Budget Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg trip

[Mom to Will and Finn]

Oh! I don't know if this has been mentioned, but we love to eat breakfast at the Burning Bush. They have a yummy breakfast drink and there's a nice little bird/squirrel area right outside the dining room (the wall is just windows) and you can watch the little guys while you eat.

I'm thinking maybe they've changed the name of the Burning Bush, though. Does anyone know?

Oh, and don't be tempted to do Guiness Book of World Records (our family calls it Guiness Book of World Ripoffs). It's a complete waste of money. Ripley's was much much better.

 

[Daisy'sMom]

I've been racking my brain trying to think of things to help you have a great trip. Don't bother going to the 50's diner beside of the Comedy Barn. You'd spend $10-12 a person for a burger and shake. Food was good, but not that good. Oh, and there are LOTS of carnival type kiddie rides up and down the strip in PF so be prepared to handle that when your kids see them. There's no way to avoid seeing them.
You can't leave the mountains though without getting an old-timey picture of your family. Nothing says a vacation to PF and G'burg like a picture of a 5 yr old sitting in a saloon with a shotgun on his lap. Or mom dressed like a saloon girl sitting on dad's lap with a shotgun in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other. There are a ton of places to have these pics made so you have to at least walk into one and look at the pictures on display. There's even one in Dollywood.
I'll keep thinking.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Clingman's Dome yet. It's in the National Park a short drive from Gatlinburg. If you enjoy hiking it's a beautiful walk and if it's a clear day there is an absolutely unbelievable view from the top. It's very steep, though, so be prepared!!

 

[foxfire]

Pigeon Forge and G'burg are in my backyard! Come on down...we'd love to have you visit the area!

Many great ideas have already been given so I don't know if I can add much more. If you are coming this summer & plan on visiting Dollywood, Kidfest begins June 17 and goes through August 7. There are special shows and activities planned to appeal to children. You can read more about it here -

http://www.dollywood.com/KidsFest.asp

Dollywood also has an area of the park designed just for kids. It's called Imagination Station and can keep kids entertained for a while so parents can sit and take a break.

Traffic is definitely a bear during the summer. Take the trolley when you can or use the backroads as much as possible. If you decide to attend one of the music shows, be sure to allow plenty of time to get through traffic to arrive at the theater or you will miss the start of the show. I highly recommend the Louise Mandrell Show. She always puts on an excellent performance.

This site has a lot of info and if you click on Calendar of Events you can see what's going on in the area in the upcoming months -

http://www.pigeonforge.com/index.shtml

Take Hwy. 441 over the mountain into Cherokee, NC and there is a great show called 'Unto These Hills'. It's performed by a cast of Cherokee Indians in an outdoor theater and depicts the trek they were forced to take (known as The Trail of Tears) when banished from their land to Oklahoma. It's a very moving play. It gets cold in the mountains at night so, if you go, take jackets to put on as night descends. We have even taken blankets as well. It's 21 miles over the mountain to Cherokee but they are 'mountain miles' so be prepared for twists, turns, & heights!

As you are coming into the area on Hwy 66, you will see a large building on the right called Smoky Mountain Knife Works. Someone has already mentioned this and there is a lot more to see in there than knives, altho' there are many of them & they are quite interesting. Nearby is a huge store called Home Accents Direct. I love going there and always find really unusual items. There is a camping store inside for the guys to browse and a Black and Decker outlet store is also across the street. Gotta keep the men happy while the ladies shop!

If you come at the right time in June, the mountain laurel and rhododendrons will be blooming and they are beautiful. There are thickets of them all along many of the popular mountain drives.

I just found this thread so I'll think some more & see if I can come up with more ideas.

 

[foxfire]

Just thought of this -

If you will be in G'burg in early July, their Fourth of July parade begins at 12:01 am....yes, it begins right after midnight! It's billed as the first 4th of July parade in the country. It has lighted floats, lots of bands and other marchers. After the parade ends, there is a fireworks show over the Spaceneedle.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Don't miss the new Boyd's Bear outlet if you like teddy bears and/or Boyd's Bears. The place is so huge it's overwhelming!!

