Hitting the Road

While some would opt to fly to Gatlinburg, from Kansas City, we choose to drive whenever feasible. Knowing that we would be on the road for around 11 hours total, we decided to break up our drive into manageable pieces. Heading out after work on a Friday, we logged the first leg of the trip and spent the night in Illinois. Cruising a northern route, allowed us to pass through southern Indiana and into Kentucky. The sunshine had our spirits high, as we stopped to pick up some research material for potential future destinations. After many scenic stops, and a slow progression through Pigeon Forge, we finally arrived in Gatlinburg by Saturday evening.

First of Many

The next morning we woke to find that the rains had arrived, as well. Our lodging was just a block off of the main strip, so we had tons of options for dining, shopping, and entertainment. From our research, we had noticed an amazingly high number of pancake restaurants. It was decided that it would be fun to see how many we could sample, so our first breakfast was at Pancake Pantry. Since the early 1960’s, this flapjack house has been serving up stacks to customers from near and far. This was a great start to our Pancake Tour of Gatlinburg. (You can see more of our pancake stops here.)

Local Shops

The rain was fairly light, and we were well prepared for it. After spending so much time in the car, we wanted to stretch our legs for a bit. We decided to explore some of the strip. Window shopping is fun for a while, but fortunately many of the shops open up on Sundays. We popped in a few and explored their inventories. Most of the people we met were in a positive mood, even with the weather. We were settling into a relaxed state, and knew it was time to get going on our itinerary.

Rainy Days and Fun Days

Midday was approaching, so it was time to head to lunch. Even though the rain had increased in intensity, we were still impressed with the beauty of the region. Having the Great Smoky Mountains as a backdrop seemed to make Gatlinburg magical. As we made our way toward lunch, we watched some birds in Le Conte Creek.

Brightening Our Day

When life serves up a gray day, we have found that visiting a colorful restaurant will brighten our mood. No Way Jose’s Mexican Cantina is a local chain with three locations. A survey of people on some East Tennessee Facebook groups identified this as a good option. Wanting to mix up our cuisine choices, we picked this one to be our Mexican food destination. Since this day was completely dedicated to pedestrian activities, we decided to enjoy a couple of adult beverages. In the end, this place ended up being a great choice for affordable food and drinks, and bonus points for being located within walking distance. (Read more about Jose’s here.)

Rainy Day turned Fun Day

Since we were already open to suggestions from our connections, our next choice was an easy one. Just across the street from lunch is the Ripley’s Aquarium. This looked like a great place to spend some quality time and get out of the rain. While there is plenty of moisture on the inside, it’s reserved for the specimens on display. We enjoyed exploring all of the exhibits and touch tanks. There were even a couple of surprises awaiting us. (You can read more about the aquarium here.)

More to Explore

We spent quite a while in the aquarium, and by the time we left the rain had subsided. Strolling down the strip, we happened upon a quiet alcove filled with shops. Avoiding puddles, we kept our umbrella handy just in case. Downtown Gatlinburg is very family friendly, and filled with plenty to explore. It seemed like we kept finding these little sets of shops tucked away from view, so be sure to investigate fully.

Get Mellow

By dinnertime, the showers had started again. While they weren’t hard enough to drive everyone inside, they were still a nuisance. Now seemed like a good time to head back indoors and grab some dinner. Mellow Mushroom caught our eye with their groovy color scheme. Inside, we clambered up the stairs that led to their second story location. Here, we had another chance to dabble in some adult beverages. I had just finished sampling some of the local moonshine, so we passed on this opportunity. We ended up discovering some really good pizza at a restaurant chain that we will be able to visit during other road trips (You can read more about Mellow Mushroom here.)

Startling Discovery

Once again, the rain had subsided, but the skies were threatening to open back up at any time. We decided to look for a little indoor entertainment, as we strolled down the strip. About a block away, we happened upon Circus Golf. This multi-attraction site looked promising for a silly time. Inside, we found that the mini-golf course is illuminated with black light, which made for some colorful fun. After playing a round, we decided to add a try at their Shoot’em Up Cinema. This attraction had us mounting up to try our skills at a modern day shooting gallery. While Crystal may get the upper hand at miniature golf, I have a dead-eye aim when it comes to shooting games. Score one point for each of us.

Rinse and Repeat

While the rain may have had us dodging in and out of shops, it made for great sleeping weather. We rose the next day to gray skies, but the rain seemed to be holding off. Breakfast meant another round of hot cakes, this time at Atrium Pancakes. It quickly became apparent that we would run out of mornings, before we ran out of pancake options.

