Gatlinburg???

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

We are thinking about stopping in Gatlinburg on our way home from seeing relatives. What are some can't miss things to do? Where is the best place to stay? My DH also want's to go to the Jack Daniels Factory , is it worth it?

 

[Straitlover]

I believe the Jack Daniels factory/tour is in Lynchburg, not Gatlinburg.

 

[CruiseBoundnKY]

Gatlinburg is very touristy. Lots of t-shirt shops, etc. on the main strip. It's cool to ride the sky lift up the mountain if you've never been there, but I much prefer to visit Pigeon Forge. Theres only a few minutes and a windy road separating the two.

Things I LOVE about the area:
#1 Shopping - TONS of outlets but especially the Coach Outlet

#2 Food - LOVE the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge and LOVE the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg

#3 Fun Stuff - Tons of putt putt places, Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, Go Carts, Dixie Stampede and Dolly Wood.

There is a new indoor waterpark called Wilderness at the Smokies that we are going to try in October, but we have stayed at Park Tower Inn and Country Inn and Suites which are both one block off of the main strip in Pigeon Forge. I LOVE both of them and both are safe and clean. Park Tower has an indoor lazy river and nice pool/hot tub. Country Inn has a good clean indoor pool/hot tub and a great comp breakfast.

Karen

 

[ceecee]

I LOVE Apple Barn and Pancake Pantry! The Aquarium in Gatlinburg is nice as well, so is Cade's Cove.

 

[mommyaof2]

We have stayed at the Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge and we absolutely loved it!! We have stayed at many places in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and we won't stay anywhere else but here from now on. It can be pricey but there are some manager specials out there right now that saved us some money. We like Pigeon Forge better than Gatlinburg. It is easier to get around and in Gatlinburg you have to pay to park. There is a huge outlet mall in Pigeon Forge too, that I love. Oh and I forgot to mention that we do love the aquarium in Gatlinburg! This is one of the things that we will go to Gatlinburg to do.

 

[Angry Eyes]

One amazing thing was that we saw two black bear right from the parkway! We parked on the strip behind calhouns and there they were. They are amazing to watch but intimidating too especially when one of them was on a playground!

If you want to stay on the strip in Gatlinburg we like the Clarion at 1100 Parkway. It really just depends on your budget. There are less expensive options in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. We used the budget option this past weekend and stayed at a Sleep Inn.

Our kids love the Aquarium where you can get a AAA discount. Calhouns is our favorite restaurant. I swear it's their wood smoke scent that not only draws me in but apparently the bears too! The Tanger outlets are the best IMO and my kids love any of the Ripley putt-putts. Wonderworks is awesome too. Hiking is fun and driving through Cade's Cove should let you see some amazing wildlife. So much to see and do, have fun!

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Dollywood was a nice amusement park. I love the Old Mill Restaurant near the turnoff to Dollywood from the main street.

 

[blessedby3]

We are heading there in July and have ressies at the Red Roof Inn (Pigeon Forge). Our rate is $67 per night. We have friends who stay there every trip and they are very picky. They say it is very clean and it has an indoor pool and a nice breakfast. They are actually there now

 

[lovemygoofy]

The distillery isn't near Gatlinburg. I think it's probably more than 100 miles actually probably closer to 150 miles away.

I don't know if your husband is thinking he is going to get to taste samples as Lynchburg, where the distillery is, is located in a dry county. How's that for ironic? It's a great tour though and an overall nice area.

 

[Stumpy]

I second the Apple Barn, food is great. As far as the JD tour, the posts are right. It is in Lynchburg, so depending on your route of travel you may or may not be anywhere near it. And yes, it is located in a dry county, although I believe the laws were changed so that you can buy "souvenirs", you just can't drink it. The last time I went (been there twice) it was free and at least you get a glass of lemonade at the end of the tour.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

I am enjoying all these suggestions, as we are headed to Pigeon Forge on our way home from Florida this year!

 

[mary0305]

Just tripped from Lynchburg, TN (where Jack Daniels Distillery is) to Gatlinburg, TN and it is 244 miles. Might be a little out of your way. We have done the tour and it is fun. Eat at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House if you go to Lynchburg. You must have reservations.

Our favorite place to eat in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge is the Log Cabin Pancake House. Peddler is also good, but only open for dinner. Dixie Stampede is a great dinner show if you haven't seen it. Aquarium was also very good. Ride the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg and then the ski lift to the top of the mountain.

Have a great trip!!

 

[kydisneyfans]

Just got back from a 4 day weekend last night. We spent more time in Cades Cove than anywhere else. We did not see much wildlife at all, but did get a little too close to a small bear who wanted its space back.

Gatlinburg is a nice walking town lined with shops, some touristy stuff, some not. I would not recommend the trolley, we had a 2 hour trip from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge Friday. Pigeon Forge has more toruisty stuff, gokarts, etc.

We stayed at the Resort at Governors Crossing and was very happy with the facilities. We wanted to try Wilderness at the Smokies but the location is too far from the other attractions, and the traffic to get anywhere is horrible.

