taking a vacation to piegeon forge tn

[jreid0978]

i am leaving in 2 weeks to go to piegeon forge , tn and need any tips on a good trip but save money tooo.

[rvdbjd]

We go to Pigeon Forge every year on vacation. I do not have many tips for saving money. If you plan to eat out, look for coupons in the pamphlets you will find most anywhere. Be sure to eat at the Apple Barn restaurant. It is so good. Cade's Cove is a good freebie for entertainment. It is a driving trail where you will see lots of wildlife. We like to stay at the Comfort Inn Apple Valley. It is very clean with a friendly staff. You can probably find other hotels that are much cheaper though. Hope you have a good vacation.

[justlucy06]

We took our vacation there in May. Had a blast at Dollywood and the KOA campground (which does have cabins on the river). I went online and found that I could buy our one day dollywood ticket and get in the park for two days. There was also a special on camp sites so we got one night free.

I agree the Apple Barn is a great place to eat. Our neighbors enjoyed inexpensive banana splits there.

Our boys love Nascar speed park and four years ago as we were leaving it started to rain and they issued us rainchecks to spend another day at the park. My hubby was shocked when they honored the rainchecks four years later......

I love riding thru the Smokey Mountains, hiking to Clingman's Dome, etc. If we had a second week this time, we would have headed out on the blue ridge parkway and camped at Mt. Pisgah National Park (they also have a lodge).

Take care and enjoy!

[jreid0978]

bump

[oceanbreeze]

we went in february, its beautiful.

I recommend driving thru the park, going to cade's cove at least once while you are there. Its free.
In townsend there is a place you can go tubing in the river which looked like it would be fun, although in winter we couldn't experience that.

There is a winery in gatlinburg, and also an aquarium which comes highly recommended.
Many shops & places to eat... Take the kids to the big Christmas store for fun- they might like that (you could get a personalized family ornament done) and the other Christmas stores are just as nice for ornaments, too.

THere are plenty of pancake joints on the main strips. Kroger is the main grocer chain there.
The great american steak & buffet company was good eats for cheap...family friendly, they have a band there and tv's hung all through the restuarant. Other nearby buffets : Shoney's (try the breakfast buffet), and Golden Coral.

For the more adventuresome in the crowd there is Zorbing. Only a few locations worldwide that have this.
Plenty of places to go to for horseback riding as well.
In townsend, Miss Lily's is a great spot for a quiet and peaceful yet yummie lunch.
Also in townsend (the quiet end of the smokies) is the APPLE Valley Farms & Country store-- its pretty big, there is a small concession style "barn" where you can get fresh apple fritters/ apple foods, also a small indoor restaurant and a general store with a lot to see. (the website in that link will also link you to many interesting places to see/go in pigeon forge area.)

Lodging in townsend on the river, $75/nt summer rates.
Overall, its as expensive or cheap a trip you'd like to make it. Just make sure to take lots of memory for the camera & the batteries/charger. Have fun, its a beautiful experience!!

[Piper]

Any one familiar with Oak Ridge TN? We may be moving an d I would love to hear about the area?
Thanks

[farrah3]

If you live in a state with low sales tax or no sales tax......BRING as much food as you can. We stayed in Gatlinburg, TN & were shocked at the 12.5% (if I remember correctly) sales tax on EVERYTHING.....even food! Some of those small towns have additional local sales tax on top of state sales tax.

[Danielle518]

I was just in Gatlinburg over the fourth of July for a wedding. We had a hotel on hold, then I found cabins that were the same price as the hotel. Bonus - we could bring food and take the dog with us. Ended up saving us $200 in the long run.

Take cash. We went to the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburgh for breakfast. They don't take charge cards, only cash. That was the only time we ate out so I'm not sure if that is common or not. Cash or use their in restaurant ATM. Can't imagine what the fees on the ATM were. Breakfast for two was $30 + tip + we had to pay to park off the strip since we weren't staying within walking distance. Expensive breakfast for sure!

[mom2lucas]

I highly recommend eating at Guarino's in Gatlinburg. We have never been disappointed. It has free parking, too! The portions are so large that DH and I can share (if we can agree on what to order).

We have had positive experiences with Kimble Rentals and Shular Inn for lodging.

last I checked, the tax was 9.75% on non-food items and 8.75% on food. Lodging had a 12.5% tax (I believe).