A Weekend In The Smokies

If we're going to show off Branson, we might as well head over to its sister-city, nearly 700 miles to the east in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

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What attracted us to this area wasn't even the tourism aspect of eastern Tennessee, but the BEARS! Bears are said to be everywhere in Gatlinburg. Lock your car doors unless you want an intruder going through your road trip food wrappers. Hide ya kids, hide ya wife. Unfortunately, we didn't see one... but we heard people around us that did a handful of times. We were always just a little too late.

Out of the many woodsy and lodge-still accommodations, we went with this Airbnb hosted by Chris. It's a paved and narrow trek up the mountain, but it has a view to die for and a hot tub; as well with three spacious floors. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is absolutely the spot. Shockingly enough, you can even get pizza delivered up there. My son loved it so much that he asked if we could move in. Take a look at the view from the back porch.

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Along the main drag is a ton of different attractions to choose from, like this milkshake bar. Grab a mason jar shake and you can even wash out the glass and take it home. Nearby were shops, arcades, bowling, restaurants, bars... truly anything you could ever want. There's no shortage of things to do with southern, country charm.

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If you have the need for speed, you can rent one of these automatic shifting slingshots from Wranglers & Razors in Pigeon Forge. Remember the time of the year that you're in. We drove ours around in early November, and it was doable but quite chilly. They also offer Jeeps, Razors, and more for an affordable price. The owner was incredibly accommodating and gave us a little extra time. The main roads in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are BUSY, so if you're a stressed driver... this little thing is not for you.

Drive it on down to the Old Mill District for a good time featuring a creamery, café, homemade candy, pottery wheel, and more. There's plenty of places to wander. We searched everywhere for a true Gatlinburg meal experience, and decided to put our names on the list for the Old Mill Restaurant. It was well worth the wait with some of the crispiest southern fried chicken and mashed potatoes, among their many other offerings and vanilla ice cream for the kids.

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If you're brave enough, you can take a ski lift up to Anakeetsa: a sky bridge theme park with some self-directed rail runners, gardens, ziplines, shops, etc., all at the tippy top of the Smoky mountain range. This one is a must-see with Astra Lumina illuminating the bridges at night. The shops are PRICEY. With temps dropping at night, we found ourselves in need of a blanket for the kids. The cheapest we could find was $40. With tourist activities come excessive tourism prices. Plan ahead for the weather.

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Ever had breakfast with 100+ singing chickens? Now you can. I told you I always look for unique dining experiences, and this did not disappoint. At Frizzle Chicken Cafe get a stack of pancakes and free entertainment with a ton of comical names after famous singers, like the above pictured Layer Swift.

We had to wait at every restaurant we went to with how busy Gatlinburg was. Try to put your name on a wait list early, or look for online reservations everywhere that you're planning to go.

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A different type of theme park, Dollywood, goes to the beat of none other than southern country 9 to 5 legend, Dolly Parton. This place is eclectic and great for either old country music fanatics or Dolly Parton lovers in general. If you're not a massive Dolly fan... it may not be the place for you. I personally found it odd, but the roller coasters make up for the interesting theme park ambiance. I will say that I've heard people who are from the south enjoy the park a lot more.

And that's it! 36 hours in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge. The major downside to this area is that it's PACKED, and it doesn't really matter what time of the year you go; but there are things to do year-round for the whole family in a very scenic part of the United States.