Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals

I’d heard of the Smoky Mountains; I even knew they were part of America’s most visited national park.  Until I seriously started investigating Smoky Mountain cabin rentals, though, I didn’t know half of the fascinating history and geography of this diverse forested mountain area lying across the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Now I can’t wait to get there.

I had already decided to try something different for this year’s vacation – away from the cities, coasts and crowds - and the more I researched, the more I realized I wanted a Smoky Mountain cabin rental this time around.

Let me explain.

1  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park   This is a serenely beautiful area of stunning mountain scenery, hurtling mountain streams with tumultuous waterfalls, so many varieties of plant it has been called ‘the wildflower national park’, hundreds of miles of horse trails, auto tour routes, country walks or backpacking treks, and elk, white-tailed deer and brown bears, too.  If I want to fish, I can pit my wits against trout in 700 miles of fishermen- friendly waters.  Or if I decide to white water raft instead, there’s the opportunity to try.

2  The Towns  Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are probably the best known of the towns in and around the park.  Gatlinburg, founded 201 years ago by Martha Jane Huskey Ogle and her family, is a town of weathered historic buildings and, if I fancy a challenge, a golf course with barely a level piece of land on it anywhere!  It’s also part of the Cades Cove Loop, which could prove to be a memorable cycle trip.  Gatlinburg is the authentic year round vacation town.

Pigeon Ford is a town on the National Register of Historic Sites and is often best-known as the home of Dollywood Theme Park - with rides, shows and artists’ workshops -  and Splash Country Water Park.  The kids will love those, needless to say.  There’s also a shopper’s Utopia, with a mall of over 100 outlet stores that has been voted the best shopping location in the south.

Asheville in North Carolina is going to be worth a visit too as it is apparently a sophisticated and vibrant little city but it is also the site of the amazing Biltmore Estate and Village – erstwhile home of the Vanderbilts.

3  Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals  There are, literally, thousands to choose from – with one bedroom or with enough room to sleep twelve.  The customary style is, naturally, the traditional log cabin look but there are some built in the Swiss style or with more modern condo-type architecture.  Most of them, though, will evoke memories of the American past and help link visitors with the ambience of the environment surrounding them.  I am, however, enough of a 21st century creature to be appreciative that they come furnished with, for me, ‘essentials’ like cable TVs, hot tubs, swimming pools, and fully-equipped kitchens and are close enough to towns to be able to easily access the shops, restaurants and entertainment .

I’m glad I’ve decided on a Smoky Mountain cabin rental this year; now all I have to decide is whether to take the whole family or just escape for a romantic log cabin vacation with the husband!

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