Gatlinburg 2023 Travel Guide - A Smoky Mountain Getaway

foreign as the Cherokee Indians called it land of Blue Smoke perhaps you come to this mountain town for the views of the Smokies for a little refreshment you then discover a transformation it's just not geography this region like the Jars of Clay it creates will mold your spirit wow you might be in the mountains you soon realize that the mountains are in you in our five video series we now begin the show the mountain towns of the Smokies [Music] first up Gatlinburg [Music] [Music] foreign there is so much to do here it can be overwhelming planning a Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge getaway but we are here to help so you can prioritize what you want to do we will show everything from inexpensive motels to nicer hotels as well as a couple of fully Stock family cabins and four RB campgrounds with cabins we'll give you tips on parking to try to save a little walking show rooftop and elevated seating restaurants take the Ober Mountain tram to The Adventure Park see the impossibilities magic show take you inside crazy Mason milkshake bar watch the Penguins do their daily March at Ripley's Aquarium hear from the communications manager at anakista gatlinburg's most popular attraction Now featuring Astra Lumina Eric with YouTube's Smoky Mountain Family will give us a tour of the Arts and Crafts loot three miles north of the strip where you can get some true homemade candy go inside a vintage soda fountain shop see Pottery being made and more this first video of Gatlinburg will focus on downtown with wine tastings Skylift Park the Reagan Terrace Mall The Village Hillbilly Golf and much more [Music] then in the fourth video of the series after Pigeon Forge we will show the areas outside of downtown like AIDS Cove and Roaring Fork nature trails Smoky Mountain Deer farm in Wares Valley no this is one video you want to watch to the end as some of gatlinburg's best attractions are in the latter part of the video so join us as we in collaboration with the Smoky Mountain Family Show You Gatlinburg by helicopter by horse by Mountain Coaster by Jerome by UTV bye Bike by chairlift by tram buy tube and buy zip line are you ready [Music] in order to give you an overview of the region we'll begin with a helicopter tour out of Sevierville which is on the north side of Pigeon Forge all the helicopter tours are here so we'll board there and fly back to Gatlinburg we chose Scenic helicopter tours because they're the ones that can fly over the national park areas um as you can see here we offer a huge range in flight time and flight price but we can go all the way out to Douglas Lake which the beautiful Lake here all the way out to the national park and everywhere in between [Music] their tours range from twenty dollars per person to over 500. I'm doing the National Park tour that is 249 dollars our pilot coal was great pointing out places of interest we fly over many Pigeon Forge attractions like Dollywood that we will show in next week's video as it heads towards Gatlinburg it crosses over where's Valley and the Mountain Range bordering the west side of Gatlinburg this is where many of your cabins are at in fact we are flying right over the first cabin I want to show you [Music] jtm cabins have three cabins all of which are fully furnished and sleep tan with a game room and hot tub and washer and dryer they allow you to enjoy all the Comforts of home yet nestled in a forest I'm in wandering bear the closest to the Pigeon Forge strip it's a Scenic 15-minute drive from Parkway in South Pigeon Forge there are other two cabins are about a 30 minute drive from Parkway this is far enough to really be in the mountains yet a short drive to the entertainment in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg waking up with coffee to the sounds of nature [Music] back on the helicopter a nice view of Great Smoky Mountain National Park in downtown Gatlinburg begins to appear the Space Needle is right there flying over anakista from the north part of downtown looking South in the distance the mountains we just flew over where the cabins are at [Music] SeaWorld Parkway runs through the forest between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in downtown Gatlinburg everything is condensed so relatively within walking distance about a mile and a half long strip with the exception of the Arts and Crafts Loop that we'll show later in the video however because of that the challenge is finding inexpensive parking there is free parking along River Road but in the Summers these spots fill up quickly the majority of parking is twenty dollars a day like this lot in the center of town near the Marketplace Mall here's a tip there is a smaller two dollar an hour lot next to it accessible from River Road your City municipal garages are ten dollars a day there's one at Ripley's Aquarium and one on the north side of anakista both on the north side of the strip on the south part of the strip near the convention center you had Lineberger's parking lot in a garage next to the LA Conte View Hotel both twenty dollars you save a load of walking you can use the Gatlinburg Trolley it is free to ride operates 365 days a year from 8 30 a.m to midnight May through October and from 10 30 a.m to either 6 PM or 10 p.m the rest of the year depending on the day of the week it also goes to the Arts and Crafts Loop there's trolley buses as well as the Pigeon Forge trolley that