Smoky Mountains Tennessee

There's no shortage of things to do in the Smoky Mountains! There is something for everyone whether you like to be in the midst of the busyness or prefer to chill out lost in the mountains! ⛰

The Smoky Mountains is our favorite place to go! The mountains are calling is right! How did the mountains become our favorite vacation destination!? My husband (David) grew up vacationing here with his parents. Of coarse, when we started planning our first trip together this was the destination of his choice. I was game for going anywhere! The funny thing is he WAS a homebody, so talking him into 4 nights wasn't easy! ... He was only planning 3! Fast forward to today and we both agree that a "vacation" is a minimum of 7 nights! Anyway all it took was 4 nights in the Smoky Mountains and we were hooked.. ready for more! The locals were so friendly and helpful.. it felt like home away from home!

Over the years we have made multiple trips to the mountains..some for a long weekend and some for a week. Smoky Mountains became one of the first "vacation" spots that we have shared with all 3 of our kids. Hayden's first trip, he was 1 year old ..we were scared to travel with him as a baby. We were over that fear with the next 2! 😂 Luke was 6 months old his first trip...and baby #3 Lynlee was 3 months! Our family loves anything outdoors from simple nature trails, swimming where ever there is water (lake, pond, streams, pools) to the thrills of amusement parks and more. That's how the Smoky Mountains became our favorite home away from home. Depending on our want for adventure or chilling in nature we can find it all!

One trip became particularly special.. David and I went for a weekend for our 5 year wedding anniversary..NO kids! He had found this resort to stay for $99, 2 nights..what a deal.. but you know there's always a kicker to those! Yes, we had to sit through a 90 minute time share proposal.. my husband says..NO..NO..No your not talking me into this! 😂 Well this girl here thought as much as we love the Smoky's and love to travel this might not be a bad deal?! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Besides this resort is pretty sweet with tons of amenities for kids!! Long story short... 4 hours later we are signing papers to buy a 1 bedroom deluxe cabin for 1 week every other year at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort! That was almost 7 years ago, and we do not regret it at all! Our kids love the resort and look forward to any chance we get to go! I'm sure I could do a blog in the future with more details on owning a time share pros and cons if you all would like. I'm in the process of talking my husband into upgrading us to a 2 bedroom with a week every year!

OK so now that you know our family history with the Smoky Mountains... how about I give you all an overview on places we have stayed, attractions we have enjoyed, and of coarse some good food/treat choices! Although this list will not be all inclusive because I don't know that there are many places you wouldn't enjoy or find bad food! Or that I could possibly list everything we've done over the past 14 years we've vacationed here.

RESORTS STAYS - KID FRIENDLY

Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa

As I mentioned above we are owners so we have access to all amenities, dinner parties, kids activities, and more! I believe you can join in most of the fun even if you are not owners, but there may be an extra fee. You do not have to leave the resort for anything unless you want to. My favorite about this resort is it is built on a mountain with tons of trees and mountain views! The resort starts at the bottom of the mountain and goes to the top! It is only 2 miles to downtown Gatlinburg and 5-10 minutes to Pigeon Forge! You're in the center of it all.

There are multiple room choices from studios to 5-6 bedrooms! Be sure to ask when booking if you have a preference as some studios are in a hotel like building, 1-3 bedrooms are in more cabin like homes, and larger bedrooms are on top of the mountain in large buildings and amazing views!

Check out the map of the resort to get an idea of what amenities your most interested in.

• There are plenty of outdoor pools & hot tubs open year around! The resort also has small but relaxing indoor waterpark (only closes for 1 week in Feb. for annual maintenance).

• There's plenty food options on property! COFFEE LOVERS☕️ .. there's a Starbucks in the Marketplace where there is also a mini mart if you want snacks food for your cabin. In the waterpark there's the Roaring Fork for those pizza and burger lovers! For a restaurant type meal check out the NEW Southern Comfort Kitchen.. this is newly finished since we have stayed, but looks amazing! (and please check out their website for updates on what is open and closed due to COVID regulations!)

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL THE AMENITIES!!

I love our 1 bedroom cabin with a full kitchen now that we have children.. we stop at Aldi or one of the grocery stores on our way in to pick up snacks, drinks, and breakfast items to save money on food. My boys eat 24/7 and sisr' Lynlee seems to be on the same route! It's not easy to get all of us up, ready, and to breakfast before someone gets HANGRY (yea that's usually me!) Besides all of that.. we are on vacation so why rush to get ready to run... we are relaxing here so we can enjoy the evenings out!

The Wilderness at the Smokies

The Wilderness is a modern lodge style resort with 2 outdoor water parks and an indoor water park! This resort is in Sevierville so it is a bit of a drive to Gatlinburg depending on traffic. However, our main goal when we stayed here in August 2016 was to enjoy the water parks! We even ordered food from Pizza Hut one of the nights rather than going out for dinner?! (that is a RARE occasion when we are in Tennessee with so many restaurants to choose from)

• The Wilderness also has multiple dining options on site if you don't want to venture out! Since we ordered out we didn't get to try much here. I did enjoy a frozen Lime Margarita from Bluegill's Cove!🍹 (seasonal at the outdoor water park)

This is the place to be if you are a waterpark fan for sure! Now you can also visit Soaky Mountain Waterpark across the road from the Wilderness!! We checked it out in August 2020 with some friends and family!

