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Lake Glenville is a Hidden Gem in Western NC

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Lake Glenville in Jackson County, NC is truly a hidden gem, perfect for families especially who love the outdoors, and a peaceful retreat away from our busy lives.

Thanks Jackson County, North Carolina for inviting us to spend a weekend at Lake Glenville.

The Cashiers area of Western North Carolina has held a special place in my heart since my family moved to South Carolina more than eight years ago because it was the first place we took a family vacation. And it was just amazing – we hiked, ate at delicious restaurants, went swimming in waterfalls, tried out paddle boarding, and had that relaxing family trip I had envisioned. Now, even years later and after many day trips to the area, I’m still in love with this piece of heaven and was delighted to explore a part of Jackson County that I had yet to check out: Lake Glenville.

My two daughters, ages 11 and 8, packed as much as we possibly could into the weekend and left reluctantly because we had such a great time together. I already have a list of things I want to do that we didn’t get to. But, for now, let me tell you about why Lake Glenville should be on your family’s list of places to go, especially if you’re searching for that hidden gem of a spot to relax and enjoy each other. And one of the best parts: we did our entire weekend trip on just one tank of gas.

If you need more ideas of places to go and things to do in the Cashiers area, see our big guide!

Pines Rec Lake Glenville
Pines Recreation Area at Lake Glenville
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Learn about Greenville, SC, and Get Some Sweet Treats on this Downtown Greenville Family Tour

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Have you heard of World Explorers? Their family tours of Greenville, with its rich history and lovely downtown, are great for visitors and locals. And it’s family-friendly! We will give you a first-hand look at what to expect on the tour, and maybe you’ll collect some luck rubbing the nose of the Lucky Boar! Thanks to World Explorers for inviting us to review their downtown Greenville tour.

Tours of Downtown Greenville with World Explorers

I’ve lived in Greenville for eight years and I’m still learning so much about our beautiful city, its history, and its landmarks. Learning about Greenville never gets old, especially when you get to tour downtown with an expert from World Explorers like we did. The tour is especially geared towards families so don’t be afraid to bring all the kids because there are a lot of treats along the way for them. 

Before I tell you about our neat experience, let me say that I wish this tour had been around when I first considered moving to Greenville. I had come twice to check out the city and was kind of bumbling around and just trying to figure things out on my own. This tour would have been amazingly helpful – and fun – to do because not only are you walking along a downtown that has been nationally recognized because of its beauty and businesses, but also because you get to take a couple of hours and just experience the heart of Greenville, ask questions not only to your guide but to the local businesses you visit, and learn about what makes the city so special. 

Statue of Joel Poinsett in Downtown Greenville, South Carolina
Joel Poinsett chillin’ outside M. Judson Booksellers
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Pan for Real Gold at Lucky Strike in Western North Carolina

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Have you ever panned for gold? Parts of Western NC are known for gems and gold mining and Lucky Strike in Marion, NC has both. We tried our hand at gold panning, and here’s how it went!

During our wonderful stay at Gold River, a glamping campground in Western North Carolina, only 90 minutes from Greenville, the kind owners recommended we go gold panning at Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine, just two miles down the road. I’ve done gem mining on a flume a couple of times, which is pretty fun, but it’s fast and not too hard. I thought gold panning would be the same. And did I think we would find gold? Absolutely not. 

I was wrong on both accounts!

Lucky Strike Gold Panning
Where’s that gold?

Lucky Strike Gem Mine & Campground

Lucky Strike is located on the Second Broad River, a shallow, bubbling creek that apparently is rich in gold and mineral deposits. The place is a campground that has tent sites, camper pads, and cabins. It used to be a mining operation but switched in the late 90s to open up more to the public and amateur prospectors. 

The owner, Liz McCormick, is one of the nicest people I think I’ve ever met. The woman is a wealth of knowledge about gold panning and the local area. She was so patient in teaching my kids and I how to properly pan for gold and sift through the massive bucket of dirt that we got. 

The Miner’s Diner

I love me a good diner and Lucky Strike has a small diner with prices that will have you believing that you stepped back to the 1950s to match. They have coffee and breakfast sandwiches, grits, burgers, fries, hashbrowns, and sweet tea. It was too early for lunch when we went so we ordered a couple of bacon and egg sandwiches on biscuits. They were delicious!

