No cable, no WiFi, no telephone...and lot's of nature. While I have been to this area numerous times in the past, I have never spent an entire week there. I have heard about Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and how they are pretty much a version of Myrtle Beach, but in the mountains. I have to agree that Pigeon Forge is pretty much an eyesore, but Gatlinburg had it's plus's. Not a place I would go to often, but a very convenient gateway to the Smokey Mountains National Park.
While I would have been content to camp in the national park the entire time, my two year old and one year old would have definitely lost interest quickly. So, Crystal and I introduced them slowly to the beauty and grandeur of the mountains. Our favorite was touring through Cade's Cove. It is located in the western part of the national park. Driving through on the first day, there is an 11 mile auto tour route that we took. I was not expecting much more than scenic views of the mountains, but in the first 4 miles we probably saw 15 deer meandering through the fields and maybe 6 or 7 wild turkeys. Wildlife is abundant here and very easy to observe with small children. There are historic houses and churches along the route as well, but this day we didn't stop at any due to the lateness in the day.
We returned to Cade's Cove again later in the trip. This time we were greeted by two black bears settling down under two separate trees for a little late afternoon siesta. The girls LOVED it! And I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to being able to hike a little with them as they get older. Crystal and I love to hike in the mountains and hope to pass this on to our girls. The homes of the settlers in this area proved to be pretty cool and the grave yards included folks all the way back to the revolutionary war time.
On a separate day, we did do a short hike on a paved trail (which I am usually not a fan of, but I will spare you my soapbox talk on that subject). We took a 1/2 mile stroll to the lookout deck atop Clingman's Dome. My oldest daughter got her wish to climb a big mountain and she was so excited to see the beauty awaiting her at the top of the climb. It is the 2nd or 3rd tallest peak east of the Mississippi and you can see 7 states on a clear day - NC, TN, KY, GA, SC, VA, AL.
Some other highlights included: Ober Gatlinburg (not my particular cup of tea, but a great place for kids to be entertained for an afternoon), Ripley's Aquarium (great way for kids to be introduced to some sea life and sharks up close), Carver's Apple Orchard and restaurant (the best chicken and dumplings you ever tasted and yummy apple cider, apple fritters, and apple butter), visiting family for a day in eastern Tennessee, and our traditional caricature of the family.
