Welcome to Lightning Bug Lodge!

Welcome to Lightning Bug Lodge & our blog!  We hope by sharing our cabin, you build fond memories in the Smoky Mountains.  We hope to bring you an experience you treasure for life.  Please share your stories.

It's official, you can rent our cabin.  It's been a labor of love and we thank all the wonderful local people for their support.  Thank you to our construction team, Shagbark resort employees, local hot tub company, local furniture stores, local craftsmen, and of course our real estate agent. 

We could not have done it without you.

May life be an amazing adventure for you.  May you see the beauty in nature.  May you hold fond memories of time spent with friends and family. 

Thanks for visiting our website.  Please add your comments.  We want to hear from you and continue to improve both your cabin and website experience, year after year.

Welcome to Shagbark resort!

     You will love the Shagbark resort; only 8 miles from Pigeon Forge, yet feels like a world away.  Escape into the quiet Smoky Mountain community.

     Lightning Bug Lodge is located within the Shagbark community, owned and operated by the cabin owners.  We pay the HOA fees, you don't. 

     You gain access to all the amenities just like an owner including use of the tennis courts, basketball hoop, and swimming pool.  With 1,300 acres of mountains, creeks, and meadows, there's plenty to explore right in your backyard.

As with any nice community, there are rules to keep it safe and nice.  Please note Shagbark does not allow ATVs, RVs, campers, trailers, firearms, fireworks, or charcoal grills.  If you live in Shagbark, let us know what you like best about the neighborhood.

"Mountain View Serenity", the upstairs bedroom

The upstairs bedroom has a peaceful feel with a mountain view and attached bathroom with double vanity sink, tub, and shower.  Watch the sunset over the mountains or just relax in your big bedroom which includes a King size log bed and a vaulted ceiling.

If you want to be close to your friends or family, but not in the same room, no problem.  The loft is right outside your room complete with a bunk bed, full on bottom, twin on top.

"Forest Life" - Lower Level Bedroom

When you rent a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, there's usually someone in the group looking for fun day and night.  If you are the life of the party or a bird lover, you may want to chose the Lightning Bug Lodge downstairs bedroom I've labeled as "Forest Life".  It's the closest one to the entertainment including the pool table, foosball, big screen tv, sega baseball game, and hot tub.  And after all the excitement, you are certain to get a deep sleep in your King sized log bed.  And you may feel like a King in this spacious room that includes the only walk in closet. It also has a full size bathroom right around the corner.

The lower level also has a great view of the trees and birds from either inside or out.  That's because this level has both gigantic windows and a wrap around deck.  So bring your swimsuit or a pair of binoculars and you are sure to enjoy your stay.

"Pampered Glow", the main floor bathroom

When staying in the Smoky Mountains, you want to feel relaxed and pampered.  It's time to make memories and get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.  You can feel relaxed at Lightning Bug Lodge with 3 bedrooms.  I call the bedroom on the main floor "Pampered Glow" bedroom faces the sunset with four windows.  If you choose this one, you can't help feeling special and pampered. This is often the bedroom we let our parents use because it's right off the front door, no need to take the stairs inside.  Grandparents are special.

Of the 3 bedrooms, this one has the fanciest bathroom.  It's just across the hallway waiting for you with a jacuzzi tub.  Although all bedrooms have a tv, this one has the new flat screen HDTV and DVD player.  All Lightning Bug Lodge bedrooms have new handmade log bed and new matresses; this one has the $1,400 Serta matress for those who love a cushiony pampered feel.

Animal Neighbors in the Smoky Mountains

 One of the joys of owning or renting a cabin in the Shagbark resort is the amazing wildlife.  You just never know what type of animal you will see.  Something about the mountains encourages you to slow down and explore. 

* praying mantis and grasshopper: my kids discovered in our front yard

* racoon: seems to be a regular near the Shagbark guard house. 

* wild turkeys:  For three days straight, I needed to bring my car to a halt coming down the mountain because a family of wild turkeys were walking on the road.  Look closely in the wooded photo and you will see three turkeys.

Ok, you may be looking for more exotic animals than a racoon.  No worries.  The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is full of animals.  Besides black bears, you may keep your eyes out for these creatures:

Salamanders:  27 different species in the area make it the Salamander Capital of the world
Red wolves:  Native to the Smoky Mountains and reintroduced in 1991, 25 of the world's 350 remaining red wolves live in the park
Tip:  Look between Cades Cove and Sugarland Visitor Center
Elk:  Native to the Smoky Mountains, but lost due to over-hunting and loss of habitat in the area.  Reintroduced to the region in 2001.
Snakes:  Yes, watch out, especially for the two poisonous varieties - Northern Copperhead and Timber Rattler.

#1 of Top Ten List = Rent with Friends & Family

Southern Living website has a very helpful Top 10 list "10 Best Ways to Make the Most of Your Stay in the Smokies".  The #1 recommendation was rent with friends and family.  We agree.  Besides building memories together, the article explains the economics:  "A group of four or more can rent a nicer cabin with the amenities for a lower price per couple.  Have each couple plan and cook one nightly meal."

