Weekend in Gatlinburg TN.

[Elkins45]

The other thing about Gatlinburg is that I see a lot of complaints that it's a tourist trap with no redeeming qualities.

The tourist trap nature of it is its redeeming quality. That’s what people who choose Gatlinburg (as opposed to the GSMNP) as a destination go there for. Well, and also pancakes. Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg must be the pancake house capital of the world.

For me Gatlinburg is just a place to stay and eat on the way to the National Park.

 

[AZjeff]

Takes a while longer, but we rarely hit any traffic on this route.

So no advantage except you're moving instead of sitting in traffic?

 

[RedSpider]

Well, 45 minutes of the view on the left vs 45 minutes of the view on the right. Pick your battle. If time is your only concern then flip a coin I guess. I know where I'd rather be.

 

[alarmguy]

We keep talking about doing the rafting but have never gotten around to actually doing it, which is weird because we love canoeing and kayaking up here a lot. I think its time we just do it.

I dont have my bike anymore, but we have the next best thing, if there is one. We cruise through Cades Cove a lot.

View attachment 280400

Nice car!! (want to trade?*LOL*)
Perfect for riding around up there which I am sure you enjoy.

My wife and I rode through Cades Cove a couple times on the bike. Some years back, Im not even sure if it was the Harley or the Yamaha.
On one trip there cars were slowing up/stopping and we saw people looking around. So we stopped the bike, and got off. We are walking around and then noticed they were all looking at a BEAR up in a TREE. It was amazing, it was eating berries and high up in the tree. We were standing under the tree! *LOL*
I have some photos taken from right under the bear looking up. If I figure out the year and what hard drive the photos are on I will post them. Im willing to bet at some point years back I posted them in this forum but cant be sure if I was in here at the time.

 

[y_p_w]

Nice car!! (want to trade?*LOL*)
Perfect for riding around up there which I am sure you enjoy.

My wife and I rode through Cades Cove a couple times on the bike. Some years back, Im not even sure if it was the Harley or the Yamaha.
On one trip there cars were slowing up/stopping and we saw people looking around. So we stopped the bike, and got off. We are walking around and then noticed they were all looking at a BEAR up in a TREE. It was amazing, it was eating berries and high up in the tree. We were standing under the tree! *LOL*
I have some photos taken from right under the bear looking up. If I figure out the year and what hard drive the photos are on I will post them. Im willing to bet at some point years back I posted them in this forum but cant be sure if I was in here at the time.

Might want to be careful. Not that American black bears are particularly dangerous, but the National Park Service can get really touchy if anyone intentionally approaches a bear unless it’s maybe a campground bear looking for food. Then they actually want people to “haze” bears. If you didn’t notice the bear until right there seeing it, that’s one thing, but it sounds like this group probably sought it out.

 

[alarmguy]

Might want to be careful. Not that American black bears are particularly dangerous, but the National Park Service can get really touchy if anyone intentionally approaches a bear unless it’s maybe a campground bear looking for food. Then they actually want people to “haze” bears. If you didn’t notice the bear until right there seeing it, that’s one thing, but it sounds like this group probably sought it out.

No, the park is just that, drive through area with some areas you can pull to the side. Some trails and such. Its purpose is to view the wildlife. Not much seeking out needed with a bear in a tree near the road. Nothing to seek out
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm

(I just went through one hard drive and havent found the photos) Maybe some other day.

 

[RedSpider]

Trade cars? Nnnnooo! She's a fun little thing.

As far as bears, the first 4-5 times we were in Gatlinburg we never saw any, anywhere. Now, we see 5-10 every time, without even trying. Drive through Cades Cove about an hour before sunset, when most of the crowd is gone, and you have your pick of which bears to see, they are practically everywhere.

And yes, the Park Service can be very protective. Doesnt stop people from being stupid trying to get too close, or idiots trying to get selfies with them, but if the park service is around when the bears are out, they are very stern about letting people near them.

Its becoming a little too easy to walk a trail and just unintentionally find yourself way too close to a bear anymore. I dont remember it being this easy even 5-10 years ago. I took this picture not five minutes after I snapped the car picture I posted above. This old girl walked maybe 20 feet behind us after we hopped back into the car, gave us a very nonchalant side look, and just kept on walking, she didnt care.

 

[y_p_w]

Trade cars? Nnnnooo! She's a fun little thing.

As far as bears, the first 4-5 times we were in Gatlinburg we never saw any, anywhere. Now, we see 5-10 every time, without even trying. Drive through Cades Cove about an hour before sunset, when most of the crowd is gone, and you have your pick of which bears to see, they are practically everywhere.

And yes, the Park Service can be very protective. Doesnt stop people from being stupid trying to get too close, or idiots trying to get selfies with them, but if the park service is around when the bears are out, they are very stern about letting people near them.

Its becoming a little too easy to walk a trail and just unintentionally find yourself way too close to a bear anymore. I dont remember it being this easy even 5-10 years ago. I took this picture not five minutes after I snapped the car picture I posted above. This old girl walked maybe 20 feet behind us after we hopped back into the car, gave us a very nonchalant side look, and just kept on walking, she didnt care.

