647 Wears Valley Road
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
1-865-453-5352
What a wonderful convenient place to spend a few days. Other than the fact that we were there in July, and there was no shade, it was a perfect base camp for exploring Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The pull throughs were easily accessible, and convenient to get in to. We did not find the rate of $30 per nite too exorbitant for a popular tourist area. We have paid much, much more.
The traffic in Pigeon Forge is horrendous, but we quickly discovered that we could cross over the main drag, and travel around town on Teaster Rd. Veterans Rd also bypasses much of town, but is a little more difficult to get to.
Although the shuttle service will pick you up directly in front of the RV Park, we never used it, because they do not have a schedule. We were told that you could wait as long as an hour for a shuttle to pick you up. Also, there were no day passes for the shuttle. . .you needed to have exact change each time you got on, AND, you needed to change shuttle routes to get to different places. For example, we could catch the shuttle in front of the RV park for 50 cents each, but then we would need to change shuttles to get to Dollywood.
I think the shuttle is a fabulous idea if it were better implemented. We just chose to drive wherever we needed to go in Pigeon Forge.
However, Gatlinburg is a different story. There is very little parking available in Gatlinburg, and what is available is expensive. . .so we parked the truck at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center, and paid the 50 cents each to ride the shuttle, which dropped us off at the aquarium.
We could then walk over to the “Parkway”, where Gatlinburg furnishes free shuttles to transport you from one end of town to the other. Now that was a great way to get around.
As far as Gatlinburg itself. . .while it was a beautiful little town, it just seemed to be one tourist shop after another, with restaurants and galleries sprinkled in. We stayed in town long enough to eat, ride the shuttle back and forth from one end of town to the other, and that was pretty much it for us.
I know there are many, many more things to explore, and I do plan to come back and Work Camp someday, so we can spend an extended time in the area. There were many, many Work Campers at Dollywood. . .maybe we’ll come back and do that.
Speaking of Dollywood. . .one important note - at the time we were here, if you purchased your ticket online, you received a free meal voucher, which we thought was a great deal. We chose to have the buffet meal at Auntie Grannys. . .valued at $16 each. Also, if you wait until after 3:00 p.m. to show up on the first day, then your ticket is also valid the next day. . .which basically gives you a day and a half for the price of a one day ticket.
Verify this information before you go, as I am sure it is subject to change. . .
Great Smoky Mountains National Park was beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent there.
As I said, there is a lot to do in the area, and you certainly need much more time than the three days we planned for this trip, but Holly Haven RV Park was a nice place to be while we were here.
If you’ve been to this area, share your experiences in the comment area. . .and let others know about any don’t miss activities that there may be. We love when folks share great places to eat in an area we are not familiar with.
We were so fortunate that the folks in the white motorhome parked right there next to us were frequent visitors in the area, and were able to give us several great tips on places to visit, and shows they thought were worthy of seeing.
As a result, we drove straight out to Cade’s Cove in the National Park instead of following the crowd out there. It was a wonderful scenic loop where wildlife is often sighted, and although I never saw it, there was a bear out in one of the fields, which of course drew a huge crowd of onlookers parked on the side of the road with binoculars and cameras out.
and a facebook friend told us to be sure we ate at the Apple Wood Grill, which we did. The apple fritters they bring to the table with fresh apple butter to dunk them in were great. . .
So see, it’s great to share ideas. . .
Until next time. . .
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
Official National Park Service website and information guide to America's most visited national park.
Publish Date: 04/11/2011 3:00
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/
Summer Family Fun in Gatlinburg, TN - Elk Springs Resort
No matter what season it is, Gatlinburg has something for everyone in your family, whether they are 3 or 73. Now that summer is in full swing, here are our top five recommendations for family-friendly activities in ...
Publish Date: 06/29/2011 12:02
http://www.elkspringsresort.com/gatlinburg_cabins_blog/index.php/2011/06/29/summer-family-fun-in-gatlinburg-tn/
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