Liz told us the burgers are what customers come back for. I almost went back there for dinner just to try the burgers (at $3 each, why not, right?) but we were so wiped out that we stayed back at Gold River to relax. Next time. 

Panning for Gold

I honestly was not thinking we would find any gold. I mean, didn’t that already happen like decades and decades ago? Well, there is some gold left for us! 

Lucky Strike Gold Panning
Gold panning lesson

First of all, panning for gold isn’t like gem mining. Gold flecks are a lot smaller than gems and precious stones so you can’t use those square pans with holes in them. You have to use concave discs that have ridges you use to create little sandy beds with the dirt. Then it is then sifted over with water and spun around a bit to separate any gold you may have from the sand. Liz explained this a lot better than I am.

There is definitely a method to figuring it out and it’s a slow process. I initially thought we would go through two 4-gallon buckets of dirt. We ended up getting one of them ($15) and more than two hours after we started panning for gold, we still had more than a third of the bucket left! I ended up giving the rest to a couple near us since we had to move on to another excursion. Between gold panning and eating at the diner, you could easily spend several hours here. 

And we did find gold! When you do gold panning, you get a little suction thing to grab the gold and a small container to put it in so you can see your prize up close. It was so cool and my kids and I had such a blast doing it. 

Lucky Strike Gold Flakes
The gold we found

My kids, ages 11 and 8, really enjoyed it as well although my youngest seemed to be getting bored over an hour into it because she was having some trouble figuring out the whole panning technique. I think a lot of the interest will depend upon each individual kid. 

Another cool thing about either choosing gem mining or gold panning is that you can do it rain or shine since the flumes are under a big, covered shelter. 

Visiting Lucky Strike Gold & Gem Mine

Lucky Strike is open daily 8 am – 7 pm except for Christmas Day. They have other things related to panning there as well but I honestly have no idea what they mean: high banking, group digs, and dredging. I did see a lot of heavy machinery there and big tubes and hoses but I don’t know anything about this topic to even guess how they are used. My gold mining knowledge only extends to a couple of Discovery Channel shows. 

Lucky Strike has restrooms and a little gift shop on site. 

If you’re up in the area, I highly recommend checking out Lucky Strike for the sheer excitement of trying your luck panning for gold and of course, grabbing a burger while you’re at it. 

The Lucky Strike
251 Lucky Strike Lane, Marion, NC 28752
828.738.4893

Lucky Acres Farm: Hug an Alpaca at This Farm an Hour from Greenville

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If you’re looking for a new experience for your family, your school, your scout troop, or just want to hug an alpaca, Lucky Acres Farm in Townville is just the place. We sent Kristina down there to play with the fluffy animals and here’s what happened. 

It took me no more than one day to arrange a visit to Lucky Acres Farm after hearing about them and seeing a photo of the fluffiest alpacas ever. Their curious faces staring back at the camera, ears perked, all fluffy and cute and cuddly. I had to go. I picked up my daughter after school and headed straight down 85 for a little after-school adventure – and I really didn’t want to leave once we arrived!

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Moo Cow Farms: Cuddle, pet, and feed cows at this farm near Greenville, SC

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Have you heard about Moo Cow Farms? The small farm near Greenville offers the chance to get up close and personal with miniature cows so we sent Kristina and her kids to try it out. Actually, Kristina beat out all our other writers to go to the cow cuddling farm.

I saw a study not too long ago about how cuddling with cows lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and pumps up oxytocin, the feel-good hormone released during instances of bonding in humans. The Applied Animal Behaviour Science study also indicated that mental health benefits are even stronger when humans cuddle with larger mammals – like cows. But are cows really cuddly? Some are, and we found them at Moo Cow Farms in Simpsonville, the only place in our region that offers cow cuddling and bottle feeding to calves.

And after this last year and a half, I think we could all use an opportunity to relieve stress.

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Beechwood Farms Has a Huge Sunflower Field, U-Pick Berries and Pumpkins

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If you’ve only been to Beechwood Farms for strawberries or have heard of them in passing and have thought about going, read on. This place is a hidden gem in the Upstate, SC. 

