Townsend, TN
An older piece we produced about The Peaceful Side of the Smokies
TOP 10. Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Townsend, Tennessee
TOP 10. Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Townsend, Tennessee: Tuckaleechee Caverns, Foothills Parkway, Smoky Mountain River Rat, Mtn Trax, Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, Townsend Visitors Center, Next to Heaven Adventure, Cades Cove Cellars, The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum, Dark Island Swinging Bridge
Travis & Blythe Wedding // Townsend, Tennessee
I enjoyed making this wedding video for a couple in Townsend, TN.
Townsend, TN - Great Smoky Mountains - bluegrass - Pomeranian Puppy
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Townsend, TN Sept 30, 2017
Jammin' on the porch at the Smoky Mountain Park Welcome Center in Townsend, TN.
Tuckaleechee Caverns Cave.... Townsend, TN
Tuckaleechee Caverns Cave
Carved over tens of thousands of years in one of the earth's oldest mountain chains,
Tuckaleechee Caverns at Townsend, Tenn., are known as the Greatest Site Under
the Smokies.
Estimated to be between 20 to 30 million years old, the Caverns are rich in history
Indian Legend
According to legend, the Cherokee Indians knew of the Caverns and hid in them before the white man discovered them about 1850.
All the Cherokees lived in this part of the nation until about 1840 when the United States forced them to move to Oklahoma in a bitter winter trip known as “The Trail of Tears.” Some refused to leave and eventually were granted land in western North Carolina at Cherokee.
White Man Finds Caverns
The first white men began to settle in this area in the late 1700’s and the early 1800’s. Written reports tell of the discovery of the caverns by white man about the middle of the 19th century when sawmill workers watched water from a heavy rain pour into a sink hole in the area. The whole was filled with debris but one of the men found an opening in the rock and made his way to what is now the entrance of the caverns.
Even before the caverns were discovered, there were reports of a cool spot in the valley near a sink hole. Apparently the year-around 58-degree temperatures of the Caverns were cooling those who lingered near the sink hole which later became the entrance.
Local women were reported to have taken their sewing and other “chores” which could be moved easily to the opening in the hot summer months to benefit from the cooling breezes. Many children took their summer naps there. These same breezes now are piped into the gift shop and visitor center to help air-condition the buildings.
A crystal clear stream flows through the length of the caverns, draining much of the surface water from a small Alpine cove, Dry Valley, located directly above part of the caverns. The valley for its name long before it was known why the water disappeared quickly following heavy rains.
The caverns were opened to the public for a year in 1931 and then closed because of the Depression.
As young boys, W.E. “Bill” Vananda and Harry Myers of Townsend played near the entrance to the caverns and frequently ventured into them. While students at Maryville College in 1949, they got to talking about the feasibility of opening the cave to the public.
When Associated Press Pulitzer Prize Winning columnist Hal Boyle interviewed them about 1960, Myers recalled “We played Tom Sawyer in the main passage as kids. We explored it for three-quarters of a mile, sometimes wriggling on our bellies, and lighting our way with homemade lamps – pop bottles filled with kerosene.”
And over a cup of coffee they decided they would try to turn the cavers into a tourist attraction. Nobody would lend them money. Both were married and had two children. They went to Alaska and labored on construction jobs to raise funds.
After fours years of lonely toil – the two men had carried in hundreds of tons of sand, cement and gravel on their backs to build steps and passageways – they opened the cave in 1953.
Then came the big event when the Big Room was discovered in 1954 by members of the National Speleological Society. The group, headed by Burt H. Denton Jr. of Nashville, was part of the Tennessee Geological Cave Survey. Now open to the public as part of the mile-long guided tour, the big room is more than 400 feet long, 300 feet across, and 150 feet deep. (Mammoth Cave in Kentucky has maximum ceiling heights of only about 120 feet). The Big Room has stalagmites up to 24 feet high.
In 1955, the Big Room was opened to the public at the same time electric lights were added, eliminating the use of kerosene lanterns used to show the scenic beauty of the underground world.
The survey team remarked it had seen nothing as spectacular as Tuckaleechee Caverns east of Carlsbad Cavers in New Mexico.
A few months later, another group of spelunkers (cave explorers) discovered another beautiful room near the Big Room but it couldn’t be opened to the public without destroying part of the Caverns.
The newest section opened to the public includes the 200-foot high Silver Falls which is a double waterfall. Only the lower section may be fully viewed but visitors can look into a lighted upper room where the upper falls is located.
On April 9, 1958, the Caverns hosted about 65 members of the National Speliological Society, for a dinner. John and the late Norma Wilson of Wilson’s Hillbilly Restaurant served the meal on white tablecloths beneath the Smokies. The spelunkers were attending a national convention in the area.
