Tag Archives: animal habitat

A Day at Ober Gatlinburg

For some reason, we had never visited Ober Gatlinburg during our family vacations.  With a little research, we realized this may be a perfect, kid-friendly activity for the whole family that Nolan would enjoy as well.

In addition to the children’s rides, we were excited about the  Alpine Slide, the Ski Mountain Coaster, the Wildlife Encounter, the Amaze ‘n Maze, the Cyclone Rapids ride, Mini Golf and an indoor ice skating rink.

Our first step was to take the Aerial Tramway to Mountaintop Park.  Reaching heights of 2813 feet above sea level, each tram’s capacity is 120 guests.

 

Waiting for the next Tramway, we were the next to board the tram which worked to our advantage offering a place near the window to enjoy the stunning views.   Standing towards the front, we had an amazing view of the mountains as well as the other trams making their way, a little over two miles, towards the top.

The Tramway was completed in August of 1972 transporting millions of people to the Adventure Park to date.

Nolan was the most excited of all.  Pointing out trees, houses and other sights, his commentary proved to be quite entertaining.

As we passed over the Animal Habitat, we knew we would need to make a stop to see the black bears – BJ, Chief and Holly, river otters and their adorable bobcats, all animals native to Tennessee.

We tried to talk Nolan into going down the side of the mountain on the Alpine Slide, but he was just a little too nervous.  We thought that we would let him ride a few other games so that he would see how much fun the rides were and agree to take the slide. Lucky for us it worked.

Nolan was happy and content to ride the children’s rides.  Animated and enjoying every minute of making us laugh, he was finally ready to ride the Alpine Slide with his mom, with a bit of hesitation.  By the time they reached the end of the slide, he was ready to go back and do it all again.

With so many activities for young children, Ober Gatlinburg kept Nolan entertained.  We were happy to see his enthusiasm to make friends on each of the rides.  After a couple of hours, we moved on to the Scenic Chairlift,

The Chairlift reaches Mt. Harrison with a rise of nearly 800 feet.  This is my favorite ride in the park with scenic mountain and bird’s eye views.  On a clear day, riders can see as far as Douglas Lake and the views of Mt. LeConte are spectacular.

At the top of Mt. Harrison, we were entertained with bluegrass music….

…and met with an overlook that continued for miles.

Ober Gatlinburg is Tennessee’s only Ski and Snowboard park making winter its peak season, open all year around.  We thoroughly enjoyed visiting during our summer vacation and thought it would be fun to visit in the winter during ski season.  What a beautiful place no matter what time of year it is.

Have you visited Ober Gatlinburg?  Which season did you explore the park?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below and wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Ober Gatlinburg
1001 Parkway Suite 2
Gatlinburg, TN  37738
Telephone:  865 436 5423

  • Admission Fee: $29 for ages 5 and older for the tram only; $49 for the wristband, ages 5 – 59 and $39 for the wristband ages 60+; ages 4 and under may enter at no charge with an adult admission
  • Hours:  The park opens from 10AM to 6PM daily but parking is open at 9:40 and the tramway begins its operation at 9:40AM.
  • Length of Visit: 4+ hours
  • Amenities:  Aerial Tramway, Tennessee Flyer, Wildlife Habitat, Ice Skating, Ice Bumper Cars, Scenic Chairlift, Carousel, Rock Wall, Family Snow Zone, Snow Tubing
  • Tips for Your Visit:   The Ober Mountain Wristband is valid for unlimited use of the Aerial Tramway and all other activities on the mountain for the day in which it was purchased. Activities such as snow tubing, snow sports, white water rafting and ziplining are not included with the wristband. Check their website for activities available based on the season.

Where to Stay:

The Firefly Chalet booked through VRBO.

Where to Eat:

The Best Italian Restaurant
968 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Telephone: 865 436 4345

What to Eat: 

Everything on the menu and I highly recommend the Garlic Knots.

Summer’s End at Custer State Park: The Wildlife Drive

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Dark clouds appeared overhead as a storm began to roll in at Custer State Park. Uncertain if the weather would put a damper on my afternoon, I continued on with my plans to explore the Wildlife Drive.  Known for its amazing animal sightings, I was looking forward to seeing bison, burros or even a mountain goat.

Custer State Park is both a state park and wildlife reserve.  Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, it is named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer providing a home to many wild animals on its 71,000 acres.  The park is most known for its large Bison population of 1500, its prairie dog towns and burros.   Other animals residing in the park include elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, big horn sheep, pronghorn and mountain lions.

