Smoky Mountains RV Campgrounds Newsletter July 2008 (Issue #2008 - 05) Vacation time is here !!! We certainly hope you are making plans to comes join us in the Smoky Mountains - the #1 most visited State Park in the United States. Whether you are just wanting to get away or take in all the attractions - the Smoky Mountains has something for everyone. Gatlinburg has a lot planned for the 4th including their "Midnight Parade". We need to inform you that I40 going thru Knoxville has been closed for about 14 months for road construction. You will need to use the I640 bypass if your travels have to go thru Knoxville. This months newsletter topic is minding your manners while camping. These are great tips for everybody. This list was complied by our friends at RV Lifestyle. They have a link on our site under Travel Information - check out their site - they have a lot of great ideas and helpful suggestions on Rving. Minding Your Manners 10 Tips for Campground Etiquette RVing is supposed to be fun. And some simple campground etiquette helps to keep it that way for everyone. If you are starting out or need a refresher, here are 10 tips on minding your camping manners to make your stay enjoyable. Follow the rules: Individual parks usually hand you a copy of their rules when you register. Adhering to these rules is one of the basics of campground etiquette. It makes things easier for everyone involved - you, your neighbors and the park operators. Typical guidelines include reduced speed limits on campground roads for the safety of all involved. You are typically expected to unhook a dinghy before driving to your site. There are usually defined quiet hours when you should keep the noise down, turn off outdoor lights, generators - basically, the party is over. Eliminate pet peeves: Literally. Pick up after your pets. Stop excessive or extended barking. Don't leave a howling dog unattended to bother the neighbors. Use a leash. Even if Spot is friendly, not everyone is an animal lover. Good pet-etiquette on your part helps ensure that the many RVers with pets are welcome at campgrounds. Parking the rig: Sometimes it is very clear how to orient the rig on a site - you may even have a cement pad. But in many cases, the only guidepost will be the hookup for electric and sewer. General campground etiquette is to stay on your side of that hook-up, and not have awnings or slide-outs encroaching on the site next door. Look at the campground map for a clue about preferred orientation. Or, look around you to see how other rigs are angled, if they are centered on sites or close to the utility hook up. You will get the most out of the space you have (and so will your neighbors) if you are all situated the same way. There are bound to be exceptions - we have been in many campgrounds with no uniformity in the size, shape or orientation of sites. The main objective in these cases is to just "guess the site" and fit the RV into it. But even then, the idea is to park in a way that gets everyone their fair share of privacy and room under their respective awnings. Common sense and campground etiquette go hand in hand. Late arrivals: If you are arriving at a park after normal quiet hours, attempt some degree of stealth behavior. Not that it is easy to be unobtrusive pulling in an RV. But keep the set-up to the minimum required for the night. Your neighbors will understand that you need to pull in and hook up. They have probably been in the same situation. But they will lose patience if they spend an hour listening to loud conversation, slamming doors and arguments over how to level the rig. Do what is essential and remember that tomorrow is another day. The same sort of courtesy should be used if you are making an early morning departure. Don't keep the engine idling for an hour before you leave. Tidy up your campsite the night before. Sewer connections: Do them right. Make them secure. No torn hoses. In most places, your sewer connection faces the side where you neighbor has their "patio" area. Another time where being discreet and careful is part of good campground etiquette. Washing the RV: Most campgrounds will not allow washing to avoid wasting water, high water bills, muddy sites, etc. Read the rules. You usually have to get by with a small bucket and rag and/or waterless cleaner to just do minimal spot cleaning. If you are lucky enough to find a place where you can really wash the RV, use common sense. Don't have the water flowing when you aren't actually using it. Watch the spray - your neighbor may not be interested in having their rig washed. In fact, it makes for friendly campground etiquette if you let your neighbor know ahead of time that you plan to wash your rig. That way, they can close any windows or put away articles that might inadvertently get wet. No trespassing: When we first started out, a fellow RVer came over and asked if he could look around on "our property" for something he had lost, a paper that had blown out of his car the night before. We appreciated his asking first, and were somewhat amused by the term "our property". But in fact, one of the unspoken rules of campground etiquette is that you stay off occupied sites. For the time a camper is on a site, it is their space and their privacy should be respected. If you are taking a stroll around the campground, the operative word is "around". Stay on roads and pathways - don't cut through your neighbors' turf. Around the campfire: Before you light it, make sure it is permitted, and follow any rules the campground may have. Do not use your firepot as a garbage can. There is sure to be a trash can available in your rig or on the park premises. No one likes to pull into a site with a firepot full of beer cans or the remains from someone else's dinner the night before. Keeping up the neighborhood: In general, be tidy. RVing is an outdoor pastime and RVers are generally an easy going lot. But there is a point where too much stuff laying around outside the RV starts to look sloppy. Trash or anything loose that can blow around is a definite no-no. Do unto others: When in doubt, follow the golden rule. If you aren't sure of the proper campground etiquette for something, think about how you would like to be treated. If you are concerned that something might bother your neighbor, your best bet is just to ask them. If you find yourself in a situation