Our First Smoky Excursion

The forecast still called for showers, so our jumbled itinerary had a day that would be perfect for intermittent rain. With a window of two or three hours before the rain, we decided to enjoy our first cruise into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. After a quick stop at the welcome center, we made our way toward Cherokee, North Carolina. Along the way, we enjoyed the amazing views that come with a Smoky Mountain Road Trip.

Just Dropping In

The average time to pass through the park is estimated at around one hour, but we were in no hurry. The plan was to see some of the sights that were along the way. If you follow our Instagram account, you probably saw Crystal’s excitement when we spotted our first black bear. (You can follow out our Instagram account here.) Once we made it into Cherokee, we decided to stop for lunch. We weren’t sure how long our museum visit would take, but we didn’t want hunger to interfere. We found this family owned deli just a few blocks from our destination. Front Porch Cakery & Deli offers some interesting twists on many standard dishes. It was definitely a good find.

Getting to the Roots

Ever since we began planning this trip, a visit to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian had been high on our list. While I am unsure of any Native Indian in my bloodline, Crystal’s is a little easier to identify. Her family bloodline has a significant amount of Cherokee, so this stop was especially poignant. As we explored the museum, we found ourselves walking through the history of this proud people. Even through all of their trials, they have survived. It was an honor to have the opportunity to visit this museum. (You can read more about this museum here.)

Smoky Mountain Road Trip Discoveries

After our tour of the museum, we spent a little time exploring some of the shops in Cherokee. The road back to Gatlinburg gave us another look at the national park. Cruising through the winding roads, we noticed the numerous creeks that run within view of the road. Many of these were swollen from the recent rains, which made them all the more beautiful. We stopped at a couple points that offered easy access to the water’s edge. There are certainly tons of selfie spots dotted all through the park.

Run Forrest

Back in town, it was time to pick a dinner spot. Since this trip wasn’t quite like our other destinations, we were allowing ourselves to pick our dining spots on the fly. Our trip was designed to have us in Gatlinburg during weekdays in the middle of September. We assumed this would be less busy, since schools had started back up. When we arrived back in Gatlinburg, on this Monday evening, we noticed a slew of tour buses delivering crowds at the nearby hotels and lodges. It looks like we weren’t going to have the city to ourselves. Spotting a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant, we realized that we had only dined at the one in New Orleans. It seemed like a good time to test this place out again.

You’re Unbelievable

To avoid the swelling crowd, we had dined earlier than normal. This left us plenty of time for some evening exploring. The Gatlinburg Strip stays busy until around 9:30, when the crowds begin thinning. We had seen the unusual structure for Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and decided to stop by for a visit. Inside we found lots of oddities and interesting factoids. This place has quite a few interactive exhibits, so we found ourselves acting like a couple of kids. (You can see some of the exhibits in this Ripley’s article.)

Putting Around

After our Ripley’s visit, we headed back out onto the strip for some more exploration. We passed by another moonshine outlet, where inside we saw plenty of people bellying up to the bar for their free samples. The shops were filled with souvenir shoppers looking for mementos to remember their own Smoky Mountain Road Trip. For us, we were just soaking in the rainy days and fun days that we were experiencing in this mountain town. We dropped into another one of the indoor mini-golf attractions that dot the strip, and played a quick round. By now, we weren’t worrying about keeping score, but just enjoying our time together. With a third of our trip concluded, it was time to get rest up for more adventure.

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We want to thank the Museum of the Cherokee Indian for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Paleo Period

Thousands of years before the European explorers arrived, the Cherokee people were already calling the Appalachian region their home. At the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, we discovered that their earliest records indicate they were hunters and gatherers. The discovery of stone tools shows they hunted the animals that roamed the lands at that time, including the mastodon. Of course, native berries, nuts, and other wild plants would have made up the bulk of their diet. This was also a period when many of the healing properties of native fauna would have been uncovered.

Archaic Period

Around 10,000 years ago, still long before the new world was “discovered”, the tribe’s prowess with tools was developing. By now they were cultivating their own crops, instead of just foraging the forests and fields. Their ability to hone finer tools and create nets allowed them to include fishing in their daily activities. The Cherokee had established trade with other native tribes, which created commerce for the region. Shells, beads, copper, and pipestone were some of the more common trade items to come from the Appalachian region.

Woodland Life

By the time of Christ, the Cherokee Indians had grown into a woodland civilization. Their discovery of the bow and arrow made hunting more prosperous. The people were creating textiles and firing pottery made using a coil process. This allowed for more efficient cooking and storage of foods. The tales of their people were handed down orally, instead of being recorded in writings. These stories told the history of the lands and the place of the Cherokee in its hierarchy. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian has an amazing amount of historical stories recorded for visitors to see. It’s a good thing we had blocked off half of a day for our visit.

