Only a few miles from I-40, Big Creek Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a quiet place to place your tent. Walk up Big Creek Trail to a great swimming hole.

Trail Days 2012 hikes in to Damascus, VA May 18-20th—and this nationally significant Appalachian Trail fest is a great time to discover "Trail Town USA." Don't miss Virginia's nearby highest peak, Mount Rogers, the explosively popular Virgina Creeper bike trail, and sophisticated Abingdon, just named an Appalachian Trail Community. All-in-all, a best-kept secret destination.

The National Christmas Tree, located on the Ellipse south of the White House, has been lost due to complications resulting from transplant shock according to the National Park Service.