Hello everyone this will be my first Thanksgiving in the Gatlinburg area.  We have spent several years in NC, Beech Mnt area and love it but thought we would try somewhere else.  Im not sure what to expect with the weather and I would like some suggestions on where to take a 10 year old boy and a 16 year old girl.  Keep in mind we are in a recession and I would like to do this trip on a budget. 

 

Thanks!

Florida Girl

This next week will be our families 5th time in Gatlinburg.  It will also be our first Thanksgiving.  We have spent several Spring breaks and a  Christmas as well as a summer time week. Our kids love it.  Every year we ask where they want to go and they keep saying "Gatlinburg"  They are 14yr old boy and 20 yr old girl now.  I think its been over the last 5-6 years we have been comming here,  They have both gone horse back riding, go cart and bumper boats/cars.  Also rode a Camel. That Christmas Ober Gatlinburg ski resort was open (December 1st)and we skied, ice skated.  Others times we have driven up into the Smoke Mountain National Park.  Even at spring break there were piles of snow they played in on the mountain. We don't get much snow in Texas, so this was a real treat.  We have many hours in the snow. Another time we drove into Chereekee North Carolina reservation. And to tour the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.  It is the largested house in the US. It was built at the turn of the century by the Vanderbilts $$$$$$$.  The estate has 70 something rooms.  It also has a indoor pool and bowling ball lanes(not to use but to see.  It is decorated just as it was in the 1900s. They decorate it for Christmas starting in November,  It is expensive but something to see.  You can check it out if you  haven't before at:

www.biltmore.com

Some places we have stayed are the Sidney James hotel.  They are average priced, but have a neat indoor pool with a hot tub and the pool has this tunnel (lighted) that the kids can swim through and chase each other in a circle.  The best thing to me is the hotel is built along side a brook and they have balconies that open over the brook so you can enjoy the sounds of the rushing brook in your room. It is very relaxing. We also have stayed at the Holiday Inn next to the Sidney James, but the kids like the SJ pool more.

This time we have found a cabin that is not much more than a 1 room.  At $119 a night we have a whole house and can save money shopping and cooking there instead of eating in town, We found the restraunts very high priced, Which is expected in a resort town.

Hope your family likes it as much as we do. You may find yourself returning as we have.

Half Tennesseeian, Half Texan

We just got back this past week from a stay in that area. I saw your posting on a link from a site where I was looking to see if it was still COLD! We had a really good time and also tried to not spend to much on our trip. We stayed in Sevierville. It was a town just North of both Gatlinburg and Piegon Forge. Here is what we did....

 Stay away from the shops, they have alot of them and they will take your money quick. Eat breakfast at local places, they had quit a few in the little down town area and if you would like, take a little trip up to Severville and eat at the little dinner right in downtown one day. They have breakfast all day (am - 2:00pm).

 You must do Cades Cove. Someone told me about it and I'm pasing it to you. I had trouble finding alot of information on it before we got right to it, but you can find it on maps of the area and all you need to do is stop and by the book that cost a $1.00, it is a self guided tour. We thought it would take a few hours, but it took all day. Take a lunch, stop at all the locations, and make sure you have binoculars as you will see wild life! I have an 11 year old boy and all three of us had a great time. All it cost is the gas and can fill alot of time!

 We also choose to play with the "locals" at the skating ring one night. It was open till 12:00 and was like $10.00 to get in and rent skates. It is right on the strip in Piegon Forge.

 We spent alot of time driving (gas is cheaper now). It really was beautiful. It snowed just on the mountain tops the night before we headed out. We drove around for hours just looking at the snow above us as none fell in either of the three towns.

 I'm not a real commercial person, but I do love to shop when I can afford to but I couldn't this trip. Just stay off the beaton path, bundle up and get out. Look for coupons to the aquariam ( it was a litlle high but worth every penny), and other things, and ride the local public transportaion as it only cost a little pocket change and can be entertianing in itself.

 Enjoy

Believe me when I say that I understand a budget. I am a high school football coach and teacher so I totally understand being frugal on vacation.  My parents took me to the Smokies for the first time when I was 2 years old, I am 42 now and can not count how many trips I have made with them over the years.  My wife and I came to Gatlinburg to get married 8 years ago and loved having our first real trip that belonged just to the two of us, we spent very little money and had a great time.  We brought both our girls here two summers ago, they where 14, (her's and mine) and they had a great time. We worried they would not like the "family" trip, but we made an effort to give them some free time in Gatlinburg and they loved roaming together.

This will be the first time my wife and I have been back to the area alone since we got married and the first Thanksgiving for either of us in the Smokies.  There is no worry other than gas for the week we are looking forward too just being in the park is wonderful. Try to find some of the off the beaten path trips, a lot of the area is commercialized sure, but you can still find piece and quite. We always spend our time rambliing, make sure you see Cades Cove, but go in the late afternoon about 3 hours till dark, the whitetail deer, wild turkeys are everywhere and if you are lucky you will see bears as well, and all it cost is time and fuel.  Drive over to Cherokee from Gatlinburg and then return thru Robbinsonville North Carolina using Hwy 129, better known as "The Tail of the Dragon", 318 curves in 11 miles, great drive, getting to it from Cherokee you will pass Fontana Dam and the dam called " The Fugitive Dam" because the movie The Fugitive was filmed on it, both great sight seeing areas.

This year we are looking for the Lindsey Mill, the Dunn Mill and the Harrisburg Covered Wooden Bridge, all are close to the area and should make good stops. The Roaring Fork Motor Trail in Gatlinburg is a great ride, not long but very scenic thru the mountain country side, I read it will be open until the end of November so barring any bad weather it should be open. We are not going to Dollywood this trip because we are not big amusment riders when our girls are not around, but they loved it. Yes is is pricey around 50 for an adult pass, but we slurged for them and had a great time.

PS If you go to Dollywood after 3pm  then your pass is good for the next day as well.

PS to the PS.....Also if you can, drive the Cherohala Skyway, great ride, and don't miss Bald River Falls on the Tellico Plains end of the skyway, beautiful water fall that you can drive right too.

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck

Coach J