I have a list of places I want to explore in the Upstate. It’s long. And I get pretty excited when I have the opportunity to check one off the list. Beechwood Farms is one of those places I had not been able to visit and wow, I’ve been missing out. 

Beechwood Farms has u-pick strawberries in the spring, sunflowers and vegetables in the summer, and pumpkins in the fall. They have special events and a fruit and produce stand that is open April through mid-October. But the story behind the farm is just as interesting and beautiful as everything you’ll see when you go. 

Sunflowers at Beechwood Farms
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Making one-on-one time special with your kids

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Trying to make time to spend one-on-one with your kids and need some ways to make it special? KAG Contributor and mom of two girls, Kristina, has some ideas.

I think most parents can agree that time flies when their kids are growing up. Maybe not in those first months (or years) when sleep is non-existent and the constant routine of sleep-eat-poop is all kids do but certainly once parents regain consciousness and babies start not being babies anymore, they can tell time is flying. How do you really make the most of the years you have with your kids? I think about this a lot, for reasons I’ll tell you about shortly, and have found a few things that have strengthened my relationship with my children.

Taking my kids on dates

One-on-one time is so special with my two children, ages 11 and 7. I do a lot with them together but getting time just with each of them and myself is truly special.

To make it happen, I have to be pretty creative because it’s not easy to get that time between my husband’s schedule and my own. During his less busy times of the year, I try to give him a heads-up that I want to take my kids out just one of them and myself so he can also think about doing something with the other one. I’ll ask each of my kids what they want to do (within reason) and then plan it out. This is usually pretty simple honestly. For my one daughter over the summer, she wanted to walk around in downtown Greenville and get bubble tea so that’s what we did. It was so much fun and we got to just stroll and sit on the benches downtown and talk and go to M. Judson’s bookstore and browse the books and cute gifts.

My husband has had a tradition of taking our oldest daughter to see the Jurassic Park and Star Wars movies every year when they come out, usually over the summer. It’s something special to them that I think is really sweet and great to share together.

Vacation Dates

Sometimes finding the hour or two during regular life to take my daughters on a special date is hard but when my family goes on vacation, it’s way easier! One year we went to Hilton Head as a family and I took each of my daughters separately on a kayak and paddleboard tour in the salt marshes. It was such a blast!

Another time, I took each of them window shopping in small beach towns to get ice cream while my husband swapped out with our other kid to spend time with her. It worked out really well.

Tips for Spending Quality Individual Time With Your Child(ren)

Here are some things I’ve found helpful when spending time one-on-one with my kids and quality time with them in everyday life:

Engage them in your regular activities: I try to include my kids in as much of my regular life as possible, like helping out in the kitchen for meals, making grocery lists and shopping, planting and watering our little garden, doing our nails, and even in my own work as I let them read my stories I’ve written or ask them questions about places we go and what’s interesting about them.

Nurture their own interests: My kids’ personalities, interests, and gifts are like presents that I get to open all year long and discover new things about them. One of my daughters loves art and making things so I try to do things with her that involve those activities. My other daughter loves adventurous activities and trying new things so that’s what we do.

Listen to them: I’d say this is a really big one not just for my kids but also for any other relationship. Put your phone down, take out your earplugs, close your laptop and listen to them when they are talking to you and give them your attention. I don’t mean every time your five-year-old says “watch this!” and slides down a slide for the millionth time because that would probably drive me insane. I’m talking about when they want to show you a new drawing or when they come home from school and tell you about their day or talk about a sports game they participated in or an issue with a friend. I remember the people in my life who look me in the eye and make me feel like the only person that matters just because they listen to me. I want to be that person for my loved ones.

Get outside: I am big into hiking, camping, paddleboarding, and anything outdoors and have nurtured that same love in my kids. When we are hiking or doing something outdoors, I just find it so much easier to remove distractions and be more present with my kids. I’m not constantly checking my phone or email when we are outdoors. I feel like I’m more in tune with life, with my kids, and with myself when we are enjoying nature and this has helped us tremendously to have great conversations on the trail or just talk about whatever my kids want without distraction. Especially where we live in the Upstate, getting outside is so, so easy because of the hundreds of miles of trails we have, the pristine lakes, the beautiful waterfalls. It’s an entire world waiting to be discovered by you and your kids.

