Gatlinburg, Gateway to the Great
Smoky Mountain National Park
Though
a small mountain town, Gatlinburg TN is bustling with Smoky Mountain
admirers, vacationers, hikers, fishermen, skiers and naturalists,
photography buffs as well as tourists of all types. The mix of these
people adds to the unique fun atmosphere that is Gatlinburg.
About Gatlinburg TN.
In 1916 when Andy Huff built the Mountain View Hotel in Gatlinburg,
Tennessee to house timber customers, he probably did not realize he
was beginning a tourist boom to the Smoky Mountains which would make
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the most visited National
Park Service Park in the nation. Once the Mountain View Hotel was
completed Gatlinburg had it's first hotel. Andy Huff must have had
a vision of what Gatlilnburg was to become, a travel and tourism mecca
as he expanded his operation to provide food and lodging for vacationers.
His business sense proved to be a stroke of genius. From the acorn
of his one hotel has sprung over four hundred Smoky Mountain specialty
shops decked out in alpine trim and offering items from art to furniture,
gifts, and t-shirts, wood signs, candle shops, lace and stuffed black
bears. As visitors walk Gatlinburg's unique streets the air is filled
with the aroma of good food, a list of which could fill volumes. But
to give you a
taste of Gatlinburg's delights, there are steaks grilling,
funnel cakes cooking, ice cream freezing, fudge, well doing what ever
fudge does, not to mention pretzels, chicken and yes, even a little
fast food. Together with a host of amusements, cabin and chalet rental
companies, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, artists and hotels, and
motels, these stores, the restaurants and the people on vacation who
frequent them create the magic-like town of Gatlinburg, a Smoky Mountain
visitor's paradise.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Next to Gatlinburg's distinctive
flavor, it is best known for the surrounding peaks of the Smoky Mountains
and it's northern entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
(GSMNP).
Gatlinburg is a popular place for weddings!
Did you know that Gatlinburg is the unofficial wedding and honeymoon
capital of the South? It is. Nearly ten thousand couples hold their
weddings in Gatlinburg each year, thereby including the Smokies experience
into their special wedding day plans.
What season is best to visit Gatlinburg?
Although many of the hotels, B&B's, motels, restaurants, and
shops in Gatlinburg are open all year around, there are a few things
you
might want to consider before deciding what time of year is best
for your trip. Most visitors choose to come in the Fall when the
colors
of the trees in the mountains are changing. October is the absolute
peak month of the Smokies experience, however, if you come at that
time, you can expect more crowds and higher lodging prices. Summer
is also a high crowd time in the Smoky Mountains due to the fact
that
schools let out for the summer and vacationers generally hit the
highways. It is also quite hot and humid in the Smoky Mountains
in the Summer.
For these reasons, more and more people are beginning to realize
that the Spring and even the Winter months are excellent times to
enjoy
Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Please don't
think that the park is less enjoyable at these times, for it is
not
true. Imagine an Appalachian spring. Imagine the peaks of the Smokies
veiled in the soft green of spring and decorated with the dogwood,
redbud and other flowering plants. Or imagine why it is that to some,
winter is the most beautiful of all, for in the winter, the Smoky's
mammoth hills with their mountain views, high cliffs, waterfalls
and gorges are far more visible than when cloaked with the lush
green
leaves of summer. And when the snow flocks the bare branches of the
Smokies and the sun shines upon them white against the blue, imagine
your breath taken away by the sparkle and gracious beauty of the
Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Did you know Gatlinburg has a Trolley?
For the convenice of the Smoky Mountain visitor, there is a trolley
which takes passengers around Gatlinburg and to places such as the
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, or
the Gatlinburg golf.