connect Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge we are going to start our Tour on the south part of downtown near the National Park entrance and move north and keep everything in order so that you can get a perspective of where the places of interest are at because of the parking it can be an advantage to find a hotel on the Strip for the days you want to spend in downtown the pet friendly LaConte view Motor Lodge is an ideal location just a tenth of a mile from the Space Needle it's a Windham Hotel and is pet friendly it's a little bit of an older motel but was fine for me and the rates very reasonable for being in the center of downtown it wasn't much of a breakfast but across the street is Flapjacks they had a good veggie omelet and gluten-free pancakes friendly service and not too expensive also about two tenths of a mile from the LA Conte view is Crockett's Breakfast Camp this is great if you're looking for a more fancier restaurant with a nice rustic atmosphere but watch out for the Bears they didn't have gluten-free pancakes but had the most delicious buckwheat pancakes I've ever had with granola and pecans a great atmosphere I think your family would enjoy okay let's start with the attractions there's Ober mountain with a tram to the year-round Mountainside amusement park in Winter they're skiing and snowboarding but in summer there's also plenty of activities to keep you busy it is 29 for just the tram ride or 49 for our wristband which includes all the other activities there's ice skating in ice bumper cars a rock wall they're summer tubing Lobster foreign slide in a Scenic chair lift that goes to the top of Ober mountain with another scenic view a 10 discount for ages 60 and up they also have rafting and zip lining in Hartford Tennessee about 26 miles Northeast of Gatlinburg [Music] now back on the Strip on the left is Shoot Em Up Cinema a 3D experience where you chase a runaway Wagon in the old west with your sixth shooter it is 13 for adults eight dollars for children four through twelve also here is Circus Golf and Amazing Mirror Maze which you can do both with a 12 plus tax ticket across the street is the Hollywood star cars Museum we showed in our 2020 video where you see famous film and TV cars it's 18 for adults ten dollars for children you can save two to three dollars by purchasing tickets online next to it is Ripley's Haunted Adventure and moving theater back across the street is the Old Smoky Moonshine Courtyard with live music the dream catcher band performing here there's tastings here at the Old Smoky Distillery and Bootleggers homemade wines also Dick's Last Resort here was southern style menu in a Rowdy Roadhouse environment I'm gonna grab a tasty sausage from Carnival treats here [Music] we arrive at the center of town at Airport Road previously named historic nature trail where the Space Needle is at on the corner here is Smith and son Corner Kitchen a sports pub and balcony seating with mountain views below that some of the best milkshakes you'll ever taste at crazy Mason's milkshake bar what we do here is crazy milkshakes and Mason jars hence the name crazy Mason We feature Blue Bell Ice Cream three non-dairy flavors as of right now we also carry no sugar added many of our ice creams are gluten-free all our crazy Mason milkshakes come in these Keepsake obviously we want to have the black bears on there still says Gatlinburg we know people want to go home and have a souvenir to being here monthly we run specials like right now it's the Crazy Summer jar they have over 36 incredibly creative crafted desserts I'm having the crazy Cookie dreams with Oreos and Eric's Having a crazy colada with coconut ice cream cake pineapple and vanilla buttercream even Bella gets a pup cup the Gatlinburg Space Needle is a 407 foot observation tower which you can take an elevator to the top for a 360 degree view of the Smokies in Gatlinburg it is 16 for adults and ten dollars for children four to eleven or thirteen dollars for military in seniors at the base of the Space Needle is Arcadia with hundreds of arcade games video games and immersive simulations While most of your shows are in Pigeon Forge there's one really good show in Gatlinburg and it's right here at the iris theater [Music] it's the impossibilities magic show or Master Mentalist and magician Eric de Bell does some pretty amazing mind reading and magic with hilarious Mayhem three wedding rings from the audience three rings from three different people intertwine them then separated them and some other things that make you wander how did he do that it is 33 dollars for adults 17 for children four to eleven twenty four dollars for seniors military and First Responders a quarter of a mile up Airport Road is the pet friendly Super 8 that we stayed at in the 2020 video and next to that is the Log Cabin Pancake House with free parking behind the restaurant Smoky Mountain Family will tell you they have the best breakfast in Gatlinburg Barbara here very friendly well no gluten-free pancakes they did have buckwheat pancakes foreign moving along on Parkway on the right is the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum it's thirty dollars for adults Seventeen dollars children six to eleven and five dollars children two to five but I would recommend a combo pass with some of Ripley's nine other attractions in Gatlinburg we'll talk about later across the street is the sugarland's Distilling Company with free tours of their still house five