Month: January 2014

Top Five Reasons to Visit the Smoky Mountains This Winter

Planning a winter getaway? Consider the picturesque Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.  The quaint mountain villages of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg offer plenty of shopping, dining, and outdoor winter activities to make this a top vacation destination during the cold winter months. Here are our top reasons to visit the Smokies this season.

Play Winter Sports at Ober Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park is open year-round, but offers the most excitement during winter. Choose from skiing or snowboarding on Ober Gatlinburg’s nine trails. They also offer tubing, ice skating, a wildlife encounter, and shops and restaurants. For some of the best views of the Smokies, take a ride on the Aerial Tramway – a 2.1 mile cable car ride that departs from downtown Gatlinburg and ends at the resort. Ober Gatlinburg is open daily.

Tour the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be just as beautiful during the winter months, but with much less traffic. Take an auto tour of the park to see panoramic views, historic buildings, and wildlife. The park’s two main roads, Newfound Gap and Little River, remain open in the winter (weather permitting) though some secondary roads are not accessible. Make sure to check with the National Park Service for any road closures.

Explore Pigeon Forge Winterfest
The annual Pigeon Forge Winterfest continues through February 28, 2014. The towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are illuminated with millions of lights and seasonal displays. Heated trolleys give tours of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

Attend Wilderness Wildlife Week
The 24th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week will be held in Pigeon Forge January 25 – February 1, 2014. Throughout the week there are free activities aimed at connecting visitors to the outdoors. Events include seminars, workshops, guided hikes, and a photography contest.

Keep Warm in a Smoky Mountains Cabin
Many travelers to the Smokies prefer to stay in a secluded cabin in or near the park for amazing views and plenty of peace and quiet. Take advantage of lower winter rates and book a cabin with a Jacuzzi and fireplace for the ultimate winter getaway.

About Tripster
Tripster is a travel reservation company that focuses on specific travel destinations, offering local expertise and reservations for attractions, shows and events as well as lodging and hotel reservations to vacationers, families and businesses. The company also offers fulfillment tools to travel suppliers and other regional travel resources.

Tripster is a privately held company, headquartered in St. Louis. It has offices in Branson, Orlando, Pigeon Forge and Hawaii.

Orlando Hospitality and Sales Professional Joins Reserve Direct Team

Rosemarie Young, an Orlando resident with over 10 years of hospitality and sales experience, has joined Tripster. Her addition to the company will further efforts in the Orlando vacation market. Young has an extensive background in hotel sales and marketing, revenue management and customer service. With a previous tenure as Director of Sales at a central Florida hotel, her expertise aligns perfectly with her new role as Orlando Market Manager.

As Market Manager, she will foster travel supplier relationships and destination opportunities throughout Orlando. Young will also act as liaison between Orlando travel suppliers and other Tripster employees to best address product and consumer needs.

“Rosemarie’s professional background, as well as her strong relationships with Orlando travel suppliers and hoteliers, make her a welcome presence on the Tripster team,” stated John Johnson, President of Tripster. “Moreover, she understands the market and industry and will enable us to advance our business relationships in that market.”

Tripster is a travel reservation company that focuses on specific travel destinations, offering local expertise and reservations for shows and attractions, as well as lodging and hotel reservations to vacationers, families and businesses. The company also offers fulfillment tools to travel suppliers and other regional travel resources. Tripster provides travel service in a variety of markets like Branson, Missouri; Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Williamsburg, Virginia; the Hawaiian Islands; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.