Fun and Educational Family Travel Tips

Gatlinburg, Tennesse is perhaps the biggest “tourist draw” in the Great Smoky Mountains area.  If you are looking to explore interesting museums and activities, this is the place to go.  During a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, it is definitely worthwhile to pop into Gatlinburg for a day.  Or, you might find that it is better to spend a couple of partial days in Gatlinburg, as the trip to Gatlinburg from Townsend is gorgeous and also offers places to pull off, to hike trails, and to see some magnificent natural sites.

It is my belief that the best family vacations involve spending some time getting closer to nature as well as exploring fun and interesting attractions.  Gatlinburg provides the opportunity to see some really cool museums.  Perhaps or favorite site to see in Gatlinburg is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.  Here, you get the opportunity to go through a tunnel that surrounds you with an aquarium filled with sharks and other sea life.  There are also plenty of cute photo opportunities that are a must for any family travel experience.

Gatlinburg is also home to one of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums.  My experience as both a teacher and a mother of four boys has shown that kids are enthralled with the sites of this museum.  Similarly, the Guinness World of Records Museum is worth a visit, unless time and money is short.  In that case, this is a stop that can be saved for another visit.

Gatlinburg also offers a number of fun mini-golf courses that can be quite an adventure.  My oldest boys (then ages 4 and 6) had their first mini-golf experience at the Hillybill Golf course.   After that, they were hooked and begged us to go mini-golfing every time we passed a course.

Gatlinburg is also home to a number of unique shopping experiences.  I am personally not much of a shopper and my husband absolutely despises it, so I have not spent much time in the stores.  I do know, however, tha there are many people who come to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge just for the shopping opportunities. 

 Gatlinburg is considered a walking community.  This means you will need to find a place to park, which can be costly and difficult to find, if you plan to visit any of the shops.  Since there are large crowds and a high amount of traffic, this isn’t necessarily the best scenario for a family vacation - particularly if your kids are still quite young.  Be sure to bring a stroller or wagon if you plan to walk the stretch.  Driving through the town can also be quite frustrating as it can take quite a bit of time to go just a short distance.  So, go to Gatlinburg with these things in mind and be prepared to spend a good portion of your day trying to get through and past other tourists.

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