The Christmas Place at Pigeonforge, TN is one of the largest and most beautiful Christmas village, featuring collectibles, toys, trains, dolls and Christmas items from around the world. Heidi could hardly wait to get there! You can see the men were thrilled to hang around us while we shopped. I loved it!!
One of the most popular events is the Gatlinburg Craftsmen Fair. They are celebrating their 30th year for the most popular event that consistently attracts the country's finest artists and crafts people. The traffic was heavy and the streets were filled with people. We stopped at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center after we drove through Gatlinburg on the way to the National Park.
There are scenic overlooks along the way, roadside exhibits and trailheads for the hikers. At Newfound Gap is the memorial where President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood in 1940 to dedicate the Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can hike a half mile to the lookout tower for a fantastic view. 
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses 521224 acres and straddles Tennessee and North Carolina. We hit both states in one day!! 
It was beautiful drive to Tennessee. Our last few days we ended our trip by driving to Pigeonforge and Gatlinburg. It was approximately a five hour drive, but we had a good time. 
The Amish have sawmills and buggy and wagon makers in their community. The roads have a lane designated just for those whose form of transportation is by buggy. The women wear black, dark blue, green or brown dress with black aprons for everyday and white for Sunday. Teenage girls wear black caps until they marry. Men wear no collars, barn door britches, felt hats for winter and straw for summer (handmade). Buttons are used on men's shirts, trousers and underwear, but only hook and eyes on coats and vests.
We visited the Amish Country in Tennessee, the South's largest "Old Order Amish Community." The Amish went to Lawrence County in January 1944. There were three families that went there first from Mississippi. There are approximately 100 families in the Lawrence County area with an average of 5-7 members per household. The Amish ask only to be left alone to worship and live their beliefs. They are excellent neighbors. They prefer to associate with their own people. They have greatly improved the land in the Lawrence County area with lots of manure, lime, fertilizer and rotation of crops. Care is taken to prevent soil erosion. All of their farming is done with horse and without the aid of tractors or modern equipment. No electricity is used. They have been living this way for over 300 years. The Amish derive their livelihood from growing crops such as: corn, pepper, wheat, oats, hay, tobacco, peanuts and popcorn. They also sell fresh vegetables, milk sorghum molasses and make several household goods. In the village women sold the goods that the men brought in from the field. We bought bread and jams and fried pies from their bakery that they women had just freshly made. A guide to Amish goods and services is provided so a person can drive to the various locations to either look or buy goods from the Amish farms. As you can see by the pictures the children learn to work in the fields at a very young age as well as the men and women. 
