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We went to Gatlinburg, TN in July 2018 for our family vacation. We stayed at Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge on Cherokee Orchard Drive. This is a very nice place to stay, and we stay there every time we visit Gatlinburg. The rooms are clean and the staff is friendly. They have a lovely outdoor pool with a slide. The pool, of course is the kids favorite part of the trip. They love playing on the slide and making new friends in the pool. Lorianna made a new friend who she has stayed in contact with since we left. I like sitting in the chairs by the pool, and just relaxing while watching the kids play, or even relaxing on a raft floating in the pool.

It’s also nice to sit outside the hotel room and relax. You can meet some great people there, because frequently others will be sitting outside too and you can just strike up a conversation. There is always someone willing to stop and talk for a few moments before going for a walk or when they are walking back to their rooms (or both if you sit outside long enough). I like to just sit there and enjoy the scenery and sometimes you may even spot a bear that makes his presence known from time to time. Sometimes ducks will also wander over and say hi to you. They will even get quite close to you if you are quiet and the kids don’t scare them off. There are also some little birds who will come down and say hi to you as you sit there. The only downside is there’s no breakfast served at the hotel, however, they do have coffee available in the morning. There are places close by to get something to eat if you don’t bring your own food. We always bring food for snacks and lunches, but usually get breakfast at The Donut Friar and go somewhere for supper each day we are there. Jack Huff’s is a little off the beaten path so it’s quiet and still close enough to walk through The Village and uptown.

The Village has lots of different shops. Pick up a pastry or doughnut from The Donut Friar or check out the hot sauces at The Pepper Palace. If you like cheese, then stop at the cheese cupboard. How about candles? The Candle Cottage is the place for you. They have a neat Irish store there, Celtic Heritage and a store for Christians, God’s Corner, where you can pick up books, CDs and some real cute figurines. I always stop at God’s Corner and look around, frequently finding things that make good gifts there. And we can’t forget my kid’s favorite place, the Ole Smokey Candy Kitchen as you come to the end of The Village and up to The Parkway. My kids love to stand there and watch them make taffy. They have some of the best candy around. Old fashioned candy sticks, different types of gummy candy and they have pecan logs, turtles, different assortments of chocolates, fudges and much much more. For those that can’t have sugar, they also have sugar free options of taffy and some of their candies. They have something for everything, so you can’t miss stopping there.

The Village in Gatlinburg

Then you can walk on down the Parkway and check out numerous shops that have everything from clothes to purses, toys, knick knacks, a glass shop, jewelry and so much more. Stop and have your picture taken with the bear and give a donation so they can keep educating about wild bears or stop and play a game of mini golf or feel what it’s like to be in an earthquake. Don’t forget to stop at Ripley’s Believe It or Not while you are there. Take a chairlift ride at the Gatlinburg Skylift and just enjoy the beautiful scenery around you.

One of my favorite places to eat in Gatlinburg is Best Italian Cafe. The pizza is so good and is a good size. A medium pizza is enough for 4 people. Even Hailie, who can easily eat a whole pizza by herself if we were to allow her, can only eat 3 slices of this pizza and is full. They have 2 locations, easily accessible. The service there is good and it’s not super expensive. An all around good place for your family to eat.

It was an enjoyable trip with great food and included a fun trip to Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge. This is Leslie’s favorite place to go when we visit to Gatlinburg. If you like birds and have never been there, it’s definitely a place you need to see. It’s up on the mountain, so it’s kind of difficult to drive up there, but it’s well worth it.

At Parrot Mountain, when you get into the parking lot, sit in the car for a few moments before getting out. Until you get used to being on the side of the mountain, it can make you feel dizzy at first. When you get there, you will walk up some stairs or use the ramp to the ticket booth and pay for your tickets. At this time you can also pay for some nectar to feed to some birds later. They then give you a ticket to keep with you till you get to that area. There is also an area where you can handle some birds and buy bird seed to feed them. Each handful of bird seed is 25 cents, so have some quarters on hand for that. You can also get a family picture taken with birds on you. They also have beautiful flowers throughout.

Parrot Mountain

Hailie at Parrot Mountain

Lorianna at Parrot Mountain

Leslie at Parrot Mountain

Kyle at Parrot Mountain

More At Parrot Mountain

I have never been to Ripley’s Aquarium, but would love to go sometime and see what it is like, but I have been told that it’s a good place to visit as well. Another attraction that I would like to try in the future is the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster. It’s a thrill ride that curves and winds through the woods and down the mountain. They also have zip lines, white water rafting and if you need a slower pace, you can float slowly down the river on a tube. There are many more attractions, you really can not do it all in one trip, you could take many many vacations and never do it all. And if Gatlinburg is not enough, Pigeon Forge is just a short drive away, where you can find even more fun attractions. You can also go the other way to Cade’s Cove, where you can drive slowly through the woods and enjoy scenery and if you are lucky, see some wild animals.

If you continue up the mountain, there are places to pull over and have a picnic, my favorite is Chimney Tops. Once you are full, continue on up the mountain a little further and there is a spot you can stop and take a stroll, and can be in TN and NC at the same time. We like to go on from there into Cherokee, NC, an Indian Reserve where you can learn a lot about the Cherokee Indians, their customs and once again do some shopping. It’s an easy day trip from Gatlinburg and is a relaxing environment. Then you get to enjoy the drive back down the mountain and into Gatliburg.