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I just booked a cabin for three nights in August. My girlfriend and I are heading down with another couple. I've been once about 12 years ago and really don't rememebr much specifics about the place. That could have to do with the fact that I was there only for a night and we were seeing my fugitive uncle who was hiding from Police in the mountains. But I am really looking forward to the trip. We've got an awesome place that sits on a river and we plan on making the most of the experience. We've talked about horseback riding, atv's, tubing, whitwater rafting, shopping and the other typical touristy stuff. Anyone here know any must see or must do things in the town? Any resturants worth visiting? I always prefer some actual suggestions from real people as compared to just searching the web. Everyplace that has a website claims to be the best and it's hard to tell which really are great places to see.
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Well, you've already achieved the first advice I give anyone looking at going over. You got a cabin! I hope its remote too, because that is the absolute best arrangement. I'm always amazed at people who get the hotels... they pay almost as much as people who get the cabins. The cabins are great and it sounds like you got a good one.
My wife and I spent a whole day just walking the area (Gatlinburg not Pigeon Forge). Gatlinburg is a lot more quaint than Pigeon Forge - which is an absolute Tourist strip.
That said, I don't remember a lot of specific places (I'm a guy what can I say?). I know there is Dollywood, and plenty of other Show and a dinner type places. Lots of Ripley's places in Pigeon Forge too that are fun.
Posts: 176 | Registered: Sep 2006
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We went for our vacation last year. Don't take a mini-van-- the mountain roads will destroy their transmission. (Sad experience)
When we were there, they were having lots of street shows and things-- that was LOADS of fun. They had a hoedown every night with a great bluegrass band; some of our favorite pictures are the two oldest kids trying to clog.
Ripley's Aquarium is nice, but if you've seen one, you've seen them all. If you haven't seen one, you should go-- aside from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, there's nothing that can compete, IMO.
You don't look to have any small kids...so the river is a must. You can pick up tubing/canoeing/kayaking tour packages in Gatlinburg. There's good fishing there, I'm told, and you can buy special visitor's fishing licenses.
The people in TN are wonderful. Very, very pleasant. When our van broke down, we couldn't have imagined a nicer bunch of people to take care of us. It was very encouraging.
There are a lot of shows in Gatlinburg that may not be worth seeing; the museum of illusions is one we considered a waste of money. (Animatronic illusions seen through scarred plexiglass. Meh.)
You MUST go get some of Fanny Fergle's footlong corn dogs. Delicious. FF's right on the main strip in Gatlinburg, down the street from the Aquarium... you can't miss it.
Go hiking. I mean really, it's beautiful, even with all the tourists.
Watch out for bears.
Avoid the skyride-- it's costly and the place you wind up is a combination skeevy travelling amusement park and ice rink. There are actually two sky rides; one that's like a ski lift, and another with cable cars. The one that's not worth it is the cable car one. We didn't ride the other one.
Places to eat...we had a great steak dinner at Alamo. But mostly, we cooked for ourselves.
The cabins we stayed in were very nice, but were also very far from everything. Ours had both a jacuzzi and a HUGE heart-shaped tub in the middle of the living room-- the kids loved the jacuzzi.
Gatlinburg must be the home of crafty-type people. There was some type of artsy, woodsy, crafty shop every twenty feet. If you're into that sort of thing...it's heaven. If not, well, at least you can go hiking when you get past all that junk.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Yes, if you can avoid it, don't drive through Pigeon Forge at all, we left through the park and out Townsend TN.
If you like horses, the trail rides in the park are nice. I wasn't impressed with the place you can drive up to see stuff in the park. My uncle says going tubing in August is still too cold, and he grew up swimming in Northern Indiana and Ohio rivers.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Cherokee, NC. The museum, knickknack stores, stickball, the Okonaluftee "Village" where you see old ways of making things. The outdoor drama "Unto These Hills" if you have infinite patience.
Sounds like you'll have some interesting stories to tell your gf while you're there, too.
Posts: 544 | Registered: Mar 2007
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yea, Cabin is the only way to go. We spent days looking at various places and I couldn't imagine staying anywhere but in a cabin. We're each paying 135 bucks for the place and staying three nights. Can't even imagine any hotel that would be close. And we're getting two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two decks, hot tub, living room, and kitchen for that.
I think we have decided that we are definately tubing and taking an ATV tour. Also talking about horse back riding. May do some golfing too.
My biggest thing that I'm concerned about is finding a great restaraunt. We'll probably only go out for dinner one night and I want it to be a cool place.
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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There was one really great seafood place that I know you can find if you look up restaraunts, it was an independent I believe.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I have been to Gatliburg/Pigeon Forge many times. One place I cannot go to the area without visiting is the Apple Barn- in Pigeon Forge. Normally has a long wait if you go during peak hours. Like 1-2 hour wait. But the nice thing is- you can tour the other areas of the grounds- the winery, the shop, the candy store. They have several thousand acres of apple orchards and other things like that. Really good food- and it's not a chain. Among Tennesseans- it is the restaraunt to go to in the area.
Posts: 980 | Registered: Aug 2005
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This is a great thread for me because hubby and I are going there the last week of July! Any more good info? I've heard there's a dinner and rodeo show. Anyone know anything about it?
Posts: 315 | Registered: Dec 2005
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*takes notes* We're looking to possibly do a family reunion in that area, next year. This year we went to Lake Norman in North Carolina and kind of ended up with a dive for a rental, so cabin recommendations would be extremely helpful. It doesn't seem like many places have high speed internet access, which was something we really missed at this year's get together...but that might have been because there wasn't much to do in the area where we stayed .
Hope your trip goes well! Tell us all about it when you come back .
Posts: 1676 | Registered: Jul 2000
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