Gatlinburg Tennessee

One of the reasons I adore traveling is because it allows me to learn so many new things about the places I visit and the people I meet. I’m constantly reading new travel articles about a wide variety of destinations, and my list of places to go is starting to look as long as my Costco receipts.

How many of you are familiar with Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Before I randomly came across an article about it recently, I knew next to nothing! Gatlinburg is apparently a fairly small town of just under 4,000 people, but it’s a very popular resort town. It’s right on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The town also has a Space Needle which looks very similar to the one in Seattle! As soon as I heard learned about that and the fact that it’s a popular resort town I immediately though “ooh, I wonder what sort of hotels they have there…”

The Mountain Loft looks like a great resort. It’s over 2200 feet above sea level, so it has great views. It’s only five miles from Smoky Mountain National Park and it has jacuzzi tubs, a spa, a sauna and indoor and outdoor pools. It seems to be a great home base from which to explore the area.

I would personally be more interested in staying in a cabin, though – you’re in the Smoky Mountains, after all! Something along the lines of Hearland Cabins seems so much fun to me. I haven’t stayed in a cabin since college, and it was such a great time. When it’s snowy outside, you can stay inside next to the fireplace and drink hot cocoa. Happy sighs. It’s time to get a group of people together and head to Tennesseee!

Ripleys Aquarium Gatlinburg

Photo Credits: James. Thompson, Brent and MariLynn