Bill Vananda and his wife, Golden, and Harry Myers and his wife, Nita, owned and operated the caverns until 1982. Each couple ran the business on alternate days from April through October, seven days a week. The Myers sold their interest in the Caverns to the Vanandas in 1982.
It is one of the 8,350 known caves in Tennessee.
Drone Scenes From Townsend, TN
Filmed 10/14/2016 with DJI Phantom 3 Pro
4k video
Music Credit: -planet.com
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Townsend, Tennessee
Cades Cove is a broad valley in the heart of the western part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the Townsend entrance to the park. Before the creation of the park it was home to a small mountain community. Many of the old homesteads, featuring cabins, churches, a mill and other historical buildings have been preserved. Many features of the park are named after early Cades Cove settlers.
Visitors to Cades Cove usually follow an 11-mile-long one-way loop road that passes many of the historical sites in the valley. Hiking trails and wildlife sightings provide additional lures for the approximately 2 million visitors who come to Cades Cove every year.
The Photos (in order)
T14A1542 - The Cabin at John Oliver's place; John and Lucretia Oliver were the first settlers of European descent to make their home in the cove, settling there in 1818
T14A1553 - View of the Cades Cove valley
T14A1565 - The Primitive Baptist Church is one of a few churches from the Cades Cove community that have been preserved
T14A1596 - On the hike to Elijah Oliver's place I came across this mama bear with two cubs, which can be seen back in the trees
T14A1633 - The old gristmill at John Cable's place still grinds corn and wheat, available for purchase at the visitor center
T14A1674 - Carter Shields cabin
T14A1686 - Dogwoods bloom in spring; azalea, rhododendron and laurel also add a lot of color in the late spring
T14A1688 - One last view of the Cades Cove valley
Townsend, Tn. Old Timers Fall Festival. Sept. 23rd, 2016.
road fromm gatlinburg to townsend tennessee
one of my favorite drives in the Smokey Mountains
Sugarland Visitors Center
The Sugarland Visitor's Center has a lot of information about the Smoky Mountains as well as a wildlife museum.
Little River Townsend TN
The Little River Townsend, TN near the Great Smoky Mountains.
Sugar lands Visitor Center
Museum exhibit.
Smoky Mountains History part 2 from Visitorsinformation
A Visitors' Information Channel showcasing activities and attractions of the Cherokee Reservation and the Smoky Mountains.
Theses videos are the same tourist videos that are being seen by tens of thousands of hotel guests daily from the Visitors' Information Channels TV shows. VIC provides visitors with interesting facts about each area in an entertaining fashion and offer a glimpse into some of the best tourist destinations in the Mountain South.
See videos from Visitors Information Channel
Youtube / pick your playlist from 5 travel Channels
Channel 97 Smoky Mountains, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville,TN
Channel 13 Cherokee NC the Smoky Mountains,The BlueRidge Parkway
Channel 22 the High Country, Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Grandfather Mountain and Linville in NC.
VIC's Channel 17 and 99 Alpine Helen and Northeast Georgia's nine counties
Channel 16 Maggie Valley, Waynesville and Haywood County
The Show Videos feature the area's lodging, dining, shopping, activities, and attractions including Helen's Oktoberfest, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Cherokee Harrah's Casino, Blue Ridge Parkway, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Grandfather Mountain and over 360 videos
Inside Tennessee Welcome Center
Snow Covered Swinging bridge Little River Townsend TN
Crossing snow covered swinging foot bridge over little river stream townsend tennessee on the quiet side of the smoky mountains very cold snowy winters, wonderland day in januray 2011.This part of little river in the fall season has very scenic views also.(all seasons great)See the beautiful side of volunteer state in wonderment and splendor. Peaceful side of the smokies mtns Key Words Only:travel,tourism,attractions,adventure exploring,weekend getaways,destinations,camping,hiking,family culture,events,summer fun,cades cove,ober gatlinburg horse back riding 31u
WEMB News: Welcome Center Grand Opening
The Interstate 26 Unicoi County Welcome Center has its grand opening, with high-profile guests and entertainment. The Center is located in Erwin, Tennessee.
Narration provided by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Delp.
Little River Townsend Tennessee Video
Highland Manor Inn.mp4
The Wines Family took a Vacation to Townsend, TN The Quiet side of the Smokies. This video shows the fun that they had while staying at the Highland Manor Inn owned and operated by Don and Sandy Headrick. Special Thanks go out to: River Rat Tubing, Cades Cove Stables, The Laurel Valley Resort, Tuckaleechee Caverns, Miss Lily's Cafe, The Parkway Grocery and all the people at the Highland Manor Inn.
Music by John Thomas Oakes
a Smoky Mountain picnic on the Little Prong River near Townsend, TN and The Tremont Institute
a nice spot for us to have a picnic in the Smoky Mountains