South - Trip to Tennessee/Smokey Mtn, Advice needed

I never got a chance to see the south other than a short weekend trip to Atlanta. So I am planning a trip to Tennessee this July 4th weekend. I will fly into Nashville on 7/2 morning (redeye flight) from CA, and fly back also from Nashville 6pm on the 5th. I want to tour the city sometime in between; but more importantly I want to visit Smoky Mountain National Park. I need some advice as where to visit/stay along the way.

I have a very rough plan
On the way to Smoky Mountain, I plan to take I-24 and visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. I may stop by at Stones River National Battlefield but haven't decided yet. I also saw
Russel Cave Nat'l Monument along the way, not sure if that's worth checking out. I plan to stay overnight near Chattanooga then take I-75 to reach Smokey Mountain. I haven't decided if I want to spend 1 day or 2 day there.

On the way back to Nashville, I want to stay at Knoxville for one night and take a brief tour of the city and UT campus. (I was at Michigan when Woodson and Brady were playing ;) , I was always intrigued by the passion that people have for college football in the south and UT in particular ^ )
There is also this Cumberland Mountain State Park along 40, but I don't know much about it. Otherwise, I haven't found anything too interesting.

I am interested in nature, history, and cultural stuff; and college football of course.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

On the way back to Nashville, I want to stay at Knoxville for one night and take a brief tour of the city and UT campus. (I was at Michigan when Woodson and Brady were playing, I was always intrigued by the passion that people have for college football in the south and UT in particular ^ )

I am interested in nature, history, and cultural stuff; and college football of course.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

Too bad your trip is in July. The campus will be quiet and no one will be playing football. I don't know if you can get in to tour Neyland stadium, but it's really not the same when 107,000 of us aren't in the stands. Stop in the bookstore for a good selection of UT souvernirs. The campus is pretty in spring with the dogwoods and flowers, less pretty in the summer. Try a walk early in the morning to beat the heat. I ran many a race on campus. If you're a runner, there is a race that weekend, IIRC, down along the river. Follow the crowds. Have lunch at Calhouns on the river. There are some historical sites in the city; try James White's fort. It's the real deal. The old city is the place to go for a good cup of coffee and eclectic shopping. The Cumberland strip or the old city are alive with clubs at night. Downtown is dead.

The GSMNP is the place to go for nature. There are trails, roads, waterfalls, fishing. Don't miss the deer at dawn and dusk especially at Cades Cove. You won't like most of the culture you find in Gatlinburg (skip Pigeon Forge entirely, although I personally love Dollywood and you might like the authentic crafts and music there) - it consists of giftshops and trashy museums. There is a craft center on the Parkway that is worthwhile.

I'll add more here as I think of it. Enjoy. We left 8 years ago and still go back every year to visit. Really looking forward to this fall where I will witness a live Spurrier defeat that I have looked forward to for 3 years.

Go VOLS!

You'll find every lodging chain you want. I'm a Hilton guy myself, but there is a Hyatt I like too. Best bet is the west side, along I-40 for a good choice of newer properties with bargains to be found. Avoid staying on the north or east sides as they are the rougher parts of town. The lodging choice in Gatlinburg is extensive but fills up on weekends. Reserve early. The Hampton there is a gem. There are some Best Westerns that are nice, and lots of dumps, we usually take a chalet or log cabin for a weekend. Let your wallet be your guide there (meaning don't expect the Ritz for $40 a night). There are lots of motels in Pigeon Forge but I avoid the place except for back to school shopping at the outlet malls.

For food in Knoxville, my favorites were Regas, Calhouns and Naples. Things change and others have differing preferences, so YMMV. Buddy's Barbeque is a very tasty quick service chain serving a good $5 fast lunch. In Gatlinburg, I'm also partial to Calhouns and there are some other good choices and many bad ones.

Thanks for the suggestions, BamaVol.

I will definitely try to take a tour of the Neyland stadium, and check out those streets named after UT players (only know there is one for manning). I just booked Holiday Inn Central at Papermill Drive for 7/4. I am hoping for some great fireworks that night.

Thanks for the suggestions, BamaVol.

I will definitely try to take a tour of the Neyland stadium, and check out those streets named after UT players (only know there is one for manning). I just booked Holiday Inn Central at Papermill Drive for 7/4. I am hoping for some great fireworks that night.

The street names change regularly as history is rewritten. I thought that Phil Fulmer drive used to be Johnny Majors Drive once upon a time. :D Papermill is an ok location. You might try the IC forum for a review on that Holiday Inn. Myself, I'd stay farther in (downtown for the convenience) or out (past the West Town Mall for selection and sparkling new properties as well as lots of dinner choices).

The best fireworks are actually on Labor day weekend. But, go downtown to see them. They like to turn the Henley Street Bridge into a fireworks waterfall. It's a sight.
Be prepared for traffic problems out of proportion to the size of the city. Constant road destruction and a downtown interstate junction make for some major tie-ups, especially after an event.

