My husband and I went to Gatlinburg and The Great Smoky Mountains for vacation and the Fall leaves were very pretty. We went to Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and over to Cherokee,NC and had a wonderful time. The leaves towards Clingmans Dome and the TN/NC line are at peak and alot of oranges,reds,yellows,purples and the weather was also very nice. We ate at our favorites restaurants like, Howards Steakhouse,No Way Joses Mexican,Pancake Pantry,Apple Valley,Old Mill,Best Italian,Little Princess in Cherokee to name a few. We saw a total of 10 Black Bears and countlesss Deer,Turkeys in and around the area. We rented a cabin called Rippling waters thru Alpine Chalet Rentals and it was really nice and sat right on a river and the sounds were very relaxing. This was our 2nd trip this year and we are going back again for Christmas. Here is a few pictures of our trip. Check out the videos too. The leaves were so pretty and I think we were there at the right time.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/581581578dGxQbR
The Great Smoky Mountains Trip Report Oct.9th-Oct.17th. 2011
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Yes, I agree, the colors are nice. I miss that fall foliage there. Thanks for the pics.
Looks like a beautiful area and nice colors. Say a bit more about where you stayed and other options.
Ozarksbill, We stayed in a cabin/chalet called Rippling Water and it was with a company called Alpine Chalet Rentals. It was a 2 bedroom and it backed up to a river/creek. It was in Gatlinburg about a half mile from the main drag. We have rented cabins with that company a few times and like them. We hung out in the The Great Mountain National Park alot and one day we drove over to Cherokee,NC and went to Harrahs Casino to play a bit. The colors on the way over the mountain were beautiful. We go to the area several times a year and we love it. During the month of October there is a huge craftmans fair with local dealers selling what they make. The area is very nice. If you ever get a chance to go there is a ton of things to do. I would recommend going to Dollywood theme park for the day and also hike some of the trails in the park. Cades Cove is a 11 mile loop with alot of old churches and cabins from back in the day and New Found Gap is at the TN/NC state line and is close to Clingmans Dome which is the highest point in TN. The town of Pigeon Forge is around 5-6 miles from Gatlinburg and there is alot of things to do there too and is a great town if you have kids. Gatlinburg is small and is a walking town and very quaint and nice. It has alot of nice shops and restaurants. There is also a couple of Chair Lifts you can ride and both towns has a trolley service to take you where you want to go. We saw alot of Deer.Black Bears and turkeys in the park. The leaves this year were very pretty. We love it.
Here is a link to the cabin rental company we rented from. We also like to use Timber Tops and Diamond Mountain Rentals. There are a ton of hotels up and down the strip in Gatlinburg to stay at and all within walking distance to shopping and restaurants.Gatlinburg is in the Eastern side of TN.
http://www.alpinechaletrentals.com/Unit.mvc/Details/43228