Hell, it’s been four years since my last Gatlinburg blog, so I guess we’re due for an update – how ’bout a look at what a quick one-night trip to the Smoky Mountains looks like for yours truly? My wife and I love playing tour guide. While it’s awesome to have family and friends in town that we can show around Nashville, we’ve always wanted to get out of the city and show our loved ones where we like to get away to ourselves whenever the hustle and bustle of the Music City gets to be too much for us. Outside of our wedding last May, we haven’t previously had visitors stay long enough to work a quick weekend trip in. That wasn’t the case last week as my father-in-law stayed with us for the full week. I could see the gears turning in my wife’s head when she realized we had Friday and Saturday open. “I know it’s crazy, but let’s go to Gatlinburg,” she said.
Maybe it is crazy to some, but when the peaceful bliss of the Smoky Mountains is only about a three-hour drive from home, any chance I get to breathe that fresh mountain air is worth it. I took the day off from the day job, and we decided to take him out to east to show him everything we love about Gatlinburg. So, with our bags packed, the car loaded, and Starbucks in hand, we made way for our destination at about 7AM, arriving at Exit 407 close to Noon local time (you switch time zones from central to eastern just before Knoxville). What follows is a list of all of the stops we made, and everything we were able to squeeze in within the approximately 24 hours we were in town.
Stop 1: Buc-ee’s – You have to, right? I know there’s one in Crossville, and that’s only about an hour or so out of town. But, the one that just opened at Exit 407 feels like Buc-ee’s mecca. All three of us had to get a sandwich for lunch (I’m a big fan of the Texas cheesesteak burrito), and we had to load up on supplies, from garlic parmesan pretzel sticks and BBQ cheese curls to butter toffee pecans and Beaver Nuggets. You don’t want to get caught on a road trip without supplies, of course! Check out my power rankings for all the food I’ve treed at Buc-ee’s so far.
Stop 2: Smoky Mountain Knife Works – website – They call it “the world’s largest knife store,” and who am I to argue with that? It’s been three years since I’ve been by, and in that time, it feels like they’ve added an entirely new store into it. Growing up, this place was a staple of my family vacations to the mountains. My father always had to stop and have a good lookin’ as he’d say. It was nice to share that family tradition with my father-in-law.
Stop 3: Gatlinburg Bypass – Once we make it through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, we always hang that right in the woods to go up on the Gatlinburg bypass. It’s loaded with scenic overlooks along the way, but there’s one (all the regular Gatlinburg visitors know which one I’m talking about too) that overlooks the city. My wife and I always make that Stop #1 when we actually get to Gatlinburg. Gotta check in and see how the town’s doing before you drive through it!
Stop 4: The Park Vista – website – After roughly three hours spent perusing Buc-ee’s and Smoky Mountain Knife Works, making the slow drive in to Gatlinburg, and stopping to take in the scenery at the bypass, it was time to check into our hotel. My wife and I stayed at The Park Vista once five years ago on one of our weekend getaways and we haven’t stayed anywhere else since. The hotel is beautiful, with comfortable beds, scenic views of the mountains wherever your room ends up being located, a great restaurant, and a good bar with a fire pit. Once we got checked in, we hit the hot tub to rest our knees and get ready for our trip down into the town.
Stop 5: The Donut Friar – Southern Living piece – If we only have time to go to one place in Gatlinburg, it’s The Donut Friar. They’re the best donuts I’ve ever had. No, we did not care that it was 4PM and we were only a couple of hours away from dinner. We had to stop at that moment because we didn’t know if we’d get another chance! Besides, who says you can’t have an eclair as an appetizer?
Stop 6: Shopping – There is plenty of shopping to do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I dare say there is too much shopping to do in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. But, with a first-time visitor in tow, we had to at least venture down to the main strip, just to see him take in all the sights and sounds downtown had to offer. We moseyed into Buckboard Too (I’m a Funko Pop collector), and a couple of t-shirt shops before stopping at the Coffee Shack for a reload and then hopping into the car to venture into the state park.
Stop 7: Sunset at Clingmans Dome – Driving through the park during golden hour is a bucket list item whether you realize it or not. Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides glimpses of nature’s splendor at every turn. I kept hearing my father-in-law utter “it’s beautiful” every half-mile or so. The breathtaking mountain views paired with the way the light bounces around the mountains and scatters across the trees make you feel like you’re taking in a fine art show. It’s some of nature’s finest work. The trek to Clingmans Dome isn’t easy. It feels like walking five miles directly uphill. But, from the observation area in the parking lot, it’s still just as beautiful. I’d argue it’s the best sunset spot in Tennessee, and if you catch a good one, it just may be the best you’ve ever seen.
Stop 8: Cherokee Grill – reviews and photos – My wife and I ate here for our anniversary several years ago, and since then, it’s become a favorite spot of ours (along with The Donut Friar and Smoky Mountain Brewery). You can’t go wrong with any of their steaks, but that fresh ground sirloin steak, smothered with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and a brown sauce can’t be beat in my book. Be sure to try the Tennessee blue cheese grits while you’re at it! After dinner, it was time to enjoy a cigar and a cocktail out in front of the Park Vista before getting a good night’s sleep. If you’re out and about in town, always keep your head on a swivel for black bears!
Stop 9: The Donut Friar – Yes….again. I told my father-in-law, “every time we come up here, we scout all these new breakfast spots we’re going to try and then we just end up back at the Donut Friar.” We also took the opportunity to wander into a few of the shops in The Village that were new since the last time we’d been there.
Had to check in on the GOAT to make sure he’s still grinding iykyk pic.twitter.com/IFmolm0ibO
— Stoney Keeley (@StoneyKeeley) September 22, 2023
Stop 10: Mountain Mall – website – It’s been years since I’ve been to the Mountain Mall, but my wife and I agreed we’d have to put it back into our regular rotation because there were so many new and interesting stores in it since our last visit. We took my father-in-law in there because there was a cool little guitar shop in there, but I found a tobacco store, a gift shop that carried some rare Funko Pops, and a cool little sports store to boot. It was definitely a nice stop on our way out of town the next morning!
Stop 11: The Old Mill – website – It’s an absolute must-visit if you’re traveling through Pigeon Forge. This time, we happened to stumble upon some sort of blacksmith competition that we sat and watched for awhile too! There’s a kitchen store, a candy store, and a pottery store that my wife and I always stop and scope out when we’re in town. We usually come home with some new jams, sauces, spices, soup mixes, bread mixes, teas, candy, bread mixes, or some random combination of them all! We had lunch at the Pottery House Cafe, where the chicken gumbo and grits had me ready to nap on the way home. After that, it was time to hit the highway and head back to Nashville.
The only two things that we left off the trip that we almost always do in Gatlinburg are a stop at The Christmas Place and a game of putt-putt. Even for a one-night trip, the majesty of the Smokies is worth the short drive from the Nashville area. There’s a reason this place has been such a hot family vacation hub for decades. If you get up there and follow our one-night guide as I’ve laid it out here, let me know what you think. Oh, and here’s a helpful pro-tip: in a couple of weeks, it’ll be peak leaf season up in the Smokies. If you think it’s beautiful now, just wait until the area is bursting with bright reds, oranges, and yellows.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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