Inside Gatlinburg TN - Gatlinburg Coupons, Gatlinburg Lodging, Vacation Guides

If you have ever been to Gatlinburg, then you know that one of the big issues facing you on your visit is where to park. Gatlinburg is a small town that accommodates the needs of thousands of businesses during a week. Parking has always been an issue for visitors to Gatlinburg. The city has plenty of parking lots and garages but you do have to pay to park. There is also free parking along River Road in Gatlinburg, but you have to get there early or be lucky. Of course, there is also the option of mass transit. While parking is an issue in Gatlinburg, the city has provided several options.

Everyone has seen the parking lots in Gatlinburg. There are some lots that are owned by the city and other lots that are run by the businesses next to them or run as businesses themselves. The city-owned lots are larger and the prices are the same from lot to lot. There are also two parking garages in Gatlinburg, one beside Ripley’s Aquarium and one located at traffic light 3. These two garages provide a lot of parking space compared to the space they take up. On River Road there are several privately owned parking lots. Unlike the public lots, which are based on one flat rate, the privately owned lots sometimes have deals depending on how long you are in the lot. If you are just staying for a little while or visiting just one location you may want to check the private lots out.

River Road is the land of free parking. From the traffic light beside Ripley’s Aquarium you can turn down River Road. The parking is along the right hand side and runs almost all the way down the road with very few exceptions. To get parking along River Road you need to get there early or be lucky. Most locals that work in Gatlinburg and arrive early, park on River Road. If you are headed to Gatlinburg for breakfast it might be worth a trip down River Road to see if there is a space open. If you come in late there is still a chance as people come and go all day long in Gatlinburg.

Another option is mass transit. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge both have an amazing trolley system. When you are headed into Gatlinburg from Pigeon Forge, you will pass the Gatlinburg welcome center. Next to the Welcome Center, you will find one of the free parking lots that is a stop for the trolleys. Park your car at the trolley station and then ride the trolley for $0.50 per person per ride. All the trolleys stop at the Aquarium and there are trolley stops throughout Gatlinburg. Free parking and a 50-cent ride on a trolley is a great deal.

When you are heading to Gatlinburg keep your parking options in mind. Find a lot to park in, take your chances of finding a free space on River Road or simply park and ride the trolley. The city has given you several options and you will find the best part about Gatlinburg is that it is small enough to walk end to end easily; and being able to wander the streets is part of the magic.

It seldom happens that a name really does describe a restaurant. Certainly Taco Bell tells you what to expect and McDonalds has come to be an icon, but Best Italian in Gatlinburg, Tennessee not only tells you what to expect but it also lives up to its name. For over 30 years Best Italian has been providing both pizza and Italian cuisine to locals and visitors alike in Gatlinburg. Their pizza is astounding, their Italian cuisine is incredible and their garlic knots are breath taking. Make sure to include Best Italian in your next trip to the Smokies.

New York style pizza in the Smokies, thin crust, big, and made to order, only at Best Italian. Their pizza is different and they have some toppings you don’t see in the chain stores: Pesto, feta cheese, artichoke hearts and more. Their pesto pizza is a green monstrosity with a whole different kind of pizza goodness. The Brazilian Béchamel is a white sauce pizza that will leave your mouth watering even after you are done. Or just order the size you want and keep adding toppings until you have the perfect made-to-order pie. Or try the same thing with their pizza dough used as a calzone. The calzone is enormous. Pizza at Best Italian is simply the… Best.

Loads of pasta. If their pizza is the best then their Italian cuisine is even better. Traditional Italian fare mixed with something special here and there. They carry all the favorites you might be looking for: spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo, eggplant parmigiana. But they have some signatures dishes that you shouldn’t miss. Chef Paul’s seafood medley is wonderful, enough seafood to sink a shrimp boat and a wine sauce that is simply decadent. And their wilted spinach side dish is beyond compare. Spinach wilted and served with fresh tomatoes. The Italian cuisine at Best Italian ranks up there with posh restaurants you would find in some of the greatest ‘foodie’ cities in the world.

Garlic knots! This is the basic side that comes with every meal. These little balls of heaven melt in your mouth and they are served almost floating in a garlic oil mixture and covered in parmesan cheese and bits of garlic. One recommendation is to always try and get the last one. When you get the last one, break it in half and let it soak in the garlic oil before you eat it. Best Italian is one of the little known eateries in Gatlinburg but it is out of this world. They are located in the Elks Plaza shopping center between traffic lights 8 and 9. Best Italian, their name really says it all.