Dollywood DreamMore Resort

DreamMore resort is not a resort that we have personally stayed. However, I wanted to mention it because of how much we love Dollywood & Splash Country. They offer packages for tickets/transportation to their parks, so if that is what you are most interested in there might be a great deal for your family! If the resort is anything like their parks they will not disappoint!!

CABIN RENTALS

Prior to owning at Westgate we rented cabins! We rented from Fireside Chalets most of the time. They were always clean, and well maintained. The cabin we liked the most was in Black Bear Ridge Resort, there's some amazing views! I'm not sure how they are now as we have not stayed with Fireside Chalets since 2012. Cabin rentals are great if you want to enjoy the mountain views and don't need all the amenities at a resort (such as restaurants, waterparks, playgrounds) ...so that's a trip for us without the kids!

Cabin we rented in Black Bear Ridge Resort

HOTEL STAYS

There have been a few trips that we were only staying the weekend or adding additional night to our planned week that we gave hotels a try! Here are a few .. I'm sure there are many more great hotels that are not on my list.. mainly because we have not stayed at many in the Smokies! Sorry.. but I have a hard time not staying in a log cabin if I'm in the mountains!

Park Vista, Gatlinburg

I have to give the Park Vista a pretty good review! It will not disappoint you in the views of the mountains! It may not be a cabin but great views and indoor swimming area for the kids! Park Vista is a great place to stay if you plan on spending most of your time in Gatlinburg!

Park Vista Hotel, Indoor Swimming Area, and our view from the 14th floor!

Margaritaville Inn, Pigeon Forge

This is not the Margaritaville beside the restaurant, or the large scale one that is in Gatlinburg, but it worked well for us to add a night to one trips to Westgate. We liked that is is right beside the Island where there is shopping, dining, and kids activities! We did get a little time to enjoy the pool. This is an older hotel that they updated when it became Margaritaville Island Inn.

FUN IN THE SMOKIES

Now it's time to explore what our family has enjoyed in the Smokies

• Dollywood/Splash Country - Winterfest at Dollywood is magical! While at Dollywood make sure to visit Grist Grill for some of their famous cinnamon bread! (Thanks to a best friend for sharing this secret with us!) Splash Country is our #1 Waterpark, we love the mountain scenery along with the water rides!

• Jayelle's Ranch - Horesback Riding through the mountains! Ziplines! A really neat place.

• White Water Rafting in the Smokies - we did this before we had kids :) If you have young kids tubing is likely a better option to look into! If everyone is old enough.. it's an awesome thrilling experience!

• Rowdy Bear Mountain Coaster - My kids love mountain coasters, however I think it is pricey for the amount of time it last.. worth it for the experience, but not an adventure they get everytime!

• The Track - Of coarse this is on Hayden's (our racer) favorite! Wild Woody Go-Kart track is the the winner in his opinion!

• Old MacDonalds Putt Putt - Everyone really enjoy the scenery and fun of this putt putt! If there are people in the family that are not putt putt fans..the Tanger Outlets are here as well.

• Lumberjack Show & Adventure Park - 🪓This is on Luke's (our little lumberjack!) list of favorites! We have not been to this show since it moved outdoors and added the adventure park..BUT it is on our list of things to do on our next visit. When the Lumberjack Feud was a dinner show we all enjoyed the talent and action...The adventure park sounds really exciting for the kids!

White Water Rafting Dollywood Splash Country Dollywood - Winterfest

What to do in the Smokies when the weather isn't fit for outdoors!?

• Ripleys Aquarium - My kids love going through the shark tunnel, touching the sting rays, and just browsing around on a rainy day!

• Wonder Works - There are so many unique activities for kids here!

• Comedy Barn - Family Fun Humor! The kids thought this show was so much fun!

There are loads of indoor museums, arcades, and activities here! However, we are an outdoors family so we don't have many experiences in these. Sometimes it's just the fact of paying money to get into a museum for only a few hours or less of the day. For some that have interest that is great..but for us it is not something we spend a lot of time on! So what do we do if the rain is pouring down or it's just too cold to be out... likely a drive around Great Smoky Mountain National Park, take some side roads you never know what you'll find! I love just cruising down Wears Valley Road checking out all the unique shops and great views!

Cades Cove and Roaring Fork Motor Trail are two great drives on any day! (Parts of some driving trails may be closed due to weather in the winter months)

Roaring Fork Motor Trail and View from some of the pull offs. Time of year here is August.

Shopping, Dining, Play

The Apple Barn Cider Mill & General Store- When we do go out for breakfast the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant is one place we enjoy. After eating I enjoying browsing around the general store, ice creamery, candy shop, and the winery.

The Old Mill Square - We love dinner at the Old Mill Restaurant, but this can be a challenge as it is very popular in the area.. expect long wait times! Thankfully there are shops filled with goodies to browse around while you are waiting. Try to save the ice creamery for after dinner! haha!