I went for the first time last month and will go back every time we get over to Gatlinburg. (We're only about 2-1/2 hours from there so we're lucky to be able to visit a few times a year!)

The outlet has stuffed bears, resin bears, a build-a-bear area, a dining area and more. It's great!

 

[marthachick]

Just remembered this. A good website for the Pigeon Forge area is : http://mypigeonforge.com/
Have fun.

 

[Daisy'sMom]

If you like scrapbooking there is a HUGE store in Seveirville, which is just before you get to PF. It's taken me a few trips before I was finally able to actually tell when Sevierville stopped and PF began. Yes, there's a sign, but... The scrapbook store is in a shopping center across from the Super Wal-Mart. It can be overwhelming if you're not an experienced scrapper though. The first time I walked I took half a tour through the store and had to leave. Sensory overload! There have a smaller clearance store right beside the big store though that had great deals and was not overwhelming at all.

 

[foxfire]

If you like scrapbooking there is a HUGE store in Seveirville, which is just before you get to PF.

Yes, that is a great scrapbooking store! I love going in there but it sure is hard to make a decision on what to get because there is SO much in there. That store is located in Governor's Crossing...just watch for a Mr. Gatti's Pizza and a TGIFriday's...turn at that light.

 

[mommytobug]

For people looking for cabin rentals I cannot reccommend highly enough diamond mountain rentals. The website www.diamondrentals.com has pictures of all their cabins and list what the amenities are in each cabin. You can choose a newer built cabin or something more historic. The first time my dh and I went, we chose a cabin with an upstairs loft and a huge jacuzzi upstairs. Downstairs on the porch/overlook was a nice hottub with a fireplace. We sat in the hot tub with some champagne and watched it snow with a fire going. Wild huh? Oh yeah this cabin also had a pool table which was nice because the tv reception wasn't the best. They have deals some but I like that their prices stay the same through out the year because some other places fluctuate according to travel seasons. I enjoyed every stay I have had using this rental company.

Ok, I have checked them out..........can you answer a somewhat crazy question for me?? First of all can you tell me the name of the cabin you stayed in and also is it very high up?? I do not like those that have balconies with tall stilts (wrong name??) Ok, i know you think I am nuts...............also how far is it from Gat/PF and is there actually a mountain view..........you mentioned snow.........when was that?? THANKS

 

[lovemygoofy]

Ok, I have checked them out..........can you answer a somewhat crazy question for me?? First of all can you tell me the name of the cabin you stayed in and also is it very high up?? I do not like those that have balconies with tall stilts (wrong name??) Ok, i know you think I am nuts...............also how far is it from Gat/PF and is there actually a mountain view..........you mentioned snow.........when was that?? THANKS

Okay, first time we stayed in Bearfoot Ridge and it was just gorgeous. The cabin isn't particularly high up in the mountains but does have the sort of porch/balcony you are asking about. I doubt that you can find many cabins that don't have that sort of stilt thing but it is perfectly safe and you don't have to look at though you aren't very high in the air or at least this cabin wasn't.
Next, we went in March when we sat in the hot tub and watched it snow. I reccomend that if you go during winter season and stay in a cabin that you have a 4x4 or all wheel drive or something that you know can get through the snow and up the mountain just because it can really come down there sometimes.
Third, this cabin was actually pretty close to Gatlinburg. We would park on the corner of the second stop light and just walk around Gatlinburg. From there we would drive our car over to Pigeon Forge, which takes about 10 mins I guess and is a nice drive.

Are you looking for a cabin that is surrounded by the mountains or are you looking for something not very high up in the mountains? I would suggest that you pick up a couple that you are interested in and call about them. I can say that some of the cabins you can end up out in the back forty which happended to us one time and I wouldn't reccommend it if you are planning to spend a lot of time in the towns.Anytime you have more questions please feel free to ask or PM me. I'm sorry it took so long to reply I was out all day yesterday.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I've read some, has the wagon/hay ride at Cades Cove been mentioned? There are often mountain music concerts given in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and they are excellent. There's an area of the park that has tubing streams, maybe it's called the Deep Creek section of the park.

