There are two places in the world that the Diersing household frequents OFTEN. Those are Ft Myers, FL and Gatlinburg, TN. With us living in Cincinnati, Gatlinburg is a great weekend getaway since it’s just a 4 hour drive…less if the husband is driving. (I will do an entire blog on Pigeon Forge too.)
What can a travel agent book for you in Gatlinburg?
Your hotel, rental car, and even activities!
We are BIG fans of eating at local-only type venues to truly be immersed in the area, with ONE exception…we find a Denny’s for one breakfast everywhere we go. I don’t even particularly love Denny’s, but traditions are memories I love.
So what can you do in Gatlinburg?
EVERYTHING.
With Gatlinburg nestled in the mountains and surrounded by national parks, you could spend your entire trip just exploring the hundreds of trails, parks, creeks, and rivers without even setting foot on the main strip of Gatlinburg…but I always recommend at LEAST trekking up and down the hill to visit all the shops and oddities.
From Anakeesta to the Sky Bridge, you can get a quick ski lift to the top of the mountains and see spectacular views. The images above are all from Anakeesta, which does have more to do in the area than the Sky Bridge, but Sky Bridge has a literal bridge you can walk on between two mountains AND it has a glass floor in the middle!
My absolute FAVORITE spot is the Village Shoppes in the heart of town. The hustle of the strip can become quite overwhelming and this is a great step away to explore a few little shops, get a coffee at Coffee & Company, and enjoy a treat from Donut Friar. I usually try to book my hotel close to the Village Shoppes just so I can have a quick walk to get my morning goodies before the kids wake!
As for the hiking? Well…that could have it’s own movie series. I’ve yet to find a trail I didn’t like, except maybe the ones where I wasn’t wearing appropriate shoes! If you think you’re going to hike, make sure you’re wearing a great pair of gym shoes or hiking boots! In fact, here’s an Amazon list of great items (most of which I have) for hiking!
I never was one to take pictures of my food, but I guess I’ll have to work on that for 2023. This stock image will do for now!
Let’s talk FOOD!!
Dennis and I obsess over finding food joints that are only local to the area. No one makes a better breakfast than some Ma & Pop spot tucked away. Occasionally we will come across a chain that’s too good to pass and it gets added to the Google Map List, but it’s not common.
Gatlinburg will ruin your weight loss goals if you have them. Don’t let all that hiking up and down the strip fool you, the never-ending choices of yummy goodness will keep you thicc and happy.
Here’s my Google Maps List of my favorite spots to eat!
If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, have questions, or want me to write about somewhere specific, please leave a comment below!
Diersing Destinations 