Believe me, when I planned a big family trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I did the math comparisons too.  We could either be in a cramped hotel room with a view of the traffic, knocking on each others door to coordinate going out to eat for every meal.  OR we could stay in luxury in a spacious cabin with a mountain view, a private hot tub, and a kitchen...all at a lower per family cost.  Tip:  Besides cooking your own breakfast and dinner, use the kitchen to pack lunch.  Why?  Unlike other major National Parks, this one has zero restaurants.  So bring your picnic basket!

That's why we felt buying a cabin with a minimum of 3 bedrooms was essential to offer a family & friend gathering cabin.  And what do we mean by offering a family friendly cabin?  First, safety is our #1 concern, so we spent thousands reinforcing the decks and railings. Second, we offer entertainment for all ages including toys for the little ones (see photos above).

Southern Living magazine website provides more great advice on staying in the Smokies.  Here's their top ten pieces of advice:
1.  rent with family and friends
2.  arrive before dark
3.  plan to cook dinner and breakfast
4.  plan meals and grocery shop at home
5.  pack essentials
6.  take a sack lunch to the park
7.  pack light and do laundry
8.  bring a bathing suit
9.  break into smaller groups for outings
10.  plan for downtime
For the full list with explanations, visit http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-central/smoky-mountain-travel-tips-00400000045030/

Delightful Diversity in the Smoky Mountains

Diversity, it's one of the reasons why the Smoky Mountains is so interesting.  With such variety in flora and fauna, it makes you want to come back again and again and explore more.

The book "Strange but True Tennesse" by Lynne L. Hall notes the diversity too and explains why:  "Because of the park's unique northeast-to-southwest orientation, which kept glaciers from invading the mountains during the last ice age, a huge diversity of plant and animal life migrated here.  More than one hundred thousand species have been documented, and scientists believe that another ninety thousand may also live here.  No other place of comparable size can match the diversity.  So walk softly and carry a big camera.

Wildflower at Lightning Bug Lodge
Photo by Krenda

The camera will come in handy for those gorgeous landscape shots, too.  The scenic beauty of the Smokies is unmatched anywhere.  Especially if you're lucky enough to visit in the fall, when the mountainsides are ablaze wth the brilliant colors of autumn.  But don't despair if summer is your season, for during those warm months, the mountains are riotously splendiferous with carpets of wildflowers and forets of blooming trees.  Don't think that one trip will do it for the Smokies."

Strange But True Tennesse is a book series with wonders & strange sites by state.  Within the Tennesse book, the author also writes about the Dolly Parton statue at the Sevierville courthouse, Forbidden Caverns, Space Needle, and Dollywood.  What do you think is wonderous about the Smoky Mountain region?  Anything wacky?

Smoky Mountain Cabin: Always a Solution

We wanted a hot tub on the lower deck on the right side where it is surrounded by woods and feels private.  Now we just had to figure out how to make it happen.

When you grow up in mostly flat land neighborhoods, you are amazed with how people build houses on the side of a mountain.  And how does one get a hot tub onto a cabin deck that is suspended in the woods?  build a ramp???  There is always a solution and the local saw it as no problem at all.  Check out the photo for the answer.

 

Yes, of course, rent a crane, lift the hot tub way up into the sky and over the cabin roof, lower it down, and swing it onto the deck.  May you be amazed too of how people always find solutions.

The Green Exchange - LBL Video Library

No need to throw out your old VHS video tapes.  Bring them to Lightning Bug Lodge where you can exchange them for a different video tape at The Green Exchange.  That's right, we are going back to old school.  We have both a DVD and VHS player in the living room. 

Here's the 50+ VHS tapes we brought to begin the library:

1) Baby Take A Bow
2) Curly Top
3) Wild America
4) Let's Make Music
5) Veggie Tales Larry Boy
6) Veggie Tales Lyle
7) An American Tale
8) The Wiggles Wake Up Jeff
9) Moby Dick
10) Teletubbies
11) The Pebble & the Penguin
12) Anastasia
13) Divine Secrets of Ya Ya Sisterhood
14) Bread & Tulip
15) Two Weeks Noitce
16) Gabriela
17) Amelie
18) Panic Room
19) Little Big Man
20) Bed of Roses
21) The Paper
22) Mr. Jones
23) Italian for Beginners
24) Wine 101
25) Dance with Me
26) Woman on Top
27) Mad about Mambo
28) The Mask of Zoro
29) Uncle Buck
30) Highlander
31) The Devils Own
32) Primary Colors
33) Independence Day
34) The Dark Rider
35) The Man from Utah
36) Sagebrush Trail
37) Riders of Destiny
38) Diamand are Forever
39) Behind Scenes Goldfinger & Thunderball
40) Dr. No
41) Goldfinger
42) You Only Live Twice
43) From Russia with Love
44) Golden Eye
45) Young Guns 2
46) The Hunt for Red October
47) Fahrenheit 9/11
48) Planes, Trains, & Automobilles
49) Dave
50) The Blues Brothers
51) The 13th Warrior

We've purposely chosen quite a few childrens movies.  We want this to be a family place.  Please do not leave any rated X movies.  Thanks!

