Tennessee tips!

[julezdisney]

I love my Dis-ers and their great tips. So... DH and I are planning a trip to Tennessee at the end of June/early July. We want to do a couple days in teh Smokies- campin' and/or cabin... and finish up with a few days in Nashville.

What do you in-the-know suggest?

No one plans travels like DIS-ers so I know you'll come through for me!

 

[tink1978]

timberwindscabins.com is one my husband and I have used a few times. They have cabins in the Smokies and are somewhat secluded. Most cabins are between Pigeon Forge and Townsend. We have been pleased with their prices and the condition of the cabins. They are really good.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

I live in East Tennessee, in the small town of Maryville. We are right next to Townsend, at the foot of the Great Smoky Mtns. One really neat thing that happens here every summer, usually early to mid June, is the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont campground. It is the only place in the US that you can see this species of firefly. During their mating season, they light up synchronously. If you are not staying in the Elkmont campground, you can take a shuttle either from Gatlinburg or Townsend to see this phenomenon. My family went for the first time last year. It was really neat! Plus, it's just a relaxing experience.

Cades Cove is another popular attraction in our area. It's an 11 mile loop with pastures, old churches, a mill, and great views of the mountains. It gets very congested during peak vacation times. Two unique ways to see it that I'd recommend are biking or by hayride. Two days a week (I think Saturdays and Thursdays), cars are not allowed on the loop until 10am. Before that, it's bicyclists and runners only. There's a company right by the Cove that operates hayrides in the evenings during the summer and fall. Right before sunset is a great time to see wildlife (deer, turkeys, coyotes, and the occassional bear) with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.

Pigeon Forge is full of tourist attractions that are anything but natural beauty! There's miniature golf, Ripley's Believe It or Not, the Dixie Stampede dinner show (pretty good!), Wonder Works, the Titanic Museum, Dollywood, Dolly's Splash Country, and great outlet shopping. Gatlinburg has the Ripley's Aquarium, which is a very nice aquarium! Off of the beaten path in Gatlinburg is the artist community, where several artists have shops.

If you're into baseball, the Tennessee Smokies stadium is at Exit 407 off of I-40. They have a good firework show most Fridays in the summer.

Oh, yeah! If you're here for the 4th of July, Gatlinburg has a huge parade at midnight the morning of July 4th.


Hope this helps you get started!

 

[live4christp1]

The Smokies are beautiful. Lots of scenic areas. In the Gatlinburg it's just a short drive over the mountain into Cherokee NC and a little further will take you into Maggie Valley were Joey's pancake house is the worth the visit (they are only open for breakfast though).

In Pigeon Forge The Apple Barn is wonderful!!!!!!

In Nashville Brentwood is a nice area and we have stayed in the Briley Parkway area a lot. Grand Ole Opry & Country Music museum should be open. The Opryland Hotel is nice to go tour/look around in.

We live about smack in the middle between the two so if you can think of any specifics you'd like let me know, I'll help all I can, we travel to both at least a couple of times a year.

Cristy

 

[NaLisa]

A few things:

The national park campgronds fill up fast, and Cades Cove is usually booked well in advance. The smaller NP campgrounds are first-come, first-served and often hard to come by on summer weekends. There are no showers in the national park campgrounds.

The private campgrounds are bustling affairs usually next to a highway.

Tubing on the Little River is a blast. There are plenty of outfitters, or you could buy/bring your own tubes.

The hiking is incredibe. Bring comfy hiking shoes.

Townsend and the surrounding area is known as "the quiet side of the Smokies;" Gatlinburg is quanit but very busy. Personally, I'd prefer a more secluded, quiet campground and then drive to Gatlinburg.

There are plenty of beautiful cabins with incredible views throughout the Smokies. Check the Smokies CVB.

Have a great time.

 

[DizneyDogs]

I second the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge.

