My dad's side of the family is having a reunion in the Great Smokey Mts this summer. DH and I want to go the weekend before and spend some time in Asheville and/or Knoxville. Our LOs will be 2.5 and 7 months. Anyone have suggestions on what do to, where to stay, and what to eat?
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If you like nature and pretty scenery, Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of my favorite places. They have a great scenic loop you can drive or bike. The wildlife and the views are amazing. We have seen deer, wild turkey, and bear several times on the loop. It is near Townsend, TN, and not far from Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg.
As far as lodging goes, there are a lot of great cabin rentals in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas.
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I can share an awesome AirBnB in Asheville if you're interested! We stayed there last summer and it was super duper awesome.
Also, in Asheville, pretty much everywhere you'll eat is awesome--but definitely try out Sunny Point Cafe. So fun!
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Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville is a great place to eat. They have recently started opening more in other cities, but they started in Asheville.
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@NCSUchick27: thanks! We have a huge cabin rental (12 bedrooms) in Pigeon Forge for the reunion, but I'm at a loss for where to stay in Asheville or Knoxville.
@mfa_lady: the AirBNB recommendation would be great
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If you go to Asheville definitely visit the Biltmore Estate. The house is amazing, and they have beautiful gardens, great restaurants, and an awesome winery that does wine tastings.
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@mrs.shinerbock: Walled you!
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@mfa_lady: ooh share with me too! Dh's family is in asheville
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@Mrs. Lion: Walling you now!
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Brookstone Lodge is where we always stay in Asheville....it's super close to the Biltmore and is very affordable! I definitely recommend Biltmore, especially the grounds and...ahem...the wine tasting! Walking around downtown is a blast, lots of interesting art and people, and you pretty much can't eat anything bad. We love visiting the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, there's an awesome game area for the kids!
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We lived in Asheville for a few years. It's a very family friendly city. If recommend trying to find a rental fairly close to downtown. I've never stayed at Brookstone but the location is perfect.
As far as food, Sunny Point and Tupelo Honey are both great recommendations. There is a Tupelo Honey location south of the city that is a little less crazy than the downtown location. The breweries are all very kid friendly too. Asheville Brewing has pizza and bar food. Wicked Weed has great food and a really nice patio area.
The Biltmore really is worth a visit. With kids, you could fly through the house but spend a ton of time exploring the grounds. They have horses that the kids would love. We enjoyed just taking food and a blanket and finding a gorgeous spot for a picnic.
I've never explored Knoxville, but I really highly recommend Asheville to families. There are street performers downtown playing music all the time. Plus everything is very casual. Have fun and if you have any questions, let me know.
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The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area is packed full of kid friendly stuff! Plus great hotels and cabins.
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@babypugs: @futuremama: thanks!
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@artsyfartsy: anything specific you would recommend?
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