Tuesday, March 30, 2010

We Won't Stay Anywhere Else in TN!


My husband and I have made several business trips to east TN this past year. We were very excited to hear about Berry Springs Lodge through the "Select Registry 2009-2010" book that has the best B&B's listed across the nation. Berry Springs Lodge is everything they say they are online and more... from the moment you arrive, the customer service is outstanding, the living room/dining area very clean, warm, and charming, and the rooms are cozy, beautiful, very clean, comfortable and warm as well. We loved our fireplace AND jacuzzi on our private deck overlooking 30 beautiful, peaceful acres along with a view of the Smokies! We left everyday and came back to a sparkling, clean, nice smelling room, with a piece of chocolate on our pillows. The breakfasts and nightly baked fresh desserts were some of the best food we have eaten in TN! Thank you Patrick and Sue... we will be making another reservation soon at your lodge for the summer! And Congratulations on 10 Wonderful Years as Berry Springs Lodge!



Mar 25, 2010

Absolutely Amazing


We stayed at Berry Springs for our anniversary. We were very impressed by the cleanliness, hospitality, and the beautiful views. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect place.



Mar 23, 2010

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament

trout_tourney_sm_smApril 3 - 4

The 11th Annual Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament is open to adults or children – and equally challenging for both visitors and locals, with multiple categories to be contested in this largest trout tournament in the Smokies.  www.rockytopoutfitter.com

Smoky Mountain SpringFest

springflowerMarch 11 - June 7

Ahhh...Springtime in the Smokies! There's no better time to enjoy nature and festivals of all types.

Arts & Crafts Community Show

March 31 - April 3

Unique handcrafted gifts made by members of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community as they host their annual show at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. http://www.gatlinburgcrafts.com

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Great Romantic Getaway


We loved our 2 night stay at Berry Springs Lodge. Location is just minutes from everything in Pigeon Forge, but it seemed hours away. I highly recommend mountain view room with jacuzzi. (Worth the extra few bucks).
Cleanest place we have ever stayed. We usually have major problems with filth when renting a cabin.
Patrick & Sue are very friendly & informative. They were always available when needed.
Each night we went downstairs to see what was for dessert, grabbed some snacks & chose a dvd from hundreds available. Great way to relax & unwind.
We plan on returning at least once per year!

March 2010


Monday, March 15, 2010

NEW TITANIC MUSEUM ATTRACTION IN PIGEON FORGE

The World’s Largest Permanent Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon new_pa1Forge, TN, launching its Grand Opening April 8, 2010.

You can navigate through twenty rooms holding 400+ valuable museum artifacts and personal items, an exclusive photo collection and hands-on-activities, which include:


  • Walk an actual size replica of the Grand Staircase

  • View pictures that literally come to life

  • Touch the frozen surface of an “iceberg”

  • Send an SOS signal from the ship’s wireless communications room and receive communication from the coast guard

  • Listen to survivors’ stories as they sit in actual lifeboats

  • Feel the chill of that fateful "Starry Night"

  • Stand on the mighty ship's bridge and hear the Captain's commands

  • View life onboard, see a First Class Stateroom and a Third Class cabin

  • Explore world-class gallery rooms with rare historical artifacts

  • Control a simulated underwater Titanic exploration of your own













 
  

Guests will be given a passenger boarding ticket upon entry. On this ticket, you will discover the story of an actual Titanic passenger and will follow their story throughout the exhibit. Each artifact has a unique story that relates directly to a passenger or crew member. When you approach the memorial room at the end of your 2 hour self-guided tour, you will discover the fate of your ticketed passenger.

Unlike traveling exhibits, Titanic in the Smokies is a permanent three-story, $25 million museum attraction shaped like Titanic herself. The signature building has been built half-scale to the original Titanic and towers 100 feet above the Parkway. The structure is anchored in water to create the illusion of the Titanic at sea.


Visit www.titanicattraction.com for more information about our locations. A free Titanic Museum preview center is now open daily at 2134 Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Titanic Pigeon Forge is proud to anchor in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and is excited to be a part of the entertainment and fun in the smoky mountains.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Gatlinburg Fine Arts Festival

May 15 - 16









A family oriented fine arts festival featuring juried artists from around the country, delicious cuisine and music on Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza and River Road. http://www.gfaf.net/
Location:Downtown Gatlinburg

Friday, March 12, 2010

Gatlinburg Scottish Festival & Games

May 14 - 16

29th Annual Scottish clans meeting featuring Highland athletics, bagpipe competitions, Highland dancing, border collie demonstrations, haggis hurling, entertainment, whiskey tasting, food & merchandise vendors. http://www.gsfg.org/

Wildflower Pilgrimage and Greener Living Expo

April 21 - 25









Enjoy the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with over 150 different programs, including hiking tours, motorcades, demonstrations & classroom lectures. http://www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org/
Location:W.L. Mills Conference Center & various venues

 

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring Gatlinburg Ribfest & Wings

  Enjoy the area’s best ribs and wings as well as live entertainment during Gatlinburg’s Ribfest & Wings on Thursday, April 22. One admission price allows sampling until the ribs and wings run out as the Parkway transforms into a Street Fair.

The popular ninth annual festival will feature extended hours (5 to 9 p.m., with musical entertainment starting at 5 p.m., food sampling from 6 to 9, eating contests, and loads of atmosphere on the Parkway between Traffic Light 6 and Riverside Motor Lodge/Reagan Terrace Mall.