dollar tastings of fruity Spirits moonshine and whiskey in a bar with live music out back back across the street next to Ripley's is the escape game with five different Escape rooms for all skill levels and above that the Shamrock Western Saloon with a rooftop Lounge there's also the Shamrock Pub nightclub next door next to that Crawdaddy's restaurant and Oyster Bar also with elevated seating with a great view of the Skylift across the street [Applause] this chair lift takes you to the top of an 18-foot Overlook to Skylift Park where there's the longest pedestrian bridge in North America just a stunning View [Music] since our previous video they have added a sky trail with a long elevated Scenic Boardwalk that leads to tulip Tower this is near the area where the 2016 Gatlinburg fire started while much of the strip was spared this area was badly burned but a tree remained until up Tower was built over the spot where that tree Once Was Skylift Park was rebuilt and now better than ever today the once burned hillsides have grown back nicely the Skylift is 35 for adults and 21 for children now that you've enjoyed the scenery at Skyla Park we head up Parkway for another great view with dinner at local Borough a Fresh Mex Cantina you can dine in their festive indoor room ride a mechanical donkey or Dine on a second floor balcony we along with the Smoky Mountain Family are going to the rooftop patio where there's also a tequila bar as well as incredibly great food the view is awesome overlooking the Space Needle the strip and this monkeys [Music] continuing up Parkway towards anakista on the right an old-time photo we will show an old-time photo in our Pigeon Forge video next week There's a variety of shops we arrive at Reagan Terrace Mall this is a rustic entertainment in activities Courtyard area great for kids there's Gatlin Fun Center that includes a mini golf in a hillside area also an indoor blacklight golf laser tag Laser Maze bumper cars five Escape rooms and the rugged ropes aerial challenge course you can purchase a do-it-all pass for 38 or 22 dollars without the ropes course and Escape rooms really an inexpensive way of keeping the kids having fun for quite a while while you and your sweetheart go and taste some fruity Hard Cider at the Tennessee Stud Cider Company [Music] or how about some New York style pizza pies at best Italian restaurant further down the chocolate monkey with everything chocolate with an ax house above it The Fanny farkle's Amusement center with corn dogs and other finger foods across the street is earthquake the ride and treasure Quest golf and next to that the marketplace mall where you find Tennessee homemade wines with tasting of local Gatlinburg wines this is near the two dollar an hour lot I mentioned earlier in the back part of this ball is Tom and Earl's back alley Grill in the North China Restaurant they are great for picking up something quick one thing I think Gatlinburg still lacks it could use more counter-serve eateries or you can get a decent meal quick something more than just Carnival Food like a True Food Kitchen or a Chipotle type Eatery on the right is the village which takes you back in time to an old real European themed Village there's a spice and Tea Exchange coffee and Company a Celtic pub among the 27 unique shops eateries and galleries more shops across the street the Pancake Pantry with a gabled slate rooftop [Music] there's branded by CW for Western Wear the coffee Shack and at the end next to anakista a Subway to get something a little healthy before we go to anakista let's check out Ripley's Aquarium located off River Road remember they have that 10 parking garage behind it that I mentioned earlier this is really one of the better aquariums especially if you love penguins we have a penguin parade every day at 1 15 where we March four Penguins through the entire aquarium and you'll get a close-up look at the penguin they'll walk right by your feet and that they are that they love doing that parade we've got a personal penguin experience downstairs where you can go down and learn about the Penguin and pet the Penguin and have your picture made with them [Music] we have two or three different touch tanks we have where you can touch jellyfish these are the ones that have stingers that are so small they won't steam you but you'll be able to feel the jellyfish and feel how soft they are oh you can feed the Stingrays now too and bring them closer where you as you're feeding them you can pet the Stingrays when you get on the glass bottom boat and go out over shark Lagoon and you're actually over the Sharks and our sea turtle Sally you'll get to see that really close up in the glass bottom boat there are also sea dragons this is one of the longest glass tunnels I've seen makes you feel like you're deep inside a coral reef it is forty dollars for adults or twenty five dollars for children six to eleven or ten dollars ages two to five but you can buy Combo tickets with any number of Ripley's nine other attractions I would recommend getting your Ripley's combo ticket on the aquarium's website being that this is a must do then decide what other Ripley's attractions you want to do after that like maybe Ripley's Super Fun Zone that is located next to anakista [Music] I want to quickly share four upper scale hotels in this area near the aquarium in anakista there's the Edgewater Hotel right on the cliff branch of the little Pigeon River it's not pet friendly but the River Terrace