where your neighbors or park operators are doing something that you find intolerable, politely address the subject with them. If that doesn't work, consider moving to another site or another campground. You are in an RV after all. Great tips - set the example and others will follow !!! Two brand new campgrounds to be added soon !!! Parade at Night This months attraction review is not really an attraction but more of an event due to its uniqueness. As we all know July 4th is rapidly approaching and all the special events that are held in regards to celebrating our independence. In honor of the event - the city of Gatlinburg host a parade. Now, this is not just a plain ole ordinary parade. This parade is held at midnight (12:01am) on the 4th of July. This makes it the first parade to be held for the 4th of July. Correct us if we are wrong - but this is the only midnight parade for the 4th in the country. This year will mark the 33rd consecutive year this parade has been held. Attendance is expected to be close to 100,00 people. Special tributes to the four branches of our military is among the many highlights. "This will be one of the most patriotic and colorful midnight parades that the City of Gatlinburg has ever produced," according to Special Events Manager George Hawkins, who organized the first Gatlinburg 4th of July parade in 1976 in celebration of America's Bicentennial. "We are very excited about the entire weekend of events, which will include a four-day festival highlighting our armed services!" As soon as the street is closed late on July 3, the parade route comes alive with pre-parade entertainers that begin the excitement of what is to follow. Giant helium balloons soar through the skyline of downtown Gatlinburg, from red, white, and blue Stars to Alphonso the dragon, Humpty Dumpty, and a giant patriotic Eagle and All-Star Train. More than 100 volunteers are signed on to help the balloons navigate the streets, with over 100 entries of all types scheduled to appear. National entries such as Schwan's Foods and Red Baron Pizza often bring in their Blaine Kern-designed floats. Then, just an hour after sundown on the 4th, the Grand Finale occurs on the streets of downtown Gatlinburg with a fireworks extravaganza visible all along the Parkway from Applebee's to the Sky Lift starting about 10:30 p.m. Lasting almost 20 minutes in duration, the sights and sounds of "the rocket's red glare" will fill the sky as a fitting tribute to this day of celebrating freedom. Make plans to attend this awesome event !!!     June CALENDAR can be found HERE! JULY CALENDAR Thursday - July 3rd, 2008 & Friday - July 4th, 2008 In Gatlinburg: Midnight Independence Day Parade Presented by Red Barron Pizza For the 33rd consecutive year, Gatlinburg will kick off America's Independence Day celebration with the nation's first parade which will lead off at midnight to the cheers of 80,000 to 100,00 spectators. Gatlinburg's River Raft Regatta Date(s): July 4 Season Location: Music Road Hotel And Convention Center. For More Information Call (800) 429-7700 : Description: Gatlinburg’s popular River Raft Regatta takes place at noon on Friday, July 4th, on the Little Pigeon River in Downtown Gatlinburg. Location: Downtown Gatlinburg Admission: Free Friday - July 4th, 2008 In Gatlinburg: Stand Here Fireworks Finale "Stand Here" will be the best advice for visitors as Downtown Gatlinburg's skyline will transform into a flood of brilliant colors on the night of Friday, July 4th, 2007 when the sights and sounds of a spectacular fireworks display will fill the night sky in commemoration of America's independence. The fireworks show, is scheduled to begin shortly after sunset. Friday - July 4th, 2008 In Pigeon Forge: 18th Annual Patriot Festival. Location: Patriot Park. For more information call 865-429-7350 Friday - July 4th through Sunday July 6th, 2008 In Pigeon Forge: Southern National Association Reunion Of The Shows Car Show For more information call (423) 623-2446. Ronnie McDowell in Concert at Country Tonite. Date: July 11, 2008 For more Information: Call 1-800-792-4308 or 865-453-2003. Great Southern Motorsports Tractor Pull Date: July 11 - 12 Location: Sevier County Fairgrounds For more Information call: 865-453-0770 Friday - July 18th through Sunday July 27th, 2008 In Gatlinburg, TN: Gatlinburg Craftmen's Fair Art, crafts and music lovers can find near 200 booths featuring some of the nation's finest work. Artisans and craftspeople are on hand to demonstrate their skills, answer questions and offer their unique art for sale. Live Country & Bluegrass entertainment. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Gatlinburg Convention Center For more information call 865-436-7479. Admission Fee Required. Friday - July 25th & Saturday July 26th, 2008 In Pigeon Forge: Southern Nationals Association Mustang Madness Car Show (423) 623-2446. Location: Music Road Hotel And Convention Center. For More Information Call (800) 429-7700 Friday - July 25th & Saturday July 26th, 2008 George Jones in Concert Location: Country Tonite Theatre For More Information call: (865) 453-2003; 1-800-792-4308   UPCOMING MAJOR EVENTS Friday - August 8th & Saturday August 9th, 2008 In Pigeon Forge: Southern Nationals Association Battle of the Truck Show (423) 623-2446. Location: Music Road Hotel And Convention Center. For More Information Call (800) 429-7700 Saturday - August 23rd, 2008 In Bristol: Sharpie 500 Night Race - Bristol Motor Speedway For More Information Call (423) 764-1161 Sunday - August 31st, 2008 In Knoxville: 21st Annual Boomsday Fireworks Celebration For More Information Call (865) 342-9191 August 28-September 2 The Moving Wall - A temporary display of The Moving Wall, a replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial Location: Tennessee Museum of Aviation Time: Opens at noon daily Free to Public. For More Information call: 865-908-9372 or 1-866-AVMUSEUM (865-286-8738) www.tnairmuseum.com Friday - September 5th, 2008 & Saturday - September 6th 2008 In Pigeon Forge: Shades Of The Past Hot Rod Roundup XXVI. Location: National Parks Resort Lodge & Smoky River Ranch. For More Information FAX: (865) 995-9097 Thursday - September 11th, 2008 ~ Sunday - September 14th, 2008 In Pigeon Forge: Grand Fall Rod Run Location: Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center For More Information Call (800) 251-4444