Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Vacation Over? Make It A Weekend In The Smokies!
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on September 4, 2018
Chances are that most of you reading this have probably used up all your summer vacation time for the year. Lots of folks like to make their big vacay trips while the kids are out for summer break, and at this point, those breaks have ended for most, if not all, of you.
But that doesn't mean you can't find time to play in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Assuming you have typical work hours or you're a stay-at-home parent, you probably still have your weekends free, and those come around every seven days. So if you're itching to get back to the mountains, mark your calendar for an upcoming weekend. And to help you out, we're passing along several ideas for things you can easily fit into a single two-day getaway.
1. Shop, shop, shop
You could hit any one shopping destination in the Smokies and cover a lot of ground in just a few hours. Discount malls like Tanger Outlets in Sevierville and the Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Mall in Pigeon Forge, as well as specialty shopping spots like The Village and Mountain Mall in downtown Gatlinburg, offer multiple retail stores in one location. So you can hit a lot of different places on foot and only have to make one car trip. That will allow you to get more shopping done in a given time and free up more of your schedule for other fun weekend outings.
2. Football time?
If you happen to be a fan of UT football, you might want to include a side trip to Knoxville to watch the Vols play on a home game some Saturday this fall. Home dates include 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 10/20 and 11/3. You could get your tickets now, plan on staying somewhere in the Smokies and then drive in for the game that Saturday afternoon or evening. Even if you're not necessarily a Vols fan, it can still be fun to watch some college football amidst 100,000-plus screaming fans.
3. Hit the trail
Gatlinburg is right on the doorstep of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, home to some 800 miles of hiking trails. Many of them are easily accessible and don't require a big time investment to travel to. And while some hikes can definitely be more ambitious and eat up the better part of a day, there are plenty of trails that are on the shorter side. Some are only nature strolls less than a mile long, or you could pick a trail that allows you to make your hike as long or as short as you need. Either way, venturing into the park doesn't have to account for a huge chunk of your precious weekend time.
4. Go to the show
Music shows are one of the most popular ways to spend an evening in the Smokies. And you can take your pick of a wide range of entertainment genres thanks to the variety of shows in Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Gatlinburg. There's music of all flavors, from country, bluegrass and gospel to Motown, Broadway and rock. You'll also find magic shows, Biblically themed shows, lumberjack competitions and more. And many of the theaters serve meals, so you can kill two birds with one stone.
5. Get zippy
We strongly recommend a visit to our Pigeon Forge attraction for anyone in search of a good weekend adrenaline rush. Our Smoky Mountain ziplines offer one of the longest total zipline experiences in the area and some really incredible views of the surrounding mountains. The two- to three-hour trip is packed with exhilarating zipline runs, beautiful scenery, a vertical drop feature and professional guides whose job is to keep you both safe and entertained.