If you're up for a side trip that can be easily done in a day, take I-24 north from Chattanooga to Manchester, TN, and visit the Old Stone Fort.

http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/parks/OldStoneFort/

The Old Stone Fort is believed to be a Native American worship site, dating to pre-Columbian times. It is a pleasant diversion for a sunny or cloudy day, but take a pass if rain threatens. You could spend anywhere from an hour to all day there, depending on how much interest you have in such things.

But another great advantage of this side trip is that with only about another 30 minutes' drive from Manchester, you can visit the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN! :D

http://www.jackdaniels.com/distillerytour.asp

Nice diversion, very interesting tales to hear. Be sure to stick your head into the 30-foot deep charcoal pit where they slowly drip Mr. Jack's finest. Inhale deeply. :D

What? You're not going to "See Rock City"????? ;)

Actually, it's pretty good for kids, but probably not worth the effort for adults.

Also, consider the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge (near Knoxville) especially if if you are interested in the history of the development of the atomic bomb. (AMSE) (http://www.amse.org/)

Thanks, Just Passing Thru and Bulldog. Those are some very interesting places.
I just realize that I got so little time for so many places worth visiting; but I think I will check out Jack Daniel brewery and Rock City if possible.

When you are in Knoxville, definitely make it a point to eat at Calhoons. The fried catfish is the best I have ever had in my life and the ribs are absolutely fantastic.

This is a must.

But another great advantage of this side trip is that with only about another 30 minutes' drive from Manchester, you can visit the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN!

http://www.jackdaniels.com/distillerytour.asp


^ ^ :-: :-: :-: :-:

You won't like most of the culture you find in Gatlinburg (skip Pigeon Forge entirely, although I personally love Dollywood and you might like the authentic crafts and music there) - it consists of giftshops and trashy museums.

While I agree that Pigeon Forge is not much more than a tourist trap, I can think of one attraction that I really enjoyed there. It's Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede http://www.dixiestampede.com -It's dinner & a show. I can't begin to tell you how much fun and how incredibly hilarious the show was. Dinner was quite good as well. It's a four course meal served WITHOUT silverware. The theme is the civil war & it's a competition between North & South. Each side of the arena is designated as one or the other. The South fills up quite quickly and I found myself having to root for the North. ;) If you like country/Bluegrass music you would love this. It's also got a lot of comedy. It's probably about $35-$40 per adult ticket, but includes the dinner, show & an Opening Act that was a lot of fun.

As for staying there, there are a lot of choices. If $$ isn't the main concern, there is an absolutely beautiful Clarion Inn in Sevierville. (Clarion Inn Willow Run) It's like stepping back in time and it reminds me of "Gone With the Wind." (It's supposed to remind you of that era.) They have queen beds instead of doubles. They have both an indoor and outdoor pool. I'm not sure which river runs out behind it, but our room had a balcony overlooking it. The continental breakfast there was much better than most hotels I've stayed in.

You could also keep going past Gatlinburg and go to Cherokee, NC & the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Although last time I was there, it seemed even more touristy than I remembered it.

Oh yes...if you do like country music, then you may appreciate the "Alabama Grill." It's owned by the group Alabama & has a ton of memorabilia from them and many other artists. The food is good, but it's just good ol' American food from what I remember.

I hope you have a great time on your trip, it's beautiful up there!

A much belated thanks to everyone. We had a great time in Tennessee.

Smokey Mtn is beautiful, though we were not nearly as impressed by this national park as some we have been in the west. Also, I completely agree with the assessment that Pigeon Forge is nothing more than a tourist trap.
Some of the byways TN 360/165 we took from Chattanooga to Smokey Mtn are very scenic as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Stone River/Chattanooga NB, Cumberland Gap NHP and other civil war/trail of tears related historic sites/parks in TN. Having lived in the west coast for the last few years, most national parks we visited before TN were of the scenic type. We have since made an effort to go visit historic sites on each of our trips to the east coast. We are looking forward to visit Shiloh NMP on our trip to Memphis next year.

We also enjoyed touring UT campus and the towering Neyland Stadium. I know this has been a tough season for Vol fans. I can share your feelings. Michigan, my Alma matter, is also having a down year. Just hang in there. I am positive UT will roar back to prominence next season.

If you ever get the chance, definitely go back to the Smokies in October. The fall foliage is absolutely gorgeous, especially through Maggie Valley :)

A much belated thanks to everyone. We had a great time in Tennessee.

Smokey Mtn is beautiful, though we were not nearly as impressed by this national park as some we have been in the west. Also, I completely agree with the assessment that Pigeon Forge is nothing more than a tourist trap.
Some of the byways TN 360/165 we took from Chattanooga to Smokey Mtn are very scenic as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Stone River/Chattanooga NB, Cumberland Gap NHP and other civil war/trail of tears related historic sites/parks in TN. Having lived in the west coast for the last few years, most national parks we visited before TN were of the scenic type. We have since made an effort to go visit historic sites on each of our trips to the east coast. We are looking forward to visit Shiloh NMP on our trip to Memphis next year.

We also enjoyed touring UT campus and the towering Neyland Stadium. I know this has been a tough season for Vol fans. I can share your feelings. Michigan, my Alma matter, is also having a down year. Just hang in there. I am positive UT will roar back to prominence next season.