A few months ago (yes…I need to catch up on my adventure posts) I had the opportunity of traveling to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  I have been to that part of the south before, but never Gatlinburg in particular.  I’d always heard great things about the area so I was excited to be there for a few days and explore what the area had to offer.

Let me start by saying that this area has a multitude of things to do and see, there is something for every age group, and it’s a very military-friendly area, with many shops offering military discounts.

One of the first things I did was go up the Space Needle.  With an observation deck of 407 feet, you can easily enjoy a 360-degree view of the Smokey Mountains.  Tickets are about $12.00 a person and are good for multiple uses.  We went up once during the day and again at night…the best of both worlds.

Nearby is Skylift Park, which opens at 9:00am.  A $20.00 adult ticket includes the Skylift (which gets you all the way up the near-verticle mountain), the SkyBridge (the largest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America at a height of 140′ and a length of 680’…and has a glass portion in the center), and the SkyDeck (the beautiful outdoor seating area at the top of the mountain, which includes a cafe, bar, gift shop and fountain).

Between the great food, the distilleries that offer adult tastings, and cool gift shops, there was plenty of things to enjoy just walking around this charming town.  However, if the weather permitted, we took advantage of having the motorcycle with us for beautiful drives through the Smokey Mountain National Park.  We saw Laural Falls, Clingman’s Dome (the highest point in the Smokies) and the Cady Cove trail.

I have heard that Gatlinburg can easily become congested during the big holidays, so we went in early June and the population felt very comfortable.  Just remember that this area of the country has so much to offer, so a good idea is to give yourself two-to-three days of exploring Gatlinburg and make sure you get out there in nature for part of your visit.  Just outside of this city are some breathtaking views and amazing wildlife.  You can easily see bears, deer, elk, etc., just don’t get out and interact with anything!