When was the last time you and your extended family were able to reconnect and spend time together under the same roof, excluding the holidays? If your answer is longer than you would like it to be, maybe it is time for you to start planning your next family reunion in a Smoky Mountains log cabin.

At Top Cabin Rentals, we love helping families spend time together with the ones we love, and that is why we have put together a few simple times that guests can use to plan your next vacation together.

How to Plan the Perfect Family Reunion in a Smoky Mountains Log Cabin

Pick A Date

The average family reunion lasts about five days, depending on the family. That being said, we suggest that you pick a date for your family reunion in our Smoky Mountains log cabins during a time where all of your loved ones can take that much time away from work and school.

family enjoying a family reunion in a Smoky Mountains log cabinTypically spring and summer are the best times of year to plan a family reunion in a Smoky Mountains log cabin since kids are out of school and the weather is nice. Also, this is the time of year when all the exciting shows and attractions have officially opened for a new season, meaning there will be no shortage of fun things to do while you and your family are here.

Find the Perfect Smoky Mountains Log Cabin

Now that you know who you want to travel with and when you plan on visiting, it is time to find and place for you and your family to stay during your reunion. When searching for your cabin, you want to make sure that it offers all of the amenities you and your family want while still staying within your budget. At Top Cabin Rentals, we offer several four bedroom cabin rentals and five bedroom cabin rentals in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, perfect for any size family or group.

family deciding on which Smoky Mountain attractions to visitSend Out A Survey

The best way to make sure that all of your family members are involved in planning your family reunion is to include them whenever you can, and that includes planning the vacation’s daily itinerary. There are hundreds of shops, shows, attractions, hiking trails, and driving tours found in the Smoky Mountains. However, the trick is to narrow your selection down to places that your family actually wants to visit.

This is why we suggest that families consider sending out a mini survey to their relatives to see which of these activities they want to do. Not only is this a good way to get others involved and generate new ideas, it is also a good way to inspire your guests to begin researching the area and really take a look at what all the Smoky Mountains has to offer.

Your survey doesn’t have to be formal, although you may want something a little easier to keep up with than a group text. We suggest creating an event for your family reunion on social media, or at least sending out a quick email where your family can respond to with their choices.

Once you have the results of your survey, you can easily start filling in your daily activities into your itinerary. The survey will also give you insight if you all need to plan to separate for a day or two in your plans in case the group is torn between two or more activities.

Get started on your itinerary by checking out a few of our favorite attractions in the Smoky Mountains.

Create a Packing List

woman packing for a family reunion in the Smoky MountainsDepending on how many family members you plan on inviting to join you for your family reunion in a Smoky Mountains log cabins, you may want to consider creating a group packing list for your trip. Yes, it is important for everyone to create their own individual packing list for things like clothes and toiletries, but you also want to plan who will bring items like cooking utensils, board games, hiking gear, movies, and groceries. Not only is this a good way to spread the cost of preparing for your family reunion more evenly among your group, it is also a good way to divide out the work it takes to prepare for the trip as well.

In addition, dividing up the responsibilities of packing also gives individual family members less to keep up with. It is easier to work through a packing list that only has 5 to 10 items than one list that upwards of 20 to 30. This will cut back on the risk of accidentally forgetting something at home.

cousins enjoying a family reunion in a Smoky Mountains log cabinHave Fun!

Last, but not least, it is time to have fun and enjoy your family reunion with the people you love. You have gone through all the tough steps, found a Smoky Mountains log cabin, made an itinerary and packed. Now it is time for you to start enjoying the vacation you worked so hard to plan.

You are now free to kick back and relax on the private back patio of your cabin, stare out at the mountains in the distance. You can finally brush up on your pool skills in your cabin’s game room or watch a movie on the home theater system.

However you decide to spend your time here, we can guarantee it will be fun and exciting because you will be surrounded by the people you love.

For more tips on planning a family reunion in our Smoky Mountains log cabins, be sure to visit the Large Groups page on our website. There, you will find tips on planning any type of large group vacation in the Smoky Mountains, including family reunions, weddings, corporate retreats, church groups, and more!