Going for a few days at the end of this month. Staying at an Airbnb cabin type place, about 10 miles outside PF/Gatlinburg

Will be there Mon-Fri, hopefully crowds won’t be too bad

Me, Mrs and two small offspring

Recommend cool things to do and see

Zero interest in Dollywood

Anakeesta looks cool

Maybe the aquarium, how’s that?

Nice place for dinner one night, also a good pizza/burger/beer spot for lunch?

My little girl likes creeks.  Any place where you can just splash around in the water?

Hate to tell you guys, but crowds will be bad as will the traffic. It's summer, but then again the area has no real slow time like it once did.

For cooling in the water, go to the GSMNP, you're right there.

If you think Cades Cove was crowded you're definitely not going to like Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.

Pretty much all restaurants in PF and Gatlinburg are all chains. There are some locally owned places but there aren't many left.

The aquarium will be packed, guaranteed. If you do go, go early like when they first open up.

Cancel it & instead go to Tellico Plains. Get a cabin right on the river or close to it. About 1/10,000th of the traffic (or less), no commercialization of the mountains, beautiful scenery & nice locals. Trout fishing if you want it too.

I seriously don't know why anyone would opt to invade that nest of humanity around Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge.

My .o2

Eh, shopping can always be had anytime, IMO.

I would wager the cabins on the river in Tellico are about 1/2 of what one would be in Gatlinburg.

Right down Hwy 68 is Copperhill, home of Bald River Brewery. They make a wide variety of damn good beer. They sell growlers too, so you can take some with you.

As I get older, I abhor large crowds. Unless, of course, they're all nude females.

Unless you have to be entertained, I don’t see the draw to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge.

When I’m on vacation, I want to relax not sit in traffic and crowds. But that’s me.

Tellico Plains is about as far away as you can get from PF or Gatlinburg, and that is a good thing.

Parrott Mountian in PF was something the wife and I enjoyed.....Google it.

For creeks, there’s one that’s in the national forest on the east side of gatlinburg. Google Greenbriar picnic pavilion, it’s along side it as you come down the road. There were people hanging out along and in the river/creek, and there’s plenty of shaded areas around too. Just be careful of snakes and bears.

Anakeesta was alright. A bit hot, everything was cash only, and expensive. The aquarium was good though, and parking was cheap right behind it. But if you don’t like crowds… good luck. Can’t really help you on pizza/beer though unless you go to Knoxville.

If y’all like driving around and viewing the mountains, and don’t get carsick too easily, go drive us129 and go through and to the cherohala skyway. Lots of pull offs for pictures and picnics. You can go straight down the foothills parkway to get there.