The Arts and Outdoor Fun Reign Supreme in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg was originally settled in the early 1800's by the Ogle family. Descendants of the Ogles are still very involved in the city. The following link provides a history of the town. It is interesting reading, especially when you see how Gatlinburg has evolved.

Gatlinburg is considered a mountain resort town, a tourist town. Compared to its sister city Pigeon Forge, which offers a steady diet of shows, restaurants, outlet malls, miniature golf, pancake houses and junk shops, Gatlinburg looks downright quaint. Walking up and down main street Gatlinburg can occupy hours of time. People watching is fascinating and countless trinket shops provide much entertainment. While walking, you will find a number of booths with people offering free tickets for shows or other sights. Personally, I would avoid stopping. These people are trying to sell timeshares and the freebies are in exchange for listening to a sales pitch. The hawkers, once allowed loose on the streets, have been restricted to booths and are reduced to yelling "Hey sir, Hey madam, free tickets" in effort to grab your attention. Below are a few quality places you may want to visit while in Gatlinburg.

1. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Arrowmont is located at near the beginning of the Gatlinburg Parkway. Fronting the Parkway is a shop filled with beautiful artisan work from an artist community deeply seated in the Tennessee-North Carolina mountains. Artist from all over the world come to this area (NC and TN) to hone their skills in the inspiring mountain environment. You will find beautiful works in wood, clay, metal and fiber, along with spectacular jewelry. The shop is only a small part of the complex. A marvelous school (not really visible from the street) is attached. You can check with the shop if you are interesting in wandering around
the school grounds.

2. Gatlinburg Artist Loop (8-miles) These days I usually head to the area for a hike or backpack and forget that hours spent visiting artist galleries can be fun and very interesting. The Artist Loop is an 8-mile drive showcasing galleries and studios for local artists. As with Arrowmont, you will find all types of art. If a gallery catches your eye, you can stop, browse and chat with the artist. This is a fascinating drive worth the time spent. Your hotel can provide directions and a map. The Loop is located a few miles outside the city.

3. Ripley's Gatlinburg Aquarium If you enjoy aquariums, this one is very nice. If you have limited time, visit the the sites above and spend time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Finally, Gatlinburg is a city filled with restaurants. Since we spend most of our time in the mountains and very little time in Gatlinburg, my recommendations are limited.

Front Porch Mexican Restaurant, Cosby, TN: The Front Porch is an old Mexican Restaurant in Cosby, TN, a few miles outside of Gatlinburg. The Front Porch is best known for bluegrass music. The food is cheap and only okay, the service might be slow but the music is great. If you want booze, "bring your own bottle." The restaurant is open from 5:00-10:30 PM on Friday and Saturday night, 5:00-9:30 PM on Sunday night; closed all other days of the week. Music begins at 7:00 PM.

Pancake Pantry: Open from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (4:00 PM June-October), lines form early outside for breakfast. This is an experience not to be missed.

The Brass Lantern: We often travel through Gatlinburg after a long day of hiking or a weekend backpack. Our destination is always The Brass Lantern for a very specific meal, a tureen of vegetable soup and a "skillet" of cornbread. Although we may add a salad to our order (depending on how hard we hiked), we rarely order anything else. The ambiance is average, the dress is very casual and the restaurant is located on the main strip.

Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen: While technically not a restaurant, I consider salt water taffy one of the major food groups, especially vanilla and chocolate. Gatlinburg has a number of candy kitchens, this one happens to be our favorite and a few steps away from The Brass Lantern. The Candy Kitchen offers a large selection of candies and salt water taffy. You can buy by the piece or full box. Once made by hand, salt water taffy is now pulled and packaged by machine. The taffy machine is located in front of a large window. Stop for a few moments and watch the process, it is fascinating. An equally fine candy store is located next to the Pancake Pantry.
Check with your hotel for other eating establishments. Gatlinburg hosts a number of fine restaurants including Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que, Calhouns and others.

Getting around Gatlinburg is easy. The city operates trolley cars with stops throughout Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Maps are available at most establishments. Utilizing the trolley prevents parking headaches and reduces car emissions, which are destroying plants in the park.
Save at least one day to explore the most visited park in the national park system. It is a true treasure "tucked" away behind Gatlinburg.

Information courtesy of The Travelzine Group

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies opens new Exhibit

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is really trying to baby its visitors with its newly-opened exhibit. A display titled, "Living Babies in Incubators" has now filled an area of the facility that once took guests to sea with pirates and all the way to Mars.

Aquarium General Manager Steve File says the exhibit harkens back to the oddity and carnival roots of Ripley Entertainment."The idea of putting babies in incubators started out as a sideshow feature and these doctors would tour around with these premature babies," File said. "It's a great story. I think people will really enjoy it."

In addition to tracing the history of incubating human infants, the exhibit also explains incubators used in the natural world, from bubble nests to brood pouches. To illustrate those, the display includes 16 aquariums filled with eggs, embryos and babies of various aquatic species.

Installing the exhibit cost $750,000, money File thinks is well-spent."We think this will be a great addition for our visitors," he saide. "Each time we change this exhibit, we try to do something that will keep people coming back. Everybody loves little babies. We're all about entertainment and if you learn something along the way, that's great."

Guests who have already toured the exhibit seem impressed."I really liked it," Alex Littlejohn, 10, of Petal, Miss., said. "It's cool to see all the babies."

Visitors to the exhibit can see embryonic sharks in egg pods, pollywogs on their way to becoming full-grown frogs, 65-million-year-old dinosaur eggs and baby seahorses so small they almost have to be viewed with a magnifying glass.

In introducing the exhibit Thursday, Bob George, a doctor of veterinary medicine, said the aquarium is the perfect host for the display."When you think about it, Ripley's aquarium itself is an incubator," George said. "This is what we're about - raising animals."The exhibit is expected to be open throughout 2008.

Ring in the New Year at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies will ring in the New Year with its 7th Annual Dance with the Sharks New Year's Eve Party. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the undersea world of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies while they party the night away with 10,000 exotic ocean creatures, including 12-foot sharks.

The New Year's Eve Party features two separate dance areas, one with an 8-piece dance band and another with a DJ, an unlimited feast of over the top hors d'oeuvres plus a champagne toast at midnight.

"Our party is both unique and fun. You can dance, eat, and party throughout the aquarium until 1 a.m., plus just prior to midnight we can all go out to the aquarium's plaza and watch the city of Gatlinburg's fireworks display and ball drop. It's always an incredible event," said Steve File, general manager of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

The party is great for the entire family. Those wishing to bring children can take advantage of the aquarium's Educational Childcare program, which is offered to children ages 3 to 12. Advance arrangements for childcare are required.

The party price is $109.99 per couple, $69.99 for singles, and $29.99 for children (3-12). Educational childcare is available for children ages 3 to 12. All prices are plus tax. Reservations are required.The aquarium is located at traffic light #5 on the Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN and is open 365 days a year. The Aquarium closes to the public at 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve and opens to party guests at 9:01 p.m.

Image and information courtesy of Ripley's Corportation