Also I recommend the Pancake Pantry in Nashville

In Nashville we enjoyed going to the Grand Ole Opry (both the tour and performance), Belle Meade Plantation, Belmont Mansion and the Parthenon

If you have time visit Biltmore in Asheville, NC it's about an 1 1/2 hr east from the GSM

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

We have been thinking about a TN trip too....great tips here

 

[bjscheel]

I've never been, but I spent the long winter of 2009-10 planning a Gatlinburg vacation that never came to be. I dreamed of a cabin in the Smokies and spent hours on vrbo.com looking at them. There are so many to choose from and I found a lot with the qualities we wanted for $100-150/night, which was my target range. We wanted three separate beds, and if you only need two, you could find them cheaper than that.

We probably will not go in the near future, but I still have a handful of them saved in my favorites since I spent so much time hunting for them and they are so neat!

 

[StacieDreaminODisney]

I second (or third) visiting Cades Cove. My DH and I usually just drive through slowly and pull over when we want pictures. I also recommend the hike out to Abrams Falls, which is inside Cades Cove.

If you're interested in some great barbeque, you should go to Bennett's. There is one in Gatlinburg and one in Pigeon Forge. I'm practically addicted to this stuff. It's good.

My only tip for Nashville is to have dinner on the General Jackson Showboat. They have a wonderful dinner show, and the boat itself is beautiful.

Have a great time!

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that you should consider staying at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville. It is gorgeous and so fun to explore! Plus, they provide transportation to the General Jackson since it is close by.

 

[ccgirl]

I see a few posters mentioned Nashville. How far of a drive is that from Gatlinburg?

 

[oopsiDAISY]

I see a few posters mentioned Nashville. How far of a drive is that from Gatlinburg?

Nashville is about 2.5 hrs from Gatlinburg, however there is a time change so you will lose or gain an hour depending on your coming and going. Gatliburg is EST and Nashville is CST.

Gatlinburg recommendations: Here, Here on Cades Cove-it's definitely a must do for our family. I would also recommend Ober Gatlinburg for the Alpine Slide. We hit the Ripley's Aquarium EVERYTIME we go with the kids. And it is always nice just to walk the "strip" window shopping and doing the "ski-lift." Pigeon Forge is a bit "touristy" for our taste.

I live just east of Nashville. Nashville attractions I would recommend:
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, Adventure Science Center, Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. Science Center and Zoo are of course kid friendly. Cheekwood is kid friendlier in the summer when they have kid centered exhibits going on. Exhibits from past summers: dinosaurs and treehouses.

I feel so blessed to live in Tennessee...mountains and mountain culture in the Smokies to the east, Nashville and all it has to offer in the middle, and Graceland, Memphis blues and BBQ to the west...LOVE IT!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We just did this very same trip last fall and had a blast. We started out in Nashville then drove to the Smokey's. We stayed at the Econo Lodge in Pigeon Forge and at the Marriott resort by Opry Land.

If you have a chance, take a 30 minute drive south of Nashville to Franklin TN and visit the Arrington Vinyard which is owned by country singer Kix Brooks. It is amazing place.

I love my Dis-ers and their great tips. So... DH and I are planning a trip to Tennessee at the end of June/early July. We want to do a couple days in teh Smokies- campin' and/or cabin... and finish up with a few days in Nashville.

What do you in-the-know suggest?

No one plans travels like DIS-ers so I know you'll come through for me!

 

[ccgirl]

We just did this very same trip last fall and had a blast. We started out in Nashville then drove to the Smokey's. We stayed at the Econo Lodge in Pigeon Forge and at the Marriott resort by Opry Land.

If you have a chance, take a 30 minute drive south of Nashville to Franklin TN and visit the Arrington Vinyard which is owned by country singer Kix Brooks. It is amazing place.

Sounds great. May just have to put this on our to do list.

Also, Dollywood/Splash Country is in Pigeon Forge. We have yet to go there (going in July) but have heard great things about it.

 

[mercydisney]

We will be vacationing in Gatlinburg this July. We are thinking of staying here http://www.thebearskinlodge.com/. Does any one have any other recomendations of anywhere else to stay that is close to Pigeon Forge? I was looking at cabins but am so afraid I will get a dirty cabin at a reasonable price. This has happened to us before .

Thank You so much for recomending Cades Cove as a must do.

