IgoUgo

Gatlinburg Journals

Gatlinburg: Why?

A June 2000 trip to Gatlinburg by parramore

Mysterious Mansion Photo - Mysterious Mansion of Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tennessee More Photos
Quote: For some, Gatlinburg is nothing a massive avalanche wouldn't cure; for others, a swell place to get married.
  • Cheer!
  • Flag
  • Print

Gatlinburg: Why? Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Release Me Photo - Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Quote:
The town of Gatlinburg, Tennesssee may be the standard-bearer for all pull-no-punches tourist traps. From souvenirs manufactured in Taiwan to bumper-to-bumper traffic, you'll find all that is slap-dash, air-brushed, and guaranteed to produce nail-biting anxiety for the neon-intolerant. Yet it also produces wonder. How did the serene Blue Ridge mountains give birth to this noisy, unapologetic eco-tourist's nightmare? The chair lifts, the Ripley's Believe it Or Not, the wedding services available in your 'Swiss' chalet...it's all quintessentially American, and in spite of myself, I was fascinated. The depressed economy of many mountain towns until mass-tourism was discovered offers some explanation. But...Read More
Mysterious Mansion Photo - Mysterious Mansion of Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Quote:
These mountains are full of ghost stories, as I remembered from my childhood days at summer camp in the Pisgah Forest. So I figured why not. And yet the Mysterious Mansion couldn't even draw upon rich local legends for a theme. No, it wants to be Everyhauntedhouse--tacking together everything from Egyptian mummies to aliens to vampires in an odious monument to poor design and bad taste. Kids may find some enjoyment, but for adults, the ear-splitting sirens leave you a headache to enjoy for the rest of the day, and at six bucks, this place is a rip-off.

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on July 11, 2000

Mysterious Mansion of Gatlinburg
424 River Rd
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
(865) 436-7007

About the Writer

parramore

parramore
new york, New York

Popular Gatlinburg Hotels

Best Western Zoders Inn
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Hampton Inn Gatlinburg
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Gatlinburg North
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Park Vista Hotel and Convention Center
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Clarion Inn And Suites
User Rating: 4 out of 5

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
User Rating: 5 out of 5
Laurel Falls Trail
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Village Shopping District
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Sweet Fanny Adams
User Rating: 4 out of 5
Clingmans Dome
User Rating: 4 out of 5