June 2023 Gatlinburg Trip Report, Part 2: Fun and Wonder Undefeated
It never gets old. The appeal of Gatlinburg is there’s something for everyone, but some either don’t do enough exploring, or just don’t find the mountains to be their place—at least not here. For us, there’s still plenty of trails we haven’t hiked, waterfalls we haven’t seen, restaurants we haven’t visited, and so on. In this post, I’m going to review a few things we did on our recent trip; some of them we’ve done before, and a few that were new to us. As always, I hope you can gain insight on things that fit your liking the next—or first—time you visit Gatlinburg.
I’ll get the controversial part out of the way first. Whether you agree with me or not, I enjoy doing a few tastings of alcoholic beverages in Gatlinburg. We mostly stick with Sugarlands, but we’re not against trying a few others. The point is never to get drunk. That’s no fun. It’s mostly the entertainment factor, and the ability to try new flavors. This time it was Peanut Butter Sippin Cream and Sour Blue Raspberry from Sugarlands Distilling Co. I love peanut butter, and thankfully they were consistently offering it as a sample. It tasted like a cross between a Butterfinger and Nutter Butter. It was delicious, and we brought home a jar, along with their Dark Chocolate Coffee and Apple Pie. I was a little disappointed in the Blue Raspberry, but not all of them are home runs.
What puts them in a different league from the others is their Cocktail Bar in the back where an there’s also a stage for musicians. Many concoctions are available for $7, but Friday is when you can get one for $6. They also do Roaming Man tastings, their own line of award-winning whiskey. I didn’t participate in one this time, but I am a fan of it. I just haven’t been able to fork over $50 for a 375ml bottle yet.
Back to nature. I recently wrote about Mynatt Park, and I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss this gem any longer. It was even more impressive than I imagined. There are walking trails, a pavilion, tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, a tastefully done Wildfire Memorial at the entrance. There are two separate plazas on each side of LeConte Creek. The first honors the numerous agencies who bravely battled the Gatlinburg fires of 2016, and the other one is in memory of the 14 people who tragically lost their lives. I think we were all awestruck by it. It is such a peaceful area that’s just a 15 minute walk away from all the crowds. We were happy to finally see it.
We also hiked the Gatlinburg Trail to Sugarlands Visitors Center, a two mile wondrous adventure filled with the “something for everyone” mantra. There are fantastic river views on both sides, a bridge, remnants of old cabins, and a small cemetery as you veer off to the right toward the Visitors Center at the end of the trail. Plenty of great pics were taken, as usual, and it’s not a tough slog at all. The nice thing is it’s dog-friendly, and we saw many people and their furry friends along the trail.
Another cemetery I feel many people don’t realize is in the middle Gatlinburg is the White Oak Flats Cemetery. It’s located up a little hill past the restrooms in the back of The Village. I don’t think I’ve been back here in probably five years or more, and I made a point to see it again. Lots of gravestones of Gatlinburg locals vital to its history are here. It’s on an incline, so you may be out of breath getting to the top part, but it’s always nice to get a whole new perspective of the past on your visit.
The only time we took a drive was on Friday to The Arts and Crafts Community, located well away from the bustle of downtown. We like to peer into some of the originality and sheer talent Gatlinburg offers in this area. Fowler’s Clay Works is a favorite of ours, owned by Mike Fowler, specializing in high quality pottery pieces. We never miss an opportunity to stop here, and Mike always presents himself as friendly and hospitable whenever we visit.
A rather new shop we discovered is the Next Chapter Bookshop across the road from Morning Mist Village. It is a neatly organized shop full of new books, but what really drew our attention, especially my wife’s, was their artistic bookmarks. They are beautifully hand-painted and unique, featuring mountain scenes, flowers, and bears. They are truly one-of-a-kind, and it was tough deciding which one we liked best. If they have any, you’ll definitely want to add it to your collection if you’re an avid reader!
Shine Fest was thoroughly enjoyed on day one of our visit. I was excited, and anticipated attending this prior to visiting. Ole Smoky Moonshine organized this event in the parking area of the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Featuring popular cocktails and Yee-Haw Brewing Company beers, along with some games and country music performers, Julia Cole and Canaan Smith, it was a welcome change from the norm—not that there’s a problem with the ordinary in Gatlinburg. We passed on the beverages and instead filled our cup with some live music that contained some electric bass and a drummer for another alteration from the bluegrass we normally hear, which we also love.
Friday night was spent at Anakeesta. We absolutely, positively love this attraction in Gatlinburg. I won’t spend too much time writing about how special they are in this post, but that’s only because I’m saving it for a separate post about a section of the experience that is an add-on, Astra Lumina. I will be writing a full review of it very soon. If you don’t want to miss my opinion of this, be sure to subscribe to find out all the details!
Once again, the fun and wonder remains undefeated in Gatlinburg. We never want it fade, and it certainly hasn’t. The true test will be the next phase in our life, which is fast approaching. If you don’t know what I’m talking about yet, you will very soon. Some of it will only be readable to paid subscribers. It’s very personal stuff that I offer to those who want to know more about me, but don’t worry, I never want to put helpful information you gather for your own trip behind a paywall. This would not be fair to you, the reader, interested in Gatlinburg. Thank you all for following my humble publication! Stay tuned for the Astra Lumina review and more!