Gatlinburg: Moonshine and Mirror Mazes in The Great Smoky Mountains

When we were planning our trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, complete with a log cabin in the mountains, we expected a quiet trip in a quaint town. Well, we got that, and so much more.

For years, we talked about doing a winter trip somewhere in the mountains. Like most true Floridians, we often hear tales of a season called “winter” and see images on the news of a white powdery substance falling from the sky. I believe it’s called “snow”. We knew that if we wanted to truly experience this phenomenon we would have to do some traveling. Well, last year, we made it happen! After searching various cold-weather locations, we settled on Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

After landing, we decided on renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle, which made the white-knuckle drive up the mountain slightly less terrifying. Luckily for us, there was no snow, since neither of us has any experience driving in true winter conditions. And although it was a little stressful, the climb up the mountain was made worth it by the breathtaking views and our cute cabin at the end of the journey. 

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Our first 24 hours in Gatlinburg were pretty low key as we wanted to enjoy the cabin as much as possible.  With a pool table, fireplace, and two (!) hot tubs, the cabin was the perfect place to just hang out. And that’s exactly what we did.  We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back to the cabin with our food babies. We turned on the fireplace (which may or may not have been a bad idea), played pool, hung out in the hot tub and watched the NBA dunk contest.  It was the perfect night in…until we went upstairs. As you might remember from 4th grade science class, heat rises and it was BURNING UP.. Luckily, because of how cold it was outside, once we turned off the fireplace it returned back to being livable.  Lesson learned!

After a night spent inside, we were ready to get out and explore Gatlinburg.

Santa’s Claus-et

On our way to the downtown area, we drove past a cute Christmas store called Santa’s Claus-et and decided to go in.  This store is just as adorable on the inside as it is on the outside! The staff was very friendly and they were sampling the most delicious hot cocoa, so delicious that we ended up buying it for those (few) cold Florida winter nights (Fireside Coffee Co.’s Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa, for those of you wondering).  We ended up stopping by again on our way back to the cabin because we discovered they also have a cute display at night that lights up to music. If you love Christmas, this store is a must see!    

Anakeesta

The Anakeesta attraction, also known as “a mountain playground for all ages”, is a great place to see elevated views of the area.  We took the open air chair (which is basically a ski lift) up to the top of the mountain and boy was that scary for someone afraid of heights, like I am.  It was an overcast day with light rain, so a lot of people opted to do the enclosed gondola cabin (what a bunch of wimps) and we kept stopping to let the cabin empty and fill.  Each time we stopped we jerked slightly, which naturally freaked me out (does this mean I’m a wimp too?) and I gripped the lap bar so tight my knuckles were white (I can’t confirm this because my hands were in gloves, but I know they were!).  As you can imagine, this was very entertaining to Joffrey.

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Once we were on top of the mountain, it was gorgeous.  There was a bit of fog off and on, but that added to the beauty of it all.  We explored the Treehouse Village, walked through the Tree Canopy, watched strangers on the Dueling Zipline and of course took lots of pictures.  We may have been “too old” for some of these things since we don’t have kids, but we did it anyway (because we are rebels….sometimes, but probably not this time since there weren’t signs saying we couldn’t.  We just like to pretend). The Rail Runner Mountain Coaster wasn’t complete when we visited which was a bummer, but it looks like fun.

Laurel Falls Trail

To go with the theme of the day, our hike on the Laurel Falls Trail was also foggy (or some may say smoky, pun intended) AND it started raining.  Thankfully it didn’t start raining hard until the end of the hike and we were able to get to the car before the skies really opened! There is something so peaceful about being in nature, listening to the leaves rustle and the water flow and the Smoky Mountains did not disappoint.

Amazing Mirror Maze

One thing we didn’t expect was for Gatlinburg to be so commercialized. There was mini-golf, Margaritaville, and a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. We embraced our inner tourists and checked out the Amazing Mirror Maze. I know, I know, it sounds kinda corny. But what can I say, we’re corny sometimes.  Besides, we had a lot of fun finding our way out and even ran into a few tricky spots.   

Sugarlands Shine

While in Gatlinburg, you have to try moonshine, RIGHT?!  So that we could get a variety, we went to Sugarlands Shine and did a moonshine tasting. This was soooo much fun!  Our bartender/host was hilarious and in character the whole time, which added to the overall experience. This, coupled with the great-tasting variety of moonshine, made this by far one of the most fun tastings we’ve done.  By the time we were done with the tasting, the counter was sticky and we were starting to feel warm and tingly. That was our cue to get food fast! We grabbed a quick bite to eat and went back to our cabin for the night.  

Brunch and Beer in Pigeon Forge

The next morning, we woke up a little sad since our time in Tennessee was coming to an end, so we decided to make a pitstop in Pigeon Forge for brunch at Brick & Spoon.  This place was delicious! I ordered the Breakfast Tacos and they were sooooo flavorful and amazing! I would definitely order this again! Joffrey ordered the Shrimp and Grits, along with a custom-made Bloody Mary (this was his favorite part of the trip).  The Build Your Own Bloody Mary concept is so simple, but so clever. The hardest part of the process was narrowing down what to pick!.     

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We always try to drop in on at least one brewery when we are out of town.  For this trip we decided on Yeehaw Brewing, where Joffrey ordered a flight and we played a game of checkers (where I dominated Joffrey) before driving to the airport.  

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Where will your next adventure take you?