I shared a lot of our little mini-vacation over on my Instagram stories (saved to my ‘fall fun’ highlight by the way!), but I also wanted it to have its own little place on the blog as well. We had so much fun and already can see many weekend trips like it in our future. It’s really funny because before we got married my love language was 100% gifts. Since living with a significant other, having a change in budgetary priorities, etc., I am totally on the quality time bandwagon! This lines up perfectly with our mutual love of travel and budgetary priority of always saving for the next trip.
All that to say, it was so fun to finally stretch our legs a little bit and travel, even if it was only to our backyard. Preston’s family visits Gatlinburg multiple times a year, so he has literally grown up there! I have been multiple, multiple times but not on nearly as many dedicated vacations. This location is also special to Preston and I because his family was always kind enough to start inviting me along to their cabin trips once we were in college- luckily we always stay in cabins with multiple bedrooms and Preston didn’t mind the air mattress life as long as I got to come along!
We live a little bit more than an hour from Gatlinburg, but we honestly do not visit enough. There’s just so much to see and do there I don’t think anyone could ever visit enough times, but I love that we have so many different types of trips there and spend some relaxing, some hiking, some being tourists, the list goes on!
The last time we went anywhere together just the two of us, was our honeymoon in January! This trip was MUCH smaller in scale, but I still wanted to plan a few things for us to do while we were there.
Also, I wanted to quickly mention the title of this post is a nod to Dolly Parton’s hit song, My Tennessee Mountain Home. Preston and I just finished listening to Dolly Parton’s America, and we absolutely LOVED it. Highly recommend to anyone- especially someone en route to Gatlinburg!
Friday // Settle In
We left around 1:30 but had to stop and get gas, go to the grocery store, etc., but as soon as we got into the part of town we always stay in, Preston looked at me and said, “I just LOVE being here.” If you know Preston in real life, he isn’t super talkative, so when he says things like that, he means it- haha! We unloaded everything at the cabin (I think I packed enough outfits and snacks for a three-week stay!), and then we headed out to eat at a restaurant we had been recommended countless times. “Local Goat” is on the main parkway in Pigeon Forge, and every single time we pass the parking lot is always packed. If you have ever been to PF before, you might know there aren’t a ton of local eateries in this part of town- it makes me so happy that people choose local when they can!
We got there at 5 and still had a hard time getting a seat for 2- I would recommend making reservations! We both got burgers and split the deviled eggs appetizer- really yummy! A lot of the other food looked good and someone also recommended the cheese fondue plate, but we were too full to try!
No trip to the Smokies is complete without a stop by the Apple Barn! This is a nostalgic favorite of mine, and it made me so happy to visit with Preston! We each got an apple cinnamon sugar donut, and I got a hot apple cider. I love the apple fritters most of all, but those only come at the restaurant!
Once we were back to the cabin, Preston started to work on the fire pit for us, and we just hung out there before heading in and watching a Halloween movie.
By the way- I wanted to mention we stay in the Gatlinburg “Arts and Crafts Community” every single time we come to the area! It’s conveniently in the middle of most everything, with lots of back roads and ways to bypass traffic. It’s also very, very quiet and cozy usually!
Saturday // Game Day
We’re early risers even on vacation, so we enjoyed getting up early and having breakfast together while watching College Game Day. We’re both UTK grads if you didn’t know, and this day happened to be UT’s first “home” game, even though game days look really different this year. We headed out to Downtown Gatlinburg around 10 a.m. to make sure we were in a prime location to get a spot to watch the game at Smoky Mountain Brewery. We love eating here, and I highly recommend parking behind there if you do eat there! Free parking with proof of a $10 purchase from the restaurant. Plus the parking lot area is beautiful- would you believe me if I told you that’s where we took these pictures?
We watched the first half of the game, then headed back to the cabin to finish it out while we waited for Preston’s younger brother to arrive. UT won (!) and we got ready for our 6 p.m. dinner reservation at one of our favorite restaurants ever- The Greenbrier! We really love going there for special occasions.
After having a yummy meal there, we headed back to the cabin and made s’mores and hung out by the fire.
Sunday // Hike
A friend recommended we do the Alum Cave Trail, and we were so, so glad we did! It’s not often that we head deep into the park. Traffic is pretty bad if you don’t get there early enough, and calling the popular trails “crowded” is usually an understatement. But, if you get up early enough, there’s still plenty of fun to be had! We arrived at the trailhead around 8:15 a.m. and didn’t have a ton of trouble finding a spot to park in the gravel along the road. This trail is the first little spurt of the famous Mt. Leconte trail, and after completing this one, I am so so excited to go for that hike! I will have to keep working on my hiking abilities, but with enough rest breaks and water, I think I will be able to do it!
That wraps up our trip to Gatlinburg! I highly recommend visiting this area to anyone. It can be very touristy and crowded and crazy, but there’s so much beauty and fun to be found if you know where to look. Even if you’re unable to visit, I really hope this post inspired you to explore your own backyard a little more!
