Gatlinburg, Tennessee or as we refer to it, Wisconsin Dells on Steriods

Due to the two plus year hiatus, we took from this blog, we need to do some catching up.

Come visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee with us. We visited Gatlinburg two times, once in March 2017 (Wow, that is a long time ago) and again in November 2019.

On the first visit we stayed in a charming log cabin in the woods. There was a hot tub on the back deck and a babbling brook in our backyard. When I booked the cabin, the photos made it appear as if it sat alone in the woods, but in reality, the cabins and houses in that area are almost on top of one another as you go up the mountain, so bear that in mind if you book a cabin in the woods. On our second visit we opted for a downtown condo which suited us much better since we were able to walk to all the attractions. It's good to know there are lots of options when it comes to staying in and around Gatlinburg. 

                                               Cabin in 3/2017                                                      Condo in 11/2019                                                                                                                

One of the biggest draws to this area is Great Smokey Mountain National Park. The entrance is very close to Gatlinburg and the park is free. It's a very scenic drive through the park as you travel to North Carolina. There are many scenic overlooks and hiking paths along the way. One of our favorite hikes was to Laurel Falls, it is an easy hike and the falls are worth the trip. We liked the trails marked as quiet walkways which were easy, short walks to pretty views. There is an attraction called Clingman's Dome along the road. It was closed on our March trip but we were able to visit it on the November trip.  It is not an easy climb, rather a long steep incline for at least a half mile. Luckily there are benches along the way to rest! Once at the top of Clingman's Dome, we are certain the view is magnificent, however we were not able to see a thing due to foggy conditions. There are nice restrooms and a gift shop near the parking lot.

Laurel Falls.  In the first photo, John was asked to take the "official" proposal photo for this couple.

Be sure and stop at the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee for a photo op. You can put one foot in NC. and one in TN. On our second trip we drove on to Cherokee NC and had lunch in an authentic Native American restaurant. Cherokee is an Indian reservation, and it was interesting to see.

Word of warning, if you are traveling during a holiday, like Thanksgiving, be prepared for long lines of traffic in the park since there is only one way in and one way out. Just look at the traffic behind us in our side view mirror and there were just as many behind us.

On our first visit we visited a drive through museum called Cade's Cove where you can take an 11-mile auto tour. There are many stops along the way with signage explaining the historical significance of the area. There are flush bathrooms and a snack bar at the midpoint.

 

In December of 2016, a fire raged around and through parts of Gatlinburg. It started on Chimney Top Mountain. Even on our second trip you could still see much evidence of that horrible fire. Chimney Top is right on the road in the state park.

Now let's look at some of the places we visited right in Gatlinburg itself. We were excited to ride the cable car up to Ober Gatlinburg because we expected there would be some great views from up there but no to the views. All we found at the top were some restaurants, an indoor ice-skating rink, and shops so the same thing you might see in a mall. There were no views to speak of although there was a tour guide on the cable car that pointed things out on the way up and down. The cable car is huge and fits about 120 people, standing. Unless things have changed, I would not recommend Ober Gatlinburg.

There are numerous places to sample Tennessee Moonshine so be sure and do that, if that's your thing. We referred to Gatlinburg as Wisconsin Dells on steroids so that gives you a feel for the atmosphere you will discover.  Lots of families, lot of strollers, just lots of people, lot of shops, lots of restaurants, and lots of bars. 

Since our first trip was mainly the mountains, our second trip included more exploration of the actual city of Gatlinburg. The main reason I, Sherri, wanted to return to the area was because I was anxious to walk across the glass bridge that had been built since our first visit. John, didn't really think we needed a second visit, but he obliged my wishes.

The skybridge did not disappoint. We were able to purchase an all-day ticket to ride the ski lift to the bridge as often as we wanted. That pass also included a tower which we called the space needle, not sure the actual name but you can't miss it. There is an arcade that you need to walk through at the ground level which is a bit crazy but once we got to the elevator, we were the only ones going up. We visited the tower both in the daytime and the nighttime. The lights of the city were very pretty especially at Christmas time. We walked the skybridge two times and I loved it. It actually only has glass in the middle few panels and you can stop there and take fun photos. The view from the skybridge is very pretty, too. There is a restaurant and some shops at the top of the skybridge area along with nice, clean bathrooms. Do not miss this attraction.

We were intrigued by an attraction called The Christ of the Smokies Museum. It was a great place to escape the crowds and relax in a very peaceful setting. The people working there were very pleasant and there were nice bathrooms and a gift shop.

There are many shows and other attractions such as Dollywood in the area near Gatlinburg, but we were not interested in that, so we cannot comment on any of it. We think those things are more attractive to families with children.

All in all, Gatlinburg is a nice place to visit especially in the off-season times. Sherri loved it all and would go back, John liked the conservative feel of the entire area, but has no desire to return.

Happy Travels!

Next stop Cincinatti and the Ark Encounter!