Coming down Friday and spending 5 days in a condo down there. Good attractions to see? All I'm aware of that my wife has planned is an ATV rental trail ride thing. Any good gun shops to visit? Shooting ranges?

There's another thread or two on this. Just read on down.

If you're still checking the internet by now you're a loser, but if you are, go hiking.  Screw all the other stuff.  I'm amazed at how many visit the area and never set foot in the park.  I guess it's a good thing.  I particularly like the quiet walkways on the side of the road.  Go over to Cades Cove and spend the day.  You'll see lots of patches of daffodils which are awesome.

If you have to do something in town, go to Smoky Mountain Brewery in G'burg and make sure you ask to sit by the big window if it's not too busy.  My favorite beer of theirs is the Red.  In a tall glass.    Make sure you're not driving home for a while lol.

I've always enjoyed hiking when I'm here. Nothing real long or hard, because we always have children in tow. Be careful though, if you see turtles, snakes are out. My son was 5, and my wife was 9 months pregnant and we came to a creek on a stretch of the trail. I looked down and a copperhead was a couple of inches from his feet. I slowly put my hands around his shoulders, picked him up, and sat him down on my other side. If he hadn't have been there, I would've run screaming like a little girl. I hate snakes. Haven't seen much wildlife out and about.

Oh man I bet that was tense.  I came across a rattler once on the easy walk up to the Look Rock fire tower one evening.  That f'er was laid out straight as a stick right next to the trail.  What caught my eye was its back end that looked like it was burnt, like you would see if you had a hotdog stick in the fire for a while, except on the other end of the blackened part was the rattler.  I saw it from about 10yds away and it didn't even make a move.  I didn't either and watched it for a few minutes.  Decided we didn't need to see the tower that bad and slowly backed away.

Nothing freaks me out more than seeing a snake in the wild.  Call me a wuss, but that crap keeps me from going on some good hikes.  

I had an aunt who got bit by two at the same time in between her fingers while gardening, one male and one female.  Almost lost her arm.

Just to emphasize the traffic issue, I went fishing yesterday over in Big Greenbriar. I knew I was not going through Sevierville, PF, etc. I drove up I-40 and went in on 321, the back way.

The cars getting off at exit 407 were backed up at least 2 miles just on the interstate, almost to the Knox/Sevier county line.

I passed all of that and 321 was very light, almost non existent traffic. It is longer, but at least you're moving and the scenery is much better than the bumper in front of you on 66.

I probably couldn't have even imagined the traffic from 407 on in.

Wuss!

J/K, this is a little bugger we had too close to the firing line. Buddy was going to waste a .40 cal round on him. Imagine that? I held his head down to the dirt and cut it off with my pocket knife. It's a Florida thing I guess?

Sorry for the crappy potato pic.

We just got back from there. Spent the 13th - 20th in a cabin near Gatlinburg.  Then went down to Chatanooga to the see the aquarium.

We had a 2yr old with us, so we were a bit limited in what we could do.

Did a lot of small, easy hikes, mostly to trails with water falls, since that's what the sammich maker likes. The visitor center were very helpful.

Also, went down 441 into Cherokee, NC. Awesome drive through the Newfound Gap (saw a chopper making shipment drops for God knows why) and a nice outdoor museum of a mountain farm.

Also had a chance to walk a part of the Appalachian trail up by the gap and I highly recommend stopping along the roadway at various places for pictures.
My wife now wants to move to eastern TN.

You all have a beautiful state.

We found this funny... Going from Nashville to Knoxville, we swear we saw more cars with MO plates than TN on the highway. Guess lots of folks doing the vacation thing this time of year.  Was great since there was a lot of rain prior and the rivers and waterfall were full.

We'll be going back when the boy is older and do some of the harder trails, zipline, rollercoaster car attractions.

Oh, we also got our fill of the pancake houses :)  Good stuff.

Thanks y'all!