View attachment 280572

There’s certainly a difference between just comming across a bear that turns out to be within the 150 ft regulations and deliberately approaching one just to get closer for a photo. I’ve heard of NPS rangers seeing someone who just happened to get fairly close to a bear on a trail, but didn’t crowd it nor get it to do someone unnatural in an attempt to get away. And there can be some really stupid things going on.

When I took my avatar photo (not in GSMNP mind you) of mama bear with the cubs, I just happened to see them off about 100 feet away. My camera was already out and I used maximum telephoto. Before the photo I actually heard the sound of claws and saw a third cub climbing up a tree next to the trail. But it was safe up the tree and mama bear wasn’t concerned, but it may have if I paid particular attention to the tree. Not that the bear wouldn’t have just run away anyways and come back later. I was actually stoked and had a chance to report it where they kept a bear sighting log at a nearby visitor center. And when I asked to report it, they said their bear expert was actually a Forest Service ranger. This was at a location where a national park and national forest kind of blended together and they did a lot of joint interagency work. But he saw the photo and I suppose if I had done something wrong he would have told me so. Or maybe the USDA has different rules on approaching wildlife? Not sure.

 

[cammyfive79]

I live in the Nashville suburbs (Franklin) and often forget how distinct Middle Tennessee is from other portions of the state. Outside of Memphis, Knoxville, and the Nashville metro area, much of the state does live in poverty and is a victim of the loss of manufacturing and working class jobs of decades past.

Gatlinburg is a fun area for the family but, of course over the years, most of it has turned into a tourist trap.

 

[alarmguy]

I live in the Nashville suburbs (Franklin) and often forget how distinct Middle Tennessee is from other portions of the state. Outside of Memphis, Knoxville, and the Nashville metro area, much of the state does live in poverty and is a victim of the loss of manufacturing and working class jobs of decades past.

Gatlinburg is a fun area for the family but, of course over the years, most of it has turned into a tourist trap.

Yeah, I agree but when traveling I like the crowds of tourists once in a while. It's vibrant and fun. I would not want to live in it but it fun to be part of it on vacation for a couple days.

Living on the coast in NC within a quick ride to our beaches AND the entire Myrtle Beach area I do avoid Myrtle Beach proper during tourist season. I dont like massive traffic when I live near it. The area is exploding and crowded at times and thankful we live just over the border so we can go places peacefully on our side and on occasion enter into the insanity on the other side.

 

[Bud]

Always liked to eat at the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg when we went years ago. Don't know if it still is but used to be cash only. We always rented a cabin or stayed at a place called the Summit. Made sure we always left early for breakfast as the line was always long.

 

[alarmguy]

Found the photo of White Water Rafting in Sevierville from my comment in post #13
Wife and I were the two upfront (me on the left, her on the right) as we always try to be the ones upfront. It's usually not a problem, people normally are more than willing to let us.

 

[supton]

We just spent a few days down there, at a Westgate Resort? so got to drive drive through the "fun". I was actually not bothered by the heavy traffic--not fun but not awful either. Maybe it's because they don't add/drop lanes like they do in the Northeast, or just are nicer in general, but it really wasn't bad. Then again, all we did was drive in, drive out, as we stuck pretty close to the resort.

Not sure I'm pining to go back, but I wouldn't be against it. Just a long drive from home, for the usual touristy stuff.

On the way out we spotted this store:
View attachment 287805
I guess for all those times when you need to buy both a 9 iron and a shotgun as part of your Saturday shopping?

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

We keep talking about doing the rafting but have never gotten around to actually doing it, which is weird because we love canoeing and kayaking up here a lot. I think its time we just do it.

I dont have my bike anymore, but we have the next best thing, if there is one. We cruise through Cades Cove a lot.

View attachment 280400

My Dad had a brother who re-located to Tennessee from the south in the 1950s. He lived about an hour west of the Smokies National Park. Every summer for many years my Dad drove us up there. A van or station wagon full of kids & grand parents on a long ride (1400miles) to spend two weeks. After the week at their place , we all drove out into the Smokies National Park for a week of camping , hiking and fishing. Awesome times. Once my two sons were old enough , wife and I took them up there to Tennessee 2-3 times a year. Visited with Uncle and the grown cousins and their kids and we all did the National Park thing each year. Every time we had to spend a good 1/2 day or more in and around Cade's Cove. Always seemed to be deer , wild turkey and bears roaming around that area.
We also used to do the whole tourist madness things in and around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas. Back then , a place we went each year was called Silver Dollar City that eventually became known as the Dollywood theme park.
I always wanted to move up to the Tennessee area. Never worked out for me. My oldest son ended up getting transferred to work in Nashville , Tn back around 2006. He got married and started a family. They still live up there today. Wife and I used to drive up there to spend a week in Nashville 2-3 times a year until I got to where I can not travel too well by car anymore. I really miss going up there.