We just finished a family vacation to GSMNP topped off by my brother's wedding in Johnson City. All were enjoyable, and I'll try to recreate somewhat here. I'll try to post pics if my files aren't too big.
My one sentence summary is: If there's a more beautiful place on earth than GSMNP, I hope to someday see it.
We flew American Eagle from DFW to Knoxville. It was an easy flight (2 hours), and Knoxville is the closest airport to GSMNP. It's small and there aren't many amenities, but for our purposes, it was fine. We rented a mini van and headed out.
It was about 1 hour to Gatlinburg, where we stayed. We drove through Seiverville/Pigeon Forge on the way, and previous posters have been right-on. Pigeon Forge in particular is nothing but cheap motels, cheap buffets, mini golf & go-kart tracks. I was amazed at the sheer volume of people waiting in line to SPEND MONEY on this crap, when 5 miles to the south was the most beautiful FREE scenery God could have created.
Gatlinburg was also very touristy, though I found it more tasteful. To be sure, there were plenty of t-shirt shops and dime stores, but the general theme of the downtown area was of an Alps mountain town, and I thought it was fairly tasteful. We picked up instructions to our cabin, which we rented through www.http://www.gatlinburgcabinsonline.com/index.asp.
We all found our cabin WONDERFUL. We had 2 stories with a PHENOMENAL view of the park, a hot tub on one of the decks, and ample living space. Everything was done in nice wood, down to the floors, furniture, and mini blinds. It was very nice. We also had a pool table, pinball machine, darts, and chess/checkers board that all got some use in the evenings. The hot tub was used every night by the whole family, and we really enjoyed it. We also had jacuzzi tubs in both bedrooms, which my wife and mother-in-law enjoyed.
Our first day in the park was a drive to Cades Cove. I RECOMMEND EVERYONE DO THIS BEFORE THEY DEPART THIS PLANET. It rained on us most of the day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. We saw some beautiful backdrop, deer, turkey, and pioneer buildings. I cannot begin to do it justice with words, so try to see it sometime.
That night, we ate in Gatlinburg at Bennett's BBQ. Very expensive and not very good, IMO. My wife and MIL had the ribs, which they said were good, but my chicken/pork/brisket platter left plenty to be desired.
Our second day included a drive to Newfound Gap and a hike to Clingman's Dome (the highest point in the park). We again had bad weather, but it was still beautiful. Our hike to CD was short (~ 2/3 mile) but tiresome...it was uphill the whole way, plus I had to carry my son. Getting to the top was worth it, though. It wasn't very clear so we couldn't see much, but it was cool to think we were "at the top."
For dinner, we ate at Alamo Steakhouse. Again, expensive and disappointing. For almost $30, I expected a filet of at least Outback quality. However, I didn't even get Applebee's quality. It was the thinnest, puniest steak I've ever had. I don't recommend it.
Our third day, we again did some driving in the park. Finally, we had good weather. We did a short hike (1.3 miles each way) to Laurel Falls. It was beautiful. We saw 2 sets of black bear...the first was a small female with cub, and the second was a larger female with 3 cubs. They were magnificent. They didn't seem to care about the people watching or taking pictures at all. It was the highlight of my trip. Laurel Falls was beautiful, particularly because it was running fast due to all the recent rain.
That night, we ate at Cherokee Grill downtown. FINALLY, a good meal worthy of the cost. I had a very good crab bisque, prime rib, and house potatoes. We topped it off with a Key Lime ice cream from Kilwin's.
There isn't much to say about Johnson City, because we were preoccupied with wedding stuff. We stayed at the Carnegie Hotel, which was very nice, had a great spa and restaurant, and was fairly central. It is right across the street from East Tennessee State Univ. The wedding was wonderful and I was very proud of my brother.
My one sentence summary is: If there's a more beautiful place on earth than GSMNP, I hope to someday see it.
We flew American Eagle from DFW to Knoxville. It was an easy flight (2 hours), and Knoxville is the closest airport to GSMNP. It's small and there aren't many amenities, but for our purposes, it was fine. We rented a mini van and headed out.
It was about 1 hour to Gatlinburg, where we stayed. We drove through Seiverville/Pigeon Forge on the way, and previous posters have been right-on. Pigeon Forge in particular is nothing but cheap motels, cheap buffets, mini golf & go-kart tracks. I was amazed at the sheer volume of people waiting in line to SPEND MONEY on this crap, when 5 miles to the south was the most beautiful FREE scenery God could have created.
Gatlinburg was also very touristy, though I found it more tasteful. To be sure, there were plenty of t-shirt shops and dime stores, but the general theme of the downtown area was of an Alps mountain town, and I thought it was fairly tasteful. We picked up instructions to our cabin, which we rented through www.http://www.gatlinburgcabinsonline.com/index.asp.
We all found our cabin WONDERFUL. We had 2 stories with a PHENOMENAL view of the park, a hot tub on one of the decks, and ample living space. Everything was done in nice wood, down to the floors, furniture, and mini blinds. It was very nice. We also had a pool table, pinball machine, darts, and chess/checkers board that all got some use in the evenings. The hot tub was used every night by the whole family, and we really enjoyed it. We also had jacuzzi tubs in both bedrooms, which my wife and mother-in-law enjoyed.
Our first day in the park was a drive to Cades Cove. I RECOMMEND EVERYONE DO THIS BEFORE THEY DEPART THIS PLANET. It rained on us most of the day, but it was beautiful nonetheless. We saw some beautiful backdrop, deer, turkey, and pioneer buildings. I cannot begin to do it justice with words, so try to see it sometime.
That night, we ate in Gatlinburg at Bennett's BBQ. Very expensive and not very good, IMO. My wife and MIL had the ribs, which they said were good, but my chicken/pork/brisket platter left plenty to be desired.
Our second day included a drive to Newfound Gap and a hike to Clingman's Dome (the highest point in the park). We again had bad weather, but it was still beautiful. Our hike to CD was short (~ 2/3 mile) but tiresome...it was uphill the whole way, plus I had to carry my son. Getting to the top was worth it, though. It wasn't very clear so we couldn't see much, but it was cool to think we were "at the top."
For dinner, we ate at Alamo Steakhouse. Again, expensive and disappointing. For almost $30, I expected a filet of at least Outback quality. However, I didn't even get Applebee's quality. It was the thinnest, puniest steak I've ever had. I don't recommend it.
Our third day, we again did some driving in the park. Finally, we had good weather. We did a short hike (1.3 miles each way) to Laurel Falls. It was beautiful. We saw 2 sets of black bear...the first was a small female with cub, and the second was a larger female with 3 cubs. They were magnificent. They didn't seem to care about the people watching or taking pictures at all. It was the highlight of my trip. Laurel Falls was beautiful, particularly because it was running fast due to all the recent rain.
That night, we ate at Cherokee Grill downtown. FINALLY, a good meal worthy of the cost. I had a very good crab bisque, prime rib, and house potatoes. We topped it off with a Key Lime ice cream from Kilwin's.
There isn't much to say about Johnson City, because we were preoccupied with wedding stuff. We stayed at the Carnegie Hotel, which was very nice, had a great spa and restaurant, and was fairly central. It is right across the street from East Tennessee State Univ. The wedding was wonderful and I was very proud of my brother.
