I am back after an absolutely funtastic time in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN. Friday afternoon we on the way into Pigeon Forge we stopped in Chestnut Hill, TN at the Bush Brothers Visitor Center , the home of Bush Baked Beans. Directly across the street from the visitor center is the manufacturing plant where the beans gave been made since the early 1900’s. The museum and visitor center is a fun place to visit and shop around. From there we drove into Pigeon Forge to the Old Mill where we walked around the shops and ate a late lunch before driving on into Gatlinburg. After checking into the hotel, which was right on the main street of Gatlinburg, we went out to walk up and down the street to see some of the stores and find a place to eat a late dinner.
We spent most of Saturday at the craft show at the convention center in the heart of the main street of Gatlinburg. We did 10:00 to 11:30, had our hand stamped to back out for lunch at Blaine’s and a quick shopping expedition up the street at Mr. Tablecloth’s, then back in the craft show until 3pm. Back to the room to rest, drop off our purchases, and then catch the trolly over to the Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokies. Be sure to check out the website, I can’t do it justice here at how fantastic that place was. We spent two hour in there from 5 – 7pm then walked back up the main drag to Blaine’s for dinner. Everywhere we tried to get in for dinner on Friday night had hour or more waits. We ended up at a little Italian place across from the hotel. On Saturday night we stopped by Blaine’s walking back to the hotel and they only had a ten minute wait. Sunday we drove back into Pigeon Forge where we spent the morning at the Apple Barn and restaurant. Then to the huge Tanger Outlet in nearby Sieverville for three hours of walking and shopping, dinner a the Alamo steakhouse, and back to Gatlinburg.
Yes, it rained the entire weekend but it did not bother us. When it was pouring we were either in the car, the craft, show, or the aquarium. It was warm and humid with some sunshine or hit and miss showers otherwise.
We left this morning around 7:50, stopped at the Farmer’s Market in Asheville, NC, Cracker Barrel in Statesville, and home by 2pm. We had a great weekend. Marcy had never been to this area. Many of the store and restaurants we went to Frances, Al, and I had been to back in 2011 when we took mom and dad up there for Thanksgiving.