Gatlinburg-- Just got back

[dr&momto2boys]

Thanks again everyone for all the great info! I'll keep checking out Groupon for more deals too...please anyone who sees a good one post it here!

I'm so excited to see food pics on this thread! Awesome! We'll definitely go there!

 

[mom2t]

Cades Cove in the national park is BEAUTIFUL!!! There are lots of walking trails, old buildings to explore, waterfalls, etc. Take a picnic lunch.

If you're into shopping, I ALWAYS love the outlets in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville (it's right next to Pigeon Forge).

Eat at the Apple Barn in Sevierville -- great home-style food (the apple fritters are to DIE for). There are several shops there, including a candy store...somewhat like a Cracker Barrel on steroids (but MUCH better in my opinion).

We go late afternoon and pack dinner. More animals come out first thing or late afternoon 5sh to feed or go for the day hiking and then drive the circle again around 5. We went at Thanksgiving loving the snow that had fallen. We always see tons of animals.

 

[mom2t]

Cheddars, Old Mill, and the Alamo are our favorites to eat at. First is very reasonable. The last two are more but great to eat at. You can check out menus and prices online.a

 

[tina.tina]

I LOVE the Pancake Pantry at the Village in Gatlinburg. I've never had anything there that isn't fantastic. You often have a wait, though.

A PP mentioned Donut Friar. I love to sit outside there after dark beside the fountain with the fire! The only problem is the selection is low at night.

If you're buying supplies in Pigeon Forge, Walmart is ALWAYS packed. We've gone at 2 in the morning and it's packed!!!

OP: To save money, you could try the Comedy Barn instead of Hatfield's & McCoy's. There is no meal and it's much cheaper but they have a lot of the same jokes, etc.

 

[DisneyDiana]

It looks like you have it all pretty well covered. We'll be down in June aftér 5 nights at Disney. Last year we also bought the 3 day Dollywood/splash country pass for $89. The deal was offered on their website and was not part of any package deal. I have to add our favorite place to eat is Smoky Mt. Brewery. We usually go twice during a week long trip. The other thing is mini golf. While it is neat riding up the hill the Hillbilly golf course itself isn't all that great. We much prefer Davy Crockett golf down the road.

 

[hammie59]

I LOVE the Pancake Pantry at the Village in Gatlinburg. I've never had anything there that isn't fantastic. You often have a wait, though.

A PP mentioned Donut Friar. I love to sit outside there after dark beside the fountain with the fire! The only problem is the selection is low at night.

If you're buying supplies in Pigeon Forge, Walmart is ALWAYS packed. We've gone at 2 in the morning and it's packed!!!

OP: To save money, you could try the Comedy Barn instead of Hatfield's & McCoy's. There is no meal and it's much cheaper but they have a lot of the same jokes, etc.

Oh my gosh! I forgot all about Donut Friar! I love that place. Also the tucked away area that it's in is really nice with the peaceful surroundings, little shops, etc. We found it entirely by accident when we were cutting thru on our walk to the strip from our hotel. My kids had to visit that stone horse every time we walked by. Also, if you like chili, salsa, spicy stuff, etc.. they have a shop that specializing in that sort of thing with samples of everything. Very cool.

 

[mom2rose&john]

Great thread and perfect timing. I am planning a summer 2015 family trip. Do you think that the rafting and zipline is much for a 10 and 11 year old? TIA

 

[3boymthr]

Great thread and perfect timing. I am planning a summer 2015 family trip. Do you think that the rafting and zipline is much for a 10 and 11 year old? TIA

I can't say specifically about the rivers in TN and I'll report back after our trip in August as we're planning on both the rafting and ziplining, but we took all the kids rafting on the Kennebec in ME two years ago when the youngest was 10 and DH took youngest again last year when he was 11 and he had a blast both times and can hardly wait to do it again this summer. I will note that youngest LOVES roller coasters and thrill rides - Expedition Everest was a favorite. On a contrasting note I HATE roller coasters and also had a blast.

On a side note Kennebec is primarily class III & IV rapids for comparison purposes to the Pigeon River which is also class III and IV. The CFS (Cubic Feet/Second = how fast the river is flowing) when DS when down the rivers were 4,800 the first time and 7,500 the second. The average CFS on the Pigeon is 3,000 CFS. But CFS will vary with amount of rainfall and how much water they need to let out of the dam on any particular day.

 

[SAMCRO]

I suggest trying the Alpine Coaster out on Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge.

We travel to PF several times a year and this is a favorite.

 

[icicle]

Any recommendations for where to stay? We are planning a last minute trip for spring break and Gatlinburg has moved to the top of the list for places to go. This thread has been inspiring! We weren't even considering TN until I read it.

 

[AidensMommy3]

We haves stayed at the Inn at Christmas place and it was very nice but expensive. A great alternative is the Music Road Inn . Super clean, rooms are larger (bathrooms are HUGH), and are a little cheaper. Their sister hotel is the Music Road Hotel, but we've always stayed at the Inn. Only drawback was it was beside a cemetery which was kinda weird.

