My boyfriend and I took a vacation in March 2007 to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. We chose this location simply because dear friends of ours chose to get married under the beautiful backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains at a beautiful mountain-top Inn, and we thought if we are making the trip for the wedding, why not make it into a nice relaxing vacation? We very much needed to "get away" and have some time to relax and unwind, so we decided to make it a 5-day trip.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are twin cities located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. They are connected by a several mile-long stretch of scenic highway that is called the "Scenic Spur" or as the locals refer to it, simply "the spur." Driving along the spur is probably one of the most enjoyable parts of a vacation in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. While driving along the spur, you are surrounded by mountains on either side, with beautiful streams in the middle and areas where you can pull off and park your car to enjoy the view and wade in the stream or have a picnic on the grass beside it.

At the time of our trip, I had only been to this area one other time when I was very young. I had envisioned quaint shops, beautiful mountain scenery, old-fashioned home-cooking, unique restaurants, hiking trails, and just an overall calm, relaxing time. While I did find that the area provided most of those things, the only thing was that all those quaint little shops and restaurants and beautiful mountain scenery were all surrounded by a myriad of endless cheesy "tourist attractions" and lame souvenir shops. I agree with another epinions reviewer---NOT AT ALL what I expected!

PIGEON FORGE AREA:
To get to Gatlinburg, you have to first drive through its neighboring sister city of Pigeon Forge. The long highway stretch of Pigeon Forge seems to be nothing but cheesy tourist attractions with a few shops and restaurants sprinkled in between. Everything is crammed together, and as another reviewer noted, there is neon EVERYWHERE. There are flashing billboards and advertisements everywhere offering discounted tickets to the wide array of dinner theatre shows or comedy barn shows or Bear Jamboree Shows or some other equally lame form of entertainment. There are mini-amusement park/carnival type rides on every corner such as a "moving movie theatre" and a dinosaur thrill ride. As the other reviewer mentioned, there are putt-putt golf courses and go-cart tracks literally ON EVERY CORNER. I have never seen so many putt-putt courses. What I didn't understand was why this was necessary. Where are the people that come to the mountains to experience the ambiance, the peace, the serenity and the awe-inspiring beauty of the Smokies? Apparently people come there to play putt-putt!
There were souvenir shops scattered here and there and numerous "As Seen On TV" shops. I never even knew these existed. Despite the fact that there were so many pointless, tacky, and cheesy "attractions" that not many adults would enjoy, there were a few gems scattered in between. However, several restaurants offered delicious food that made the trip worthwhile.

TIP: Skip the putt-putt, amusement park type rides, Black Bear Jamboree, and other similar attractions that don't capture the true essence of the Smokies and its culture and beauty. Instead opt for a visit to The Old Mill, a restaurant and general store with the famous old mill that is still in tact and holds so much history and charm. The restaurant has delicious country-cooking and a neat atmosphere. The fritters are wonderful. While there, be sure to visit the general store and also some of the other shops in the square behind The Old Mill. There is a pottery shop that has some beautiful pottery and if you get there at just the right time, you can watch the potter at work. Be sure to pick up some fudge and other goodies at the candy shop in the square. Also, eat at The Alamo, a unique steakhouse. Although this is more of a steakhouse than a country-cooking type of place, the food is great and the steak has a unique, smoky-like flavor. The lobster and vegetables tempura appetizer is out of this world!

