During our six states in eight weeks summer RV trip, we made our way from Myrtle Beach, SC to Pigeon Forge, TN. We were all excited to spend some time in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Having just come from Myrtle Beach, we found Pigeon Forge to be just as touristy. They even have many of the same restaurants (Paula Deen’s, Margaritaville, Dick’s Last Resort) and attractions (Ripley’s Aquarium, WonderWork), etc.
Gatlinburg, although touristy, seems to have less “big” tourist attractions. If I had it to do over, I would stay in Gatlinburg instead of Pigeon Forge.
But we used our Passports America membership to stay at the Eagle’s Nest Campground in Pigeon Forge. The campground was clean and had nice level spots. We were hardly there, so for $15/night, it was perfect. And a Pigeon Forge Trolley stops right at the entrance to the park.
Regardless of where you stay in Pigeon Forge, you should definitely consider utilizing the trolley. It is very inexpensive and will take you all over the Pigeon Forge, to Dollywood and to Gatlinburg (which has it’s own very inexpensive trolley).
The routes took us about a day to figure out, but if you ask any driver, they will kindly tell you where to walk to catch the “right” trolley for your destination. Each route is only allowed to drop off and pick up and their scheduled stops, and there is little overlap. So, you may have to walk a block to catch the most efficient trolley.
You can also buy your wristbands one day in advance. So, definitely stop at the main trolley office near the Old Mill on your way home. Most routes are $1/trip or $3 to ride all day. If you have to pay $1 to ride to the office to buy your $3 all-day pass, you’ve wasted a dollar each rider! But it was so nice not to have to find/pay for parking. While you’re at the trolley office, be sure to pick up one of the big Pigeon Forge magazines…it was full of coupons.
Pigeon Forge
Our #1 can’t miss attraction in Pigeon Forge is the Titanic Museum.
Check Groupon for deals. We scored a family pass and saved quite a bit! They don’t allow you to take photographs inside the museum, so I don’t have a lot to show. HOWEVER, it is an amazing experience.
They give you a boarding pass from someone who was a Titanic passenger for your approximate age and gender. You travel through the museum, learning about its specs, passengers and the fateful night of travel. There is a replica of the grand staircase; 28-degree water surrounding the bridge you can dip your hands in; and a replica deck at various degrees so you can see how difficult, and ultimately impossible, it would be to hang on as the ship was sinking. At the end, you learn if your passenger survived or not.
I’ll just say, the girls and I cried a few times. Keeping with our family history…it’s to be expected. The girls had very big emotions when it comes to learning about the Titanic. One of our biggest parenting fails has been showing a six and eight-year-old the movie, “The Titanic” (although it was listed in a book recommend by a 3rd-grade teacher, and we fast-forwarded through the car scene).
My favorite part was to meet “Capt. Smith” on the bridge. The Capt. was portrayed by Lowell Lytle, who actually dove to the Titanic in 2000 at the age of 66. His own story is amazing, but as Capt. Smith, he told us the story of Rev. John Harper. Rev. Harper gave his life jacket to a young man as the ship was about to sink. Rev. Harper knew that he was saved, but the young man was not sure that he was. It was a beautiful testimony, and a beautiful way to invite anyone was not sure themselves to stop and talk with him.
The Titanic Museum was so well done, and it exceeded all of our expectations.
Our #2 attraction is The Island.
It is our second choice because there is something for everyone. From amusement park rides, amazing restaurants, shopping, and Ole Smokey Moonshine and Yee-Haw Brewing. We ate at Timbers Grille and Dick’s Last Resort. The food at Timbers Grille was amazing!
I had great reservations about going to Dick’s Last Resort, but they gave us free kids meal coupons at one of the stores. The waitress was awesome about explaining the concept to the girls, and that as soon as we left the restaurant, they weren’t allowed to treat people the way we could there. Claire HATED the whole experience and hardly talked at all. The waitress left her alone. Avery gave as good as she got!
At Ole Smokey Moonshine, don’t miss the Moonshine Pickles.
Our #3 attraction was Christmas Place.
This place is huge! And at one point in my life, I would have not gone home empty-handed. I used to have four Christmas trees in our old house. Along the way, I realized that is too much work and too much stuff. So, I really enjoyed looking at all of the pretty-pretties. We did indulge ourselves with plenty of fudge and turtles from Mrs. Claus’s Candy Kitchen.
# 4 is the Old Mill Historic area.
The food at the Old Mill was delicious and includes dessert! There are also several shops nearby to peruse if there is a wait at the restaurant or for a trolley. Be sure to get some buckwheat pancake mix at the Old Mill shop…it’s delicious! You can watch a blacksmith who appeared on Forged in Fire, Season 4.
Gatlinburg
The #1 attraction in Gatlinburg is The Smoky Mountains (duh!)
There are several Visitors Centers in the Smoky Mountains. You can stop in any of them, and the Rangers will help you identify suitable trails for your abilities, experience, etc. We heard Cades Cove was the best area to see bears and elk, but we also heard it was very touristy and about an hour from where we were. So, we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, but what we saw was beautiful.
#2 is Anakeesta
Our campground provided discount tickets to Anakeesta in our welcome kit, so I’m sure if you check around, you can find coupons. You ride up the mountain in either a chairlift or a gondola. The ratio of gondolas to chairlifts is very low, so if that is your preference, be prepared to wait.
Once on top, there is a restaurant. The food is so-so, but the view of the Great Smoky Mountains is amazing! There is a series of sky bridges, a play area, and a beautiful garden. Signs point out the devastation caused to the mountain and the town by the forest fire in 2016. You can still see the path it took. But, another sign points out the hope both the forest and town have for the future. You can go up and down the mountain as many times as you like, and spend all day on top of the mountain.
They also have a mountain coaster and a zip line for an additional cost. The girls and I rode the mountain coaster. The experience captured the girls’ personalities perfectly: Claire, enjoying the experience with caution, braking the cart almost to a complete stop through the most severe hill; Avery, going full-throttle and enjoying the experience with full abandon!
Gatlinburg Shops
We walked the parkway and ducked into stores that caught our eye in the Village Shoppes and Mountain Mall. This didn’t take us too long because we weren’t interested in picking up any souvenirs.
We had a snack and a beer at the Gatlinburg Brewery and made sure to check out the free museum at Cooter’s Place. The girls loved watching the first season of Dukes of Hazard when it was available on Amazon Prime last year. They are quite the aficionados of what they refer to as “old people tv.” Cozi and meTV are two staples you can count on when you are at a campground.
Greater Smoky Mountains
We spent half a day rafting down the Pigeon River. We chose to go with Rafting In The Smokies. The had a nice coupon in the Pigeon Forge magazine we picked up in the trolley office. It was an awesome experience and we were very pleased with our choice!
It was the first time the girls went rafting, and the first time Justin and I had been rafting with a guide. Our guide was very experienced and alleviated any apprehension the girls had. The weather turned from beautiful to a storm in a matter of 30 seconds. Fortunately, the storm lasted 30 seconds, and we finished the ride in the sunshine.
For next time:
There were so many things we didn’t get to do in the Great Smoky Mountains area that came highly recommended. First, is Dollywood. More than a handful of people told me they like it better than DisneyWorld! We spent several days at Busch Gardens earlier this summer, so another amusement park wasn’t in our cards.
We also skipped WonderWorks, but only because we had just gone to the Myrtle Beach location. You can read more about WonderWorks in our Myrtle Beach post. But if you have kids and haven’t been to WonderWorks, I highly recommend you go! Ripley’s Aquarium looked amazing, and we didn’t get to visit at either Myrtle Beach or Gatlinburg. And Justin was disappointed that we didn’t get to visit the Busch Beans Visitors Center.
What else did we miss that we need to add to our next visit? Also, be sure to read about our trip to Nashville.
