Luck of the draw

This week finds us in Gatlinburg, TN. We are attending Smoky Mountain Fan Fest. Tomorrow, I'll be sure to have images of the convention floor before everyone gets there.

It has been years since I was last in Gatlinburg. The last time I passed through this area was in the late 1980's. The town situated along a two lane road with a few campy shopping areas on either side of the lane. Now, it's a bustling tourist center with all the trappings of a typical tourist town: Hard Rock Cafes', Ripley's Museums, and Bubba Gump's Shrimp. 

As my convention team often complains, I am a bit of a tight wad when it comes to purchasing hotels. I pick the cheapest lodgings within an acceptable driving distance. Rarely will I book something above $125 a night and have been been known to book a few $40 dives from time to time. 

For this stay, I book a place called Deer Ridge Mountain Resort. Hotels in Gatlinburg were out of my price range, largely due to tourist season. Fair enough. Our lodgings are 14 miles from the convention center down winding roads. The scenery to get here is amazing! Click on the first image for video of the lodgings.
Clicking the second picture will show the view from our balcony.

Mrs. Kidder and I are definitely coming back to this place!

Onto convention stuff: 
The convention hall seems to hold some 60 or so vendors and artists. The main concern I have about the layout is there is no panel room. The guest stage is directly behind our booth and in the main hall. Typically, these layouts generate a lot of noise, make it difficult to communicate with the customer, and offer a continual distraction from the artists and vendors. On the plus side, there is a HUGE population of people milling about outside, and with a little creative advertising and the promise of a really hot day, there is the potential that tourists will be looking for a cool place to dive into.

Tomorrow, I'll take pictures and have a better idea as to how the convention layout will work in this particular town. 

Thanks for reading!

K. B. Kidder

If you are checking out this blog for the first time, you may access our website by clicking here: Tortured Earth.

Character Species released for review: Allorn, Dwarf, Elf, Eoceph, and Goblin.

Combat Creatures released for review: Braunach, Faeda, Fetid Hound, Minotaur, and Wolf.

The 2.0 version of Tortured Earth are now available on Amazon through the following links:

Tortured Earth Core Rule Book 

Tortured Earth Supplemental: The Unofficial Account of Gavin Harris

Tortured Earth Supplemental: The Travel Journal of Mica Greer 

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