Been to Gatlinburg, Tenn.? Is it tacky?

Stell Simonton of Gotta Go! blog posted this link to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution article by reporter Pama Mitchell, where she gives her opinions on how to avoid what she calls the ticky-tacky side of Gatlinburg.

They then ask:

• Do you think this Tennessee mountain town is tacky?
• If so, is it possible to avoid the offending areas?
• Or do you think tacky can be fun …. ?

And, by the way, have you been there? If so, got a recommendation or two for where to eat, what to do? Click here for their Comments (38

During my most recent visit to Gatlinburg and the Smokies I stopped at one of the Park Visitor Centers and bought the book "Gatlinburg - Cinderella City by Ed Trout. This is an excellent text for anyone that LOVES Gatlinburg.

After reading some of the comments from the link above, I'm reminded of this excerpt from this book:

"On a hot July afternoon a typical family of four ambles up and down the length of Parkway, buys a few souvenirs, and glides away in their Chevy van. They have seen Gatlinburg. A collegiate backpacker hitchikes to a trailhead in the national park. Through the window of his free ride, he has seen Gatlinburg. From their balcony at the Sheraton, a retired couple gazes down at the town, has one last Bountiful Breakfast at the Burning Bush, and cruises back to Florida. They have seen Gatlinburg. Like the blind men describing the elephant, all have seen, yet none have seen."

"For . . .Wild ducks in the river huddle under the bridges against March winds. The white-crested cirque of Mt. LeConte shrieks above the still darkened streets of a December dawn. Hand looms thump-thump in a synergetic class at Arrowmont. Whitehaired locals tell "liars club" tales over steaming coffee, their Lincolns parked where mules used to plow. This too, is a Gatlinburg that only a few have seen."

"No one will know the Burg in totality. I've been here for years and am still poking and finding. So take your choice. Skim the Parkway and hurry away; or stay a while and really dig in."

My suggestions:

• Rent a cabin, pick up some groceries, hang out . . and really relax.
• At least drive Roaring Forks Rd. (starts at Stoplight #8) and get up into the mountains.
• Take a couple of the easy hikes.
• Try leaving the Parkway and go shopping in the Arts & Crafts shops on Glades Rd.
• Dine at the Park Grill, the Trout House, Maxwell's, or the Applewood

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