sevierville ranges from high-end outlet stores and boutiques to galleries, antique stores flea markets and even the scrapbook store with the largest inventory in the US.

    Sevierville is also the hometown of country music legend Dolly Parton.

    Few attractions :

    * Black Bear Jamboree Dinner & Show
    * Cirque de Chine – Family Entertainment
    * Comedy Barn.
    * Dixie Stampede.
    * Dollywood.
    * Forbidden Caverns.
    * NASCAR SpeedPark.
    * Sevierville Visitor Center – Winfield Dunn Parkway.
    * Wonder Works, TN LLC.
    * World Of Magic At Governor’s Palace – 179 Collier Drive.
    * Tennessee Museum Of Aviation – 135 Air Museum Way.
    * Smoky Mountain Helicopters Incorporated – 1101 Winfield Dunn Parkway.
    * Scenic Helicopter Tours – 113 Helicopter Ride Boulevard.
    * Muscle Car Museum – 320 Winfield Dunn Parkway.
    * Forbidden Caverns – 455 Blowing Cave Road.
    * The Farm At Apple Valley – Lonesome Valley Road.
    * Adventure Park At Five Oaks – 1628 Parkway.
    * Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo.
    * Bluff Mountain Adventures.
    * RainForest Adventures.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Worlds Fair Park, Knoxville, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Knoxville is in Knox County, Tennessee. It is the third-largest city in the state. It is the site of the 1982 World’s Fair.

    The ‘scruffy little city’ called Knoxville sits nestled on the Tennessee River about an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One can still see remnants of the 1982 World’s Fair in the Sunsphere, a rising structure topped with a gold sphere which dots Knoxville’s skyline.

    Knoxville is also home to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The basketball teams play in the 21,000+ seat Thompson Boling Arena, and the nationally recognized football team plays in Neyland Stadium, one of the largest on-campus stadiums in the world at 103,000+ seating capacity.

    The city is also the home or birthplace of a number of cultural figures, such as authors Cormac McCarthy, James Agee, and Alex Haley, and filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who mentions the city in all of his films Less culturally, actor and daredevil Johnny Knoxville is from the city.

    * Candy Factory.
    * Fort Sanders neighborhood – A multitude of Victorian-era houses.
    * Market Square – A small, historic downtown square, home to dining, retail, a twice weekly farmer’s market, and special events.
    * Old City.
    * Gay Street.
    * Volunteer Landing. Knoxville’s riverwalk along the Tennessee River.
    * World’s Fair Park. Site of the 1982 World’s Fair Park and adjacent to the Knoxville Convention Center. Large, kid-friendly fountains. A big hit in the summer months.
    * Sunsphere. A modernistic monument built for the 1982 World’s Fair.
    * The Vols The Tennessee Vols are an integral part of the Knoxville lifestyle.
    * Museum of East Tennessee History, 601 S. Gay Street.

    * The Smoky Mountains. Knoxville is located only 30 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg.
    * Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Avenue.
    * Knoxville Zoo, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive.

    * The Museum of Appalachia in Norris. About 30 minutes north of Knoxville up I75.
    * Chattanooga. About two hours’ drive to the home of the Tennessee Aquarium.

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Lookout Mountain Battlefield(Point Park), Lookout Mountain, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Address : Hwy 148 Chattanooga, TN.(108 Point Park Rd, Lookout Mountain, TN)

    In 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Chattanooga, known as the “Gateway to the Deep South.” The Confederates were victorious at nearby Chickamauga in September. However, renewed fighting in Chattanooga that November provided Union troops victory and control of the city. The 5,300 acre Chickamauga Battlefield is the scene of the last major Confederate victory of the American Civil War.

    The 3,000 acre Lookout Mountain Battlefield contains monuments, historical markers, trails, and scenic vistas. Point Park, a unit of the Lookout Mountain Battlefield, is located on top of the mountain and is the most prominent feature in the area. The Visitor Center, located across the street from the Point Park entrance gate, displays artist James Walker’s 13 x 30 foot painting the “Battle of Lookout Mountain.” Self-starting audio visual programs and various other artifacts and exhibits are also located inside the Visitor Center.

    Chickamauga Battlefield features a 7 mile self-guiding auto tour, monuments, historical tablets, hiking trails and horse trails.

    Nearest Attractions :

    * Rock City, 1400 Patton Road (Located approximately 6 miles from downtown).
    * Ruby Falls, 1720 South Scenic Highway.
    * Incline Railway, 3917 St Elmo (Near Interstate 24).

    Please click on the image for pictures.

  • Chattanooga, TN, US – Pictures – Upcoming Video

    Chattanooga is the 4th largest city in Tennessee. It is in Southeast Tennessee on the Tennessee River and near the border of Georgia. It is, in fact, the home of the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the tune made popular by Glenn Miller.

    During the American Civil War, Chattanooga was a major railroad station and at the center of a number of pitched battles. Walnut Street Bridge is now the world’s longest pedestrian bridge.

    Miller Industries, the largest tow truck manufacturer in the world; Chattanooga is the birthplace of the tow truck. Within the last ten years the city has won 3 national awards for outstanding “livability”, and 9 Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning.

    Attractions

    * Rock City, 1400 Patton Road (Located approximately 6 miles from downtown).
    * Ruby Falls, 1720 South Scenic Highway.
    * Incline Railway, 3917 St Elmo (Near Interstate 24).
    * Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market Street.
    * Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad Street, (Which has become the center of tourism in Downtown Chattanooga).
    * Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, 1101 McCallie Avenue.

    * International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, 3315 Broad Street.
    * Chattanooga Regional History Museum, 400 Chestnut Street.
    * Hunter Museum of American Art.
    * Creative Discovery Museum, Corner of Chestnut and 4th.
    * Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Rd.
    * Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High Street.

    * Tennessee River Walk.
    * Ross’s Landing.
    * River Gallery Sculpture Garden, 400 East 2nd Street.
    * Walnut Street Bridge.
    * Coolidge Park.

    Please click on the image for pictures.