Smoky Mountain whirlwind trip

Pigeon Forge is a great place to vacation with plenty for every one to do. Shopping of all sorts with almost any store you could want. Lots of entertaining things for children and adults alike. Live Shows, go karts, bungee jumping, it's all there. Of course, there is Dollywood where every one will have a great time, from the small ones to those who just want to watch the shows to the thrill seekers. You can also catch a baseball game with the Tennessee Smokies. As almost goes without saying, there is always the amazing beauty of the smoky mountains surrounding you.

Quick Tips:

Look for coupon books and discount books at tourist info spots. We found a 10 percent discount AFTER we ate at a restaraunt.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving is the easiest way to get around, particularly if you want to go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is possible, and even convenient to use the trolley systems in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Local routes are .25, .50 to go to the Gatlinburg Park & Ride, where you can get on the Gatlinburg trolley system.

Best Things Nearby:
Located at the south end of Sevierville, Fairfield Smoky Mountains is very close to the Tanger Five Oaks outlet mall and the NASCAR Speedpark. The express route to Dollywood is located just at the parking lot entrance, ask at the Concierge desk. Just a short drive down the parkway is Pigeon Forge and all of the shopping and tourist attractions you could wish for.

Best Things About the Resort:
Spacious rooms, friendly staff, great location.

Resort Experience:
Fairfield Smoky Mountains

Our unit was a one-bedroom deluxe in building 13 at the back of the property. The room has plenty of space for four adults and two children (kids sleeping on the floor). The kitchen is fully equipped, and with some very nice equipment, not just the cheapest things available as in some other places. There is table and bar area to comfortably seat nine people, which is definitely sufficient in a one-bedroom unit! There is a 90-gallon water heater, enough to fill the Jacuzzi tub and then take a shower. The room was immaculately clean upon arrival. Everything about this condo shows a lot of thought, attention to detail, and dedication to a comfortable stay.

The amenities are excellent. There is an outside pool, hot tub, kiddie pool, and indoor pool. There is a fitness center, and ping-pong table inside. The playground has a great playset with lots of different things to entertain the little ones. An internet-connected computer is available to check your e-mail with. There is a concierge desk and an activities desk. There are many activities available throughout the week. Every member of the staff that I encountered was very friendly and eager to make us happy.

The location is very convenient, you don't have to go through all of the Pigeon Forge traffic to get there. The express road to Dollywood is just out of the parking lot, you can avoid all of the heavy traffic and stop lights. Just drive about a mile to the parkway and all of the attractions of Pigeon Forge are a short drive away.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The Apple Barn is one of my family's favorite places to eat. The food is fantastic and very reasonably priced, the decor makes you feel as if you are eating in a farm house (which you are), and we have always found the service to be first rate.

During busy times, seating is done a room at a time. All tables in the same room are seated at the same time, making it easier for the server to provide their great service. The meals start off with apple julep, apple fritters, and apple butter, all of which are not to be beaten. This is followed by salad, then soup, main course, then dessert. The main choice courses include many good old country cooking standards, such as chicken pot pie, country fried steak, trout, catfish, and several others. Desserts tend to lean towards the apple theme and on this visit I had apple cobbler that melted in the mouth. All of this is for one price, the highest on the menu was $13.95.

While waiting to be seated (I have never waited for more than 45 minutes and was seated immediately on this visit) or while digesting your meal, you can sit out in one of the gazebos and enjoy the scenery of the surrounding orchard, or watch the tranquil stream flowing on the other side of the street, often with ducks nearby. Or you may shop in the Apple Barn itself for many apple themed crafts, gifts, and souvenirs, or pick up a jug of fresh apple cider.

Eating at Mel's is like stepping back 50 years. From the old posters and ads covering the walls, to the authentic looking jukebox that really plays CDs, to the checkerboard tiles on the floor, to the vinyl covered seats in the booths.

The food is good and served in plentiful amounts. We were there for lunch and chose from the available sandwiches. Our picks were fried bologna, patty melt, rueben, and hot dog. All were served with a choice of chips, fries, or pasta salad. We all chose fries, which are very fresh, fried to perfection, and served in huge quantity. Not the most unique menu around, but exactly what one would expect in a diner like this. Good diner food served in generous amounts by next-door-neighbor friendly waitresses.

There is an activity for everyone to enjoy at The Track. There are 4 kart tracks, kiddie rides, bumper cars, bumper boats, bungee jumping, miniature golf, and play for tickets to cash in on prizes arcade games. Located at the corner by stop light 3 in Pigeon Forge, The Track is easy to find.

The kart tracks include a regular concrete track that can be done in double cars to bring along a child too small to drive by themselves, or in single for the racers among us.

The Wild Woody is like a roller coaster you drive yourself. First you spiral up three 360 degree turns, across a bridge to the downward spiral, then down a stomach in the throat wavy hill, around a hairpin turn, then do it all over again. It also can be driven in double or single karts.

The Rookie Karts and the Kiddie Karts are for those old enough to be able to grasp the concepts of accelerator, brake, and steering wheel, yet too small to drive the larger tracks.

The Kiddie rides include a merry go round, a choo choo train, airplanes that give the kids up and down control, and a couple more.

The Bumper Boats can be ridden by yourself, or you can bring a child with you. They are easy to handle, and get you moving surprisingly fast across the water. There is a water sprayer with a pretty fair range, so everybody is pretty wet when they get off of this ride.

There is a wide variety of arcade games that pay off tickets, which can be redeemed for all manner of cheap prizes. All of the rides take tickets, from one ticket for the kiddie rides to six tickets for a bungee jump. Pricing for a single ticket is $2.50 with discounts for quantities of tickets. Look for their brochure at tourist info spots, they have coupons for buy three get one free, or buy two get one free, I saw both.