There is nothing like the majesty of the Smoky Mountains to cure what ails you. I swear it, and I stand by it. Any time life is running me ragged, all I need is a couple of nights in Gatlinburg to reset and get back on my feet. Now, I realize I’m rather easy to please, but I’m an anxious traveler. I can’t get too far away from the house, ’cause what if SOMETHING HAPPENS?!!?!?! Anyway, we’re not here to dig into my psyche – no, this isn’t a therapy session. I bring my love for Gatlinburg up to say that it’s something worth sharing. It’s a beautiful place, and there’s nothing like seeing the look on someone’s face when they’re seeing the grandeur of the mountains for the first time. My wife and I have both tried to explain it to people, but we’ve yet to do it justice. It’s something you have to see for yourself to understand why we try to make it up there once or twice a year.
Last year, you might remember a travel blog I wrote about taking my father-in-law there for the first time. This year, we done gone and did it again. This time, it was my wife’s close friend Jess coming to visit us for a little while. She got into town late Thursday night, and we informed her that we had a surprise for her while we were having dinner at Memo’s Mexican Kitchen on Friday evening. We’d be up and at ’em at 5AM, heading east! So, with only a couple of days to work with, my wife and I did our best to make the weekend count.
Saturday
We hit all the highlights on the way into town, at least for us! Actually leaving Mount Juliet around 5:30AM, we made the Crossville Buc-ee’s just in time for breakfast. And, by the time we actually made it to Exit 407, we were due for a bathroom break, so wouldn’t you know it? We had to stop at THAT Buc-ee’s as well. I always like to dip into Smoky Mountain Knife Works on our way into town. I’ve written about it before, but growing up, we’d always stop in on family trips. It ties me to my childhood in a way, so that’s the first stop we usually make, and it’s usually in that moment, getting out of the car, that I first feel the relaxation of a weekend getaway melting over me.
After we did a little shopping, we took Jess up to the Gatlinburg bypass, as we do for everyone we introduce Gatlinburg to. You have to get that first good lookin’ at the town and the mountains before you head in. With check-in at the hotel not slated for another four hours, we decided to head on out into the National Park and check out Cades Cove. As many times as I’ve been to Gatlinburg in my life, I’ve never been out there, so in addition to showing Jess the park, my wife and I were able to cross something off of our Smoky Mountain to-do list as well!
1. Cades Cove – website – I can’t remember the last time I was so at peace with life. It’s about an hour out of Gatlinburg, but it’s such a beautiful peaceful drive with lush greens and the sun breaking through the tree tops, that you get lost in the moment. It’s as if there’s a vacuum of time the minute you cross into the park. The scenic loop itself was chock full of beautiful views of the Smokies with plenty of places to pull over and just take in nature’s splendor. With a river flowing alongside us all the way into Cades Cove, it made for fun people watching. Folks got out there fishing, hiking, or just floating around in a tube with a cooler. We stopped to get a few photos, and I couldn’t help myself. I had to dip my toes in that river, and the cold clear water was as refreshing as it was cleansing. It took us a few hours to get through the entire loop in the park, and we didn’t even really stop to check out any of the cabins throughout the area. Just driving on through minus a couple of stops for photo ops. So, it’s probably best to make a day of it – take some chairs and a cooler out there with you and enjoy the views for a bit. I don’t think the rest of our car load was too thrilled by the fact that we burned four hours on a one-night trip on it. Nonetheless, driving the scenic loop with the window down, breathing in the fresh mountain air, feeling its cooling properties wash over me…man, that’s the good stuff. That’s what any trip to the Smokies is all about to me.
2. The Park Vista – website – It’s become our go-to hotel, and honestly, except for one impromptu overnight stay in 2019, we haven’t stayed anywhere else up there since discovering it back in 2018. It rules – great mountain views, great city views, a great pool, great restaurant, but best of all, an elite bar area. We were parched and hangry, arriving at our hotel just in time for check-in after our excursion into Cades Cove. We ventured down to Firefly’s, the hotel bar, where we got the recharge we needed – Buffalo wings, chicken quesadillas, and Hazy Little Thing on draft. You can’t beat it. The beer was cold and fresh, but I think we were all a little surprised at just how good the wings were. Feeling refreshed, it was time to hit the town.
3. The Gatlin-Burlier Tobacconist – website – I discovered this awesome little tobacco shop in the Mountain Mall on our last trip up to Gatlinburg. They offer a great selection at great prices…stuff that I can’t get regularly back home in Mount Juliet. But, the difference to me is in the service – I’ve been in twice now and everyone has been super helpful. They have a cool selection of antique pipes if you’re into that sort of thing. I wanted a cigar to smoke that night while taking in the views of the mountains, and ended up with four because I just couldn’t pass up the selection.
