I mentioned a few times that our family had an end of summer trip to the Smoky Mountains. We had such a fun time and I am glad we were able to fit it in and make some wonderful memories. If you are curious about what we did while there, here is a recap of our vacation.
Day 1
Our first day started off pretty early getting on the road by 7am. It’s just under a 9 hour drive to Pigeon Forge, TN. However, due to the time change it means we get there an hour ‘later.’ We pulled in right around 5pm if I remember correctly. Our cabin was very close to the main strip of Pigeon Forge and quite easy to find. It was a really cute cabin style with an upstairs loft bedroom and bath and the master bedroom downstairs across from another bathroom.
Since we were hungry, we unloaded and set off to find something to eat. Our first night we decided to give Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. Sometimes family style is mass produced and not good. But our dinner was delicious! I loved the fried chicken and meatloaf. Afterwards we headed back for bed. It was a long day!
Day 2
For Day 2 we got up and drove up to Clingman’s Dome. The drive was absolutely stunning! There were several times we needed to stop and get some photos. The hike to the top of Clingman’s Dome is relatively short, although it’s quite steep. It’s nice that it is fully paved.
Once we got to the top, it began to rain! Thankfully we had lots of gorgeous photos from earlier. For lunch I put together lots of cut vegetables before our trip. We brought that with cheese, sliced meat, and dip.
After lunch we headed to the visitor’s center. The girls got Junior Ranger books to earn their badges. We walked around the center and took a short hike to Cataract Falls.
The rest of the day we spent having fun at the cabin in the hot tub, playing games, and trying out the arcade in the girls’ loft. We ate dinner in that night, but went out for ice cream at Mad Dog’s Creamery. So good!
Day 3
On the recommendation of Kathrine, for Day 3 we woke up early to hike to Laurel Falls. It was just over a mile each way and totally doable for our girls. It helps that there were plenty of spots to stop and rest or poke around along the way.
The hike was beautiful and Claire even spotted a tiny salamander at a spring during our hike up! After hiking down, we had lunch and then headed back to the cabin and took a nap.
That evening we had tickets for the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud. It was a family-friendly show with lots of antics, songs, and more. Although I wasn’t a big fan of the food, the show was cute and I’m glad we did it.
Day 4
Thursday, our Day 4 was probably our most fun day. We headed to Tuckaleechee Caverns. Our tour guide did a wonderful job and had so many funny wise cracks and jokes, while still keeping it fun and educational. The last time Avie was in a cave, she was a baby so she loved it.
After lunch we headed an hour away to Smoky Mountain Rafting. We had reservations for their Lower River Rafting option that was primarily Class 1 & 2 rapids and safe for Aveline. None of us have been whitewater rafting and it was SO FUN! Claire really wants to go on one with bigger rapids now. If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend doing this!
For dinner we made french bread pizza with pulled pork we brought from home and enjoyed time in the hot tub.
Day 5
Our last day we drove to Cades Cove. Cades Cove is a valley that has an 11 mile loop offering many stops along the way. There are stunning views, historic buildings to explore and the potential for lots of wildlife. While we unfortunately did not see any black bears, we did see wild turkeys, deer, and a snake. The girls got a great lesson about black bear as we were headed into the cove and were able to touch a bear pelt and bear skull. We saw a rafter of turkeys (had to look that term up). We see turkeys around here as well, but these were so much bigger!
When we stopped by the mill about halfway through the cove, we saw a pair of deer. I about peed my pants when we saw a snake right at the outside of one of the homes there, too. The girls liked learning about the area and how the mill used to work.
That afternoon we did a little bit of shopping. Matt and I did a moonshine tasting. My recommendation? The amaretto flavor! I loved the root beer cream as well. There were many good flavors. Honestly, I was not expecting to like it as much as I did.
We snuck in a ride on the Alpine Coaster before dinner. Our timing was perfect because we only had to wait about 10 minutes. This was Avie’s first ride. My little daredevil LOVED it. There were beautiful views on the way down, too.
That evening we headed to Huck Finn’s Catfish for dinner. It’s a super cute themed restaurant with really good friend catfish. We all loved the hush puppies and other vittles, too. Claire snuck some leftovers out to feed the stray cats outside. She’s her momma’s girl! Haha!
After that, it was back to the cabin to pack up for an early start home the next day. It’s worth a mention that we stopped at a Buc-ee’s for gas on the way home. It was an experience for sure! There were 200 gas pumps. Wha??? The store itself was insane. There was a beef jerky deli case, Buc-ee’s logo bikinis and more. I can’t even describe it. But if you go by one of these gas stations, you really should experience it for yourself!
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. The girls keep talking about what they’s like to do when we go back there again. We will probably pick a new location to visit though. We love traveling and seeing new places.
Have you ever been to the Smoky Mountains? What was your favorite activity?
