Gatlinburg

[HeatherJay]

We'll be going in December to vacation with family for a few days around Christmas time. I'm trying to decide on a nice place to stay...cabin or chalet...not a hotel. Any suggestions from folks who've been? Also, how are the crowds that time of year?

I would like a pretty mountain view and enough space to sleep 10 or so. *sigh* There are so many websites out there and it's really overwhelming. I'd love some suggestions based on experience, though.

Thanks.

Love, Heather

 

[Miss Mayberry]

This is based on experience, opinion, and five vacations to Gatlinburg:

Oh, Gatlinburg is awesome, especially near Christmas. The crowds can be a bit of a hassle, depending on the weather. If it's rainy, people tend to cancel their accomodation reservations. If it snows, people tend to be IN Gatlinburg, but not exactly out on the streets and shops and what-have-you. And if it's just cold, people are out and about.

My accomodation advice is to book a few days less than you actually plan on staying. You can go to a timeshare spill and get two or sometimes three extra days of vacation, just for listening to their speech. We've done this twice, and stayed 8 days, three of them being absolutely free. Some of the hotels have gorgeous Smoky Mountain views, and some right up against the mountains. Not to scare you, but Gatlinburg bears have a reputation for coming out of the woods and rummaging through trash cans, beds of pickup truck beds, and sometimes vending machines in/on/around hotels directly beside the mountains.

Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg's neighboring tourist town, has some great cabins and chalets for rent. Approximately ten minutes away, Pigeon Forge provides privacy and space, away from the rush-rush atmosphere of Gatlinburg, and is ideal for large families or groups with small children. eek: Maybe I should get a job writing tourist brochures... )

Hope it helps, let me know if you have any more questions.

-Amanda

 

[sammipher]

I would pick a chalet that is not someone elses vacation home...my husband and I booked a chalet on a moutain in gatlinberg for our honeymoon(off the internet through a vacation rental company) and it was a pretty place in the middle of no where, but because it was someone elses vacation home it was creepy. Everything had their name and address on it including the sheets...everything had notes on it and their was pictures of the people hanging on the walls. I found an ash tray in the kitchen...I dont smoke..but it had a note on there not to smoke because they had allergies...they had notes in frames on the wall...what we could use and not use and there was a door to the basement that locked on the opposite side..dont know what that was all about....I was afraid to touch anything...I would rent a chalet because they are usually on the mountain...but I would get one that was built for the purpose of rentals..not someones house they rented out to pay the mortgage.

 

[HeatherJay]

I would pick a chalet that is not someone elses vacation home...my husband and I booked a chalet on a moutain in gatlinberg for our honeymoon(off the internet through a vacation rental company) and it was a pretty place in the middle of no where, but because it was someone elses vacation home it was creepy. Everything had their name and address on it including the sheets...everything had notes on it and their was pictures of the people hanging on the walls. I found an ash tray in the kitchen...I dont smoke..but it had a note on there not to smoke because they had allergies...they had notes in frames on the wall...what we could use and not use and there was a door to the basement that locked on the opposite side..dont know what that was all about....I was afraid to touch anything...I would rent a chalet because they are usually on the mountain...but I would get one that was built for the purpose of rentals..not someones house they rented out to pay the mortgage.

That DOES sound creepy. LOL, we're renting through a cabin rental company, so I'm fairly sure that the cabins are rentals only. In fact, the one we're getting hasn't even been built completely yet...it'll be finished in July. I'm so excited. Lived here all my life and never been to Gatlinburg. My 5 year old just wants to pet the stingrays. That's the whole point of the trip for her.

Thanks for the info, guys.

Love, Heather

 

[theseed]

I'm from Knoxville, TN, and I can honestly say that Gatlinburg is an awesome place to be in the winter time, though there is little snow; they have lots of Christmas lights.

 

[HeatherJay]

I'm from Knoxville, TN, and I can honestly say that Gatlinburg is an awesome place to be in the winter time, though there is little snow; they have lots of Christmas lights.

That's what I'm hoping for...little snow and lots of lights. We're going to take our Christmas presents and have our Christmas with the in-laws. I should be a really nice time. Thanks for the replies.

I live in Erin...which is near Clarksville, over in middle Tennessee.

Love, Heather

 

[JPPT1974]

It is a busy tourist season living in Sevier County so that is one of the billions and billions of reasons that I avoid going up there and plus traffic is gosh you know what during Summer and Winter!! But staying in a cabin and/or chalet I have been to once and I loved both that I don't really have a favorite.