Summer-time fun in the Smoky Mountains

This week, I want to share our summer-time fun we had in the Smoky Mountains. On our way back home to Oklahoma from our visit to the Northeast, we decided to make a stop and see what the fuss was about.

As per the usual, my wife went back to the Northeast to visit her family for the summer. When it was time to make the long drive back, I made a suggestion that brought a huge smile to her face. Always willing to find another adventure to add to our escapades, we decided to make a pit stop in beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

To premise this tale, both of us had heard numerous stories about how great Gatlinburg is. Because neither one of us has ever been to this destination prior to this visit, we knew we had to check out what the hype was about.

Cozy Cottage

When we started looking into it, we got lucky enough to find a beautiful, secluded cabin in Pigeon Forge. This cozy little cottage was off the beaten path but still fairly close to civilization. We had no issues getting what we needed while we were there.

The Gatlinburg Sky Bridge

After we got settled in, we looked to see what the area offered for entertainment. We were definitely pleasantly surprised. The list of adventure options seemed to be almost end-less. Our first choice of events gave us one of the best views of the Smoky Mountains. Located in the Gatlinburg SkyPark, at 1,800 feet above sea level, the Gatlinburg Sky Bridge.

To get to this marvel, first you have to travel up the sky lift located in downtown Gatlinburg. Nestled in the Smoky Mountains, you have the perfect vantage point to enjoy the lush green surroundings.

Downtown Gatlinburg

After enjoying the topside view, we decided to see the shops and sights of downtown. Downtown offers a huge variety of retailers, restaurants, & venues for everyone to enjoy. One in particular was the Ole Smoky Distillery. Notably one of their more potent offerings, the “Blue Flame” is a whopping 128 proof jar of moonshine.

To finish out our adventures that day, we went to a local thrill ride. One of the adventures available in the Smoky Mountains are mountain coasters. After seeing a few ads about them, we knew we had to give it a try. I was lucky enough to snap a couple of pics prior to getting rocketed down the mountain side.

Another local attraction (located 27 miles from Gatlinburg) is the Cades Cove Loop. This 11-mile loop offers great outdoors activities such as hiking, camping, & wildlife viewing. At the Cades Cove visitors center, there were several historic buildings on the property that travelers could enjoy at their leisure.

Some of the wildlife that visitors could potentially see include deer, coyote, turkey, and even bear. We were lucky enough to see some of the wildlife during the daytime.