Since the kids were younger, I've loved hands-on learning with them, and there is nothing more hands-on than experiencing the culture and lives of others. For this trip, we headed to Gatlinburg!
It is a quaint little walking town tucked deep within the Great Smokey Mountains is where you'll find Gatlinburg. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express downtown, which is a convenient short stroll to the local shops, moonshine distilleries, and restaurants.
The Log Cabin Pancake House was directly across the street from where we stayed. It had friendly staff and a delicious variety of specialty pancakes!
We spent one afternoon on Anakeesta Mountain. Three ways to get to the top include the Chondola, Rambler, and Chair Rail. We opted for the Chondola, the most popular way of getting up to the mountain on the day we went. The wait was about 90 minutes vs. the five-minute chair rail ride, but it was worth it. If you're afraid of heights, take the Rambler that drives you because the other options have you swinging 600 feet in the air. No matter which way you choose, it is 100% worth it because of the spectacular views!
During our time here, we tried to take advantage of as many activities as they offered. We climbed the stairs of the AnaVista Observation Tower, Gatlinburg's highest point, for a 360-degree view of the Smoky Mountains.
We also opted to walk the Treetop Skywalk, "The longest tree-based skywalk in North America with 880 feet of spectacular hanging bridges suspended 50-60 feet in the air."
The town offers a trolley ride that we took to the local shopping center down the road, which was full of fun shops and treats. The weather was warm (September), so we grabbed some ice cream and a Dole Whip at Maddie Mae's Creamery while we were there!
Aside from the popular moonshine available, you get to indulge in listening to live, local bluegrass bands. We found a rocking chair and listened to them jam a bit while the kids had milkshakes from The Crazy Mason.
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For dinner, we went "on a road rockin' trip down to Flavortown," as Guy Ferrari would say to one of his restaurants in Pigeon Forge. It was pricey, but you got a plateful for your money. The kid's meal came with a souvenir cup and also $5 in tokens for them to play games. He also has one of his classic cars on display near the kid's arcade. The little gift shop is worth a browse, as well. We grabbed one of Ferrari's hot sauces to bring home.
The number of quirky shops is unlimited in this area. I can shamefully say that I was influenced to check out the shop Try My Nuts through a post on Instagram. The name caught my eye, and I figured, why not? The guy working there was handing out samples, asking, "Wanna try my nuts?" and when a customer went to grab one, he said, "Oh no, only I touch my nuts," as he handed her one, lol! It's a silly spot and only suitable for those comfortable with potty humor. We came home with a can of the Butta Toasted Cashews. YumYum!
The anticipation for the Titanic Museum was high! We watched the Titanic movie before our trip so the kids would be familiar with the story. They were not disappointed!
To say the food around town was amazing is an understatement. There was so much comfort and calories in one plate, and our bellies were full. One BBQ joint we tried and loved was Bennett's BBQ. The atmosphere is casual and fun and the food is top notch!
We did a lot that isn't pictured, including getting our caricatures drawn, perusing the local jewelry shop full of gorgeous Turquoise, and going putt-putt. To get more information about the spots I've mentioned, click on the links in the article above.
Safe travels!