The chopper you saw was supplying the Mount Leconte Lodge. Just before,their season begins, they fly in the larger, bulkier supplies for,the entire season. Takes a couple of days. After that, they have llamas that bring in supplies, the fresh food, etc. on a weekly basis during the season.

Cool. Thanks for the info. We thought maybe they were moving roadwork supplies since they had landed at one of the scenic view parking spots on 441.  Next day, all the stuff was gone so we knew it wasn't that.

Bump for any more food / brewery ideas, easy hiking trails and nice places to picnic.

I just booked a trip to that area for late June and I will also have a two year old along for the trip, so any family friendly suggestions are appreciated.  Maybe even some non-family safe suggestions for when the wife and kid are asleep.  

If you don't mind me asking, are you staying in a hotel, cabin, or one of those resorts?  

Smoky Mtn. Brewery is a must, and it's family friendly.  Their pizza is really good, as well as burgers.  Can't vouch for anything else but the beer.  There's also what used to be called The Sherlock Holmes Pub but it's changed management so I forget the name.  It had one of the best burgers in Gatlinburg.

There's a few great easy trails for 2yr olds just as you get into the park from Gatlinburg. Park at the Sugarlands visitor center and walk behind the bathrooms and you'll see some trail markings.  Should be nice and flat and you can go by the creek.

Kids love the Ripley's Aquarium, and is usually a must-stop.  There are usually discounts at the visitor centers.  Speaking of visitor centers, if you come in via I-40, the best one to stop at and get info is by stopping here.

Remember, Pigeon Forge doesn't sell liquor, but Gatlinburg does.  If you want a bottle of wine or something, there's a store just as you get into Gatlinburg on the left next to the Davy Crockett Putt Putt.  Don't go traipsing all over Pigeon Forge looking for the good stuff like a lot of people. ( Including me)

You can buy liquor in PF, Smoky Mtn moonshine has a store on Belle Island.

We are staying at one of those resorts in Sevierville ( free condo ). I hope they sell booze in that town or do I need to stock up in Knoxville ?  Also, any suggestions for more difficult / scenic hikes in the 2-3 hr range ?  I want to do some hiking by myself while the kid sleeps, my wife is not exactly Mrs. Outdoors.

Thanks for the tips so far!

Don't know your wife, but you may - hell you might even - enjoy the newish arts/crafts district that's on some of the back roads into Gatlinburg.  Do a search and you can find info.  I think you take Dolly Parton Pkwy to Hwy 416.  I just stumbled on it recently and thought it was a pretty cool drive.

we just got back from our stay there. i had no idea how many tourists go there. it was insane at some places (like downtown gatlinburg, kids running amok). We did 3 dinner shows, hatfields, lumberjack, and dixie stampede. thoroughly enjoyed lumberjack feud, the food rocked.

we didnt try old mill restaurant until the last night for dinner, and i am so pissed we waited so long. AMAZING food. we got breakfast there the next morning before leaving.

spent a few hundred at smokey mountain knife works. got my wife a TOPS neck knife and myself a new griptilian, some hornady TAP in 9 and 223, and a esee izula II. went to the surplus store, got some MREs and a new poncho liner. went into the national park for some great pictures.

overall, loved it. my wife wants to return for christmas at the christmas inn

also the aviation museum was pretty neat too

Go fly fishing or hiking if/when you come back. Gatlinburg is a tourist hotspot, and the park is only a short drive away. If I were visiting from out of town, I would spend every single day in the park. YMMV.

Amazing that the only reasons those two towns exist are the park and Dolly Parton, yet those are the most seldom-visited things in the area.

The park=Great

Parton<Great   save your money here and do something else on the list.

But it's the truth.

spent a day at dollywood, it was okay. tickets were about $15 more each than at cedar point, take it for what its worth.

i would have loved to go on the trails, unfortunately i had a cold going down there, and not being in a tundra (from ohio) gave me allergies on top of that. i was so hopped up on meds i was walking around like a drunk.