 

[neetze1]

I live in East Tennessee, in the small town of Maryville. We are right next to Townsend, at the foot of the Great Smoky Mtns. One really neat thing that happens here every summer, usually early to mid June, is the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont campground. It is the only place in the US that you can see this species of firefly. During their mating season, they light up synchronously. If you are not staying in the Elkmont campground, you can take a shuttle either from Gatlinburg or Townsend to see this phenomenon. My family went for the first time last year. It was really neat! Plus, it's just a relaxing experience.


We caught the fireflies last year and it was really something neat to see! We took a trolley from the park visitor center in Gatlinburg. You have to be in the parking lot early because once the parking spaces are filled, that's it. It was only $1 a person. Cheap entertainment and a rare site to see!

 

[merekc]

Double post.

 

[merekc]

This is the vacation we are also planning for this summer. We've done it several times before, but we just love the Smokey Mountains.

Some potential things on my list in Nashville are the Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home), Ryman Auditorium, Belle Meade and Franklin.

Pigeon Forge area: The Mine...this is a must do for us everytime we go. I think it may now be called the Gem Mine, but it is where you buy a bag of dirt and work it through with water to uncover gems. We love it! But be prepared it can be an expensive stop. Also probably going to do Dixie Stampede since the kids have never been. Other than that headed to the mountains if the kids don't see all the go-carts, mini golf, etc because it is crowded and touristy.

Smokey Mountain National park, Cades Cove. The NC side has the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Ashevillle NC (Biltmore Estate), white water rafting.

And then we are heading down to Chattanooga. Tons to do there - Lookout Mountain, Incline Railroad, Rock City, Ruby Falls, Aquarium, cute town. We always love to eat Sticky Fingers when in the area. And about an hour from Chattanooga is the unclaimed baggage center store (which is actually why we are tacking Chattanooga on to this trip). We are leaving kids and dads in Chattanooga and moms are going shopping.

Don't forget this is the 150th anniversary of the start of the civil war. Lots of locations in Tennessee if you want to experience that.

Hope this helps.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We also visited the Jack Daniels distillary which is about an 1 hour 1/2 drive south of Nashville. They offer FREE tours of the distillary and I must say the tour was great. It takes about 2 hours to complete the tour and it is so amazing. I have taken paid tours at other places that were no where near as good as this one. Kids are allowed on the tour. And NO free samples! Believe it or not the distillary is in a dry county! The only person who can sample is the Master Distiller. But at the end of the tour they will give you a glass of lemonade.


http://www.jackdaniels.com/TheDistillery/

 

[Minnie M6]

I just spent a few days in the Smokies with one of my best friends, her kids, and my kids. The unanimous favorite was Cade's Cove. We also hiked to Laurel Falls in the forest- nice fairly easy hike to a beautiful waterfall. The kids loved Magi Quest, and my 10 year old DD went indoor skydiving. But the best times were spent doing outdoor activities, including fishing on the private lake in walking distance to the cabin we rented. When we went as a family a couple summers ago, we absolutely loved tubing! It was so much fun and very reasonable price wise. Have fun!!


For me, planning the trip is almost as fun as the trip itself!

 

[masonjar]

We also visited the Jack Daniels distillary which is about an 1 hour 1/2 drive south of Nashville. They offer FREE tours of the distillary and I must say the tour was great. It takes about 2 hours to complete the tour and it is so amazing. I have taken paid tours at other places that were no where near as good as this one. Kids are allowed on the tour. And NO free samples! Believe it or not the distillary is in a dry county! The only person who can sample is the Master Distiller. But at the end of the tour they will give you a glass of lemonade.


http://www.jackdaniels.com/TheDistillery/

I was going to suggest this too but I'm a bit partial as the Distillery is my place of employment. There is so much history and even if you don't drink alcoholic beverages it really is a neat place to see. Every time I have to go by the Visitor Center I always sneak in the Lemonade room for a glass of the best lemonade I think there is. For a true southern experience, be sure to make reservations to eat at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House for lunch...or dinner as we like to call it. You won't be disappointed!