We went to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, both in Tenessee. No, we didn't go to Dollywood, but we spent a little time as tacky tourists, did some hiking, and took some good pictures. We have some friends from when we lived in Grand Rapids, and they like Gatlinburg; so they proposed we meet them there. So this was primarily a trip to meet family friends, rather than a trip to see the sights.
We stayed at the Music Road Inn, which was actually rather nice, and has very nice family-friendly facilities: an excellent pool, several waterpark-like features, a balcony in every room, etc. Our room was right next door to that of our friends, which made it convenient for visiting, etc.
For the first day, we didn't realize Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg were separated by a five-miles swath of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Thus, we drove through Pigeon Forge and thought we had seen the sights; the next day, we realized we had seen less than half of what there was.
Pigeon Forge is much like Myrtle Beach or Niagara Falls: it centers on a "Strip", a road that runs through town, and is covered in neon signs on both sides of the road. But unlike Niagara Falls and Myrtle Beach, the attractions are pretty much family-friendly. That is, where the attractions along the strip in Myrtle Beach are bars and tatoo parlours, or where the attractions in Niagara are lingerie shops an adult clubs; the attractions on the strip in Pigeon Forge are largely restaurants, mini golf, and go-karts. There was one "adult store", but I only remember seeing the one.
Gatlinburg is more like Banff (although it's not nearly as pretty as Banff is): it's more crowded than Pigeon Forge, and the main road winds somewhat. It's still crowded with shops, but they're all jammed next to one another, and parking is sparse and expensive. Gatlinburg is much more aesthetically pleasing: I'd rather see a crowded row of shops than a sea of neon any day.
The two towns sit on the edge of the Park, and there is plenty of hiking and wildlife just a few minutes out of town. We took a day in Cade's Cove, which is a wildlife reserve in the Park. The Cove has one-lane circular road that goes for 11 miles at 20 mph. Cars drive slowly through the park, and people see the animals, etc. spread through the woods and on several fields.
So all in all, Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg is not a bad family vacation spot. It's slightly over-priced, of course, but not so bad as Blowing Rock. And while it's full of tacky tourist traps, that's only to be expected. If we were looking for a quiet escape from the city, I would look at Blowing Rock instead. But for a family trip to just sort of get loud and tacky, it was an excellent choice.
The most important feature of Pigeon Forge, of course, is the Elvis Museum. I mean, how could you not make a trip, just to see that?
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| Elvis Museum |
One thing we noticed almost immediately is, the people of Pigeon Forge are proud of their pancakes. There were at least 8 pancake houses along the 5-mile (or so) strip. Funny, some of the normal restaurants (i.e. not breakfast places) would even advertise pancakes. Even more interesting, the pancake houses typically close shortly after noon. So they're in what has to be a high-rent area, but they're only open half the day. We took some photos of signs advertising pancakes, since I was quite amused by the frequent pancake ads:
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| Pancake Houses |
You might notice there are two identical signs: "Smoky Mountain Pancake House". Yes, they are separate restaurants, and they're less than a block apart. There's got to be a story behind that one!
We spent a day in Cade's Cove, and got some good pictures. A lot of people had stopped to watch a bear munching in the bushes on the edge of a field. We were happy enough to have a 300mm lens on our camera, so we might have gotten the best pictures of anyone. Unfortunately, we didn't have a tripod, so the pictures aren't perfect, but we cropped them down enough to get a decent look at the bear. We also got a couple decent shots of wild turkey:
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| Cade's Cove |
That was a good day.
I suppose these pictures aren't too impressive to those of you in less populated areas, but for us in North Carolina, they're pretty spectacular.
9 comments:
Looks like a wonderful trip. The hotel looks great for kids! We have those bear-proof garbage cans up here, and it took me a while to figure out why they were so difficult to open. Love the bear cub too! Glad you had fun.
I love how restaurants throw "World Famous" about so casually on signage, like they wouldn't be telling the truth if they didn't put that there. World famous, but no one outside of Pigeon Forge has ever heard of them...
Looks very pretty through there. Sounds like a lot of fun. An imposed blogging break with much to do and people to visit was probably a good idea, and quite refreshing.
Hey, we had a bear sighting too, on Highway 16. We were flying down the highway at 135 km/h though, so we didn't get pictures.
The Elvis Museum gave me a wave of nausea.
I lived in the Nashville, Tennessee area for ten years. What a beautiful state.
I notice you didn't get a picture of the Pancake Pantry - that's the BEST one of the bunch! It's in the forge and people line up down the sidewalk outside just to get in. There's even one in Nashville.
We always rode our motorcycles down there and we NEVER left without stopping at the Pancake Pantry for breakfast.
The better place to go is to my mom's house up on Dumplin Mill Road, the other side of I-40.
Fried eggs, bacon, cat heads, and plenty of that fresh, succulent Swaggerty's country sausage.
In fact, next time you're over there stop by Swaggerty's store on highway 66 in Kodak.
Mmmm mmm!
Anne,
I actually got a picture of the Pancake Pantry, but I didn't put it in the group.
But I'm happy you rate it #1, because that's the only one of the bunch we actually managed to make for a meal, and my kids loved it. The pancakes were everything I hoped for, and the grits were topped with a good few tablespoons of whipped butter: not much of a weight-loss plan, but excellent taste.
Their cash-only policy was a pain, though.
I was disappointed in the BBQ in the region. The guy at the hotel sent me to a "local" place, but it was awful. I realize North Carolina is a tough act to follow, BBQ-wise. I suspect that if I had asked the right person, they could have pointed me to a much better place, so I don't want to pass judgment on all the Q in the region, but the Q I had in the Forge was definitely lacking.
But that was honestly my only disappointment. We had a great time, and we're all up for going back.
Chuck,
I've had breakfast at your house. I doubt very much it could be better at your mom's. You guys put on a spread ranging from livermush to Krispy Kreme: that's a tough act to follow. And you guys made some incredible sausage gravy too.
So far, the best breakfast I've had in a restaurant was either at Diana's in Charleston, SC; or at the Lakeside in Fancy Gap, VA. In Fancy Gap, seven of us ate till we were stuffed (I personally ate a porkchop, two eggs, grits, and a biscuit with sausage gravy), and we walked out of there with almost a half-pound of bacon in doggie bags. All for under $30 for seven people, and that included a hefty (percentage-wise) tip. I highly recommend it to anyone who can actually find Fancy Gap.
Regarding BBQ...
You'd have to drive 450 miles to Memphis to get good Tennessee Q. East Tennessee is all about sausage.
And Mayfield ice cream.
Mark, I think this portion of Ox Tale Soup has been aging in the fridge for too long. Time to make a new batch.
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