Imagine a small version of Las Vegas, with its endless lights and streams of people, but without the “sleeze”; throw in a huge dose of Jersey-shore boardwalk, complete with mini-golf and lots of sidewalk pizza-by-the-slice options; coat it with a family-friendly Lake George Village NY gloss, including no fewer than four different Ripley’s Believe it or Not venues; add some Park City glamour with two chair lifts and a cable car to visit the nearby hills for the view; make sure the South is represented with B-B-Q plus a lot of local breweries and distilleries; and then add some Christian Evangelical sprinkles. Finally, decorate it extravagantly for Christmas. Voilà! Gatlinburg!
The big event in Gatlinburg during the week we visited was Winter Xtreme, a youth-focused Christian music-plus event. Its website (checked later) advertises various speakers and seminars on ministry leadership and other topics in addition to the music. Needless to say, that isn’t what drew either me or Jeff to Gatlinburg. But on our way into town there were young folks spilling off the sidewalk outside the convention center. Since the traffic was essentially stopped and we had the windows down, I used the occasion to ask a couple of tween-aged boys why they were in line. They seemed somewhat amazed that I didn’t know about Winter Xtreme but were happy to share their excitement. A bit further down the block other young folks were calling out to the cars to “honk if you love Jesus.” Later that night, after the concert let out, we were surprised to see many buses leaving the area filled with young people and their chaperones and emblazoned with church names and locations from as far away as Alabama and Mississippi. Apparently, Winter Xtreme is quite a draw!
We had a bit of drama trying to check in at our hotel in Gatlinburg on December 30. We had planned to stay at Marshall’s Creek Rest Motel, but there was a lack of communication between Expedia, which had confirmed the reservation, and the motel, which had no record of it. Marshall’s Creek was full. So was pretty much every other hotel in town. After an hour of three-way negotiating, Expedia relocated us to the Fairfield Inn, which was fine. It certainly did not have the mom-and-pop feel that we had anticipated of Marshall’s Creek and it was located at the other end of town, but it was still convenient. We left it to Marshall’s Creek’s owner and Expedia to argue over footing the bill for the last-minute relocation. There was a reason I booked in August! After the dust died down, we enjoyed pizza at Big Daddy’s and retired to our new digs at the Fairfield.
It was unseasonably warm on December 31 in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area, at times nearing 70 degree Fahrenheit. But the winds were very strong.
We started December 31 with a hike in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Our destination was set by a geocache deigned “Bud’s Tub.” This turned out to be a fascinating series of buildings dating from the period 1873 to 1925 settled by Bud Ogle. First was a “saddlebag cabin,” then a four-stall horse barn, and finally a “tub mill.” Each of these structures were somewhat unique even in their time, and it’s remarkable they are standing at all today.
The area had been swept by fire in 2016. The trail signs warned us that due to fire damage, the area could be unsafe during periods of high winds but, at the time that we began our hike, the weather was calm and sunny. Recent rains had broadened streams and filled dry beds. (We saw a lot of flooding on this trip.) The trail, which was only vaguely evident in some places, merged with the stream bed from time to time. Rocks were slippery and mud clung to our boots. Each of hit the ground once. But with the help of small signs we were able to navigate the path up to the hillside where the wildfire damage was more evident. As we neared the upper levels of the forested hill and the mill, the winds picked up and became quite strong. The roar of the wind and the swaying trees reminded us that nature had the upper hand here.
When we returned to the parking area and the main road, we found that in the interval since our arrival the road had been closed to incoming traffic. We were able to drive out, although we had to circle a large tree limb in one spot. We continued on to the Sugarlands information center where we learned that the road crossing the park, which we had taken the night before, was now also closed due to high winds and fallen timber. The information center had a nice exhibit of local flora and fauna and a gift shop. Alas, it did not sell National Park Passes since it is not a “fee area.” Jeff had hoped to acquire one there. I was also dismayed that the park service’s donation box, divided by states and countries to encourage some friendly rivalry for donations, included 50 states plus a number of countries such as India and Germany, but not the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Dis’d again! (But at least the park was open and staffed, unlike others felled by the budget dispute. Maybe they omitted D.C. for a reason!)
We went on to Pigeon Forge for some geocaching and a lot of sightseeing from the car. Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, was interesting. It seemed a lot like Gatlinburg – family friendly, with lots of very touristy things, especially if you had a large number of kids in tow -- but in a format conducive only to driving not walking. Evoking an SAT-like analogy, Pigeon Forge is to Gatlinburg like a suburban mall to downtown.
For New Year’s Eve dinner we went to the Great Smoky Mountain Brewery, which did not take reservations and so required us to wait for a bit. That was fine because it was raining out, and our prior attempts to make reservations several weeks ago had failed. There are not many places in town that cater to vegetarians, and at the few others that did, we were unable to get a reservation. The food was OK, the service was good, and the atmosphere was nice, which is pretty good for New Year’s Eve.
We then hit the street, walking the touristy part of Gatlinburg end-to-end, plus some, enjoying the lights and decorations. Among other things, we saw another Ogle cabin, now relocated; and Cooter's garage -- a Dukes of Hazards throwback -- plus more lights, haunted houses, and a closer look at one of the large babbling streams that cuts through the town.
It sprinkled on and off throughout the evening, but the heaviest rain was in the half hour spanning midnight. Nevertheless, we stood outside the Convention Center and watched the ball drop from the Space Needle, enjoyed the countdown, and then the excellent fireworks that erupted from the sides and top of the Space Needle. Very well executed! Then we toddled up the hill to our hotel and bed.
Happy New Year!
The porch, decked for winter with an antique sled and reindeer (and a jolly ol' driver who was not St. Nick), provides a stunning view over Asheville. Even on a chilly morning, people were enjoying a cup of coffee out there. The gong sits on the porch, at the top of the stairs. The Inn also had specially designed dinnerware and its lights defined an entire tradition of lighting. The interior carries through the same lines and design elements, even on the upper floors.
Our stay coincided with the annual Gingerbread competition, so we also saw some amazing cookie construction.
