Overview
A trip to Gatlinburg, TN is one to take. I stayed here for only three days since I was looking to take a short escape from life and enjoy the mountains nearby. In December, I found the weather nice and cold, yet no snow for my trip. There was snow forecasted on my way out though. There is so much to do in this place and a lot of food to enjoy. I suggest paying a trip to Gatlinburg and checking out the Smoky Mountains! Pigeon Forge isn’t too far away and has some nice things to do there such as Dollywood, a wax museum, a Thomas Kinkade store, and more.
Pigeon Forge
I enjoyed Pigeon Forge, not as much as Gatlinburg or my time in the Smoky Mountains, but it does have some nice things to do here. Personally, I am not a fan of Dollywood and care not to explore it, however friends of mine tend to enjoy it there. I enjoy theme parks but Dollywood is a place that does not interest me. In Pigeon Forge I checked out the Christmas Store which was phenomenal and I absolutely adored it. It had some Harry Potter items, gingerbread houses, snowmen and a surplus of ornaments, decorations and everything Christmas and some personal decoration ornaments. My girlfriend is a big fan of Thomas Kinkade so we checked the store that was here and purchased some art. I enjoyed the gallery and found I am a big fan of the products for sale!
Gatlinburg
Walking around Gatlinburg was very nice amidst the cold weather. Trotting the streets and checking the shops with delightful smells of food, chocolate, candy and the various restaurants around made Gatlinburg such a nice experience to me. Aside from the first place I tried on this trip, which had good reviews, every other place was delicious. After driving from Louisiana, I wanted to walk around and see what there was to eat and do. I came across the Atrium. I tried their eggs benedict and Hillbilly benedict. Both were flavorless and I was greatly disappointed. It took 45 minutes just to get drinks when the restaurant was basically empty. It was so bad, I was hoping no other restaurant was this bad since I love to eat and love good food. Fortunately, it was the only bad food I had on this trip.
Going to the Ripley’s Museum is a fun experience, and the aquarium here is very nice based on my memory from when I was a kid. There are many shopping options in Gatlinburg, for those that enjoy shopping. A few food places I really enjoyed here were the Smoky Mountain Pancake House in Pigeon Forge. The breakfast here is surprisingly delicious and the restaurant was bustling from the time we walked in to the time we left and was astonishingly amazing. Dick’s Last Resort was an experience, I probably wouldn’t go multiple times because of the environment, but I will say the food was very good and I will eat there again for sure. One of my favorite places to get food from was Waffle de Lys, which was a place that served waffles with an assortment of toppings such as whipped cream, caramel, fudge, cookie butter, and so much more. I stopped here frequently to eat a good number of waffles! I loved it and wish I could get one back at home. My favorite restaurant was the Pancake Pantry, delicious food, amazing service, amazing ambience, and I will say anyone visiting must visit the Pancake Pantry and eat their food. It was absolutely delicious!
In Gatlinburg, I enjoyed Anakeesta, which is like a small village of its own with some nice hot chocolate, food, and great views of Gatlinburg. This is a great spot for kids! Honestly, I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did but I loved it! I especially loved the view looking over Gatlinburg and there is the TreeTop Walk to enjoy a nice walk!
Smoky Mountain National Park
My favorite part of this trip, aside from the delicious pancakes and waffles were the stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountains. The view is astonishing, the air is crisp, being surrounded by nature makes the experience so surreal. Since I did not have a lot of time left before driving home, I made sure to walk on a smaller trail that they had. The trail chosen has a waterfall and I wanted this to be my final moments on this trip before driving home. I’m no doctor, but there is something about being in nature that just heals the body and mind. The winding roads will do some work on a vehicle. When I was driving, there were a couple of vehicles pulled off to the side with transmission or brake problems. My tips to you are drive safely and responsibly; the number one reason for death in the Smoky Mountains is surprisingly vehicle crashes. If you are driving from home, make sure you get your transmission and brakes checked to ensure they will do well in the park. I would even suggest getting a new set of brakes to ensure the best driving experience in Smoky Mountain National Park.
This adventure was very whimsical. I decided to take this trip maybe a week before it happened, mainly to get new brakes for the occasion. Going to Gatlinburg for a few days was not that expensive of a trip. The majority of my money went to food, and a place to stay. I plan on returning to the Smoky Mountains to hike and enjoy more of the park. I would love to hike all the trails, see every waterfall, and enjoy everything they have to offer.
If you like what you see, please leave a like. Also, please leave some feedback on how this could be better or if there was something you enjoyed! Thanks for checking this out and as always, It’s Turtle Time!
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