Gatlinburg

This was our first time visiting Gatlinburg, the tourist town right at the door of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Gatlinburg is famous for its heavy traffic and crowds, but we visited in the off season so it wasn't too bad.  We enjoyed scooting around town every once in a while between visits to the park (Peter, Dad, GrandDad, Niki, and NanaB) and throwing rocks into rivers (Charlie).

Gatlinburg from the tram.  You can't see it from here, but Gatlinburg is full of restaurants, t-shirt shops, and tourist traps.

Well, I insisted on taking Niki and Peter to Cooter's Place, a tourist trap run by the fellow who played "Cooter" on the Dukes of Hazzard, my favorite TV show when I was a kid.  Niki figured out that there is a "Cooter's Place" in Nashville, but oh well . . .  Cooter's Place had a little "museum," filled with old toys.  I still have, and Charlie and Peter now play with, the big "Dixie" jeep here.

Peter found a go-cart Hazzard County Sheriff's car, and fell in love with it.

The nice guy behind the counter took the tape off and let Peter sit in it.  He was DELIGHTED!

He would sit down, then stand up, then sit down, then stand up, and jabbered the entire time.

Dad - can we keep it?

We found a few restaurants that we liked, including Howard's Steak House.

Here's another tourist trap - the "Cars of the Stars" museum.  Here's Herbie!

A Gatlinburg block at night.

Niki found a little shopping center with a bluegrass band playing.  Charlie and Peter twirled and danced.

Mountain Momma.

What's more East Tennessee than resting in an orange and white rocking chair after dancing to bluegrass?