Depending on the season, you could probably guess what was going on in Gatlinburg last year. It’s very similar for 2010 as the time of year directly impacts the events happening throughout town that month. Whether it’s the Winter Special Olympics and the Winter Magic Lighting Festival in February, the Great Smoky Easter Arts and Craft show in April, the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival in September or Christmas on Ice in December, there’s something for everyone for every season.

*PLEASE NOTE* These dates are subject to change. Please contact the numbers listed for each event to receive official information. If you discover something is different than what we have listed, please post it in the comment section at the bottom of this page.

JANUARY 2010

January 1 to 31 – Gatlinburg Winter Magic – The City of Gatlinburg magically lights up the winter nights with dozens of spectacular light displays, featuring all LED bulbs. (GSE) (800) 568-4748

January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Gatlinburg Winter Magic Trolley Ride of Lights – Enjoy a guided trolley tour of spectacular Gatlinburg Winter Magic lighting displays. Departure is from the Ripley’s Aquarium Trolley Station. Group reservations are available. Trolley leaves at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. (GSE) (865) 436-0535 ($)

January 4 to 31 – Night Magic Skiing – Purchase a Lift Ticket Monday through Friday (non-holidays) from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Ober Gatlinburg (865) 436-5423 ($)

January 28 – Rock Gatlinburg – Aspiring high school and middle school band performers and individual musicians get the opportunity to meet and receive guidance from professional musicians during this event hosted by the Gatlinburg Recreation Department at the Community Center on five consecutive Thursdays through February. Participants can learn about computer recording, explore professional work opportunities and walk away with a CD recording. For information, contact Laurence Evans or Dave Anderson (865) 436-4990 ($)

January 31 – Tennessee Winter Special Olympics – Winter sports competitions including ice skating, snowboarding and snow skiing. Ober Gatlinburg (800) 251-9202
Continue reading ‘2010 Gatlinburg Calendar of Events’

Looking for that last winter spectacle to tide you over as you ease into the new year. Well you’re in luck because Gatlinburg’s Trolley Ride of Lights is the perfect way to wrap up the holidays and really take in the old town’s Christmas magic one last time.

Despite the holiday season coming to close, trolley rides will continue through the month of January, departing at 6:30 p.m. each Saturday at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies with additional tours at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Admission is $5 and be sure to call 865-436-0535 for reservations.

The Trolley Ride of Lights is a chance to soak up every last bit of Gatlinburg’s holiday spirit as the trolley winds its way through streets decorated with garlands, wreaths and the occasional elf. The 45- minute tour is completely narrated so that no one will miss that oh so elusive display just around the corner, or the place you keep meaning to drive by, but have simply forgotten.

So don’t miss the trolley, and make sure you’re waiting at Ripley’s Aquarium Plaza Saturday night at 6:30, 7:30 or 8:30 p.m. and enjoy the lights!

During the Civil War there was a battle between Confederate and Union soldiers in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  June 19^th through 21^st re-enactors will take the field again to fight the “Battle of Burg Hill.”  Hosted at Mills Park just outside of Gatlinburg, this historical reenactment tries to retell the events that happened during the Battle of Burg Hill.  The soldiers from both sides will be represented and it promises to be a great educational experience.

Here is a brief history of the battle:  With gunpowder ingredients being mined at Alum Cave the Union forces from Knoxville and Sevierville came to take the fort at Burg Hill.  The two sides clashed and over 200 men were involved in the battle that ranged all over the mountainside and through the town of Gatlinburg.  Luckily no one was killed in the battle and though some were wounded only one Union soldier was taken captive.  Colonel Thomas the Confederate leader was forced to withdraw back over the mountains as the fighting ended near Kodak, TN.

The reenactment is expecting to have more than 150 soldiers at the event to reenact the battle.  These soldiers will be in replica uniforms of the time and visitors will get to see what camp life and battle conditions may have been like during that turbulent time period in history.  You will hear the call of battle, the famous/infamous Rebel yell and of course the rifle fire.  Make plans to come out and root for the North or the South.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee has a reputation for a being a quaint mountain town.  People walking the sidewalks and window shopping; everything lit up like the Fourth of July; the activity and the friendliness make it easy to just spend time with your family and friends as you stroll down the sidewalks.  This aspect of Gatlinburg gets a boost starting June 12^th, with the 4^th annual Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales event.  Tunes & Tales brings characters, performers and crafts people to the streets of downtown Gatlinburg to tell stories, sing, dance and make hand crafts.  The performers arrive by wagon and the excitement builds from there.  This is one time where you don’t have to go to the show, the show comes to you.