Resort next to it is for a hundred dollar per stay fee there's the Greystone Lodge that is across the street from the aquarium not pet friendly though and on the other side of the parkway from manakista is the Margaritaville Resort which has a great coffee shop inside Jill Merchant's coffee I'd recommend even if not staying at the resort this also not pet friendly foreign to explore gatlinburg's number one attraction anakista a Mountaintop Adventure Park general admission is 34 dollars for adults and 22 dollars for children 4 to 11. you can add on the dueling zip lines for sixty dollars [Applause] you fly over the chairlift and the treetop Skywalk there are three long zip lines also two repellent Towers I'm doing this with a group of girls from Rochester Michigan there's birchie and Ian also part of this group Mark here 75 years old way to go there's also the Rail Runner Mountain coaster 15 for a single Rider 19 for a double Rider and coming soon the hellbender double rail coaster our hellbender is a Grand Prix theme and so you're going to be racing down the mountains there's going to be a lot of elements uh other animals cheering you on the whole time and then it's just going to be a really fun interactive ride there anakista also known for great food with a view so we have our Smokehouse as soon as you get off the lift you look to the right you will see our Smokehouse that's where you're going to get that good mac and cheese the mashed potatoes the coleslaw the pulled pork you know the ribs so that stuff you're really craving and then as you head up the mountain there's the Tennessee sidecar which is our Snack Shack so you can get a walking taco you can get the best margaritas on the mountain as you make your way up to Cliff top which is our elevated dining experience so Cliff top really has those elevated dishes Fried Green Tomatoes or our cheese curds and then you can get anything from a burger to a really good salad to even a poke Bowl right now and there's also the Camp Park Cafe with Gourmet dog's flatbread pizza and frozen yogurt it seems no matter where you look there's chairs with a great view just inviting you to chill and enjoy the scenery and there's the Anna Vista Tower which is the highest point in downtown Gatlinburg it is surrounded by Vista Gardens a Meandering Trail through a lush Botanical colorful garden with streams and waterfalls [Music] there's the treetop Skywalk the longest tree base Skywalk in North America with hanging Bridges 50 feet in the air [Music] and for the little kids and bigger kids too the tree Venture challenge course to climb swing crawl oorah but wait there's more anakista is in the middle of a 34 million dollar expansion it's a part of a larger expansion of our stone village so we're adding an entire new section to the park and kind of expanding back to the back side of the mountain so right now we're building our bird Venture which is the first of its kind in the United States it's a set of three Larger than Life bird houses people can Adventure through them there's a bluebird an owl and a woodpecker and so you kind of really get to experience what life might feel like as a bird it also has seven Serpentine slides that will bring you to the end of the mountain [Music] and a definite must do is astrolumina which is an additional 16 but well worth it [Music] Master Lumina is it's going to be eight chapters of a star's Journey falling from the sky and then making their way back home and so it's an interactive there's sound all around you you're really going to get that full experience you're walking through the woods and then it's going to open up to that Great Smoky Mountain Sky and you're learning about the universe while you get to see pretty much the entire universe after anakista Parkway comes to a fork to the right it leads to the Arts and Crafts Loop that we'll show in a bit to the left the attractions continue for another half a mile while Pigeon Forge is well known for its classic cars on the corner here is the speedworks Exotic Car experience where you can see some high-end modern exotic cars on turntables with lights sounds video displays Lamborghinis Porsches Ferraris Mercedes and more there's also racing simulators it is 22 for adults and fifteen dollars for kids 6 to 13. 18 for military these are scenes from the Smoky Mountain families video here across the street from speedworks is the Gatlinburg Brewing Company with craft Brews and pizza and El sonidor a Tex-Mex restaurant with an elevated dining room overlooking the hillside further down got another hotel and a couple more attractions to show you there's the crossroads Inn where you can park next to your room although not pet friendly the Smoky Mountain Trout house with locally caught trout as well as other Seafood [Music] in the Ripley's Mountain coaster formerly Rowdy Bear Mountain coaster [Music] and further down Hillbilly Golf where you take an incline railway up the side of the mountain to two Appalachian theme 18 hole golf courses it is 1354 adults 950 for Kids 4 to 12. [Music] holds pretty creative by putting your ball in a moonshine operation [Applause] foreign [Music] next to Hillbilly Golf is the Moonshine Mountain coaster this was formerly the Gatlinburg Mountain coaster that we showed in our 2020 video but it's a little better now especially at night this is one of the best coasters in Gatlinburg [Music] it is 17 for adults 13 for youth eight to twelve and ten dollars kids three to seven you