Going on vacation to Gatlinburg
In times like this, what does one recommend for vacation protection? A small concealed carry, a large frame pistol with 3 magazines, an AR-15 pistol, or all of the above?
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Gatlinburg is very scenic, but Touristy.
Small concealed carry all that is necessary. Not a violent town.
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Small for walking, large for driving
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Cades cove is a must see
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Hike up to the Castles.
Spent an unauthorized overnight up there, in a sleeping bag inside a Goretex bivy bag. Feet hanging over the edge. 3rd Castle out. (There are three.)
Memorable night.
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Wife's family backed out. I said after being Lockdown in the socialist state of Illinois since mid March, we would want out. Covid numbers in Tennessee don't look any worse than rural Illinois.
Are stores and reatruants open?
Are dust masks mandatory?
Is Tennessee really a free state?
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Prepare to be disappointed.
Pigeon Forge has Dollywood. Coming off the interstate from Knoxville , turn left for Bass Pro Shop. Just down the road back towards Pigeon Forge in Kodak, Smokey Mtn, Knife works and gun shop, Bud's Guns will be directly behind them.Chop House for a good steak$$$$$, one beside Bass pro, and another one on left headed to the forge.Eating places are open but may have limited seating, same for attractions I think.Do see Cades Cove, take 321 at Water slide towards Townsend, You can also drive to it on a road near Gatlinburg, need a few hours there to see it. Check to see if it is open first.
Take good walking shoes and deep pockets for your Gatlinburg trip.Today, who knows what firepower might or might not be needed.
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All of the above.
I'd recommend you plan your drive to avoid major cities on the way there.
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Definitely stop at Smokey Mountain Knife Works when you come off of the interstate. Fun place to browse through, and some really good deals. Every kind of knife you can imagine. I really like their Rough Rider line. Surprisingly good (really cheap) pocket knives.
The Ripley's Aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg is really well-done. You wouldn't expect it, being in the middle of TN, but we though it was one of the better aquariums we have been to.
Have fun!
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My BIL has a really nice lodge there if you need someplace to rent
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I grew up about a 25 minute drive from Gatlinburg. It was really a nice place to visit back in the 50s and 60s but today driving over the mountain from Gatlinburg it's like driving through Yellowstone, one bear shows up along the road and traffic stops until the idiots get out and take their pictures while trying to get as close to the bear as possible.
In the winter time back then you could drive through Gatlinburg and not see anyone at times. You could drive over the mountains anytime even in the snow if you had the nerve. Later in the 60s they required chains or they'd turn you back at where the Sugarland visitors center is today. Nowadays they shut 441 over the mountain down when there's just a chance there'll be ice and snow. The whole town pretty much shut down in the 50s except for one restaurant and motel owned by the Oglesby's. The Oglesby's owned all the property that Gatlinburg sat on back then and probably still control a lot of it.
Speaking of driving over the mountain. In the 50s and even up into the 60s when driving up the mountain during the summer you'd always see a few cars sitting on the side of the road with steam coming from underneath the hood. The old cars just didn't have the cooling systems they do today for the steep climb. If you got behind someone pulling a travel trailer up the mountain that was going to be a long long drive on the 2 lane road as they would grind it out in low gear. I think some of them are still up there somewhere still trying to make it to Clingmans Dome.0 -
Made many trips through Cades Cove about 30 plus years ago. Deer and wildlife aplenty, even have pictures of deer jumping over a friend while he was laying under the fence taking their pictures to. Bigggg bucks to. Occasional bears then, one even charged down the edge of the road beside a crowd of gawkers. They didn't see the small deer that he was after, DRT.
Met the last surviving landowner, he still lived on the property just as you pass the visitors center as you round the farthest curve headed back. He was a bit bitter as to how the park service had robbed the people of the cove. Everyone needs to read the history of that community.Something interesting. We most always went after say 5 pm. You could look over the big meadows and not see a deer anywhere, look away for a few minutes and then there were deer every where. Must have been hiding in the draws.They used to close the entrance gate at about 6 pm or so but there was a connecting road about 2/3's way back up. We would hit it and keep going around as long as we liked. Have no clue how it is now but most that I have talked to say wildlife is scarce and the big fields are grown up.Check out Teaster Lane, sort of a sneak around Pigeon Forge to avoid a lot of traffic. There are other ways to beat the traffic but need a good sense of direction to use them.
Need to also check out who benefits the most from the money you spend in Gatlinburg.
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"Going on vacation to Gatlinburg"
Going in mid July?0 -
OK :
Stop by & visit ??? Im not to far from there ???
Thanks !!!0 -
I am about a hour and a half drive from there. The only thing I would recommend is take plenty of money as that place is geared to take it and get very little in return. Crime is not bad there though. 0 -
gotta agree with jltrent, last time we were there, just few years ago, it was nothing but a big tourist trap, gatlinsburg and pigeon forge, nothing like it was 20+ years ago....... 0 -
Back in the 60s there was a woman with a big house that boarded some teenage school girls that would come to Gatlinburg to work in the shops and restaurants during the summers. Me and a couple of my friends on motorcycles would sneak up to the house at night usually on a week night after the girls got off from work and met them as they would sneak out of the house. We would take off on our motorcycles and not be back until nearly dawn. We did that for 2 summers and never got caught.
One of the places we would go was up on Mount Harrison toward the ski resort above Gatlinburg where there was a ski chalet village that had a nice swimming pool that closed down every evening at sundown. The pool was out of sight of the chalets and had no lights on at night. We would go there late at night to swim. Those were the days!0
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