Here are some of the amazing sites I had the opportunity to see while exploring the Wildlife Drive at Custer State Park.

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Fisherman Ponds

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Views from the Lookout

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Groundhog

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American Bison

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Prairie Dog Town

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White-Tailed Deer

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Wild Burro

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Spectacular Landscape

Nearby attractions I was not able to visit included the Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park, but one day, I hope to make it here.

Have you had the opportunity to visit Custer State Park?  Did you drive the Wildlife Loop Road?  I would love to hear about your adventure if you kindly leave a message in the comments section below!  Many thanks for reading my post and Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Custer State Park
13329 US Highway 16A
Custer, SD  57730
Telephone:  605 255 4515

Don’t miss the Wildlife Loop Drive for the opportunity to see the park’s wildlife up close in their natural habitat.

  • Admission Fee:   Weekly Park License:  $20 per vehicle, $10 per motorcycle, motorcoach license: $3 per person per visit.
  • Hours:  Open daily, 24 hours;  Visit the website for the hours of the Visitor’s Centers.
  • Amenities:  Hiking, biking, bird watching, camping, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, cross country skiing, horseback riding, rock climbing, swimming, scenic drives; buffalo auction and buffalo roundup
  • Scenic View:  The Wildlife Drive provides opportunities to see a wide variety of animals in their natural habitat.
  • Length of Visit:  1 – 2 hours
  • Tips for Your Visit:  Drive slowly through the Wildlife Loop and be cautious of animals crossing the road.  Take the drive early in the morning in the late afternoon for best viewing opportunities.  Do not feed the animals and maintain a safe space between yourself and the animals.

Where to Stay:

Custer State Park Resort
The Blue Bell Lodge
Telephone for Reservations: 888 875 0001

While I spent the night at the Blue Bell Lodge, there are several other properties around the park to book as well.

Where to Eat:

Ruby House Restaurant
124 Winter Street
Keystone, SD 57751
Telephone: 605 666 4404

I wanted to visit a place with an Old West feel that served steak and I came to the right place! The Bourbon Ribeye was fantastic!

So many other options along Mt. Rushmore Road.

What to Eat: 

  • Buffalo:  A meat substitute for beef which is much healthier to eat.
  • Chokecherries are a Native American cherry that is made into jam, preserves, butter, wine, jelly and sauce.  Wojapi is a chokecherry sauce.
  • Dakota Martini is made of three-fourths beer and one-fourth tomato juice
  • Fleisch Kuchele is a meat pie originating from Germans who lived in Russia.  The dough is filled with meat and onions, then deep fried until the pastry is hot and flaky.
  • Hot Beef Commercial, also known as hot beef sandwich, beef combination, hot beef combo and hot beef combination.  This is a sandwich made of real mashed potatoes and chunks of seasoned roast beef sandwiched between two pieces of white bread and smothered with homemade gravy until it floods the plate.
  • Indian Fry Bread is the state bread of South Dakota, a recipe of the local Indians.
  • Indian Tacos are made with a specially spiced beef and beans, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, onion, black olives and house made picante sauce on the top.
  • Kolache is an amazing Czech dessert made from pastry and filled with fruit filling such as apple, cherry, lemon, apricot, prune and strawberry.
  • Kuchen is German for cake and in South Dakota, visitors can enjoy this pastry filled with custard and fruit.
  • Lefse is a flat potato bread coming from Norwegian-American origin and served with butter
  • Mocha Cakes, also known as Blarney stones, are square or rectangular blocks of light and airy white cake.  Frosted on all sides with vanilla buttercream, they are rolled in lightly salted crushed peanuts for ideal flavor and texture.
  • Pasties are savory hand pies.
  • Tiger Meat is South Dakota’s answer to steak tartare.
  • Wasna is a buffalo and berry dish passed down by the Lakota Indians.
  • Zebra Donuts are marbled chocolate and vanilla donuts that is fried, dunked in sweet glaze and hand-dipped in homemade chocolate frosting which feeds 15.

Photo Guide for Custer State Park, South Dakota: 

  • Use a telephoto lens for capturing animals far away in the distance.
  • Explore the Wildlife Drive for opportunities to see wildlife
  • Take a Jeep Safari tour to gain closer to access to the amazing wildlife in the park
  • Take your photos at dawn and dusk for excellent time to see wildlife.

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