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Taking the Kids -- to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on

Why do those mountains look so blue?

The Cherokee described the Smoky Mountains as "shaconage," meaning "blue, like smoke."

That blue tint is actually water vapor from all the rain in the peaks that feeds the waterfalls and the streams where fishing is so popular.

Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country with nearly 10 million visitors a year -- twice what the Grand Canyon gets. Park officials lament, however, that this park attracts too many “windshield” tourists who don't get out of the car to enjoy the more than 800 miles of hiking trails, the historic cabins, spectacular wildflowers, horseback riding and the salamanders. I bet you didn't know that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is called "the Salamander Capital of the World" because it is home to at least 30 species.

The gateway towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, meanwhile, are a mecca for visiting families with everything from theme parks (Dollywood), trick horseback riding at the Dixie Stampede, visit the world's largest Titanic Museum attraction, as well as all the mini-golf, laser tag, zip lines (30 in Pigeon Forge) the Odditorium(here's your chance to see a 12-foot tall Transformer sculpture made out of scrap car parts), a Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum (20,000 sets!) live music, outlet malls and all the souvenir and candy shops you could want.

"Buy something with a bear as a souvenir to symbolize the Great Smoky Mountains," said Ethan, 12, Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Biologists estimate that about 1,500 black bears live in the park. It's one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States where they can live in the wild.)

 

"A lot of the shops sell souvenirs that have your name on it," said Sierram, 10, of Burnsville, N.C.

"The Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen in Gatlinburg has the best taffy. You can watch it made and get free samples!" -- Brandon, 9, Robersville, Tennessee.

Make sure to leave room for pancakes -- you have lots of pancake houses to choose from. "I always like to have breakfast at one of the pancake houses in Gatlinburg .They are all good, said Gracie, 11, Greeneville, Tennessee.

These kids were among the more than 100 local and visiting kids who offered their take on the popular vacation area for my latest Kid's Guide -- the Kid's Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is being released early this month.

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