How We Had a Fun and Memorable Anniversary Trip To Gatlinburg, TN!
When talking about a destination for our one year anniversary vacation, Joel and I decided to head down to Gatlinburg, TN. With it being about 7 hours from home, we chose to drive and enjoy the mountainous backdrop during our trip. After checking out Hotels.com, like mentioned in the “Sure Fire Ways to Save”, we booked the Econo Lodge in Pigeon Forge. It was right on the river, had a pool and hot tub, plus had a hot breakfast buffet every morning. Joel and I are very fond of breakfast buffets if you haven’t figured that out yet. 🙂 We actually had a great stay at this hotel and would stay there again.
Activities To Do:
On our drive through Pigeon Forge (on the way to the hotel), we passed the Titanic Museum and knew we had to go! With the outside looking like a replica of the front portion of the Titanic, it definitely made an impression! When we entered the building, we were given a boarding pass from a passenger that originally was on the Titanic. It had information about them and made it more interactive. The museum is a self guided place, but for an extra fee you can have a headset to listen to more information about each section of the museum. Done very well, they have several sections to explore: an iceberg room, a first class room like what “Rose” would have stayed in, a third class bunk like what “Jack” would have stayed in as well as original costumes from the Titanic movie and much more! It was a very cool and educational experience. On our more recent trip to Gatlinburg, while checking my Groupon app I noticed there was a deal for tickets to the Titanic Museum so make sure to check Groupon if you are interested in going.
Another popular attraction that Joel said was a must see is the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. When walking the shopping district in Gatlinburg, we decided to go into Ripley’s Guinness World Records. Knowing we wanted to go to the Aquarium, when they offered a 3 ticket deal (savings of $22) we jumped on it. You can pick your package here, and save up to $49 per person! We chose the Aquarium, Guinness World Records and Davy Crockett’s Mini Golf! The World Records was interesting in both good and bad ways. LOL There were weird and funky exhibits plus there were interesting and cool ones. The Aquarium is impressive from the moment you walk in and is literally teeming with life – over 10,000 exotic sea creatures in 350 individual species. There are more fish in this aquarium than there are people living in the entire town of Gatlinburg! As always, mini golf is fun but this one took it to a new level with the themed holes and different levels being on the side of a mountain.
On the drive from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg, you’ll see the Gatlinburg Bypass on the right side. It’s a lovely scenic road that allows you to see Gatlinburg from a new point of view and if you need to, pass by all the Gatlinburg traffic, both vehicle and walking. There’s a scenic parking area where you can check out more information about the city and area plus the beautiful view from above the city. On our most recent trip, we pulled in the parking area to get a closer look at the black bear cubs nearby.
Last, but certainly NOT LEAST, one place we loved was Parrot Mountain! Set in the distance behind Dollywood is an awesome secluded attraction that appeals to any age! If it’s not obvious by the name, up towards the top of the mountain is a “bird farm” where you can see, hold, talk to and learn more about many different types of birds. You can see babies in the nursery, feed several birds and even get your photo taken with as many birds as you can hold! This is a great, off the beaten path, attraction for anyone looking for something interesting. You can also usually find a discount coupon in one of the local coupon books.
While it’s a little bit of a drive from the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area, one place that we had a great time at was Circle G Ranch: Drive Thru Safari. Unfortunately it’s closed now, but we had a great time and highly recommend it if you see one in the future.
As found in many of the coupon books, on the main drag is the Hollywood Wax Museum. It’s a large and impressive building that draws you in, but it’s not as impressive inside. In general it was an interesting attraction, but the figures could have been more realistic. While they were close, they definitely weren’t accurate. The “scenes” where the figures are displayed made the experience better, but we probably won’t go back even if they have added more figures.
Shopping
If you pick up a coupon book from your hotel or one of the many businesses around the area, one place that you’ll definitely find coupons for is the Tanger Outlets in Sevierville. From clothes and shoes, to food and sweets if you’re looking for a familiar business you’ll likely find it there.
If you’re looking for cool souvenirs or gifts, one unique place to check out if the Arts & Crafts Trail! It’s an 8 mile stretch of shops featuring local artisans and their handmade goods! Be sure to check out the website for more info including types of shops and special events. If you’re looking for something fun to do as well, they offer hands on experiences too! The best time to go is the warmer months when all the shops are hustling and bustling otherwise you might miss out on some of the shops that aren’t open due to weather.
Gatlinburg’s main drag is filled with shops of all kinds! From homemade fudge and taffy (being made while you watch) to socks, t-shirts and much more, you’ll find everything you need and stuff you didn’t know you needed. 🙂 One place that was interesting is the Jerky Store & More. Not only do they offer many flavors of beef jerky, they also have turkey, buffalo and even alligator jerky! If you’re looking to try a crazy flavor or meat, ask at the counter for a sample. Stop by one of the oldest shops in the area, Carmelcorn, for a snack everyone will love! Sticking to what they know best they only offer 6 flavors, but since opening in 1961, they’ve quickly become a tourist favorite with over 11 million visitors a year. They’ve even had to open a second location for the busy times! They’ve even added a website where you can get your fill of their goodies any time of the year!
Pigeon Forge also has many souvenir shops along it’s main road. These are the shops you’ll want to check out if you are looking for t-shirts, beach towels, knick knacks and more with “Pigeon Forge” on them. There are dozens of these shops along the main drag, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, check out the next one. Don’t be fooled by the gimmicks though. One shop advertises that you can see the live bears and another advertises live goats. The 2-3 goats are in a small fenced in area and the live bears are a paid attraction that is in another section of the building altogether.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Smoky Mountains that we decided to head back there in 2018! Read the post and find out what new things we discovered on our second trip!
Have you been to this area of Tennessee and have some great memories? I’d love to hear from you. Leave your comments below…