Come out and enjoy live entertainment, children’s activities, hot wing eating contests and an ice cream eating event, each promising a wonderfully good time!


This year’s event returns to the Parkway with the entertainment menu spiced up by the classic tunes of the Beat Daddys, featuring their soulful rock ‘n roll blues. The main stage will also feature the musical group Soulfinger, spearheading a neo-classic soul movement with original sounds.


A panel will judge and award the best ribs or wings in seven categories. All vendors will be vying for the coveted “People’s Choice Award” chosen by popular vote.


Hot wing eating contests sponsored by All Sauced Up will feature wings prepared in sauces such as “Blazing Bomb,” “Treacherous Tongue,” “Fire Pit Hell,” “Scorching Screaming” and “Next Day Disaster.” Prizes will be awarded to the “Hot Wing Eating Contest Champion of the Year.” See if you can handle it!


The “Vermonster Eating Contest” sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s is another highlight of the evening of fun and festivities.


“We think this will be our best Ribfest & Wings extravaganza ever,” said George Hawkins, Special Events Manager for the Department of Tourism. “The Parkway is such an exciting and unique venue.”


An armband for Ribfest & Wings may be purchased for $12 (or $5 for kids) that allows sampling until 10 p.m. or as long as the ribs and wings last.


Last year’s vendors include All Sauced Up, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Corkys BBQ, Crawdaddy’s Restaurant & Bar, Gatlinburg Elks Lodge, Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department, Hogg’s & Honey’s Saloon & Grill, Lineberger’s Seafood Restaurant, McCutchan’s Brass Grill, Ripley’s Aquarium of Smokies, Texas Roadhouse and TGI Fridays.


To enter your recipe as a vendor and compete for awards in categories including restaurant, lodging, attraction, retail, financial institution, public safety and civic organization, call the Office of Special Events at 436-0506.


A portion of the proceeds benefit Gatlinburg Hospitality Association’s educational scholarship fund.


The ninth annual Ribfest & Wings is sponsored by Star 102.1, Food City, Coca-Cola, the Best Western Twin Islands Motel and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.


 



Celebrate St. Nicholas & St. Patrick this weekend March 13th- 16th

Santa Claus is coming to Gatlinburg! And Mrs. Claus, and the reindeer, too. It's the biggest convention of jolly old elves you can imagine as the Jolly Old Elf and his cohorts gather at the Convention Center for their 2010 convention, trade show and gala.

March 13 - 16

For More Info: http://www.hollyandshamrock.com

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Winter Newsletter 2010

 Berry Springs Lodge
Winter Newsletter
 
 
   Hello from Berry Springs Lodge,
  

 Christmas was mostly quiet this year. Our niece has been staying with us for the past few months.  We are not use to having a girl around and compared to the boys, she is much more boisterous. It made for an interesting Christmas; especially when P.J, our oldest son, bought Patrick a karaoke player.  It was not determined who was the better singer, our niece or Patrick!The first week in January we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean and the timing was perfect. The day we left until the day we got back, the weather in Tennessee was very cold and snowy. The average temperature on the cruise was 83 degrees and sunny. We had a wonderful time; but of course, we ate too much.  Patrick found he was allergic to vinyl. The flippers he used to snorkel made his feet blister. We were about 80 miles from Haiti when the earthquake hit; but it did not affect us at all. We kept imaging that a tsunami would hit the ship and roll us over like the movie "The Poseidon".

Again we want to thank you for being our friends and guests.  Hope to see you all soon. 

  


  Patrick's   "Home Inn-    Wintertime is here. Time to work on inside projects. We did our usual touch-up painting in all the rooms and common areas. Melissa has been working on detailed cleaning, taking beds apart, moving furniture and cleaning every square inch of the lodge. It is a very good feeling to hear guest say they cannot believe the lodge is 10 year s old, "It looks like you just opened".  My worst fear would be a guest unhappy because the place was not clean and well kept. I wish every place we went had the same philosophy. We replaced the carpet in the Raspberry and Royal Springs rooms and plan to put hardwood floors in Crystal and Powder in a few weeks. Last year we talked about reeducating the air units in the basement but never got a chance to do it. Hopefully, we will be able get that done this month as well. I have a few tiles in the kitchen and laundry room that have come loose that I will have to replace and repaint the rockers and outside benches before spring. That should do it for the most part for guest areas. I know Sue has some projects for me to do in our living area but you know how that goes... I have to save some time to skiing and snowmobiling up north.   

                                                                        Patrick 

 

 


We are celebrating our 10th year Birthday and would like to offer you a special discount to help celebrate. Starting today through December 31st, 2010 you can save $40.00 per night on weekdays and $20.00 per night on weekends.

Save $40.00 per night on weekdays and $20.00 per night on weekends.



 (Two night minimum stay and not valid with any other special)



    Sue's  Recipes     

  

 Hi everyone.  This one is very good! 
White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

  
 



  • 3/4 cup butter, cubed

  • 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

  • 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped



  FROSTING:

  • 1 package (8 ounces) Kraft Philadelphia® - Cream Cheese, softened

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional

  • 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped



Directions


  • In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).

  • Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.

  • For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.


  
 

 

 

Ingredients

 
Thank you, and God bless