We enjoyed the Gatlinburg SkyLift which gave you a beautiful view of the Great Smoky Mountains and the city during the day. At night, the town is lit up but the view isn't as awesome. Your picture is taken, so smile whether you like heights or not. Ober-Gatlinburg is a Ski Resort & Amusement Park. A overhead Tram takes you up where there are water rides, ice skating and much more. Christus Gardens is a family attractions that has life size Dioramas depicting the Life of Christ.

We played Hillbilly Golf. This miniature golf course takes you up the side of the mountain on a tram and you play the course coming downhill. At the end of your game you wind up halfway down the mountain where the tram picks you up.

It was fun to just walk around the town in the evening. The atmosphere reminds you of a beach town with the tourists walking the boardwalk after hours.

Shops, crafts, tourist traps and a beautiful aquariam are all part of the fun and attraction of Gatlinburg. Beautiful chalets and mountain cabins abound as well as Wedding Chapels with a little more atmosphere than Vegas for a mountain wedding.

The Smokies are still the draw for most people. The smoke rises from them constantly and if you've never seen them, you should. We would have liked to have a little more time here and hope to return sometime. Gatlinburg is a popular place to play or relax at the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Quick Tips:

Try as many restaurants as possible as there is a wide variety and all are delicious.

Best Way To Get Around:

A trolley is available to take you most everywhere. They have a Blue, Tan, Green, and Orange Trolleys as well as the Dollywood Trolley and the Glades Trolley. It is a good system.

Our room opened onto the pool, which was very nice. The room was older but it was wonderful. The location was a great downtown area in the midst of everything.

Other types of rooms available were basic rooms or tower rooms with two queens and a balcony. There were different sections of the motel. A bridge connected them and you walked over a shopping area.

Wood burning fireplaces were available and they supply the wood if you visit in cooler weather. Some had Jacuzzis and a children's pool was on-site, too.

There is a gift shop at the top and an area to relax and enjoy the view. When you are ready you can get in line to ride the chairlift down the mountain.

It is best to go near dusk so you can enjoy the beautiful mountains, but can also stay long enough to see the town lit up on your way down.

The course goes down the side of the mountain and when you finish your game you wait at the tram station to be picked up and taken back down the hill.

Kids and seniors are only $6 instead of the adult ticket price of $8.

We were assigned a guide and met our raft partners. We loaded onto a bus with rafts on top. When we reached the river, we unloaded as guides put the rafts into the water. The water was very cold. We practiced our strokes. We hit our first set of rapids and the guide told you to smile while the camera took our photo. It was a lot of fun and the guide told you what to do. No experience necessary. It was fast paced fun for all. At the end, we unloaded and pulled the raft out of the water. We turned our equipment in, viewed our photos, grabbed our keys, and changed while our photos were processed or you can view them online after you get home.

You will get wet on this ride. Wear tennis shoes or sandals secured at the ankles, shorts or bathing suit, and a T-shirt.