The cast of Tunes & Tales arrives downtown at 5pm Friday and Saturday nights from June 12^th through June 26^th.  On June 26^th through August 8^th the show will run nightly starting at 5pm.  For this 2009 season the performers are going to focus on the 75^th Anniversary of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  The cast portrays characters dating back to the early 1800s and their collection wit, charm and knowledge is sure to captivate you.   You will be able to take in cloggers, musicians, crafters, Whittlin’ Joe, Miss Nan – the school marm, Annie the Quilter, Animal Mac and even some bluegrass bands from the region. 

Of course, the best part, is that these performers come to you.  They will be speaking, singing and performing on the streets of Gatlinburg TN.  They will be walking in the shoes of the people they are there to represent.  This is educational entertainment at its best.  With the tie-in to the National Park’s 75^th Anniversary, this is sure to be a huge year for Tunes & Tales.  Make sure to plan your trip to Gatlinburg with enough time to take in these great performers as they walk the streets with you.

People sometimes forget that there was a time before the Great Smoky Mountain National Park existed.  In that time in this mountainous area there were small communities and towns that thrived as farmers, trappers and those that helped support the logging communities went about their daily work.   The towns and communities are now gone and very little of their existence is still seen in the park itself, but some of the people are still here.  At the Gatlinburg Old Timer’s Day those people that remember the time some 75 years ago before the Park was founded will turn out to tell stories and share pictures about the communities in which they once lived. 

The Gatlinburg Inn, one of the historic lodging venues in Gatlinburg, is playing host to this event.  The Gatlinburg Inn has its own unique place in the area’s history, so there is not a better place in town for this event to occur.  It was built between 1937 and 1940 and was the site of the first large newspaper, the city’s first dentist, and has played host to many famous people.  Most notably it was the site where the song Rocky Top was written–in room 338.  Rocky Top, of course, became the state song.

On June 6^th, when these old timers show up to swap yarns, they are going to tell about the times before the national park.  They are going to talk about growing up and being part of the communities that made up this corner of east Tennessee.  They lived in places like Sugarlands, Cades Cove and Greenbrier.  Today these areas are a campground, visitor’s center and picnic area, but 75 years ago they were homes and towns.  It will be nice to be able to look back through the eyes of locals as they tell stories and explain what it was like to watch the National Park become a reality; what it was like to move from the park to a new community.  Come listen to the oral tradition being handed down from one generation to the next .

One of the best things about Gatlinburg is the scenery.  Part of that scenery is the mountain streams and rivers that converge and form the Little Pigeon River.  With these bodies of water running through the city, it is no wonder that visitors and locals alike come to Gatlinburg to fish.  The accessibility of the streams and the fact that Gatlinburg stocks the river along River Road make for good fishing for the expert or novice.  Being able to walk from your hotel to the water, wade into the river, start casting and land that big trout, makes fishing in Gatlinburg something to be remembered for a lifetime.

Due to the fact that Gatlinburg has one of the best stocking programs in the area, you do need a special permit to fish inside the city limits.  You can pick up one of those permits at the Welcome Center on 441 South, the ‘Spur,’ before you get to town or City Hall on East Parkway.  Gatlinburg has their own trout farm that they use for stocking.  The streams are stocked on Thursday so there is no fishing on Thursdays, but any other day of the week is fine.  The Gatlinburg Trout License has different rules and regulations depending on whether you are a Tennessee resident or not and there are a few exempt classes that do not need the Gatlinburg permit.  You should ask those questions when you get your permit at the Welcome Center or City Hall.

There are some rules and regulations when fishing in Gatlinburg.  Fishing in Gatlinburg is allowed from thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.  There are several children-only fishing areas in Gatlinburg: no one over twelve is allowed to fish in those areas.  When fishing in Gatlinburg, you can only use one hand-held rod and you can only use a single hook.  No multiple hook rigs are allowed. There are, of course, creel limits to the number of fish you can catch, so make sure that you ask about creel limits, type of bait and lures that can be used when you purchase your fishing permit. 

