Pigeon Forge is a Superb Family Vacation Destination

Our family loves the beach, but sometimes we want to go on vacation where sand isn't a bother. Last year, over our son's Spring Break, we chose to visit the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area of Tennessee. The activities we could do were abundant, and we weren't bored for a second.

Kids will love The Track. There were the bumper boats, a miniature golf course, an arcade, and go-karts. My kids were content with miniature golf. We played Gator Golf, and the kids got so excited when they saw the different amphibians on display. We then went inside to escape from the heat to play games in the arcade. They have Skee-Ball, which kept my kids occupied for quite a while. Then we wandered over to Kids Country to appease the younger ones. They have toddler sized swings, trains, a ferris wheel…it is like a miniature amusement park.

A big favorite for my kids was the DinosaurWalkMuseum. This museum does not have fossils of dinosaurs, but life-sized replicas of dinosaurs. You walk into a dark room and are bombarded by the abundance of dinosaurs and information about the dinosaurs on display. T-Rex, Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl, and many more stands in this room. My son wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up, so he was in heaven. There is an area where you can "dig" for dinosaur bones, which essentially is a sandbox with buried (fake) dinosaur fossils. There is another area where people can sit and watch videos of informative dinosaur-themed movies. I personally was a bit disappointed. We anticipated it to be a bit bigger. When you walk in the room, you can see the back of the room where the display ends. After we finished the tour, we visited the gift shop. They have puzzles, stickers, fossil kits, stuffed animals, and any other type of dinosaur memento you can imagine. This cost us about $30.

We ate breakfast one morning at the Old Mill Restaurant. This was the highlight of our meals in Pigeon Forge. You definitely get your money's worth! My husband and I ordered the Old Mill Country Breakfast and both got pancakes eggs with a choice of meat. The kids all got eggs and either a meat or pancakes with theirs. All the meals are served with a big bowl of each: biscuits, gravy, muffins, and grits along with juice. We definitely had enough to eat, and I can honestly say that it was a meal I will never forget.

Not to forget the adults, there is a plethora of shopping to do. One of our favorites was the Tanger Outlet. We couldn't get around the whole place in one day, so we had to split it up. There are a lot of high-quality stores in the outlet. We visited Baby Gap, The Disney Store, OshKosh B'Gosh, Kitchen Collection, and Reebok. Not to be undersold, we visited the Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet, which has Carter's and KB Toys. The shopping in Pigeon Forge is definitely abundant!

Our hotel was kid-friendly as well. When we went, the weather was a warm 80 degrees, but it definitely was not warm enough to swim outside. Fortunately, the hotel we stayed at, Country Inn and Suites had an indoor pool. My kids loved splashing around in the pool. I definitely recommend looking for an indoor pool to pass time. It is free with your hotel stay and a way to pass time without having to spend more money.Lastly, lets not forget Dollywood! Sure, there are roller coasters and musical shows for adults, but there is a whole slew of rides for kids. From the Veggie Tales Sideshow Spin, to the Lil' Loggers Landing, you will find something for everyone in the family!

Pigeon Forge: Fun, kid (and family) friendly, and an exciting place to visit!