Shopping the Outlet Malls on Black Friday in Sevierville/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Outlet shopping is always a big attraction in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the small communities that make up the resort area surrounding the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On Black Friday, though, the outlets pull out all stops and draw shoppers from throughout the South. You do have to fight for those parking spaces, but the savings are worth it. Here are ten tips to make your Black Friday experience in Sevier County the best ever.

1. Choose one mall. I've chosen Tanger Five Oakes Outlet Center in Sevierville. It's a huge sprawling outlet mall - more like a series of strip malls. Close to 100 stores are located here. Last year, this mall opened at midnight, but this year it is not opening until 8 a.m. It closes at 10 p.m. on Black Friday. From I-40, take exit 417 and follow the signs to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. Five Oakes will be on your left at Traffic Light No. 3. You can't miss it. One drawback…you'll find lots of great clothing and house wares, but the mall has only one toy store, a K.B. Outlet.

2. Check the mall's Web site for coupon offers. Ttangeroutlet.com, for example, now has Black Friday coupons available for virtually every store. Savings range from 15 percent off one item at Van Huessen and Izod to 50 percent of all 5-pocket denim at Lane Bryant. You can also order coupon books from the Web site. Since it's so close to Black Friday, you might wait and pick these up at one of the mall offices on Black Friday. The books are $5 and offer savings in virtually every store. (These coupon books are free for AAA members.)

3. Look at a map of the mall you've chosen. These are also available on the Web site. Usually, outlet mall shopping is pretty laid back, going from one store to the next as your move around the mall. Depending on your shopping list, you may want to vary and choose which store to visit second based on the early bird specials instead of just going to the store next door.

4. Consider a designated driver. Does your husband hate to shop? Let him drive, not just to the mall but also around it. Parking spaces are really at a premium on Black Friday. And walking from one area of the mall to another could take a good 30 or 45 minutes of valuable shopping time. Promise to let hubby watch football all weekend in exchange for being a chauffeur. That way, you can just go into the store while he waits for a close parking space. Many times, you'll be done with your shopping before he finds one. Just throw your bags into the back seat and head to the next store.

5. Eat breakfast before you leave. Shopping at an outlet mall on Black Friday is much different than hitting Toys R Us and Target. One way is the food. Since you'll just be going from store to store and not leaving the huge parking lot, there's not the chance to run through a drive-through or run into a convenient store. Eating a hearty breakfast will enable you to shop through all the early bird specials, most of which end at 12 p.m. You may also want to pack a thermos of coffee as a special treat for your designated driver.

6. Know your sizes. Get your niece's jeans size and your grandmother's gown size now, before Black Friday. When you're in the mist of hundreds of bargain-crazed shoppers, you won't want to bother getting out your cell phone and calling your sister. After all, she'll be shopping, too!

7. Stumped for a gift? Consider gift cards. Through Christmas, Tanger Outlets are offering a $10 gift card free with the purchase of any number of cards totaling $150. This offer is valid through Nov. 22, so you could buy the gift certificates, spend them on Black Friday and get an extra $10 of gifts for your money. You can purchase these at the mall office. You may want to stop there during your Black Friday shopping to find out if any "gifts with purchase" offers are in force for the day.

8. Door busters are a little different at outlet malls. At traditional malls, most door busters last until 11 a.m. in every store. At this outlet mall, mornings still offer the best bargains of the day, but some stores end their special sales at 10 a.m. A few go till 1 p.m. Visit the "coupons and sales" section on the Web site. The coupons are usually only good for doorbusters, so you can determine the prime hours by the coupon time. (For example, good for 20 percent off one item from opening through 10 a.m.)

9. Grab a quick bite at lunch and save your appetite for supper. Quick bites are hard to find at Tanger Five Oakes, as restaurants are not too plentiful. You can grab a muffin and some coffee at Starbucks or get a sandwich at Country Ritz Sandwich Shop. I prefer to just pack some peanut butter crackers and a candy bar. It's not nutritious, but it will keep your stomach at bay while you're taking advantage of bargains.

10. Plan for heavy traffic when you leave the mall. I live about an hour from Sevierville and I have a friend who books a motel room. (I recommend the Comfort Inn right across the street from Five Oakes.) This way, her husband and she can just relax that evening instead of fighting the traffic. It can honestly take more than an hour to make the usual 20-minute trip from the mall back to the Interstate.