Gatlinburg, Tennessee

• PRINT
• EMAIL

A Black Bear relaxes at the Great Smokey Mountain State Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
(Photo: National Park Service)

We have been there so many times that you would think that we would have seen and done everything, but there are so many awesome things to do in the area that we may never be able to do it all. We have driven Cades Cove and seen the mountain meadows filled with deer, bears, and other wildlife. We went to Dollywood for a day of rides and fun. One of the best things we ever did was visit the Forbidden Caverns, where we saw breathtaking walls of onyx, towering stalagmites and huge stalactites, and heard old mountain legends.

We rode four-wheelers up a mountain, and hit the outlet malls to see what collectibles we could snag from a huge toy shop. We mined gems from buckets of sludge dredged from the Little Tennessee River, visited the new aquarium and the Guinness Museum, made teddy bears at the Great Smokey Mountain Teddy Bear Factory, and walked every inch of the town.

There are several things that we have not managed to do yet, and I plan to lobby for a visit to Ober Gatlinburg, the Dixie Stampede, maybe take a day hike in the Great Smokey Mountain State Park, and talk to the locals to find the hidden treasures of the region that tourists often never know about. Maybe we'll even tour Corpus Christi Gardens. I'm sure I will think of other things once we get up there. I am really looking forward to this trip because we haven't been up there for a year or two, and I will be old enough to do many things I haven't been able to do in the past.

John Dixon is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store

  Scholastic Atlas of the Earth A reference book that reveals the breathtaking forces of nature that form our planet from its molten core to its highest mountain peak! Lavish spreads detail the recesses of a cave, the inside of a volcano, and the rocky gorges of the Grand Canyon. Middle-grade readers will find plenty of useful facts about fossils, minerals and gems, climatic zones, glaciers, tectonic plates, geysers, landslides, and much, much more. In a unique section at the back of the book, kids can recreate their own Eart $17.99 Hardcover Book | Grades 1-4

  
  Scholastic Atlas of the Earth
  Grades 1-4 $17.99
  
• Scholastic Store
• 

  The Scholastic Store

  The Royal Diaries: Catherine, The Great Journey, Russia, 1743 As Princess Sophia, soon to be Catherine, moves from everything familiar towards an uncertain future she chronicles her own experiences. Follow Catherine through her arranged marriage and family break up, amidst the deception, disorder, and decadence of the Russian Empire. In this installment of The Royal Diaries series history not only comes alive but comes to greatness! Learning Highlights An inspiring account emphasizing the impact of individual action on history. $10.99 books;hardcover books;hardcovers | Ages 9 and Up

  
  The Royal Diaries: Catherine, The Great Journey, Russia, 1743
  Ages 9 and Up $10.99
  

Scholastic News: Games and Quizzes
Test your News IQ, travel with Mapman, pretend you are the President of the United States and more!

California Floods
he new year was a wet one for many Californians. Heavy rain drenched Northern California last weekend, flooding town streets and country farms, destroying homes, and leaving tens of thousands without electricity.

Nuclear Test
North Korea may have tested a nuclear weapon over the weekend. On Monday, President George W. Bush condemned the test, saying it was a threat to world peace. He also called the test a "grave threat" to the United States.