The Island Pigeon Forge - Dining here isn't as unique to the area as they are available in other touristy destinations, but the setting is still Pigeon Forge with Mountain views! There are also some unique shops to browse around in, and Ole Smoky has a location here for some moonshine tasting!

Dinner & Show

Hatfield & McCoy - This is our favorite food at a dinner show! We have been fortunate in getting seats near the stage where members of the show can interact with the kids (before COVID). The kids love Granny's Famous Specialty dessert! 😋If you go during winterfest they have a Christmas show as well! We have been to both shows multiple times.. mainly because I love the food here and the kids are entertained..makes everyone happy!

Dolly Parton's Stampede - Good food & Show.. we went to this show shortly after they changed it.. we liked the older show better. We still had a good time and a lot of talent to be seen.

Pirates Voyage - This show is full of action! Another great family show with a lot of talent! However, this show has multiple locations, not specific to Pigeon Forge.

Family Favorite Restaurants

The Park Grill - Gatlinburg - We love the atmosphere here, Luke loved the fireplaces!

Smoky Mountain Brewery - Gatlinburg - We go here for dinner because there is usually a live band playing to enjoy while eating our pizza (that's our fav here). David enjoys trying their different homemade beer! We've been going here almost every trip since our first trip in 2007!

Ole Red - Gatlinburg - This is a NEWER restaurant we just tried in September 2020! Love the atmosphere here as live bands are playing while you enjoy dinner! Our food was YUM!

Paula Deen's Family Restaurant - Pigeon Forge - My favorite here was dinner.. but this is a place that you eat way TOO much!! It is so good you just can't stop! We have also tried breakfast which was pretty good as well but again soo much food.. Typically when we do breakfast out it is before going to one of the theme parks to fill up for a fun day ahead!

Margaritaville - Pigeon Forge - My kids pick here because of the neat decorations and once again the atmosphere is just fun with music and food. There is also the Land Shark Bar & Grill in Gatlinburg!

Mel's Diner - Pigeon Forge - is our favorite place to hit up for lunch and/or some dessert!! Love the $ here and I think of it as great good ol' day food!

The restaurants that are more authentic to Pigeon Forge are listed above with my shopping links!

ICE CREAM!!! 🍨

If you have not figured out yet Ice Cream is huge for my kids on vacation..you would think they never get any at home!? 🤣 .. they love finding new places to try for ice cream!

1. Mad Dogs Creamery - Gatlinburg - we went here for ice cream that was so good! They also have other sweets like funnel cakes and donuts for those that are DONUT fans!

2. Marble Slab Creamery - Pigeon Forge - The kids love this place because they can pick their ice cream flavor and mix in all their favorite toppings. I'm a fan of their brownie sundae!

** There's also the Old Mill Creamery and the Apple Barn Creamery listed in the links above!

WINERIES & MOONSHINE TASTING

OK so the kids have had enough fun now! It's time for some adult fun... While strolling through downtown Gatlinburg you will find Wineries, Moonshine Distilleries, and other alcohol beverage shops! Pigeon Forge has plenty to offer to, however, you can not easily walk to them as you can in Gatlinburg. We do not regularly drink moonshine or whiskey, but it is such a fun experience with the staff of these places to do some tasting! I do like a glass of wine with dinner occasionally so I always bring home a few bottles of wine! OK and some Ole Smoky cookies and cream whiskey for special occasions (I do like some adult ice cream)!

1. Tennessee Homemade Wine - Gatlinburg is on the top of my list with their Blackberry wine and Red Muscadine!

2. Little Bear Winery - Gatlinburg is right up there now with my fav being Black Forest..berries with an aftertaste of chocolate! They have juice tasting for kids! If your kids are with you!

3. Apple Barn Winery - Pigeon Forge is one of the first wineries I ever tried. They have a good Apple Raspberry wine that is great with dessert..preferably chocolate!

4. Tennessee Cider Co. - Gatlinburg is new for us. I am nursing Lynlee so I let David be the taste tester here on our last trip Sept 2020. He just says "yea they are good" 😂Sorry I'll have to check this out at a later date and provide you with an update! or maybe some of you have tried it and can let us know your thoughts!?

5. Ole Smoky Moonshine - Gatlinburg is my fav before COVID because there were always people playing live bluegrass music with rows of rocking chairs to sit and enjoy! They also have a Ole Smoky Whiskey in Gatlinburg (that's where you can try some Cookies & Cream!) and a Pigeon Forge location at the Island!

Luke's 1st trip to the Smoky's dancing to the live music at Ole Smoky!

Well this is getting pretty lengthy as I knew it would!! There are so many more places I'd like to share, and there are so many new attractions that we have NOT experienced! So many more picture that I have, but I am posting this from over 14 years. Future blogs will have a lot of pictures as they will be done present time! A little secret.. our 2021 plans will include a vacation at our Westgate Smoky Mountains Resort! SO stay tuned for more to come on our resort and what we decide to do on this trip! Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: My full throttle blogs are for entertainment purposes only. These are my families stories to share for fun, and our opinions only. I am not giving professional advise or recommendations. Thank you for reading!