A Week in the Smokies

Gatlinburg has a vast selection of excellent restaurants. Most are casual, but more formal dining can be found easily. Menus feature everything from burgers, pizza and barbeque to steak, fish and pasta. There is even a local microbrewery.

The one attraction not to miss is Ripley's Aquarium, with a fascinating array of aquatic creatures from around the world. It is arranged so that visitors actually walk beneath the tanks and can "pet" a few species.

Quick Tips:

Several different coupon books can be found in hotel lobbies, restaurants and local merchants. Money-saving coupons are available for many restaurants, shops and attractions. Many of these vendors have web sites. Where possible, I have included those addresses in my reviews.

Best Way To Get Around:

Gatlinburg is pedestrian-friendly. People on foot have the right-of-way in crosswalks, which are plentiful. If the weather permits, walking is usually the best way to go, as the downtown parkway is only a few blocks long. Street parking is available but fills fast. Some shops and restaurants have patron parking. Paid parking is available for as little as -4 per day, but most lots charge more. There is a trolley service which covers Gatlinburg and goes all the way to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Most trolley fares are only .25, with the longer routes at just under .

LeConte Lodge is a rustic bed and breakfast near the top of Mount LeConte, which measures 6,593' above sea level. The lodge is accessible only by foot on any of five trails, ranging from 5.5 to 7.8 miles long, with net climbs measuring from 1,080 to 3,820 feet.

There is no electricity, no telephone and no running water, although modern toilets are available. Spigots can be found at either end of the camp to provide water for personal cleanup, and to refill water bottles. A hot water spigot is available outside the kitchen. Light is from kerosene lamps, and heat is from recently installed propane heaters in each cabin.

Each of several cabins sleeps four people on double bunk beds with heavy wool blankets. Two and three room lodges sleep eight and thirteen people, respectively, with the entire facility able to accommodate fifty people per night. Reservations are required.

Sunset and sunrise can be viewed from lookout points near the peak. The main office provides a place for visitors to talk, relax and play games.

Coffee, hot chocolate and a hearty supper await those who make it to the lodge, as well as a hot breakfast in the morning, before the trip down.

See the web site at http://www.leconte-lodge.com/

Best Things Nearby:
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail; downtown Gatlinburg

Best Things About the Resort:
Close to local attractions but off the beaten path. Extremely well maintained and clean. Multiple outdoor pools and an indoor pool. Playground.

Resort Experience:
Tree Tops is comfortably nestled in the outskirts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, yet it is also less than two miles from downtown Gatlinburg.

Elevators and luggage carts are available to take you to your room. The rooms are attractively furnished, well kept and clean. A fully outfitted kitchen made it possible to eat in the unit, rather than having to go to a restaurant for every meal. Having both indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a playground, make it a very kid-friendly place. Pool facilities, including a hot tub, are designated "adults only" for the hour before closing each evening. Sauna, health club, raquetball and laundry facilities are available on site. Front office personnel are very helpful.

See the web site at http://www.treetopsresort.com/

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
The resort is only a mile or two from downtown Gatlinburg, but it's very close to a trolley stop. From there, you can ride to town for a quarter. The nearest local attraction is Ripley's Davey Crockett Mini-Golf, which is a very short drive and doesn't even require going into town. Following the same road, you can bypass Gatlinburg and go directly to Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.

Best Things About the Resort:
The resort is built on a mountainside and provides some really nice views. The main clubhouse has an indoor/outdoor pool, two hot tubs, a sauna, and an exercise room. There was a small playground near our unit. The grounds are clean and well-maintained. Parking is plentiful. Staff is very friendly and eager to help.

Resort Experience:
We were in the one-bedroom side of a town home. The floor plan is available at the website. We took it because it became available at the last minute, just before we were about to book a hotel. It was nice and clean, but small for more than two people. With the sofa bed extended, there was little room to walk in the living area. The unit had one phone and one television, both in the living room, so we ended up putting our child to bed in the master bedroom so that we could use the TV, then moving him to the sofa bed when we were ready to turn in. For about half the week, we had neighbors in the two-bedroom side of the building who ran up and down stairs starting very early until very late, and they were almost loud enough for us to understand their conversations through the walls.

The phone system was malfunctioning when we got there, so that the phone was constantly clicking to indicate we had messages when we didn't. We unplugged it. Some of the dishes needed to be washed before use, especially the blender jar, which had been washed without being taken apart. The screen door to the deck had to be set back on its rails.

We recommend this resort and would stay there again, but only in a unit with more than one bedroom.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Bennett's is simply good bar-b-que in a comfortable family setting. Beef, pork, chicken, ribs, pulled meat, sausage, and steak are all available. A full soup and salad bar await you, as well as a variety of appetizers and home-style desserts.

Coupons can be found all over town and on their website.

