Tips for Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg, Tennessee

OK here is the story; I have been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, twice. The first time I visited the areas was as a child when we hit Gatlinburg in mid July (Johnny Cash fans will get this). I don't know if the area has greatly changed since then (the early 1980's) or if the passage of time erased things from my memory but I was shocked at the town and related area during a recent visit.

Gatlinburg TN and the nearby Pigeon Forge (home of Dollywood), looked to me like Myrtle Beach had an illegitimate child and hid it in the mountains. Don't get me wrong, Myrtle Beach has its place but it is a beach surrounded by an amusement park.

My recollection of my first visit to the Gatlinburg TN area was beautiful mountain views and Native American's (Indian) heritage. What I found during this visit was amusement parks, air brush tee shirt shops, and crowds of people. While many might call this commercialization or over development, I simply believe it is good red blooded Americans practicing capitalism in pursuit of a profit. There is nothing wrong with this but it does not make for a relaxing mountain destination. I was pleasantly relieved to find that the mountain scenery was still in place, but every overlook and parking lot was filled with crowds of people.

Perhaps the worst part of the entire trip was the traffic. From the Interstate on into either downtown Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge it was bumper to bumper traffic moving very slowly (at times completely stopped). Visitors were able to spend quality time with the ones that they love surrounded by other motorists who didn't know where they were going either.

To be honest I was visiting during October near the peak of the fall leaves. And once you got into town and parked everything was close by and in walking distance. There is also nice clean public transportation to ride (which of course gets stuck in traffic as well). My point in telling all the bad things is that this is not a quiet and relaxing get away.

For those with families there are many things to do in the area. The main streets are lined with touristy shops, amusement activities, Ripley's, aquarium, and theme restaurants. There are also many nice restaurants for couples to relax. Wedding chapels also frequently dot the landscape and it is a beautiful area to get married. There are a variety of accommodations from nice hotels to quaint log cabins many of the accommodations are pet friendly. Nearby Cherokee, North Carolina holds the Native American (Indian) reservation including a large casino.

While I am not suggesting that people do not go to this beautiful area of the country, just know what you are getting into. Once you get past the downtown crowds, the tourist traps, and the traffic it still is a nice place to visit. Don't forget to make the drive over to NC and see beautiful sites along the way.