Traveling to the mountains during the winter has to be the most amazing sight, but this quick trip during spring break did not disappoint. Without making this story very long, we had booked a trip to Sevierville but due to weather the cabin was inaccessible and the trip got cancelled. Last minute, and because we could not let go of our little get away idea, we booked this amazing cabin in Gatlinburg. The views were breathtaking and it was extremely private.
We embarked on our 11 hour trip and stopped a few times for food and bathroom breaks. We got to North Carolina at sunset and started our journey through the mountains in the dark. It is a very narrow highway and you can’t really see very well since there are no street lights. You can totally tell you are going up because your ears start to pop like during airplane take off. It’s about 40 miles but it takes over an hour and a half due to the darkness, narrow road, and the inclined curves along the way. I kept reminding Jorge the goal was to make it alive so we were driving quite slowly. I had no idea if we would find the cabin along those mountains or we would actually encounter a city at some point. The more we traveled, the more I got concerned about where we would eat. Once we got to beautiful Gatlinburg, I felt so at ease. It wasn’t a little town, it was a very alive town with many restaurants, places to visit, and even an aquarium. Once again we had to go up yet another set of mountains to make it to our high and secluded cabin. I could not tell how amazing this was until the next morning when we opened the door and went outside.
There are many activities you can plan during your visit to Gatlinburg. We ended up going to the Aquarium and the house of mirrors for a few hours one day. However, my favorite activities included the more adventurous skyLift, walking the trail, and seeing the waterfalls. I confirmed during this trip that I am very afraid of heights. I was extremely scared going up and even more so going down the skyLift. However, once my feet are on the ground I am ok. Jorge loved the ride and once we got to the top of the mountain, we had a great time.
The rivers, waterfalls, and trails are a must. We loved exploring, looking at nature, and the views were amazing. We were also surprised to visit very affordable restaurants and small shops. We had an amazing pesto pizza at Best Italian Parkway and a breakfast to die for at Crockett’s Breakfast Camp.
I wanted to end this blog with some tips I wish I had read before my trip.
-Try to get there during the day. It will ease the anxiety as you will see where you are going. It will also be gorgeous and make you fall in love.
-Explore the outside as much as you can. Walk the trail, explore the mountain, don’t be afraid.
-Travel with a good driver. We had to back down to leave the cabin as there is no room for turns. I could not have made it in or out without Jorge. Going up mountains will require a strong car.
-If you can, rent a place with a nice view, it makes all the difference.
-Check the weather and make sure you pack appropriately. The top of the mountain is hotter than parts of the middle. You need closed shoes, preferable hiking or anti-slip shoes.
