Hello Friends!
Welcome to Vacation Smokies!
Vacation Smokies was started to help folks plan their Smoky Mountain Vacations. There is so much to see and do in the area, and I know how confusing and overwhelming it can be to try to plan your trip – especially if you have never been to this area.
We are here to help! Email us, send us a Facebook message, give us a call or leave a comment on our posts and we will do all we can to get your questions answered quickly.
Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Wears Valley and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are FULL of exciting and fun things to do, see, eat, hike, and explore! We hope you’ll use our website to sort out the details for making your trip absolutely perfect!
I am Connie Johnston, a 40-something happy wife, proud momma of two teenagers and a life-long resident of central and rural West Virginia (as if parts of West Virginia aren’t rural). I am happily married to my best friend, Ernie, and we have made the joint decision to enjoy livin’ life to it’s fullest – wherever and whatever that might entail. We have two vacation rental homes in Pigeon Forge and we love spending several weeks there each year.
Aside from my professional career as a Chief Finance Officer at one of West Virginia’s largest healthcare non-profits, I am a direct sales addict – I’ve sold AVON, Origami Owl, In A Pikle and now I am enjoying being a Scentsy Independent Consultant. The direct sales gig feeds my addiction to office supplies (no joke) and also provides a discount on the smell-good products I LOVE.
I also have a mid-life travel and lifestyle blog where I talk about ideas for things to do to live your BEST life in the mid-somethings! Check it out – Mid-Life Livin’!
Ernie is the true “jack-of-all-trades”. He has done a whole lot of everything in his work career – such as operated heavy equipment, truck driver, owned a small construction company, worked in outside sales for a hardware/lumber company and he is now the Facilities Manager for the same healthcare nonprofit where I also work. He is a master at many trades skills and our family is blessed to have his expertise for our home projects. It is especially helpful for ticking off my honey-do list and has saved us thousands of dollars in labor costs.
We have garages and a She-Shed full of “toys” and “tools” to support our hobbies and we enjoy them fully. We camp, kayak, do woodworking, crafting (Cricut, paints and other fun stuff), go to car shows, bluegrass festivals, and ride our motorcycle and Goldwing trike. I’m sure I’ve left something out.
When we’re home, Ernie enjoys playing in the garage with his toys and tools (sometimes I can’t tell the difference).
He has restored antique cars for years. His current project is a frame off restoration of his ’51 Ford F100. A couple years ago he restored a ’69 Cougar convertible for me!
During my fun-time at home, I’m enjoying my new “She-Shed”, thanks to “the perfect husband” :).
I want to be a weatherman when I grow up – zero expectations of being accurate –
about ANYTHING! Am I right?
My dream job: being a bed-and-breakfast hostess
Every chance we get, you’ll find us at one of our two vacation rental homes (Asbury Cottages) in downtown Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains are our happy place. I don’t think I’ve ever truly been homesick, but I frequently long for the peace and beauty found in the Smokies – those trips rejuvenate me.
Some things you’ll find on the Vacation Smokies site:
- travel ideas and tips
- Smoky Mountain vacation ideas, tips & printables
- Smoky Mountain travel guides
- photography tips
- RV and camping ideas, tips and guides
- motorcycling ideas and tips
- just a little bit of everything that has to do with vacationing in the Smokies
I’d love to hear from you! Shoot me an email at connie@vacationsmokies.com.
Blessings for many happy memories in the Smokies,
Connie
Welcome to Mid-Life Livin’
P.S. Visit our other blog Mid-Life Livin’ to learn more about us, and most importantly, to get ideas for living your BEST life during the mid-somethings!