🌎 Win a Luxury Scottish Highlands Cruise, Bear Cub Season in the Great Smoky Mountains, Visiting the "Peaceful Side of the Smokies", plus the latest travel contests, giveaways & news

Vol. 19

May 14, 2025

Welcome to The Weekly Traveller, Vol. 19!

I just got back from over a week in Tennessee, and will be sharing so much more from the trip in weeks to come over here and on social media.

In the meantime, I’m finishing up a quick laundry and re-pack since I’m flying to NYC shortly for my first Women in Travel Summit (WITS). I’m excited to see some familiar faces and connect with other women in the travel space.

I’ll also be celebrating my birthday while I’m in the city, and plan on heading to the new World Spa in Brooklyn to celebrate!

In this edition ⬇️

Bear Cub Season in the Great Smoky Mountains 🐻⛰️🌲
Travel Destination Spotlight for the Week—Visiting the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies”: Townsend, TN ☕⛰️🥾
Travel Gear of the Week: Perfect for the Wildlife Watchers 🐻👀🐦
Can’t Miss Travel Contests of the Week—including a luxury cruise in the Scottish Highlands 🏆
Interesting Travel News of the Week—like a town in India with a plan to be done with plastic water bottles in two years 🗞️

Please note that this week’s newsletter contains some affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission for some of my recommendations at no additional cost to you, and helps keep The Weekly Traveller reader-supported.

Bear Cub Season in the Great Smoky Mountains 🐻⛰️🌲

Potentially one of my most defining personality traits is I absolutely adore animals. And seeing them in their wild habitats always feels extra special. When I learned it was bear cub season on my recent spring trip to Tennessee’s side of the Smoky Mountains, I was over the moon at the idea of seeing not only bears, but potentially a few cubs.

During part of our time in eastern Tennessee, we headed to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The area where the park sits today was a remote place where members of the Cherokee Nation and later European immigrants lived off of the rugged and remote land.

Bears in Cades Cove

Prior to it becoming a designated park, the bear population had been significantly reduced to only a few hundred from hunting and pioneers attempting to protect themselves.

Today, the park is home to an estimated 1700 black bears. They live in all parts of the park, but Cades Cove is particularly known for bear sightings due to its open meadows and abundant food sources for bears.

It was hard to get a good picture of this adult bear happily grazing in a field

I can attest to this, since we saw a single, adult bear happily grazing under a tree in a field, and then a little further along on a small road we even saw a mother bear with her four baby cubs crossing the road! This was all within a few short hours of visiting the park.

Baby Bears in the Spring

I was fascinated by how tiny the baby bears we saw were, and although I’ve seen several black bears here in my home province of Ontario, I didn’t know much about the mating habits of bears or the timeline for baby bears being born.

Thanks to our guide Clayton of Smoky Mountain Guides, Chris and I learned that the bears mate in summer, but the implantation of a fertilized egg is delayed until fall. The gestation period for black bears is around 220 days, and they’re born in the dens during hibernation between January and February.

Apparently newborn baby bears are tiny—practically the size of a rabbit! So even though these adorable baby bears we saw looked like newborns, they’re already a few months old, and they typically leave the den in April or May.

Keeping Bears (And Yourself) Protected When You Visit

As with any animal, letting them exist in their natural habitat is essential if you encounter a bear in the wild. If you do get out of your vehicle in a place like Cades Cove, it’s recommended to stay at least 45m (50 yards) back from a bear.

IF YOU SEE A MOTHER BEAR AND HER CUBS, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE! Mother bears of any species are notorious for being some of the fastest and most aggressive animals you can encounter in the wild—just think of the infamous bear scene in The Revenant. Black bears are relatively docile and timid compared to other species of bears, but any mother bear with cubs can quickly and easily become aggressive and attack—and rightfully so!

This picture might not be the best quality, but that wasn’t the point of this encounter—it was so nice to just enjoy them in their natural habitat

Of course, you should also never feed wildlife, including bears. They have an incredible sense of smell, so always keep any food items, wrappers or anything that even smells like food (ie, toothpaste) safely stowed in an airtight container when you’re in bear country.

Always remember to keep your distance or stay in your vehicle when you see wildlife like these adorable baby bears, and even if you can’t snap “the best” photo (like the screenshot I took from my video through a car dashboard above), just embrace the moment and appreciate seeing the magic of these beautiful animals thriving in their natural environment.

Travel Destination Spotlight for the Week: Visiting the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies”—Townsend, TN ☕⛰️🥾

The Smoky Mountains have been on most people’s travel radars for decades. Some areas surrounding the Smoky Mountains are quite developed (even over-developed) for tourists as a result of this, and if there’s anything I love, it’s an opportunity for rest, relaxation and some peace and quiet, especially on a nature getaway.

A cozy fire outside Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

Townsend, Tennessee is known as “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies”, and that couldn’t be more accurate. It’s a sleepy little town scattered along Highway 321 between Wears Valley and West Millers Cove.

It is most definitely a quiet retreat compared to its neighbours like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. It also offers easy access to the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making it the perfect base for outdoor lovers looking for serenity.

For accommodations, I’d recommend staying at a log cabin at Dancing Bear Lodge. It’s a stunning property right in the forest, with an incredible restaurant on site. Little Arrow Outdoor Resort is another great option with opportunities for RV camping, and they also have several types of tiny cabins and boutique stays available.

Enjoying the peace and quiet with views of the Smokies from our cabin at Little Arrow Resort

Highlights on a Trip to Townsend

Dining and Distilling: Visit Company Distilling for their truly delightful spirits, including standout bourbons and whiskeys. Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro also offers special farm-to-table dining and whiskey events with a focus on regional flavors.
Immersing Yourself in Nature: Townsend provides direct access to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its historic Cades Cove. It’s also home to the massive Tuckaleechee Caverns and the flowing Little River, making the area perfect for hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing.
Scenic Beauty: The area boasts breathtaking mountain vistas and pristine streams, offering opportunities for photography, fishing, and simply soaking in the natural surroundings.

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Travel Gear of the Week: These Travel Binoculars are Perfect for the Wildlife Watchers 🐻👀🐦

When I take trips where I expect to see wildlife, I always pack a pair of compact binoculars. As much as I’d love to get closer to so many animals on the road, keeping a safe distance that doesn’t disturb them is best.

The lightweight and portable design of the Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars makes them an essential item for any nature enthusiast on the go.

Features of the Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars

Waterproof: They’re able to withstand various weather conditions, and can easily be used on land or water.
Large Eyepieces: This makes them comfortable to use, even for extended periods of time to admire wildlife.
Compact and Lightweight: Easy to pack and carry, perfect for road trips and hikes.

I typically bring binoculars like these on hiking trips, camping trips, road trips, visits to national or protected parks, and safaris!