Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg Christmas time

[hemi68charger]

Hey gang,
Looking to visit my friend and family in Mooresville, NC over the Christmas holiday, but looking to visit some nice family-oriented places in the Smokey Mountains, probably focusing in on the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area prior to going to my friend's house in NC. I googled the information, but there's a lot to see........... Any suggestions for a country-sort of feel? My family is my wife, daugher ( 8 ) and son ( 14 )...

Cheers,
Troy

[Troy]

I go to Gatlinburg a lot and my family used to spend Christmas there every few years. Unfortunately (for you) I avoid pretty much anything "touristy". The area is beautiful and, if you can get away from the people, it's very tranquil. We always got a cabin with a game room so the kids weren't super bored - but that was before hand held video games and the internet. There's a musclecar museum in Pigeon Forge...

Troy

[hemi68charger]

I go to Gatlinburg a lot and my family used to spend Christmas there every few years. Unfortunately (for you) I avoid pretty much anything "touristy". The area is beautiful and, if you can get away from the people, it's very tranquil. We always got a cabin with a game room so the kids weren't super bored - but that was before hand held video games and the internet. There's a musclecar museum in Pigeon Forge...

Troy

Troy, don't mind the touristy part. We will be there only for a night or two until we press forward to my friend's house for the real get-away... My big thing is to find a nice hotel with a country flare to it..... There are just so many options... Don't need anything with kitchens and such....... Something like the Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas.....

[charge69]

The musclecar museum (Floyd Garrett's musclecar museum)is actually in Sevierville, just a few miles north of Pigeon Forge and it would be well worth the stop to see it. It is just a little north of the corner of hwy66 and hwy35 and sits on the northwest corner of those hwys. A few years back, I stayed in a motel on the main drag thru pigeon Forge, only a couple of blocks from the turn into Dollywood. Keep going south a few more miles and you end up in Gatlinburg.  I do not know of any places like Great Wolf Lodge in the area but it has been a few years since I have been there. Lots of places to stay and eat along that stretch of road.

[lukedukem]

i too have been there. theres a Cooters place with a general lee with an indoor mini puput golf course. there are alot of mini golf places also around. there is a movie car museum too with a general lee in it. plus alot of extras. kids will love it

luke

[XS29LA47V21]

gatlinburg and pigeon forge is nice touristy area for sure (towns like 5 mile apart or so).  The Biltmore estate in Asheville is worth the visit and with some amount of stint on the blue ridge parkway (near Asheville).  Enjoy.

[draftingmonkey]

Might give you ideas on what to see as a family:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60842-Activities-Gatlinburg_Tennessee.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g55270-Activities-Pigeon_Forge_Tennessee.html

[c00nhunterjoe]

If you go to pigeon forge you can see the full size replica of Airwolf.