It should have only been a twenty minute drive. My husband, five year old son, and I finished our evening at Dollywood and headed out toward Gatlinburg, ready to crash at the hotel. It hadn't occurred to us that there was a car event going on in Pigeon Forge, so traffic wouldn't move.
An hour ticked slowly by as we crept along before finally reaching our destination, the River Terrace Resort. It was hard to enjoy the bright lights and amped energy of the city after being blinded with frustration. That frustration, however, melted away after pulling up to our hotel and noticing a crowd slowly starting to form, their heads tilted up at a tree. We, too, looked to see what the commotion was about. Rustling around the branches of that tree was a black bear!
Our hotel was right in the middle of downtown. We stepped out onto our balcony to take in our surroundings. Before us was a sea of neons filled with the booming music from Jason Aldean's bar. Although exciting, the bustling sounds of city nightlife made it hard to fall asleep.
The next morning, I woke up early and stepped out on our balcony into the cool morning mountain air. All around me, the Smokies were bathed in the soft pastels of the sunrise. It was a very different view from the night before. Anakeesta was no longer a strip of lights but a gondola lift lying in wait for the day's coming tourists.
First thing on our agenda for the day: coffee. We passed by several stores just opening their doors as we walked along the main strip. A line was forming in front of a pancake restaurant and on either side of the road were little named alcoves and alleyways full of more stores and restaurants. By the end of the strip, I noticed a group of people holding coffee cups and almost ran them down to ask where they had found it! They said that in one of those little alcoves we had seen was a coffee spot called, 'Syndicate'. To our surprise, Syndicate was also a speakeasy! Coffee shop during the day with drinks named for famous gangsters and bar with a secret entrance through a freezer door at night!
For lunch, we stopped into Smith & Son Corner Kitchen before finding our way to the free trolley stop in front of the Ripley's Aquarium. By this time, it was obvious Malcolm (our five year old) wasn't feeling well, but he wanted to venture on. We had told him about the passport book for the national parks, and he was excited to pick one up. The free trolley took us the the national park visitor center where Chris (my husband) was able to find a map of the trails and get guidance on hikeability from the representative. Mal happily stamped his new passport ($15) with the two different stamps and we even bought a sticker ($4) for him to place in his book. It was a big hit!
If you are planning to visit Gatlinburg, TN anytime in the near future, remember these tips:
- It can be a party town at night.
- They have a free trolley to get around.
- You might see a black bear!
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