Archive for 'Firefly Festival in the Great Smoky Mountains'
Synchronized Fireflies and the Lodge at Buckberry Creek
Posted on29. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Synchronized Fireflies appear once a year in the Great Smoky Mountains in one of the natural wonders of the world…
The Lodge at Buckberry Creek provides “backstage” access to a deeply moving, well-kept secret of nature: synchronized fireflies—and this Be trip uncovers an amazing global connection.
Melissa Turner
Executive Editor
Be Magazine | www.bemagazine.org
It is an amazing experience to sit in the dark woods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and listen to the quiet movements of a nearby stream while gazing upon one of the most fascinating light shows of nature. It is sublime. As the flashlights go out, and the darkness settles all around—thousands of firefly lights begin to dance through the night sky, flashing in harmony. And this experience is far more extraordinary than simply watching fireflies flit about the backyard at home.
For just a couple weeks every June, an amazing event happens in only two places in the world—a region in Southeast Asia and here in Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During this unique window of time, all the fireflies synchronize and light up at the same time, like dots connecting in the night sky and becoming one great light. Hearing about this incredible event from our new friends in New Orleans, who had traveled to Tennessee to see the fireflies, the Be Editors decided it was time to head out on another “Be Trip” to see the “Synchronized Fireflies” for ourselves.
The Be Trip to the Lodge at Buckberry Creek in June 2008 was an amazing moment in “Be” history. Just that week the Be Editors had received the paperwork making Be Magazine official! What better way to celebrate the “BE-ginning” then to visit the Lodge at Buckberry Creek and witness the amazing firefly phenomenon—a deeply moving connection with nature, the environment, and spirituality. While we were in New Orleans in May, we were talking with some new friends from Baton Rouge who had visited Tennessee just to see the synchronized fireflies and were deeply moved by the experience. I had remembered hearing about the Firefly Festival hosted by The Lodge at Buckberry Creek and this caught our attention—that’s a great “Be Trip.” As our new friends shared more about how moving the firefly event was, we knew it was a “Connecting the Dots” thing—and we had to see it for ourselves. So from one great trip to New Orleans—we headed out on the next trip to see the synchronized fireflies.
James Ward on Outdoor Limousine at the Lodge at Buckberry Creek
As we pulled up to The Lodge at Buckberry Creek, its massive Adirondack timbers reached toward the sky and its natural landscaping and décor invited a reconnection with nature. As we walked in the front door of the lodge, we were greeted by a host of taxidermy—which shouldn’t have come as a surprise, being at a lodge in the Smoky Mountains, but as vegetarians and naturally concerned about animals, we were taken aback. Even Missy’s son, James Ward, commented on all the animals in the lodge—“At first the lodge felt a little strange because of all the dead animals, but it was still a good lodge. By the way, I found out that those dead animals were road kill not hunted,” James Ward says in his Be travel journal. Finding out that the animals had been picked up off the road or in the woods was a relief for everyone, and the lodge especially took on great appeal for James Ward as he explored the property—climbing up and down the rocky surface and catching fish in Buckberry Creek—and as we stepped out onto the back porch of the lodge and took in the mountain views, there was a great peace being there at the Lodge at Buckberry Creek.
Melissa Turner, Missy Crutchfield, James Ward, and Buddy McLean
On the porch, we were joined by Buddy McLean, who co-owns the Lodge at Buckberry Creek with brother James McLean and designer Jeanie Johnson, whose unique sense of style brings the character of the Lodge at Buckberry Creek to life. We were also joined by Alyson Sumerford, who handles public relations for the lodge and who gave us a tour of the property—including a ride in the “outdoor limousine” (a “Pinzguaer” Humvee-like vehicle used in the military in Switzerland and Austria that can transport up to 16 people). Alyson explained the history of the Lodge at Buckberry Creek—a place that was originally meant to be a mountain retreat for the McLean family of Knoxville, who purchased several hundred acres of land just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shortly after it opened in the early 1900s. Nestled on a ridge offering picturesque views of Mount LeConte, (the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park), the property became a peaceful sanctuary the McLean family enjoys sharing with others. One of the family members discovered the unique synchronizing fireflies, and as the family learned more about this unusual event—happening during two weeks every June in only two places in the world—they realized they had something very special to share with their guests. Now each summer the Lodge at Buckberry Creek hosts a Firefly Festival with special trips to a “secret spot” in Tremont with the best views of the fireflies—followed by ‘smores around the outdoor fireplace back at the Lodge.
See the Synchronized Fireflies (This natural phenomenon occurs during a two-week period in only two locations in the world, one being the Great Smoky Mountains National Park):
Melissa Turner, James Ward, and Alyson Sumerford
As the stay at the Lodge at Buckberry Creek came to a close with a mid-morning breakfast on the back porch looking out at the early morning sun shining down on Mount LeConte, we told Alyson this is one of the loveliest lodges we’ve ever visited—and we thought this has got to be our Be party spot for our annual celebration. It’s a great spot—stay tuned!
So from one great trip to New Orleans to the next great Be trip to the Lodge at Buckberry Creek to see the synchronized fireflies—we’re ready for the next trip…
We’re connecting the dots—one community, one city, one country at a time….
To learn more visit:
www.buckberrylodge.com
Read a travel guide on visiting the Firefly Festival in the Great Smoky Mountains in “Inside Pigeon Forge.”
Read more about the Synchronous Fireflies of Elkmont in this article in “Appalachian Voices.”
What interesting connections have you made on trips around your region in the world? Email us your experiences at becommunicationsllc@gmail.com.