can get a second ride for eight dollars this is footage from the Smoky Mountain families video here [Music] across the street from the Moonshine Mountain coaster is the River Inn it's right on the cliff branch of the little Pigeon River it gives you the convenience of parking next to your room which I like only service animals allowed hair this was a pretty decent room better than I expected moderately priced a balcony right over the river it was nice waking up to the sounds of the Rushing River also a nice breakfast with sausage egg and biscuits and really good coffee Bella sets is really good coffee too now it is a half a mile from the strip so it might be a long walk to the Space Needle and other attractions all right let's head to the Arts and Crafts Loop where Eric is going to give us a tour we take Parkway back to that fork at the strip then head three miles east on East Parkway to Glades Avenue which is where the Arts and Crafts Loop begin it is here you find Glades homemade candies there's seven continents in there salted and roasted homemade caramel with white chocolate all the ice creams are homemade too it's made at the creamery down in Sevierville and then the candies are all made here I got the perfect treat for all my friends from Ohio but guys it's chocolate and peanut butter [Music] is so good so typical of the shops you'll find here true homemade items and very friendly people next door at valor's clay works you can watch Pottery being made by Mike Cheryl and Ava or take a pottery class the Arts and Crafts Loop is formed by Glades Road Buckhorn Road and East Parkway it's a total of eight miles this is the part of Gatlinburg that many people Miss as well as being very Scenic on true Mountain Country Roads there's no over commercialization here mostly family owned and run businesses and unlike the strip there's plenty of free parking here it's a place where Buffalo still roam so many of the uh finish up and commercialization started to happen in downtown the families that began downtown many of them are still operating out here on the Arts and Crafts this morning Miss village with over 25 shops including the Glade soda fountain a classic vintage dessert shop with an outdoor patio to enjoy your ice cream or float the Morning Mist Cafe with fresh never Frozen Burgers black bear crafts with original Ceramics and wood crafts another mile away is the Arts and Crafts village where you find adina's Sweet Shop fresh baked desserts including some moonshine cupcakes also pick up some handcrafted mugs or plates to remember your Smoky Mountain getaway so every piece of pottery here at Ayla wine is different so everyone is handmade so you're not going to come in here ever and see two pieces that are exactly the same so if you buy something from A1 you're going to have a one of a kind piece of art in a dish a cup or whatever it is that you buy and get some Rich Mountain coffee at the painted Bear Coffee Company located at the mountain Arch complex if you would like to Lodge in this part of Gatlinburg there's the Buckhorn Inn a bed and breakfast with private Cottages with living rooms and fireplaces nestled in the woods and luxury vintage style rooms [Music] thank you in summary yes Gatlinburg can get crowded in the summer but there's a reason why people keep coming back yes sure being in the Smokies is part of it but it's more than just geography it's a spirit where people are friendly where they value the things in life that really matter there's a passion for living for freedom and for stepping back at tarps and appreciating the simple things a respect for faith family values and Country just ask the Smoky Mountain Family it's why they moved to Gatlinburg even my office manager is moving to the region gee I'm tempted to move here myself and there's its sister city of Pigeon Forge which we will see next week so much to do and after that we still have all the nature areas around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to show you in the fourth video of our series as much as we covered in this video there are so many things we didn't cover therefore I'd love to hear your thoughts on Gatlinburg also we started using epidemic sounds about half the music on this video is from them so I'd love to hear your feedback on the music I put a link below if you would like to sign up with them it helps our Channel if traveling with a dog I'd recommend these cargo dog backpacks it allows you to bring your dog pretty much anywhere and saves them in excessive walking and a special thanks to Eric and the Smoky Mountain Family who have been so helpful in creating this five video series we are Tampa aerial media we film travel promos across the USA for stock footage or if you'd like to hire us to film your city region or Resort contact us at info Tampa aerialmedia.com from Gatlinburg I wish blessings to you wherever you may be see you next week in Pigeon Forge [Music] thank you

Channel: TampaAerialMedia

Views: 159,775

Keywords: Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Anakessta, SkyLift Park, Astra Lumina, What to do in Gatlinburg, Lodging in Gatlinburg, Restaurants in Gatlinburg, Crazy Mason Gatlinburg, Impossibilities Magic Show, Ober Mountain, Ober Mtn Tram, Zip Lines Gatlinburg, Mountain Coasters Gatlinburg, Hotels Gatlinburg, Cabins Gatlinburg, Scenic Helicopter Tours, Helicopter Tours Gatlinburg

Id: t99425DRWeo

Length: 32min 36sec (1956 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 12 2023