Have only been to Gatlinburg one time several years ago when my brother got married. Thought the place was very beautiful, but my goodness, there seemed to be churches every other block?

 

Was that just me or is that true? :lol:

Others ave mentioned the top restaraunts that I would have ....Old Mill, Apple Barn, Peddler's. I might suggest that there are a few very good pankacke houses in the area but jmo by far the beast is the Log Cabin Pankacke house in Glatlinbug. This one is located toward the upper end of town on the left as you are going towards the National Park. I am trying to remember the nearest stop light # that is close but can't. They do have a very long "Front Porch" with several rocking chairs and the restaraunt is made and decorated on the "log cabin" theme, inside and out.

That place's Balckberry Pancakes are awesome, you have not lived untill you have ad a plate of them !. All of their breakfast meals are great.

 

Have a great time, my wife and I love that area, the drive to and around Cades Cove is a must, like you hav mentioned very morning or late evening. Dollywood is also a "given", especially if you have kids. There are also some very good eatery's in Dollywood as well. Get the impression that my favorite theme is eating??

 

 

Yes! The Log Cabin Pancake House is good stuff! It is the last breakfast spot on your right heading out of Pigeon Forge into Gatlinburg!

If your arriving and staying in Gatlinburg on a Friday and want to avoid the traffic in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge you can come in the back side. Take I40 east towards Asheville and hit rotue 321 into Gatlinburg. If you suspect really bad traffic it may be shorter time wise but it is longer in mileage.

Bennett's is also a good place to eat. Old Mill is a definite, but get there early or it's a long wait.

The Log Cabin Pancake is no longer there. Something else is there now but I can't remember what.

If you've got a day to kill Biltmore Estate is only about 1 1/2 hours away at Ashville

I'll 2nd the Smokey Mountain Brewery. The food is very good, and the brew isn't too bad either. They also have a live band that plays upstairs at night.

 

I'll also second the aquarium, especially with the kids.

 

There's also another loop up through the mountains. It's one of the last lefts off the main road (Natural Historic Trail - or something like that) when going through Gatlinburg, just before the Smokey Mountain Brewery and Ober Gatlinburg. There's a BK and Bubba Gumps on the corner. We stayed right off this road, but if you follow it back, it'll take you on a one lane road up into the mountains and then back down on the other side of Gatlinburg. There are plenty of places to pull over to take pics or just relax. We saw quite a few bears when we went. You could probably do the loop in 30 minutes, but you'll want to stop and walk around, and if you see any bears, everyone stops and jumps out to take pics, so you'll have to wait on them.

Interesting that almost every post addressed.....eating.

 

I liked the Haunted House in Gatlinburg.

Dixie Stampede is worth it. Food is good.

Go to the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge it is a must. Good clean humor and family fun.

Go to the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge it is a must. Good clean humor and family fun.

 

100% agree.

Cades Cove can take upwards to a day because of the drive to get there and once you're in, you're at the mercy of the cars in front of you. Still a good time and the picnic area at the entrance is a must.

 

Buy your liquor before you go. If I'm not mistaken, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are moist. And the prices in Gatlinburg are steep. So I've been told....

 

The aquarium is OK. I liked Chattanooga's better.

 

Hotel rooms are cheaper in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.

 

Be prepared to walk.

When I was younger - and a bit lighter... There was a place there where you could go indoor sky-diving. I think it was called Fly Away. It was pretty fun to play putt-putt down the mountain at Hillbilly Golf, go for a Go Cart ride, hop in the bumper boats, and finish off the day indoor sky diving.

 

Apple Barn is my favorite restaurant there as well. The fritters with apple butter are addictive.

 

Go on at least one hike. There are all kinds of trails for all different levels of exhertion. I forget the name, but there is one that is a 3 mile round trip hike that leads to a waterfall that wasn't too strenuous - and very nice.

 

Have fun.

Keep driving:lol:

How old are your kids LABS ?

You should really take the time to do some hiking while you're there if you're physically able. There are lots of great trails and waterfalls that you can see and still have plenty of time in the evening to do other things. Also, Cherokee NC has a casino and a couple good museums.

We drove to Gatlinberg to meet family last June. If we had traveled with only immediate family we would have stayed in a chalet away from downtown or in Pigeon Forge. As far as eating out - I cook all year long so I plan on enjoying dinner out once in awhile (especially on vacation).

The Brewery has the best wings I've ever eaten. Ofcourse, it may have been the brew that made me think that!

 

The Old Mill and the Apple Barn are both wonderful restaurants. We also drove throught Cade's Cove and we really enjoyed the log cabins, the churchs and the cemetaries. Lots of history.

Smokey-Mountain pancake house excellent food family can eat breakfast for 2.50 or so a piece and have an entire meal.