We're season ticket holders at Dollywood and have tickets for her benefit concert in September.

Bobbi

 

[totallydisney]

If you want a name of a great cabin rental company check out http://www.Brotherscove.com We have stayed at four of there cabins, they even have a community swimming pool on site. we stay here every trip.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

If you want a name of a great cabin rental company check out http://www.Brotherscove.com We have stayed at four of there cabins, they even have a community swimming pool on site. we stay here every trip.

Just wanted to say hello from the West Side - Galloway! Thanks for all the great tips again!!

 

[Daisy'sMom]

I was excited to hear that they added more rides to the country fair area this year that area need more... Has any one been, what are the rides?

I went to Dollywood on Friday. They've still got the bumper cars, scrambler and Swing-a-ma-jig. All the other stuff is gone including the logride. They've added a lot of Disney-inspired rides such as an elephant ride that looks just like Dumbo, a tea cup ride that goes around a lemonade pitcher, and a drop ride. The drop ride is external and not very high so it could be a good warm-up for TOT. There's also a little rollar coaster, but it's not quite finished yet. There are a couple or three kiddie rides that I didn't pay much attention too since we are kiddie-less, but I'm sure the four years olds would love them. There's an astro-orbiter type ride too. And finally, there's a ride that is very hard to describe, but I'll try. A group of ~20 sit in a circle facing outward and the disk that they're sitting on goes around in circles while gliding back and forth on a skateboard ramp shaped track. It looked fun and is on my to-do list.

The show that used to be performed during the railroad ride has been discontinued. It's still a pleasurable ride through the mountain and a great place to take the kids if they need a brief nap.

 

[rachael95]

It amazes me how many Tennesseans are on here.

I just have to second the Old Mill and Apple Barn.

The Disney outlet is in the same large shopping center that the Rockport and Reebok outlets are. Definitely stop by those for cheap shoes. There's also a pyrex cooking store there. It's neat to go in.

You might want to check out Forbidden Caverns, they're about 45 minutes away. We also try to NEVER drive through Pigeon Forge on the weekend. If you can at all help it, arrive on Monday and leave on Friday. Avoid rush hour traffic too.

Cades Cove is a nice place, but if you're going at a busy time of year, I'd avoid that too. They don't want you getting out of your cars, so sometimes it ends up being a traffic jam and you really can't leave the cove easily without doing the whole thing. The Ripley's aquarium is nice.

 

[sammielynn]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but the Comedy Barn in PF is just a hoot. Don't miss it, great family entertainment. Cannot believe that someone left Dollywood because they did not like it! Not Disney but just a beautiful place to be. Love their shows. Leaving the Tennessee Mountains for Disney in 11 days

 

[foxfire]

Hi to all my fellow Tennesseans that have posted here!

Just a heads up if anyone enjoys & had plans to go to a Louise Mandrell show at some point. I've read she has sold her theater & is returning to Nashville to spend more time with her husband. He's been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease. I believe the name of it is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy which causes extreme pain over the entire body. He has recently returned from Germany where he underwent a special type treatment & he is now pain free but they don't know if it will last. Her last show will be New Year's Eve. I think she puts on a great show & I will really miss it but I certainly understand her decision. I didn't mean to highjack this thread but thought some of you might like to know about this.

 

[WDWannabe]

Thank you Daisy'sMom for the information on the County Fair in Dollywood. My family loves this area the best and we had always wished for more rides in this area. Thanks. So sorry to hear that the log ride is gone! WOW! Why? We are planning on going the First of June to PF, we like Dollywood, it usually is a very relaxing trip.

Thanks!

 

[Daisy'sMom]

2- If #1 not available stop by a local convenience store & check out the Coke cans. Sounds crazy I know, but last time we went to PF, we were on our way home & we stopped for a Coke and guess what was on our cans?!? We could have saved $30. Worth a look anyway!

Our coke cans (here in East TN) right now do have the coupon for saving $5 off of a regualr admission from now til the end of June.