PIGEON FORGE TN

Cades Cove is a nice break from town but traffic is bumper to bumper on weekends. And if smoeone spots a bear, all bets are off expect to sit there while the idiots try to get closer for pictures. You might just get to see a bear chase them back to the car. Lol. On the way out, at The Wye, turn left and go into Townsend, its much quieter than Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Easy return to Pigeon Forge via Wears Valley Road.
I've been local for 50+ years so feel free to pm any questions. I wish you luck and patience on your visit.
 
I can't remember how far from Pigeon Forge it is, but the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is worth the short drive. They built a whole town to develop the atomic bomb. People living and working there had no idea. They show the whole process and even have an actual house that workers lived in. Check out the museum link at bottom of post. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ37UWiALi8[/ame]

American Museum of Science & Energy
 
jframe said:
I was at the Corvette Expo there two weeks ago. We had a great time; especially enjoyed the three moonshine shops in Gatlinburg. You've got to love a town that encourages free moonshine tastings. :)
Click to expand...

Moonshine in name only.

The flavored stuff they sell is passable, mixed with sprite or sevenup. The "white-lighting" is great for cleaning paint brushes.



If you go.
Eat at Mill in P.F., Pancake pantry in Gatlinburg.
Cades Cove, just make sure it's open to motor vehicle traffic that day. Ghost Town at Elkmont. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, go slow, pull over often, stay in low gear to save your breaks, enjoy the ride. The Cherokee Reservation over the Mt. in N.C. is depressing. It used to be a neat little town, now it's Gatlinburg, but dirtier, and nastier. Spend lots of time in the park. Rain Gear if you are up around Newfound Gap, or Clingmans dome.

Knife Works, Lodge Cast Iron Outlet, and Buds are all together I think, haven't been there sense Buds opened.

Elk over the Mountain in N.C. at dusk, around the Visitor Center
(DO NOT DRIVE INTO N.C. TO CATACHOLLEE OR WHATEVER IT IS TO SEE THE ELK!!! ROADS ARE BEYOND TERRIBLE)
 
loknload

Kodiak, Serverville, and Pigeon Forge all run together.

There are outlet malls, a Bass Proshop, a huge knife store (I've seen Randall's there, and Chuck Buck sold me my 110 there)
Then you have the tourist traps, water parks, putt putt golf, tshirt shops, junk stores, arcades, restaurants (alot more than fast food) dinner shows, shows, tourist traps ect.

Go through Pigeon Forge and you'll enter a small section of the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park. Through there and you hit Gatlinburg, Home of the Aquarium, it's nice, but there is a better one about 2.5 hours away in Chattanooga. Also in Gatlinburg Tshirt Shops, imitation moonshine. Through Gatlinburg and you hit one of the most visited National Parks in the Nation. Free to visit lots of things to do (see my above rambling)


In short. Yes there is lots to do in Pigeon Forge.


Also just a short trip from P.F. is the most scared spot in Tennessee. Rocky Top
 
No kids anymore so the putt putt and go karts are a distant memory. Go for the beauty and solitude in the fall. It is therapeutic for me to have some slow down time. Me and the wifey have gone off the main line. No ore motels, hotel's, etc. it is all cabins and bed & breakfast. Meet a lot of nice folks at B&B and makes the stay more enjoyable when you have time at the B&B to meet and know people. Love the cabins for just me and her or for family. We've gone the same direction for dining. Love the small out of the way places that are a little different. No more franchises or large places. Last October stayed in the Wears Valley area outside PF and found a little place called Elvira's which is on the Wears Valley Rd. about 5 miles from PF. Small, great food and the folks are fantastic. Make you feel like family. Even one of the local pastors comes by and mingles and helps out and wow what a great time. Dining is more than food, although there's is great. Did I mention the restaurant is named after the owner, a young lady from Russia or as she was quick to correct me, from Southern Siberia. A most engaging young lady Impossible not to like her she is so warm and friendly. You'll love it. Have to practice my Russian now cause I'm going back. Best diplomat Russia has. Did I mention she is a Looker !!!
 
Digging this one out again, we'll be headed here in May! ;)
Thanks for all the suggestions we will be looking at them! :cool:
Staying at a Hotel/ Motel right across the street from the Titanic! ;)
 
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Great news!! You'll all have a very enjoyable time and just may want to go back for a second time like we have done.

Just like Georgia, there's something there for everyone.

Let me know if you need the information on all of the gun and knife shops.
 
Now that's....

