GoSmoky.com Radio Show

We're doing a special, longer, 45 minute GoSmoky.com Internet Talk Show today. We'll have a guest from the NC Department of Transportation on to talk about the Rock Slides on I-40. We'll also be talking Maggie Valley, NC Skiing. The show is brought to you by the Cataloochee ski area at www.cataloochee.com . It's also brought to you by A Holiday Motel at www.holidaymotel.net . We'll talk to folks from Cataloochee and A Holiday Motel about the ski season, and what it's like dealing with lots of new snow this morning. Join us live, or listen in on the podcast later!

We'll have a short, 15 minute show talking about our 1st day of this year's ski trip to the Smokies. My brothers and a friend of the family are all here with me, and they will join in to discuss the day.

J. Greg Johnson is a native of the East Tennessee area. He is also a freelance opinion columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He recently spent a lot of time in the backcountry of the Smokies. Those hikes inspired his new book, "Sanctuary: Meditations from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park." I just finished reading his book, and if you have ever been inspired by the mountains, you'll be able to relate to his story. Greg will share his thoughts about those mountains we all love so much. Expect to learn more about the mountains. And if you haven't been to the mountains, expect to be inspired to take your first trip. This will be yet another show you'll love to listen to! Join us.

Park's 75th anniversary will be one topic of the show today. Leon Downey, Executive Director of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism will also join us to talk about the economy, and what Pigeon Forge is doing to make sure you can still enjoy the mountains this summer.

Today, we will be LIVE IN THE SMOKIES. This trip is sponsored by www.SmokiesRentDirect.com. The other sponsors of this trip are Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort (www.obergatlinburg.com) and Cataloochee Ski Area (www.cataloochee.com) . Today, we will spend the show discussing the Cataloochee Ski Area. From skiing to tubing, and a lot more. We'll talk to a representative of the resort. After the show, I'll be spending the rest of the day skiing at the resort.

Today, we will be LIVE IN THE SMOKIES. This trip is sponsored by www.SmokiesRentDirect.com. We'll be live at The Mountain Tower at SmokiesRentDirect.com. The other sponsors of this trip are Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort (www.obergatlinburg.com) and Cataloochee Ski Area (www.cataloochee.com) . Today, we will spend the show discussing the Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort. From skiing to ice skating, and a lot more. We'll talk to a representative of the resort. After the show, I'll be spending the rest of the day skiing on the mountains.

Tonight, we will have some of the latest news from the Smokies. We'll also welcome Carolyn and Wayne Williams on the program. They are members of the Great Smoky Mountains Geocaching Club. If you are not familiar with geocaching, it is similar to a scavenger hunt that anyone can take part in. All you need is a GPS device. I've had several listeners ask me to do a show on geocaching, so tonight's the night!! We'll also preview our 2nd "LIVE FROM THE SMOKIES" series. This time it is all about skiing! SmokiesRentDirect.com is once again a sponsor of the "LIVE" series. Also, we have 2 additional new sponsors of this series, Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort (www.OberGatlinburg.com ,) as well as the Cataloochee Ski Area (www.Cataloochee.com .) We will arrive at The Mountain Tower (see it at www.smokiesrentdirect.com) on Jan. 29th. We plan on hosting a show live from Mountain Tower from 8-8:30AM on Jan. 30th. That show will focus on Ober Gatlinburg. We will spend the day skiing at Ober Gatlinburg. Then, from 8-8:30AM the next day (Jan. 31,) we will host another show from Mountain Tower. This show will focus on Cataloochee and the Maggie Valley area where Cataloochee Ski Area is located. We will then spend the day skiing at Cataloochee. Then, we will head home on Feb. 1st. I'll host a "trip report" show similar to the wrap-up show I did after our last "LIVE IN THE SMOKIES" series back in October of 2008. That show will air after Feb. 1st. Tune in tonight for more details on the series!

Tonight, Larry Matthews will join us on the program. He has written multiple books about caving / speleology. He is also a professional Geologist. I just read his latest book, "Caves of Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains." It was a great read, and I learned so much about caving that I hadn't even thought about prior to picking up the book. We'll talk about the history and adventure that is literally under your feet in the Smoky Mountains. I have one little "caving" story that I will share as well. This will be a fascinating show that you're sure to enjoy.

Tonight, storyteller Juanitta Baldwin will join us on the show. She is the author of several books with everything from "tales" to "mysteries" to "disappearances" in the Smoky Mountains. We are going to spend the show listening to some of those stories. It is sure to be one of the best episodes of "The GoSmoky.com Radio Show" yet!

This is a topic I've wanted to learn more about for awhile. I've seen "Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont" while visiting the Smokies for years. Tonight, we'll learn more about the Institute and how you can get involved with it. Meredith Goins, the spokeswoman for the Institute will join us to talk about what they offer.