The Best of North Carolina, South Carolina and Beyond.

By Renee Wright

Originally published in Square Dancing Today Magazine

From the Mississippi to the mountains, Tennessee is home to some of America’s favorite music.

The Smokies Just five miles down the Parkway from the heart of Pigeon Forge sits the mountain town of Gatlinburg, and the west gate of the Smoky Mountain National Park. One of the most popular destinations in the national park system, Great Smoky combines stunning scenery with real wilderness adventure. Hiking trails for every ability let visitors choose walks ranging from 20 minutes to several days duration. If you prefer to tour by car, scenic driving routes criss-cross the park. The main road runs from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, North Carolina, through Newfound Gap, a magnificent drive taking you above the tree-line. This is American Black Bear habitat, so be sure to allow plenty of time. Bear sightings along the road often slow traffic to a crawl. The most popular driving tour on the west side of the mountains takes you to Cades Cove, a mountain village that time forgot. The 11-mile loop road around the valley passes a variety of historic buildings, herds of deer and flocks of wild turkey. The National Park Service presents living history demonstrations here spring through fall. Horseback riding is a popular sport in the area, and numerous stables rent horses, both inside and outside of the park. Rates at the stables near Pigeon Forge are especially reasonable. Trout fishing is another popular past-time, with several outfits offering guided expeditions. The town of Gatlinburg itself hosts a full slate of mountain activities from whitewater rafting to downhill skiing. In the center of town, visitors can enjoy an easy, scenic stroll past numerous shops and restaurants. Here you’ll also find lounges serving beer, wine and cocktails, an amenity missing in family-oriented Pigeon Forge, where liquor is not served. The Ripley’s entertainment empire has a strong presence in Gatlinburg with numerous attractions located in the downtown area. The centerpiece is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, the most visited aquarium in the U.S. Exhibits here include 28 interactive exhibits on the Titanic and the sea-life that now calls it home, a 40-foot humpback whale skeleton, and a tunnel that lets you “swim” with the sharks. Other Ripley attractions in Gatlinburg include a Believe It or Not Museum, a Haunted Adventure, a “Moving” 3-D Theater and the state-of-the-art Davy Crockett Mini-Golf course. Gatlinburg maintains its own system of inexpensive trolleys to ferry visitors to the area’s many attractions. A special trolley tours the Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail, an eight-mile loop of craft shops, studios and art galleries. Much more awaits travelers in the hills of east Tennessee in every season of the year. Whether you arrive for a week, or just stop for a night or two as you pass through, there’s plenty of hospitality to be enjoyed and new friends to be made.

Carol of the Trees, photo courtesy of Dollywood © 2003 ARR

 

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