While most people head to the beaches during fourth of July week, we decided to go the opposite direction and head to mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. With so much to do and see, you never get bored of all the great things that Gatlinburg has to offer.
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With it being a holiday, all the hotels were either booked or too pricey so we decided to look on Vrbo to see what was available. If you have never tried it, I recommend it because the prices were decent especially for a last minute trip. We found a nice place that could sleep up to six and it wasn’t far from all the main attractions in Gatlinburg.
The first thing we decided to do once we got there was take the aerial tramway up the mountain at Ober Gatlinburg. The view is phenomenal and once you reached the top, you will find there are plenty of activities for all ages. There is ice skating, summer tubing, indoor and outdoor kid rides, shopping, arcade, water rides, a wild life encounter, mountain coaster, alpine slide, chair lift and so much more! This was a great way to spend our first day.
In the lobby 
On the tram 
Scenic view 
Talia (my granddaughter) 
Statue outside a shop 
Talia 
The wildlife encounter
The next day we decided to walk down to the main strip to see what we could get into. I have to say that Gatlinburg has a little bit of everything for everybody. Food, bars, arcades, attractions and shops line both sides of the street.
First stop: the gem mine to pan for gems which was loads of fun because afterwards the guy helping us laid out all the gems and told us exactly what each one was.
Talia panning for gems 
All the gems she found
Go to the top of the Space Needle to get a great view of Gatlinburg!
Here are some more great attractions in Gatlinburg:
Ripley’s Odditorium Believe It or Not! & Ripley’s Moving Theater. I definitely recommend visiting the theater because it’s 5D with digital effects that make it seem so real!
Odditorium 
Odditorium 
Odditorium 
Me, Talia and Steven ready to experience the Ripley’s Moving Theater
Guinness World Record Adventure
Steven compared to the tallest man. 
Dalton (my oldest son) as the heaviest man on record.
There is the Hollywood Star Cars Museum and the Sky Bridge that you can visit.
Hollywood Star Car Museum 
Sky Bridge
Last stop on our Gatlinburg adventure is Ripley’s Aquarium, which is full of all types of sea life. We loved walking through the tunnel because you get a closer look at the sharks and other fishes. Some of the habitats have smaller tunnels that puts you up close like in the penguin exhibit. The aquarium has designated areas that you can actually touch a sting ray, a jellyfish or a horseshoe crab. There are plenty of photo opts and games to play. If you get a chance to visit, I strongly recommend it because we had a great time!
Shark Lagoon 
Inside the tunnel 
Steven & Talia touching the jellyfish 
Dalton & Houston (my youngest son) as pirates 
Talia in the tank tunnel 
Steven trying to beat the clock 
Talia & Houston building the skeleton 
Now my favorite was watching the moon jellyfish:
We did take one day of our mini vacation to drive over to Pigeon Forge because my sons and my granddaughter had never been to Dollywood. We had a great time and that evening we drove back to Gatlinburg to watch the fireworks show from the balcony of our room.
Now as far as food goes, below are 3 places we visited that the food and service was great: Smokey Mountain Brewery Restaurant, North China Restaurant and Bennett’s Pit Bar-B-Que.
Being the fourth of July week, I was surprised that Gatlinburg wasn’t overly crowded. It was nice that you could actually get around and not have to wait for hours to get where you are going. I also have to say, that I was impressed by the military discounts given at most restaurants and attractions. This says a lot about the city and I really respect that. We really had a great time in Gatlinburg and I can’t wait to visit again.
If you have visited Gatlinburg and have a great suggestion for things to do, leave a comment below. Sign up on the home page to receive one weekly email from Ssouthernlifestyle and as always have a blessed day!