If you want really good seafood or steak, Cherokee Grill will not disappoint you. The menu includes barbeque chicken and ribs, but the steaks are the house specialty, with the seafood close behind. Excellent sides, such as blue cheese grits or baked macaroni and spinach with spicy cheese, complement the entrees very well. A children's menu is available, too.

The atmosphere is large and open, with much of the front wall being glass.

It’s in the same restaurant family as the Smoky Mountain Brewery across the street and several of the local beers are available from the bar.

See the website.

Rocky River offers a wide variety of good food and beer brewed onsite in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Steak, fish, shrimp, chicken, pork, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and salads all have a place on the menu. The main dining room surrounds the glass-walled brewery and is decorated to resemble an old hunting lodge. The restaurant also features outdoor seating, live entertainment, a sports bar, gift shop and game room.

See their website for more information.

Legends by Max is a nice Italian restaurant. It is worth a visit, but not necessarily worth a special trip. It offers a fairly typical array of Italian dishes that are very good, but not as wide a variety as you might find elsewhere.

Advertising indicates that "kids eat free", but this does not apply to the entire kids' menu. Kids can have spaghetti or macaroni and cheese for free, but all other items on their menu do have some cost.

See their website for more information.

Geno's is probably the best pizza in Gatlinburg. It is easily as good as, if not better than, the pizza available from the nationwide chains. Our order was delivered to us promptly. Aside from smelling good and tasting wonderful, this pizza actually looked nice and was evenly cut. All the toppings were very evenly spread out. Things weren't "lopsided" like they sometimes are from the large chains. We'll definitely order from Geno's again.

Coupons are available all over town and online. See their website.

The Park Grill is visually impressive inside and out, featuring massive log framing which is both rustic and refined. The walls boast works of several local artists. Live piano is heard every evening. This establishes a very comfortable and quiet atmosphere that makes it easy to relax and enjoy a delicious meal.

The menu features several different fish entrees, as well as pork, chicken and steak, all of which are creatively prepared and very enticing. A full wine list and bar, and wonderful desserts allow you to compliment your meal. The restaurant is family-friendly as well, with an excellent children's menu.

Stop by the gift shop on the way out.

See their website.

Upon entering, notice the fossilized whale and giant turtle skeletons suspended from the ceiling.

The aquarium first takes visitors through several exhibits on foot, including a tropical rain forest complete with pirahnas, then on to an array of fish with unique behaviors, such as moving rocks by mouth. After turning a corner past a tank filled with several large tropical species, visitors can see a replicated coral reef populated by hundreds, if not thousands of very colorful fish. Dive shows are held in this tank.

From there, visitors can proceed to an interactive area geared primarily for children, an exhibit area highlighting several species such as octopus and crabs, or a walking sidewalk tour beneath the shark lagoon which also contains turtles, eels, sawfish, rays and others.

At the time of this visit, a Titanic exhibit was in place, providing insights on what happened to the unfortunate ship and why.

Further exhibits include a ray tank, which also houses dive shows. An in-house fast-food counter and a more traditional restaurant immediately follow.

The final tank contains several types of rays, and has a shallow end at which they can be "petted". A diver is present for this at specified times of the day, but the rays are generally cooperative all the time. Smaller children may have a difficult time reaching them unless a diver is present to help.

Pass through the gift shop on the way out.

See the web site at http://ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com

The Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Exotic Petting Zoo is just a little off the beaten path outside of Sevierville. It feels a little more like a farm than a zoo. Upon arrival, go through the welcome center and gift shop, where you will pay for admission and get a very brief orientation. Then you'll simply head through the rear of the welcome center to the grounds, where among others, you'll be able to see both one (dromedary) and two-hump (bactrian) camels, as well as zebras, llamas, reindeer and scottish cattle ("hairy coos").

The animals are contained in spacious open pens on a gentle slope with easy to follow foot paths. Most of the animals are extremely tame. Those that aren't, like certain male deer during mating season, are in specially marked pens, and you are advised of them as you start your tour. Any animal that approaches you either through, or as in the case of camels, over a fence can be treated as tame, and is usually just looking for a handout. Some animals prefer their solitude. Kangaroos, wallabies and prairie dogs in particular are usually out in plain sight, but don't normally approach their fences.

There are animals here that would be difficult to find anywhere else in the USA, most of which will eat right out of your hand. Feed can be purchased on site for as little as $1.50 and includes a souvenir cup. The goat and deer pens are gated so that you can wander among them if you wish. Children especially enjoy the goats.

Pony and horseback rides are available as well. Pony rides are $3.75, which is refundable if your child won't get in or stay in the saddle. Thirty and sixty minute horseback rides, for which reservations are recommended, are $14.95 and $19.95 respectively.

There are picnic tables at the pony stables so that this outing can be combined with lunch.

See the web site at http://www.deerfarmzoo.com/

RainForest Adventures features frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, bugs, and mammals from all over the world. All are displayed in recreations of their native habitats. This is primarily an educational attraction, and may not be well suited to "high energy" children.

We found a coupon for this in one of the many attraction maps.

See the website here.