Gatlinburg VS Pigeon Forge

This summer we made our first visit to Gatlinburg, TN. In the weeks leading up to our trip, my friends would describe Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge together. Almost like two towns set on top of each other. You won't see one without the other was the image I was given.

Once we arrived, we drove through Gatlinburg and into the neighboring Pigeon Forge for dinner at the Apple House. This was a destination we were told not to miss and we are glad we listened. The Apple House is great.

We also realized very quickly that the two little towns are, in some ways, opposites. As I drove down the center of Gatlinburg I noticed the sidewalks and small shops up against the road.

The architecture is beautiful and the sidewalks are landscaped with plants and benches. Further down the road, after driving through some forest, I entered Pigeon Forge. Everything was one of three things; mini golf, restaurant, or go cart track. Some were all three combined into one. Pigeon Forge is nowhere near as beautiful. The buildings are all very separate and pushed back far from the road with massive parking lots between the highway and the attraction. This is no different than driving down your towns main shopping strip. Just replace every dollar store with a miniature golf course and every gas station for a go cart. It's just not pretty.

After dinner we drove back into Gatlinburg and didn't leave there or drive our car again until it was time to head home.

Walking the streets into the evening was a lot of fun. There are a lot of shops to look through and there seemed to be a lot going on. In front of a magic shop, a magician held a mini show on the sidewalk and we stopped to watch. He was fun to watch and he had my kids sold on most of the products he showed. We went into a mirror maze and the next morning we visited the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum.

Somehow we managed to escape town without buying fudge from one of the fifteen shops offering huge chunks of it.

So the lesson of this post is don't let anyone ever give you the impression that Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are one in the same.