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| Our old time photo |
Planning:
We had a couple Hilton weekend certificates to burn so we looked at some destinations within a 6 hour drive. After some research, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge fit the bill because of the close proximity to an indoor water park, amusement park, and aquarium.
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| Got to keep them busy! |
Hotel:
After we settled on a destination I started researching Hilton hotels. I chose the Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg for our first nights stay. We drove in on a Friday afternoon. We went straight to the hotel and luckily our room was ready. We actually got an upgrade to a balcony room. The staff at the hotel was very nice. There was free parking and as gold members we were given certificates for a free breakfast.
After checking in and unloading the car we took the 10 minute walk to the Ripley's Believe it or not Aquarium. The kids loved it. It took about 2 hours to get through since it was not busy.
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| Underwater people mover |
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| This suit is heavy |
After the aquarium we walked around downtown Gatlinburg and checked out the shops. We even did an old time photo (see above). It was so fun and a great memory. For dinner we walked over to Smoky Mountain Brewery. The food and Beer were awesome. We planned to get ice cream at one of the many shops but you know how it goes with the old eat your dinner bribe, it didn't work. The evening was spent instead enjoying a drink on our quiet balcony overlooking the woods, obviously after the debacle of putting the kids to bed.
The following morning we woke up packed the car and had a wonderful made to order/buffet breakfast at the hotel. On our way to Dollywood we drove through the smoky mountains and looked at some rental cabins. We plan to come back and rent a large cabin with family or friends someday.
Dollywood:
We spent most of the day at the amusement park. It was a blast. The kids, aged 3 and 1 were both free. After paying for parking we took the long walk from our parking spot to the entrance. We could have taken the trolley but we didn't want to bother with our double stroller. We went straight to the kids area. We rode the cars, flying elephants, carousel, tea cups, train and many more. There were tons of things for the kids to do. The park was very walk-able but make sure you bring comfortable shoes. There are also many rides which can get you wet. If you like those types make sure to bring a change of clothes.
After Dollywood we headed to our second hotel on Saturday evening. I chose Wilderness at the Smokies because of the awesome water parks attached to the resort. But first, on our way to the resort, we stopped by the Island in Pigeon Forge. This was a development anchored by a Margaritaville hotel and restaurant. We enjoy Margaritavilles so we stopped by for some dinner. The food was good and the atmosphere even better. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the weather and drinks.
We eventually made it to the resort and checked in. We booked a bunk bed room in the river lodge suites part of the resort. The bunk beds were a huge hit with the kiddos. We chose this building since it was attached to the indoor water park. If you stay in the other building you must take a shuttle back and forth between the buildings. The indoor water park was awesome for the kids. My wife and I even took turns riding the big kid slides. The water park was open until 10pm and reopened in the morning at 9am. The outdoor waterparks closed at 7pm and reopened at 11am. We ate breakfast at the onsite restaurant. It was a buffet and pretty pricey IMO. It was decent but I would recommend going offsite if you have time. We used the water parks both in the evening and in the morning. The morning crowds were very light during the first half hour and eventually got busy. Since our kids get up early this worked out in our favor. We were a few of the first people in there which allowed us to get a good table and by the time the resort was full we grabbed lunch and hit the road for naps! This resort also has an arcade, black light mini golf, a ropes course, mini bowling, and much more. We will definitely be visiting again.
Overall Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg TN are great places to bring the kids!
Points used for trip:
Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg
I used one of the free Hilton weekend nights I received for meeting the first year spending requirement for the Citi Hilton Reserve credit card.
Wilderness at the Smokies
I paid for the Wilderness resort using pay for travel with points from my Capital one Venture Card. (15,800 points)
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