Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg "Do's and Don'ts"

Our family has visited the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area a number of times and we always leave saying we'll be back.

Since we have visited several times, we've begun to compile a list of "do's and don'ts" regarding a visit to the Smokies.  This list is really just my opinion. You may have other tips. Feel free to share below.

Do:

• If you can afford it, skip the hotel on the strip and consider renting a cabin. We've stayed at Dollywood Vacations, Star-crest Resort, Sugar Maple Cabins, and The Preserve Resort. By staying in a cabin, you can cook your own food and enjoy great views and activities during your down time. It sure beats stuffing the family in a one-or-two room hotel.
• Visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I'm amazed at how many people never make it past Gatlinburg. The park is beautiful...and it's free!!!
• Climb to the top of Clingman's Dome in the park. It's a hike, but the view is worth it.
• Visit the Foothills Parkway on the west end of the park. Great views, fewer crowds, and totally worth the drive.
• If you plan to spend your time in the carnival atmosphere of the Parkway in Pigeon Forge or the main drag in Gatlinburg, bring lots of cash. You can burn $100 in less than 5 minutes.
• Paid destinations we found to be a great value: Ripley's Aquarium, Cirque de Chine, Applewood Farms, Dixie Stampede.
• Plan lots of picnic lunches. Whether in the National Park or on the strip, you'll save a ton of dough by packing your lunch. Our favorite picnic spot in Pigeon Forge is Liberty Park next to the Old Mill Restaurant.

Don'ts:

• Avoid arriving on Saturday afternoon / evening. The traffic is the worst. Think "travel one mile in one hour" type of traffic.
• Avoid the Walmart on the parkway for grocery shopping.  There are several other grocery stores off the strip that are less crowded. Try the Kroger on Rt. 321, Light #3.
• Don't forget good walking shoes. There is lots to see and a lot of walking. Flip flops don't cut it.

I'll update this list as more things come to mind. If you have tips you'd like to add, just post below.

Cirque de Chine: Put on your Pigeon Forge, TN "to do" list

We've been to Pigeon Forge several times. One of the reasons we keep coming back is the wide variety of quality attractions and the great access to nature that the area has to offer.

While you have to be careful about which attractions you chose, some are worth the investment of both time and money. Cirque de Chine at the Smoky Mountain Palace is one of those attractions.

If  you like demonstrations of physical strength, daring stunts, and blazing motorcycles (yes, motorcycles), you will enjoy Cirque de Chine.  The cast of 40+ individuals hail from China and bring a variety of talents that kept our entire family engaged.



Quality venue
When you arrive at the Cirque venue, you'll be pleased to find a well kept, fairly new facility that looks fairly classy for the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area. One gets accustomed to the "down home" feel of the south. Here you feel like you are in a much more urban environment. It feels more like a nice movie theater than anything else. It's air conditioned, has nice theater seating, has clean restrooms and facilities. We reserved our tickets on line for the 2pm show on a Tuesday, but there were plenty of seats. If you do reserve on line, you'll save $3 a ticket.

Amazing talent
There is some pretty amazing talent at Cirque de Chine. Each segment of the show lasts about 10 to 15 minutes accompanied by great lighting, dramatic background music and amazing feats of balance, strength and daring. Consider the following:

• 8 to 10 ladies riding a single bicycle...with ease.
• A woman performing daring acrobatics 20 feet in the air using a 30 foot long red drape.
• An incredible demonstration of balance.
• And a juggling act you have to see to believe.

Sounds like a circus, right? It is, but it is performed with an element of grace and Far Eastern nobility that is totally out of place in Pigeon Forge. I think that is what makes Cirque de Chine so appealing. You really don't expect to find entertainment like this on a strip that promotes events like "Dixie Stampede" or "The Comedy Barn".

The kicker act is the finale which entails 4 motorcyclists riding 30 to 40 mph in a giant 40 foot steel sphere. Incredibly dangerous. Elegantly performed with class and penosh.

Good value 
Our visit to Cirque de Chine cost $92 for all five us of us. As mentioned before, we bought tickets in advance on line and that cut $15 from the total price. In terms of value, you get a nicely paced show that is off the beaten path of the "hillbilly" theme that dominates Pigeon Forge. The show was two hours long with a 15 minute intermission.

Recommendation
For my teenaged sons, they all liked the acts and are still talking about some elements in passing. I think that's a good sign.  You can spend $90 to $100 a lot quicker and in a less satisfying manner in a ton of places in Pigeon Forge.

We thought this one was worth the money.