Gatlinburg Tennesse

---

Gatlinburg Tennessee

If you want to fit in one last vacation as Summer comes to a close, you might want to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s a 12 to 14 hour drive down interstates 40 or 81. If you prefer to stay in the heart of the city,  Gatlinburg offers plenty of places to stay. Or if you’re a nature enthusiast you can find serenity at a rental home on the mountain top. You can find beautiful homes for rent on Airbnb. And if you share expenses with a family member or friend it can be an affordable fun-filled vacation. As for us, we stayed in a four bedroom house with a spectacular view of the Smokey Mountains and downtown Gatlinburg. There were two community pools with game rooms that came with the rental property for our enjoyment. 

As we entered the house there was a warning about bear’s and for a good reason; This is Bear Country! You can see Mama Bears and their Cubs all alongside the streets rummaging through the trashcans. If you’re a nature enthusiast you’ll enjoy watching them, but you may want to watch them from the comfort of your vehicle.

There is something for everyone in Gatlinburg. It offers shops, eateries, Moonshine tasting and entertainment. Ober Gatlinburg Amusement park is one of the Smokies top attractions. You can catch the Ober Aerial Tramway in downtown Gatlinburg and ride it up to the top with spectacular views of the Smokey Mountains or you can choose to ride the open ski lift to Ski lift Park. Ski lift Park has a rope Sky Bridge for your enjoyment and offers a eatery, entertainment, and an all day pass to and from the park.

When you visit the South,  if you’re anything like us, you’ll want to find an authentic barbeque restaurant. The best way to do this is to ask the locals. We were referred to Hungry Bear restaurant at 490 East Parkway. The food was served through an outside window into the restaurant. The food was delicious and an excellent choice to satisfy our craving for good ole southern barbeque food. 

Every day was an adventure. We took a drive to Pigeon Forge parkway and found discount souvenir shops, raceways for the kids, and boot shops. The Boot Factory Outlet, located at 4135 parkway had buy two pairs of boots and get one free. The boots were stylish and the prices were reasonable. This was the highlight of our day, after all adults have to have a little fun too!

Also located on Pigeon Forge parkway is Dollywood. You can’t go to Gatlinburg without a visit to the park. There’s so much to do there and you can’t leave without riding the train, rollercoasters, and a  visit to the Dolly Parton Chasing Rainbows museum. The museum is impressive! It's filled with treasures of  Dolly’s journey to stardom and her heritage.

So, no matter what suits your fancy Gatlinburg, TN is a great vacation spot that should be put on your radar. If you plan it just right  it can be a fun-filled inexpensive way to end your Summer. And if you want to take a detour to Shenandoah National park to or from Gatlinburg- the skyline drive is something you’ll remember for years to come, we will.