 

[Sunbeamblue2002]

Can't recomend a place to stay as we rented a cabin but I do recommend that if you take the trolly (fun little ride) you can get the an all day pass from the sugerlands visitors center. They also have a small exbit and a movie about the history of the Smokies.

 

[Shmily1]

At Gatlinburg, we do the shopping, the water parks, and most importantly, Dixie Stampede!! We love that place!!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

One amazing thing was that we saw two black bear right from the parkway! We parked on the strip behind calhouns and there they were. They are amazing to watch but intimidating too especially when one of them was on a playground!

If you want to stay on the strip in Gatlinburg we like the Clarion at 1100 Parkway. It really just depends on your budget. There are less expensive options in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. We used the budget option this past weekend and stayed at a Sleep Inn.

Our kids love the Aquarium where you can get a AAA discount. Calhouns is our favorite restaurant. I swear it's their wood smoke scent that not only draws me in but apparently the bears too! The Tanger outlets are the best IMO and my kids love any of the Ripley putt-putts. Wonderworks is awesome too. Hiking is fun and driving through Cade's Cove should let you see some amazing wildlife. So much to see and do, have fun!

This is so funny, because it sounds like I wrote it!! On our very first visit years ago, we saw a BIG bear in the parking lot behind Calhouns!

Also, our favorite place to stay is the Clarion, and we have stayed at several places there over the years. We are all booked for our stay there this Dec. The rooms are clean and it is in a great location. Also, check the internet for special rates. The only draw back is that the pool is in a seperate glass building out back which makes it COLD in the winter time.

We prefer to stay in Gatlinburg because we truly enjoy getting out at night and walking the strip, playing put put and eating fudge, which by the way you must get while you are there. The Aquarium is great. The 3D put put was over rated. My kids like the outdoor ones better. This past time we did the wax museum and it was a waste of money.

We LOVE to eat at Calhouns, and a small little place called Best Italian, which has the best pizza and garlic rolls, among other things. There is a dessert place up there called Desserts & More, that everyone raves about. They also serve lite lunch.

We really enjoy Dollywood too. They also have a water park if you like them. There really is a lot to see and do. I hope you have a great time!!

 

[Angry Eyes]

This is so funny, because it sounds like I wrote it!! On our very first visit years ago, we saw a BIG bear in the parking lot behind Calhouns!

Also, our favorite place to stay is the Clarion, and we have stayed at several places there over the years. We are all booked for our stay there this Dec. The rooms are clean and it is in a great location. Also, check the internet for special rates. The only draw back is that the pool is in a seperate glass building out back which makes it COLD in the winter time.

We prefer to stay in Gatlinburg because we truly enjoy getting out at night and walking the strip, playing put put and eating fudge, which by the way you must get while you are there. The Aquarium is great. The 3D put put was over rated. My kids like the outdoor ones better. This past time we did the wax museum and it was a waste of money.

We LOVE to eat at Calhouns, and a small little place called Best Italian, which has the best pizza and garlic rolls, among other things. There is a dessert place up there called Desserts & More, that everyone raves about. They also serve lite lunch.

We really enjoy Dollywood too. They also have a water park if you like them. There really is a lot to see and do. I hope you have a great time!!

This is so funny! I think we must be 3rd cousins removed or something because I completely agree with everything you said! Right down to the best kept secret on the strip which is the Best Italian Cafe and their amazing garlic rolls! My whole family LOVES those garlic rolls and we now have a rule that we can't eat there the day before we leave because the five of us reek of garlic so badly that it's hard to be in the van together! We only stayed one night this past weekend because we were on the way home from Hilton Head and the garlic rolls had to be banned. Now we can't stop thinking about them! Good times!

 

[877HISGRACE]

We are thinking about stopping in Gatlinburg on our way home from seeing relatives. What are some can't miss things to do? Where is the best place to stay? My DH also want's to go to the Jack Daniels Factory , is it worth it?

Tink-n-MrIncredible ...

The best thing to do in Gatlinburg is just park somewhere, and walk around downtown. Lots of restaurants, ice cream, miniature golf, stores, etc.

Or, if that's too tame, for updated calendar of activities for Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, etc., see the "Gatlinburg Events" or "Pigeon Forge Events" or "Sevierville Events" links at
SMOKYMOUNTAINVIEWS.COM


Good luck!


Mac

 

[Crafty Princess]

We just got back from there on Sunday. We stayed 3 nights at the Mountain View Condos. We got a deal where we got the 3rd night free so it cost us $349 for 3 nights which isnt bad because it was a nice condo with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a full kitchen, living room, balcony, etc! The 1 bedrooms are are around $80/night I think. We had a lot of fun. They have a new museum in Pigeon Forge...THE TITANIC!! Which I LOVED! It took 2 hours to walk through but it was really worth it. I didnt even really get to look at or read everything that I wanted to because my little ones were tired. I recommend that, Ripleys Aquarium, The Hollywood Wax Museum (which is also new), Go Karts, and Bumper Boats! We go every year because it is budget friendly!

 

[Crafty Princess]

Oh and there is some kind of place opening up next month that lets you sample moonshine, cant remember the name. Maybe he is thinking of that!