Show affection: One of my kids’ love languages (look it up – love languages are interesting) is physical touch so if I hug her or hold her hand, I can see an immediate change in her for the better. If she’s having trouble with schoolwork, I’ll sit right next to her where we are touching and nearly every time, it helps her to calm down and focus. My other daughter loves words of affirmation so I’m mindful to tell her what a great job she is doing or how beautiful her artwork looks or how entertaining her written story is. These are ways I know for sure my kids understand how much I love them and ways I can show affection that they will immediately get.

The time is gone before we know it

I said in the beginning of this post that I’d tell you my reasons for focusing so much on quality and one-on-one time with my kids. I remember the times I had with my own mom when it was just her and me and I treasure those memories and photos like my life depended on it. When I was in college, she visited me in Washington, DC and we did a dinner cruise and bike ride all around the monuments. It was such fun. We were able to spend a week together abroad also when I was in college, which was amazing. And she taught me how to cook in our family kitchen growing up and we loved watching The Food Network together and laughing over how much butter Paula Deen was using to cook bacon.

My mom died when I was in my mid-20s and – I don’t think I’m alone here in saying this – it made an enormous impression on my life. I know what quality time with people I love means. I know what time with my mom meant and I’m determined to give that same time and love to my own kids. I mess up often as a parent but I always try to come back to this road of giving my kids the time they deserve and making memories that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.

Things to Do for One-on-One Time

No matter where you live, or what your budget looks like, there are fun things you can do for special one-on-one time with your kids.

Try these ideas for quality time with individual kids:

The effort you make to carve out special moments with your kids is worth it, whether they are toddlers or teenagers.

Live near Upstate, SC? We have plenty of ideas on things to do with your kids for one-on-one dates in the Upstate.

And, we have a whole list of ideas about things to do in the Upstate, including free and very cheap things to do near Greenville.

Soaky Mountain Waterpark in Sevierville, TN Brings Thrills for the Whole Family

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There’s a relatively new waterpark in Sevierville, TN called Soaky Mountain Waterpark. The park is right outside of Gatlinburg and we have all the details. Kristina took her kids to Soaky Mountain and shares information about the park and tips on how best to enjoy it with your family so you can plan your own visit to Soaky Mountain Waterpark.

Media tickets were provided for this review. 

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Ever Wanted to Homeschool at Dollywood in TN? You can with their special Homeschooling Days!

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Did you know that the famed theme park, Dollywood, has Homeschool Days? The park offers reduced admission and educational programs plus all the fun of the rides and experience of the attractions.

If you are looking to have an adventure, Dollywood will be offering Homeschool Days for families that are utilizing the homeschool option. These days focus on mostly science and math – and really, what’s cooler than learning about the laws of physics by riding a roller coaster?

Dollywood Roller Coaster

Be sure to check out the newly installed whimsical area of the park, Wildwood Grove, complete with rides, including a new roller coaster called DragonFly. There is plenty to see and do at the park in addition to the educational programs offered these days.

What Do Homeschool Days Include?

Homeschool Days at Dollywood are geared for kids in Kindergarten through 12th and include a new curriculum, Science in the Park, that utilizes the scientific principles that make many of the rides at the park actually happen like velocity and speed.

Wildwood Grove at Dollywood

There will also be lots of visual learning through craftspeople doing glass-blowing, candle making, and forging. The Tennessee Valley Authority partnered with Dollywood to create STEM-related learning experience that kids can do throughout the park. Some activities are learning about water filtration, kinetic energy, solar and wind energy, eco-friendly transportation, and weather.

Kids can also learn about the science of birds by visiting the 30,000 square feet Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at the park, which houses the largest collection of non-releasable bald eagles in the country.

Admission & Dates

Normal admission to Dollywood is $79+ for people ages 10-61 but on Homeschool Days, parents can take advantage of $41/ticket for kids in grades K-12 and $51/ticket for each accompanying adult. Huge savings!