Museum of the Cherokee exhibits

While there are tons of static displays at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, there are plenty of other visual exhibits. Periodically, we would encounter a video presentation, like the one above. This help brings the stories of the Cherokee people to life. The displays were teaching us so much about these fascinating people. Crystal was especially engrossed in the stories, as she has lineage to the Cherokee. I was seeing just how much they incorporated nature to assist in their everyday lives. With the addition of corn to their fields, they invited Purple Martins to nest nearby. These birds would feed on insects harmful to their crops while keeping away the crows and blackbirds.

European Influences

The earliest knowledge of European contact with the Cherokee people was around 1540. This was when Hernando Desoto passed through the Appalachian region on his exploration of the “new world”. What he and his men discovered was a civilization that was operating as efficiently as any to be found. The woven fabrics of the Cherokee were as fine as European thread. The use of bow and arrow allowed the Cherokee to fire multiple times, while the Europeans were still loading their guns. The contact was not without severe consequences. During the next 150 years, more than 90% of the Cherokee Indians would die from diseases brought from Europe.

Crossing the Pond

As we wound our way through the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, we came to a series of displays focused on Henry Timberlake’s visit. In 1762, this British emissary and cartographer came to the Appalachian region. Timberlake was born in Virginia and served in the French and Indian Wars. During these aggressions, the Cherokee Indians became angry that some of their chiefs were imprisoned by colonists. They reacted by attacking Fort Loudon in eastern Tennessee. We learned more about this attack at the East Tennessee History Museum in Knoxville. (You can read more about the Knoxville museum here.) By late 1761, the Cherokee were ready to make peace again, and Timberlake accompanied a party to their villages in the Appalachian region.

Into a New World

Timberlake spent the winter with the Cherokee people. He learned of their rituals and customs. They performed their ceremonial dances and shared their food with the party. By the end of his visit, the Cherokee were anxious to meet the King of England. Timberlake made arrangements and in May 1762, he and three Cherokee leaders departed for England. They arrived in early June and were the center of attention until they departed in late summer. In the summer of 1764, Cherokee Indians requested a meeting with the King regarding the encroachment of the white man on the lands reserved for the native tribes.

Shifting Opinions

After arriving in England in the fall of 1764, they were refused an audience. They returned to their homelands with a different view of their British relationship. It is a common belief that the original proclamation was made only as a short term solution to prevent an uprising from the Indian tribes. As the number of immigrants increased, there was an expected point that their numbers would tip the balance in the favor of the white man. With the continued encroachment of the colonists, it seemed in the best interest of the Cherokee to side with the British during the Revolutionary War. The ever-increasing number of colonists outnumbered the Cherokee, who fought a guerilla war. Peace would be fleeting, and with time the tribe’s land would continue to shrink.

Changing Atmosphere

Most of us have heard of the Trail of Tears. This forced removal of native tribes was instituted by government authorities. By 1830, the Five Civilized Tribes were living as one collective nation. With the end of the War of 1812, the lands west of the colonies were ripe for settling. Even as the settlers pressured the government to remove the Indians, they had already begun encroaching on the lands.

Trail of Tears

In 1831, the Choctaw were the first to be removed. Seeing the impending danger to themselves, the Cherokee collected 15,000 signatures against their removal. After taking their case to the Supreme Court, they have ruled a sovereign nation with protection from the forced removal. President Andrew Jackson supported removal at least a decade prior to his presidency. He ignored the court ruling and moved forward with the forced removals. In 1828 gold was discovered and caused a gold rush in Georgia. The Cherokee, who was the last remaining tribe in the region, were removed in 1838. Thousands of native Indians would perish along with the forced marches. (You can read about one of the stops along the Trail here.)

Plan Your Own Visit

Although the Five Civilized Tribes were moved west, they did not lose their culture and traditions. During a visit to the Gilcrease Museum, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we saw a large number of artifacts created by tribespeople. A visit to this museum is a good compliment to the knowledge you gain at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. (You can read about the Gilcrease here.) Our visit to Cherokee, North Carolina didn’t end after we completed our tour of the museum. We found a nice lunch stop nearby, as well as a large selection of shops. A day in Cherokee is a good addition to a vacation in the Smoky Mountain region. It helped remind us of the importance of tolerance and tradition. How many of you would add this stop to your vacation itinerary?

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