SHOPPING THE SMOKIES< Back to Page One - The Routes
Starting in Maggie Valley, on the NC side of the National Park, try Don and Monika Brackett's Chalet Motel. I don't think of it as a motel, since it's off the main road, the ambiance is bucolic, most of spotless rooms have kitchenettes, many have fireplaces, and there is a year-round hot-tub. You can drive "the back way" to Cherokee and the Park from Maggie Valley.
Continuing along Highway 23, just before Sylva, find the newly-renovated 50-room Balsam Mountain Inn, a historic residence serving both breakfast and dinner.
One of my favorite places in the area is Talmadge Fox's Fox Den, four contemporary mountain cottages in Cullowhee, surrounded by waterfalls, all completely furnished with full kitchens, satellite TV, woodburning fireplaces, washer and dryer; and all very reasonably priced.
Dillsboro's lodging options are primarily cabins and cottages out of town or Bed and Breakfast inns in town. We like The Applegate Inn, despite its bouncy, blinking website. The rooms and cottages are nice, the location is wonderful, and the prices are right.
If you like the hustle and bustle of a "tourist trap," Cherokee is one of the best. Besides, it has a unique Harrah's casino... not a live dealer in the place. If you want to play blackjack or craps, you play against a computer. The buffet restaurant is still a great deal, though, and the entertainment is top-notch. It's hard to find websites for individual hotels/motels in Cherokee but this list will at least provide names and phone numbers. I would choose the new Comfort Inn on the river, far enough away from the junque shops to be really classy, but close enough to town to be fun. The new Sleep Inn across the road is a less expensive alternative, but it has no balconies.
Once through the National Park, Gatlinburg, too, is a crowded mass of touristy shops and eateries. For those who want to be in the middle of the action, the new Bearskin Lodge looks like a great bet, with fireplaces, Jacuzzis©, complimentary continental breakfast, coffeemaker and balconies. The Clarion Inn and Suites, also in town, is a large name-brand motel with standard features; the Park Vista Resort is a highrise hotel above downtown. There are also several cottage and cabin rentals in the area, serving Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville, among them Smoky Mountain Cabins and ResortQuest's Private Mountain Cabins.
If you want a beautiful respite away from the crowds, if you want vistas and warmth, good food and new friends, try the elegant, intimate Christopher Place, atop a mountain just a few miles from I-40 but worlds away from the fray of Christmas commercialism. The AAA four-diamond inn has just nine guest rooms, a library, a game room, fitness center, dining room, breakfast room, full hot breakfast, and the most engaging staff you will ever meet.
Knoxville lodging runs the gamut from small roadside motels to the most elegant in-city hotels. Treat yourself... stay at the Marriott Knoxville (formerly the Hyatt Regency) in a room overlooking the river, or at the Knoxville Hilton, both within walking distance of The Old City.
Whatever you choose to do, wherever you choose to stay, a Smoky Mountain Christmas can cure almost any bah-humbugs.
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All photos copyright Jana M. Jones 2001
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