One small step for being green

You may wonder what we mean by being an environmentally friendly cabin.  We are making changes for the good, thinking about the next generation.  It's from the products we choose to the behaviors we reward to the non-profit environmental programs we support.  Every little step can have a big impact.

Did you know if every American replaced just one traditional incandescent lightbulb with a compact flourescent lightbulb we would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 800,000 cars?!?!  According to the US Department of Energy, lighting in the US accounts for 22% of electrical consumption. 

Out with the old

In with the new

So we replaced the incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs, knowing they consume 3.9 times less energy than the incandescent bulbs.  One small step today.  And when LED lights launch, I'm sure we'll make another move for green.  What actions do you think hotels and cabins should make to help save the environment?

The Green Exchange - LBL DVD Library

Similar to our book library, Lightning Bug Lodge has a DVD library in which you may exchange a DVD of your own for a LBL DVD.  We call it The Green Exchange.  Bring home a new to you favorite movie back home.  Perhaps a comedy that reminds you of fun times and laughter in the cabin.  Perhaps a romance that reminds you of a honeymoon or anniversary celebration in the mountains.

We bought over 40 DVDs for your viewing pleasure.  As of September 2010, here's the titles:

1) Baby Mozart
2) Dr. Dolittle 2
3) Scooby Doo the Mystery Begins
4) Racing Stripes
5) Nims Island
6) Sesame Street Celebrates Around the World
7) Miss Spiders Sunny Patch Kids
8) Baby Prodigy
9) The Wind in the Willows
10) The Legends of Sasquatch
11) Baby Neptue Discovering Water
12) Songs from the Station Thomas
13) Nature Baby
14) Lilo & Stitch 2
15) Thomas Sodor Celebration
16) See & Learn Numbers
17) Let's Make Music
18) Envy
19) The Simpsons Movie
20) Guess Who
21) Zoolander
22) Balls of Fury
23) Trading Places
24) Take the Lead
25) Somethings Gotta Give
26) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
27) Edward Scissorhands
28) Wild Hogs
29) Fun with Dick & Jane
30) Calling All Engines
31) We Were Soldiers
32) True Grit
33) Johnny English
34) The Producers
35) Lawrence of Arabia
36) The River Wild
37) Monsson Wedding
38) Blades of Glory
39) Short Circuit
40) Tom & Jerry Whiskers Away

We know you may want more choices, so we also brought over 50 VCR movies.  See next post for the titles.

Introducing the Green Exchange: LBL Library

We want you to have a delightful stay at our cabin and we would like to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

From going on many vacations, I understand one of the joys you may look forward to is time to actually read a book.  However, even on vacation other activities may make it difficult to finish the book.  No worries at Lightning Bug Lodge because you can take the book home with you.  Just exchange it for one of your used books.

It will be fun to see how the collection evolves with travelers from around the country.  I've provided 50 books to begin the library.  Since this is a family friendly cabin, I've included both adult and childrens books.  Perhaps you find a new bedtime story as you gather near the fireplace.  At the end of the year, I'll show you the new list.  Here's the 50 books available in September 2010:

1) Nathans Fishing Trip
2) We're Going on a Nature Hunt

3) Alexander & the Wind Up Mouse

4) Wind in the Willows
5) Mysteries & Marvels of Nature
6) Day of the Dragon King
7) Busy Bear Goes to the Beach
8) Websters College Dictionary
9) Chasing Kangaroos
10) It Takes a Village
11) Three Cups of Tea
12) Chicken Soup for the Nature Lovers Soul
13) The Secret Language of Girlfriends
14) Miss American Pie
15) The Art of Possibility
16) Still Making Waves
17) At Large & At Small
18) The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
19) Away
20) The Wanderer
21) Finding Father Christmas
22) Barefoot
23) The Hornets Nest
24) Simple Abundance
25) Burning Bright
26) Creepy Crawly Creatures
27) Lady and the Tramp
28) Off to Sea
29) W is for Wind
30) The Michigan Count Book
31) Sunny Numbers
32) The Ancient World
33) Olivia Joules & the Overactive Imagination
34) Little House on the Prairie
35) Bravo Amelia Bedelia
36) A Bargain for Frances
37) Jingle Bells
38) Hour of the Olympics
39) Someone Like You
40) Common Phrases & Where They Come From
41) Angel Dogs with a Mission
42) Fetching Dylan
43) Lapham Rising
44) Pets in America
45) Abundance for Beginners
46) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
47) Poems and Rhymes
48) Teamwork in Tonka Town
49) Big Birds Guessing Game
50) Shapes Around Town

What book would you contribute to the library?   What kind of books would you like to see in the library?