 

[okeydokey]

Any recommendations for where to stay? We are planning a last minute trip for spring break and Gatlinburg has moved to the top of the list for places to go. This thread has been inspiring! We weren't even considering TN until I read it.

We stayed in Riverstone in Pigeon Forge. Really nice condos and we booked cheaper through VRBO.

 

[tina.tina]

Governor's Crossing (near Tanger 5 Oaks outlet mall) is a good place for kids. Inside, there are two large water slides, saunas, hot tub, kiddie pool play area, and pool with a volleyball net.

Hidden Mountain Resorts has cottages in Pigeon Forge (which I have stayed at and love) and cabins at reasonable prices. The cottages are very close to the Parkway, just past the Apple Barn. In warm weather there is a pool for the little community on top of the hill and there are hot tubs on the deck of each of the cottages.

I haven't stayed there but the condos at Baskin Creek in Gatlinburg look really nice.

 

[hammie59]

Any recommendations for where to stay? We are planning a last minute trip for spring break and Gatlinburg has moved to the top of the list for places to go. This thread has been inspiring! We weren't even considering TN until I read it.

I felt same way. It seemed like everyone I knew was going to Gatlinburg, and I literally had no interest. Last summer we needed a last minute vacation spot after some other plans fell thru. So I said, hey what the heck. Let's try Gatlinburg! Now we're hooked. Only went for 4 days, so definitely need to go back. There's soooo much to see and do.

We stayed at Marshalls Creek Rest Motel. Family owned, cheap, quaint, very clean, and a block off the Parkway. Great location. Not very modern though, so you have to know that going in. I think there are only 20 rms.

 

[bugsmama11]

Any recommendations for where to stay? We are planning a last minute trip for spring break and Gatlinburg has moved to the top of the list for places to go. This thread has been inspiring! We weren't even considering TN until I read it.

My husband and I stayed at the Oak Tree Lodge (across the street from the Tanger Outlets and the Old McDonald Mini Golf) on our honeymoon. We had a Jacuzzi suite with a fireplace (in June) and with our AAA discount our room for 5 nights was still under $500! I know that may sound steep to some, but to be as close as we were to all the action was nice and we splurged since we had just got married!

Now my family loves to camp and we've had a pop up camper since as long as I can remember. When we go this July, we are camping at Elkmont in the National Park. It's about 7 miles or so up from Sugarlands visitor center, and it has no amenities, to which some aren't fond of. There is no electric (except a few handicapped sites), generators can be ran certain times of the day if your camper has one. They do have bathroom, but no shower houses. Our camper has a what affectionately refer to as the "bather" because it's not a full blown shower, but will work.
I love the smell of the campfires burning, and the sound of the river running at night, it's so peaceful!

 

[icicle]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I guess I should have mentioned it will be for myself, my hubby and our kids -- 5, 7, 9. I think I'm going to decide what activities we are going to do and then figure out how much to budget for lodgings. Looks like there are lots of reasonably priced hotels with continental breakfast, but staying in a little cabin seems like a lot of fun.

 

[InMemory]

We have stayed there 3 times over Easter break! We've booked through VRBO and Homeaway every time. Have never been disappointed. We pick personal owners over businesses and it usually adds a few extras and is much cleaner! We usually stay Pigeon Forge area more to do and drive into Gatlinburg. Can't beat a cabin in the mountains!

 

[3boymthr]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I guess I should have mentioned it will be for myself, my hubby and our kids -- 5, 7, 9. I think I'm going to decide what activities we are going to do and then figure out how much to budget for lodgings. Looks like there are lots of reasonably priced hotels with continental breakfast, but staying in a little cabin seems like a lot of fun.

We rented a cabin for the week and I will say that the prices are very reasonable for what you get but if you decide to go this route expect to pay more than you would in other vacation areas. This is because most of the cabins are outfitted with double/queen beds in all the bedrooms. Very few of the smaller cabins have a room with twin beds. I had to search for cabins that slept eight to get places with four separate "beds". If your kids will sleep in the same beds then this will reduce the number of beds you need and save money but my three are a little older than yours and won't share. We ended up in a three bedroom (three Queens) with a pull out couch for this very reason. There are some two bedrooms that sleep 8 but they tend to have a bed in a loft that's open to the living space where the TV is.

 

[bernina]

We've been going to gatlinburg for 10+ years and always renting from the same company (they have hundreds to choose from).

Can't post url but here it is

gatlinburgloghomes dot com

 

[mannasn]

We go to the Smokies every year and always stay at the Wyndham timeshares in Sevierville. Nice place, nice people and I always get GREAT deals on eBay renting from owners. For the past two years, we've paid around $350 for a Sunday-Friday stay in a 2 bedroom condo.