4. The Village Shops – website – The shopping scene in Gatlinburg seems to change with every trip we make up there, but one thing remains the same: The Village is my favorite spot to dip into off the main parkway to enjoy a little less crowded of a shopping experience. Housing The Donut Friar doesn’t hurt either. This time, we did some shopping at The Day Hiker, a sick little shop that is equal parts hiking supplies, clothing, and souvenirs. I came away with a book on the story of Cades Cove, fascinated by the history of such a place. Strolling around the rest of the complex, I couldn’t help but notice there’s an Irish pub there now! We didn’t have time to stop in for a pint this time, but I’m already adding it to my “One Night in Gatlinburg, Part III” itinerary.
5. Clingmans Dome – website – We try to take everyone we know to experience the sunset at Clingmans Dome at least once. It’s about an hour or so out of Gatlinburg, but I’ve named it the official unofficial best spot in Tennessee to watch the sunset. This trip? Not so much, unfortunately. We got up to the park, where we were met with dense fog. I don’t think you could see 15 feet in front of you. Maybe next time, Jess.
6. The Cherokee Grill – Facebook – I always want to try new places when we head to Gatlinburg, but at the same time, why mess with a good thing? If we only have one meal in town, I’d better make it count. The ground sirloin (read: hamburger steak) smothered with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and brown sauce never misses. It helps having the 5/5 rated Black Bear Ale from Smoky Mountain Brewery on tap too. After a nightcap, it was time for some rest.
Sunday
7. The Donut Friar – website – At this point, I’ve written about The Donut Friar in every Gatlinburg guide I’ve written. I’ve talked about it on every podcast that Gatlinburg has come up on. I’m sure you guys get it by now – I love The Donut Friar. I’ll spare you the long-winded write-up and just say that, in addition to my usual eclair, I tried a couple of new items off the menu this time. One, as a big date guy, I had to try the date bar. The texture was fantastic with the crumble accentuating the deep, rich flavor of the dates perfectly. It’s goopy though, and it went down heavily. I’d only recommend it if you have a burning passion for dates the way I do. Two, a true home run of culinary innovation, the stuffed apple cinnamon donut was a work of art. The Donut Friar never ceases to amaze me.
We also had some brews from Coffee & Company, also located in The Village, and we went back to The Day Hiker to get a few more things – shirts, patches, stickers, and ornaments for the Christmas tree. We walked the parkway for a bit, doing a little more shopping. Then, we had to take Jess out to the Smoky Mountain National Park sign to have her picture taken there. It’s a veritable rite of passage for every first-timer to the mountains. We tried to drive out in the Arts & Crafts District, but everything was closed since it was Sunday. Next time.
8. Pigeon Forge – leaving the Arts & Crafts District in Gatlinburg, our GPS took us on a beautiful drive that spit us out right at the back door of The Old Mill shops. It’s a regular stop of ours – we absolutely love the kitchen store, where we stocked up on soup mixes and beer bread mix. Then, we moseyed around the pottery store before our table was ready at The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe, maybe my favorite lunch spot in Pigeon Forge. I had the sweet potato and sausage scramble, which was a delight, but the stuffed pepper soup I started with was the show-stealer. After lunch, we walked around the adjacent shops and stumbled into a gem of a book store/curiosities emporium, A Long Story Short. Aura and Jess scoped out The Micro Garden, while I ventured over to Espresso Yourself for a pick-me-up. That toasted marshmallow cold brew with oat milk was just what I needed to keep the day from dragging. And, we dipped into the Cat House to pick up some goods to bring home to Bucky.
After that, it was destination: home. We made our third pit stop at Buc-ee’s for the weekend, and stopped by McKay’s in Knoxville on the way home (my McKay’s pro-tip: don’t go in looking for anything in particular…let the shelves speak to you). We stopped in Cookeville to visit a friend, and I couldn’t help but think what a beautiful trip it had been – we really stretched out the amount of things you can do between Mount Juliet and Gatlinburg. We left about 5:30AM on Saturday and got back around 10PM on Sunday. But, it’s a relaxing trip if you make it that way. I’m already counting down the days until the next loop.
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This travel blog is brought to you by Memo’s Mexican Kitchen in Mount Juliet, Tennessee! Memo’s offers a fresh, modern take on the Mexican restaurant just a mile north of I-40 off of the Mount Juliet exit. For my money, they cook up the best quesabirria in town! Check out the full menu on their website and let ’em know SoBros Network sent you.
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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