GATLINBURG:
Gatlinburg is a few miles down the scenic river spur after passing through Pigeon Forge. Gatlinburg, although still full of the same tacky tourist attractions and cheesy souvenir shops, is an improvement when compared to its sister city of Pigeon Forge. The backdrop of the gigantic, majestic Smoky Mountains is in direct view the entire time as you stroll through the city streets. Downtown Gatlinburg is much more quaint, cozy, and pretty and a little bit more of what I had in mind to start with. There are a variety of fudge and candy shops and other various shops galore. I agree with the previous epinions reviewer again that sometimes you do feel as if you are at a carnival, but there are a few things that are worth doing. Our favorite was the Gatlinburg Sky Lift, where you take a slow ride together on a 2-seater chair lift and it takes you to the top of a mountain where you get off, look around, take in the breathtaking view, and spend as much time on top as you like. We stayed up there for at least 45 minutes and just took it all in. It was incredibly beautiful, and by far the best part of the trip. You can see all of Gatlinburg and have an amazing view of the mountains. They take your picture on the lift, and this was the one "cheesy" thing that was worth spending money on. The picture is incredible because there you are, sitting in mid-air, with the gorgeous mountains behind you. You can also take a tram ride to the top of another mountain where they have a water park, bear exhibit, viewing center, and other activities. This is also one of the other things that is actually worthwhile. The other main attractions in Gatlinburg include the Ripley's Aquarium, Ripley's Haunted House, Ripley's Moving Theatre, and the Ripley's Believe it or Not Center. The aquarium is worth the money---although we have visited other aquariums, we still enjoyed it. They had some beautiful sea life exhibits that were worth seeing. Skip Ripley's Believe it or Not. The Haunted Mansion was surprisingly fun and actually gave us a little scare! It was a lot of fun, although not what you typically envision yourself doing on a trip to the mountains! Do the Haunted Mansion and the Ripley's Moving Theatre if you have pre-teens or teenagers with you. Make sure to buy the "package deal" on the Ripley's attractions to save a few bucks.

TIP: Eat at Damon's for dinner and ask for stream-side dining for a peaceful way to unwind after the long day.

LODGING:
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have plenty of hotel chains to offer. The ones in Gatlinburg probably have better mountain views. All of the surrounding mountainous, wooded areas are stockpiled with tons of log cabins. In our opinion, a Smoky Mountains vacation is truly the most thoroughly enjoyed only if you are staying in a log cabin in the middle of the mountains. It is there that you can really relax, unwind, and rest. It is there that you can experience what the mountains truly have to offer which is not the neon lights and the go-cart tracks, but the peace and quiet, the incredible beauty of the mountains and of nature! For couples I most definitely suggest opting for a cabin rather than a hotel. Almost all Smoky Mountain cabins come standard with a jacuzzi or hot tub and often, BOTH! We opted for a cabin that was in a neighborhood of cabins nestled on a cliffside up a WINDING road off of the scenic river spur. Our realty gave us DETAILED turn-by-turn directions that led us straight to our cabin door----without those, we would have had quite a time finding it! Our cabin had 1 bedroom, with a canopy bed, a jacuzzi beside the bed, a full kitchen, a den, an upstairs open loft room with a couch and pool table, and high ceilings. On the deck, we had a huge hot tub, porch swing, rocking chairs, and a privacy screen. Not to mention an incredible VIEW! It was so romantic, so calm, so tranquil, and so refreshing. We would have been happy to stay in the cabin the entire trip and just soak up all the rest and relaxation and beauty around us. Our favorite part of our trip was the time we spent in our cabin. We came home feeling so rested and invigorated. Cabins would be great for families too, because they are equipped with full size kitchens, living rooms, and in some cases multiple bedrooms so this gives the family much more room! The only time I would recommend opting for a hotel instead of a cabin is if you have a family or children that want to be right in the middle of all the "action" with lots of things to do around you. Opting for a cabin usually means a short (or could be sometimes longer) drive up some winding mountain roads to get to the cabin.
You would think that cabins would be more expensive, but in fact, if you check around for prices and do your research, you can get some exceptional deals. I suggest booking with Sunset Cottages Rentals by visiting their website at sunsetcottage.com. This realty runs specials all throughout the year. Even though it was Spring Break season at the time of our trip, we were able to take advantage of a Buy 2 nights, get the third night free deal that saved us some money and extended our trip. Also, the staff were very helpful, kind, and polite and give you detailed, turn-by-turn directions to your cabin to make sure you don't get lost!

Overall, the beauty of the mountains and the tranquility of the porch swing or hot tub as you gaze out over the mountains is worth making a trip the Smokies. However, I would leave out the unnecessary, expensive, and tacky tourist attractions. I would opt to take more time at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park taking a hike rather than spending money on things that could easily be done at a local theme park or carnival at home.
This is a trip to take if you are in the neighborhood or if you have children. Aside from the romance of the secluded cabin setting, this is not a particularly romantic place. Recommended only for couples looking to get away and just spend a weekend resting and relaxing and not doing much of anything because there isn't that much of anything worth doing!
The scenery is beautiful year round, but I am sure the fall and winter months would be the most beautiful with the changing of the leaves and then the upcoming snowfall and Christmas season.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov