Login | Register | Subscribe to the GG RSS Feed

Gatlinburg Tennessee

1
2
3
4
5
Julia Rosien | 10/15/2007 - 09:00 | Add new comment

Gatlinburg - Gateway to the Smokies

Over the mountains and through the woods. No, youGatlinburg - Gateway to the SmokiesGatlinburg - Gateway to the Smokies haven't found grandma's house. You've found Gatlinburg - lucky you. It doesn't matter how you slice it, Gatlinburg is a novelty, a show and a testament to the fact a little bit of country is good medicine for the soul.

Although Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country, Gatlinburg's laid-back nature is even more popular.

In 1950 Gatlinburg was a sleepy hamlet with only one Gatlinburg - Gateway to the SmokiesGatlinburg - Gateway to the Smokiesretail business. But all that's changed. Today you can find more than 11,000 accommodation rentals and 450 gift stores. What's more, it's second only to Las Vegas in the wedding chapel business.

What it's not:

  • A peaceful respite: It's often crowded to the point of overflowing.
  • A cold shoulder: Saying hello to people you pass on the street is expected - and refreshing.
  • Trendy: Gatlinburg is firmly entrenched in its mountain history and it's not surprising to find ten gallon hats and lingerie sold side by side.

    • Given the geographic size of Gatlinburg (2 miles long by 5 miles wide) and what's available there, it's not hard to imagine the headache of traffic woes.

    If you like multitudes of tourists, visit during peak Gatlinburg - Gateway to the SmokiesGatlinburg - Gateway to the Smokiesvacation times - on weekends and during special events. Otherwise, stick to January to March, late August and early November when room rates dip and traffic eases up.

    Got a story to share about Gatlinburg? I'd love to hear it.

    This story about Gatlinburg was featured on the "Europe a La Carte Blog Carnival." 

    Talk Back, Girlfriend and rate this post!

    Related Stories

    Gatlinburg Accommodations
    Visiting Gatlinburg
    Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    "No Cussing Club" Takes Over South Pasadena
    Detroit - Newest "Emergency Passport City"
    New Orleans Tours

    Rate This Post

    No votes yet

    Bookmark This Post

    • Delicious
    • Digg
    • StumbleUpon
    • Reddit
    • Magnoliacom
    • Newsvine
    • Furl
    • Facebook
    • Google
    • Yahoo
    • Technorati

    Comments

    Post new comment

    The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Image CAPTCHA
    Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
    Register

    Membership is free and with it you can set up a profile, vote on stories and post your opinions.

    Already a member?
    Login
    Not a member? Join!
    Register

    Most Recent Comments

    • On American Tourist Kidnappings on the Rise in Mexico, Sandi said "I have been to Mexico 3 times now. When in public areas I would always look over my shoulder and pay close attention to my surroundings. I thought I was being paranoid. Turns out I was doing the right thing. My thoughts go out to those who are abducted while just trying to have fun."

    • On Amazon Kindle versus Sony Reader, Julia Rosien said "Yup - totally agree on THAT point! But I suppose everyone wants a piece of the technology pie and making it universal means someone can get in on your share. We all just need to get along, right?"

    • On Amazon Kindle versus Sony Reader, Julia Rosien said "Hi Anil, I think you may be right - waiting just a bit longer could mean the technology advances that much further. Good luck with the sore back!"

    • On Getting started with Geocaching, Julia Rosien said "Thanks for the invite to your Facebook Group - we're now members!"

    • On Getting started with Geocaching, Julia Rosien said "Hey Koenko, Geocaching is a great way to travel - and meet people. We did it on our last cruise (during a shore excursion on Curaco) and everyone with us got involved. If you have 8,000 caches - we bow down to you! Thanks for sharing!"