What do you think about when you think of the Great Smoky Mountains?  Whatever it is, I’ll bet it doesn’t include fellows in kilts with bagpipes, old Studebakers or vintage Recreational Vehicles!

The weekend of May 18th, 19th and 20th , take a trip to Townsend, Tennessee and you will get to enjoy a Vintage RV Rally, Studebaker Car Show, Troutfest and the Smoky Mountain Highland Games –along with fabulous scenery, art, good food and music.

Townsend is part of Tuckaleechee Cove, a beautiful valley at the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The name comes from the Cherokee and means "peaceful, green place". Tuckaleechee Cove, like Cades Cove and Wear Cove, was formed ages ago when mountain building forces pushed older layers of rock (slate and sandstone) on top of younger layers of rock (limestone). As time passed, weathering and erosion opened up the coves or "windows". So, geologic processes produced the lovely mountain valleys we see today and over time yielded productive lands for wildlife and for human settlement. To see the results of water flowing and dripping underground, visit Tuckaleechee Caverns.

The Townsend area has lots of green space, where people can stroll or bicycle along the pathways and enjoy views of wooded hills, fields and well-kept homes and gardens on the side roads. A handi-capped accessible picnic area is located by the Little River at the western end of bicycle path.

With a combination of open fields, forests, farms, and streams, Townsend, Tuckaleechee Cove, and surrounding areas are wonderful for bird watching.  Ducks, geese, and herons swim and wade in the Little River, colorful warblers and other songbirds migrate through the tress in spring and fall, and the Foothills Parkway is a hawk migration route.  Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is another excellent birding hotspot. 

The vintage RV Rally will be at the Misty River Cabin and RV Resort in Walland, which is a short 5 miles from Townsend and close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon forge and Gatlinburg. 

This RV park has received the “A” rating from the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds for 4 years in a row.  You’ll find 72 full hookup sites with cable TV and WiFi service, a swimming pool and hot tub, game room laundry facilities and private bathrooms that are like the one at your home!

The campground has 2000 feet of river access to the Little River for fishing, tubing and swimming.  While staying at the campground you can go hiking on the Appalachian Trail or ride the Tail of the Dragon, which is a twisting road that winds through some of the most beautiful scenery in Tennessee and North Carolina.

If fly fishing is your bag, then take in Troutfest.  Troutfest is a Fly Fishing Exposition and Fundraiser held in Townsend.   Proceeds from this event are donated to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Fisheries Department, Friends of the Smokies Fisheries Scholarship Fund or other youth educational conservation projects. The Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited sponsors this event as our major fundraiser and annual festival. This year the event will be one of the largest venues for fly anglers in the Southeast United States.  

 The fun begins on Friday evening at the Troutfest Cookout and Auction. The event will be held at the Townsend Visitors Center. The Troutfest Culinary Team will prepare the famous Troutfest chicken and the scrumptious side dishes. You are promised to have a great meal at the Troutfest Cookout! 

 Some of the best fly tyers from the area will be demonstrating throughout the two day event. It's free and the tyers are specialized in many different types of fly tying such as trout, bass, panfish and saltwater.  Other exhibitors include fly shops, artists, non-profit organizations and government fish and game agencies.

The month of May is prime time for fishing in the Smokies so you will want to set aside some time to be on the streams.

The Studebaker Car Show is an annual event sponsored by the Studebaker Drivers Club and will be at the Tally Ho Inn in Townsend.

In Maryville, at the college, you can enjoy a day of all your favorite things Scottish.  Whether or not your ancestors hailed from the Highlands, the Lowlands or the Islands, when you leave the Smoky Mountain Highland Games, you will know what it means to be a SCOT.

The Games are centered around a field of athletic competition which includes the well know “Caber Toss”.  There is also competition of Pipe & Drum Bands, individual Pipers and Drummers.  Lassies and Laddies compete in the Highland Dance as well.

Entertainment includes Country Dancing, a Dog Show, and Clan Competitions that can get pretty intense, not to mention several incredible Stage Performing Bands, Balladeers, a Comedian and Kid’s Playground & athletic competitions.  Of course, there has to be ‘Education’, even if it’s learning about the different types of Scotch. Can we help it if you have to take a wee sip?