To obtain the tickets, you need to call (888) 428-6789 at least 72 hours ahead of your visit. These tickets are not available at the gate. Parking is $20/car so plan for that cost as well.

Homeschool days for 2023 are August 7 – September 18, 2023. The park is not open every day so be sure to look at the calendar before planning your trip. Dollywood Splash Country also has homeschool days from August 8 – September 10, 2023 and tickets are discounted to $37/person.

Where to Stay

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort is a beautiful hotel that offers free transportation to the park. The resort is offering 20% off a standard room for homeschool families Sunday – Thursday.

We’ve personally stayed at these places below and can recommend them as wonderful options for families.

Margaritaville Island Hotel
A stay at this beautiful and trendy hotel will be a relaxing experience. Margarita makers are in every room and balconies overlook either the river or the Island at Pigeon Forge. You can explore the Island, take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, grab a margarita at the bar (or in your room) and just chill. Read our review of our stay at this awesome hotel. 

131 The Island Dr, Pigeon Forge, TN

Greystone Lodge By the River
One of the very last family-owned hotels in Gatlinburg, the Greystone dates back originally to the early 1960s and has become the go-to hotel for generations of families. The location cannot be beat as it is steps from the aquarium and across the street from Anakeesta, within walking distance to shops and restaurants. They also have a great pool and free breakfast. It’s perfect for families looking to have a restful and accommodating place to call home during their trip. We stayed there and absolutely loved it

559 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN

Greystone

Foothills RV Park & Cabins
If you are not into tent camping but are still looking for a cheaper option than a hotel, Foothills has bare bones cabins to rent where you bring your own linens/sleeping bags and pillows. This is a good option if you’re really trying to stay within a budget but want someplace clean and comfortable. The location is right on the cusp of Pigeon Forge, very close to Dollywood, and maybe ten minutes from Gatlinburg. Camping cabins are rented April through October and start at $52/night.

4235 Huskey St, Pigeon Forge, TN

The Ridge Outdoor Resort
The Ridge Outdoor Resort is about ten minutes from Dollywood and has two zero-entry pools, a lazy river, a catch & release pond, a deli and laundry facility on-site, two fenced in dog parks, a playground, a game room, and one of the pools has a hot tub. We stayed in one of their two-bedroom glamping tents and it was amazing!

1250 Middle Creek Rd, Sevierville, TN

Glamping tent at the Ridge Outdoor Resort
Some of the glamping tents at the resort

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge
A water slide, pool, beautiful rooms, on-site restaurant, arcade, and amazing staff make this spot an incredible place to stay. Relaxation and fun are perfectly balanced here. Read our review of Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge to plan your own trip.

149 Cates Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN

Pool at Camp Margaritaville

Smoky Hollow Outdoor Resort
Stay in a covered wagon or tipi at this resort in Sevierville, TN for the ultimate pioneer adventure. The resort is close to Soaky Mountain and minutes from Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Smokies. Read our review here.

660 Gists Creek Road, Sevierville, TN

Smoky Hollow Wagon

Go Lodge

Be blown away by the 17 room game mansion in Gatlinburg! It has more than 300 indoor and outdoor games and sleeps up to 20 people. This is perfect for a multi-family or big friends vacation and about 15 minutes from the main strip in Gatlinburg.

Camp LeConte
Kicking up the glamping a notch further is Camp LeConte, which offers a treehouse, safari tents, and a retro camper. You can even catch the trolley into Gatlinburg from the campground. Depending on the time of year, the two-person safari tent starts around $128/night. Read our review here.

1739 East Pkwy, Gatlinburg, TN

A tent at Camp Leconte

Other Things to Do Nearby

There are a ton of things to do in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is minutes away – and it’s free. Anakeesta, the SkyBridge, PINK Jeep Tours, and lots more are all within a 20-30 minute drive of each other and excellent opportunities for both learning and fun.

Here is our Ultimate Guide to Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, which has lists of all kinds of activities to enjoy during a trip to the area. We also have a guide to nearby Sevierville, TN for some lesser known, but super fun, things to do and places to eat and visit.

Will you take your kids to Dollywood for Homeschool Days?