Edknn123 said:
I can't remember how far from Pigeon Forge it is, but the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge is worth the short drive. They built a whole town to develop the atomic bomb. People living and working there had no idea. They show the whole process and even have an actual house that workers lived in.
Click to expand...

Now that's what I like. Been a long time since I was there but it was one of my 'pilgrimages'. I read a book by one of the women that worked there and she described the whole operation in vivid detail, EXCEPT for the technical part, about which she knew absolutely zilch, until they announced to them after the war what it was they were working on.

Amusing instructions:

Transfer product from tank 'B' and put it in tank 'C' and pull lever L-1 to mix for 30 minutes then move the product to the next step."

And that was it. People that were curious or talked to much were 'disappeared' from the camp. One day you might notice that a certain person wasn't there anymore.

At first they had no roads and the camp was wall to wall ankle deep mud. Don't bring your Sunday shoes.:confused:

Fascinating.

Oh, BTW Oak Ridge is almost to Knoxville, but south of it below Wartburg.:)
 
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Wife and I have been a bunch of times. There is a ton to do. Something for everyone. Weekends are bad, very bad. Weekdays are ok. Weekend days are better for driving in the Smoky Mountains and enjoying the scenery. Have fun.

Instead of staying on the main drag... there's a ton of cabin rentals in the area. If you are going to Dollywood, Country Pines Estates is just down the road about a mile.
 
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It's our home away from home!

YES the Titanic Museum is Great! Very interactive! Great for Kids of all ages! I'm 60 and I liked it! My 13 year old grandson LOVED it! Also the WonderWorks (upside down house) is also cool, with allot of interesting interactive stuff!

Allot of stuff to do from Sevierville all the way to Gatlinburg. I Love the flea Markets! The Muscle Car Muesum is a MUST see! And like stated, if you like knifes, you to go to the Giant Cutlery Store.

Grandson loves the Zip Line in Gatlinburg. You actually Zip Line off the Ober Gatlinburg mountain. And he Loves the NASCAR Go Cart track between Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. And he saves his money (birthday and Christmas) every year to do the mining thing at Three Bears Outlet! He gets the $100 bucket. And he has done the indoor sky diving thing.

And Wifey LOVES the shopping!

I miss the old Smith & Wesson outlet shop! Don't know if anyone remembers it? But when they were closing it down, I bought a small u-haul trailer full of stuff! Including display's and everything in between! I still have a ton of the stuff. I bought every blue S&W pistol display stand they had, signs and pen sets, knife sets, stationary sets, cardboard cutouts, clocks ETC. I was at the right place at the right time. And got huge discounts and still bartered the prices down even further. They were closing it down and I happened to go there and the door was locked. I could see a couple of people inside. So I knocked on the door. The manager explained they were shutting it down and had been closed for a few days. I still have large plastic totes I haven't looked in, in ten years?

Like already stated, some of the Best Shops are off the beaten path! I Love the Old Grist Mill area. Quaint little shops including the candy shop across the street and all around it!

And some of the best Food I've ever eaten. Love the Pancake Houes!

Don't go with a LOW budget! Don't expect to see everything in a day or two!

But YES, the Titanic Muesum is worth seeing!
 
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If you like the great outdoors, do the drive to Clingman's dome. I think the elevation is around 6600 feet above the sea. Take a jacket. Different part of the world for anything east of the big muddy. Cades cove is nice, but expect traffic.
 
If a bear shows up....

jwdalton said:
Cades Cove is a nice break from town but traffic is bumper to bumper on weekends. And if smoeone spots a bear, all bets are off expect to sit there while the idiots try to get closer for pictures. You might just get to see a bear chase them back to the car.
Click to expand...

Remember to have a bear gun in the proper caliber. This will also move the traffic along, but you may spend some time in the slammer.
 
LittleCooner said:
If you like the great outdoors, do the drive to Clingman's dome. I think the elevation is around 6600 feet above the sea. Take a jacket. Different part of the world for anything east of the big muddy. Cades cove is nice, but expect traffic.
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Yeah and you'll find out if your a real man if you climb to the top of it.

Especially if you're a flatlander like me, whew!!! :rolleyes:

You can see something like 5 states from it's summit, beautiful part of the world.
 
I learned while visiting Pigeon Forge that they have a "staggering law," in other words if you walk funny the cops can arrest you. My sister in-law was informed by a nice policeman to that fact; we took her back to the cabin we rented in Cherokee, NC and haven't been back.
 
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