With all of the fishing opportunities it offers, Gatlinburg is a sportsman’s paradise.  If you are a fly fisherman from way back, this is a great place to spend some time looking for that big trout in a stocked stream.  If you have never fly fished before than you have the chance to fish where the water is easy to get to and you know that there are trout in the water.  Good times are to be had fishing in Gatlinburg.

The Second Annual, 26.2 mile, Mountain Man March is a tribute to the men and women that serve in our country’s armed forces.  This event honors First Lieutenant Frank Walkup, a UT Alumnus who was killed in Iraq in 2007 while serving our country.  This event is inspired by the Bataan Memorial Death March that is staged in White Sands, NM each year.  The University of Tennessee Army ROTC started the event to show its admiration and appreciation of our armed services while walking a mile, 26.2 of them in this case, in their boots.  Thus the motto of the event, “Honor through actions.”

 The march will begin at 9am Saturday, April 4^th in downtown Gatlinburg and proceed up Highway 321 toward Pittman Center.  The course ranges from highway to rural roads from rugged terrain to mountain slopes.  There are three entry categories:  military heavy, military light and civilian.  The entry fee is $50 per person or $200 per five-person team.  The entry fee covers a light breakfast, snack food and water along the route at any of the 12 water points, T-shirt, BBQ meal at the finish line and custom-made awards from the Gatlinburg area.  Proceeds from the event go to the Ranger Company, devised in 1962, to provide better training for Cadets who may be deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.  A portion of the events will go toward the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund in the name of First Lieutenant Walkup. 

 Frank B. Walkup IV followed in his father’s footsteps and chose the army for service to his country.   First Lieutenant Walkup was raised in Woodbury, TN and attended the University of Tennessee.  Upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry.  Frank graduated from Airborne, Air Assault & Ranger School and was assigned to the 25^th Infantry Division in Hawaii.  Summer of 2006 saw Frank deployed to Iraq as a platoon leader.  On June 16^th, 2007 he was killed in Rashaad, Iraq by an IED.  Frank was survived by his family and his college sweetheart Sabita Walkup. 

 Come out, support the troops and give to a good cause.  It is very rare that you get to see a marathon in the Smokies.  It is even rarer to see it done military style with 35 pound packs.  

Music is the glue that holds a community together.  On March 28^th, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park presents its fifth annual Music of the Mountains celebration and it promises to be quiet an event.  Live music all day at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, culminating in the “Jimbo Whaley and Friends Reunion Show” at the WL Mills Conference Center.  This celebration focuses on and is a celebration of the music traditions of the southern Appalachian Mountains.  This is one of several special events that the Park has developed to tell the story of the hearty people that called these mountains home.

Music of the Mountains kicks off Saturday, March 28^th at 10 am and runs until 5pm at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.  The performances will be held in the Sugarlands Visitor Center Theater which seats 160 people.  Seating is on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.  Here is the list of the amazing acts that you will see at Sugarlands this year: 

10-11 a.m. – Lost Mill String Band (perennial mountain favorites)
11 a.m.-noon – Tony Thomas (Old time fiddle and banjo tunes)
12-1 p.m. – Dr. Ted Olson (presentation on the origins of Appalachian mountain music)
1-2 p.m. – Boogertown Gap (perennial mountain favorites)
2-4 p.m. – Matt Morelock and Brian Volmer (claw hammer banjo and old-time fiddle)
4-5 p.m. – Roger Howell and Friends (string ensemble from Mars Hill, NC) 

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson had this to say about the event:  “We’re pleased to again partner with the City of Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains Association to offer the public a variety of musical styles for this year’s ‘Music of the Mountains’ festival.  Our staff has lined up a wide spectrum of old-time, traditional, and bluegrass music performers.  With the change to an all day festival we hope to allow more of our visitors to experience the rich traditions of mountain music.”  

At 7pm, in the WL Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, the Jimbo Whaley and Friends Reunion Show keeps Music of the Mountains rolling.  Whaley is a popular bluegrass and gospel musician from Sevier County.  He traces his roots back to the residents of what became the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and has played events around the nation and with groups such as Greenbrier.  The concert will feature founding members of bluegrass sensation, Pine Mountain Railroad (Jimbo Whaley, Kipper Stitt and Mike Gwinn) plus other current and previous PMR members.  Tickets for for Jimbo Whaley and Friends Reunion Show can be purchased online.  (http://www.jimbowhaley.com/products.htm)

So come out, listen to and learn about the music of the mountains.  You are sure to go away with a song in your heart, whistling a tune.