Have you ever visited Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, Tennessee? If so, how was your experience?
A2A. Yes, I have visited that fine area several times. Late October and Early November was always a great time for the fall foliage.I remember the numbered traffic lights and staying in a hotel once down by Dollywood, although I never went to Dollywood. It’s a great atmosphere with people walking the strip at night. I also remember working through a shopping area that was new at the time near the first few traffic lights. It had a Thomas Kinkade Gallery, an assortment of tourist shops and even a Harley Davidson store.I worked through the surrounding areas as well, and remember Townsend, Maryville, Sevierville, Alcoa, Lenoir City. Driving through Cades Cove was great and something to definitely do if someone is in the area (original buildings, wildlife).I remember a restaurant called the Soup Kitchen in Maryville (the original, I believe), right as you were heading to the mountains. They made some great homemade soups each day that you couldn’t find anywhere else. I went there several times, when I could. Later, I saw one in Cookeville and ate there too. A can’t miss, especially if it’s winter.All in all, I have good memories of the area. The only drawback I can remember was the lodging tax in Tennessee. The highest state I traveled. I remember 17% being nothing unusual, depending on the city and county tax added. Some states were much lower. I thinking, what are they trying to do, run everybody off? If they were, I wouldn’t blame them. I enjoyed talking with people of all places and Tennessee was no exception. I would sometimes start some crap just to liven things up. Glad I don’t do that anymore.I would give Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Four Stars for a great place to take a family vacation. I’m not sure I would go right now though, might see too many darn MAGA hats and get in a tussle down at the Harley store.Thanks for asking Lisa.
Why do people allocate time to shop on vacation?
i'm a 26yr old woman and i don't do that. don't get me wrong i like to shop and when on vacation i DO shop but its for souvenirs not nike shoes at the local mall. i don't see many AMERICANS asking those questions though. its mostly people from the UK and its cuz their money is worth so much more than ours so they find that $150usd sneakers are "a steal" as compared to what they pay at home. they want to be able to buy tons of "designer" brands at a "cheap" price so they can go home and show it off. i've seen this many times when going to the outlet malls in niagara falls new york. the canadians come over the border cuz there's "amazing deals". yeah "amazing deals" as compared to the high toronto prices but not for locals.
How much spending money should I take to Gatlinburg Tenn?
It depends on what you normally spend. If you are going to buy a lot of gifts or souvenirs, you need more. But $100 a day is a good average and that can include your food money.