Kids gone for the weekend? Check. Found some things around the house to keep your significant other busy for the weekend? Check. Then your hot girl weekend is now in full effect...
Family trips & bae cations are thrilling, however, there are times when you need to be with your girls, let loose, and un-wind. If you’re looking for a girls getaway, but you’re tired of the same activities such as city life, beaches, & nightclubs; Gatlinburg, TN has a different scenery to offer you and your girls during an ultimate getaway weekend.
Destination: Gatlinburg, TN
Gatlinburg is located in East Tennessee. The closest Metropolitan city that is close to Gatlinburg is Knoxville, TN which is home to the well known University of TN NCAA sports team, (Go Vols)!Gatlinburg is a town located in Sevier county, which is home for the legendary country singer Dolly Parton. Gatlinburg is known for its beautiful and breathtaking Great Smoky Mountain views. Gatlinburg is also known for its variety of ride attractions & getaway cabins.
Cabin Fever:
When you think of cabins, most people assume that cabins are for romantic evenings for baecations, however, renting a cabin for your girls trip is the perfect idea. During our stay, we decided to settle on a luxury cabin resort called Gatlinburg Falls. Each Cabin in Gatlinburg Falls has a specific name to go alone with the luxury theme. Our cabin was called Cypress Lodge. The cabin was a 4 bedroom cabin with 2 queen sleepers & a twin bunk bed which led to plenty of room for everyone. The cabin came with some fun amenities such as a huge theatre room, outside hot tub, two balconies, and a game room filled with fun game machines to keep all the ladies entertained during the remainder of the stay.
It’s too Many Activities to Choose From!!
Gatlinburg has many fun sites and attractions. Since we were only visiting for a short weekend we decided on a small list of attractions such as riding ATVs, spending the day at the island, and walking the Skybridge at night.
Riding Dirty
If you’re adventurous and looking for a thrill, Jayell's Ranch in Sevierville would be the perfect thrill for you. Jayell's ranch has many of attractions such as horseback riding, zip lines, mountain slides, UTV & ATV tours. Due to our full itinerary we decided to only complete the ATV tour. Jayell's ranch only accepts debit and credit card transactions. This process is done incase someone was to wreck the ATV the business would have a card on file to charge the expenses to. The cost to rent an ATV is 69.99 for your own ATV or if you and a friend decided to share an ATV the cost could be split into 2 which is about 36 dollars a piece. Once you’ve paid for your ATV and put your information into their electronic tablet you have to walk down a path to check in. The check in area is a small area with about 20 blue rocking chairs. Although the compact area is outside, there is not much room to social distance due to multiple parties waiting on their ATV tour, so I would definitely recommend wearing a mask. You and your group will wait in the area until your group number is called. Once your group number has been called, the ATVs and helmets are already lined up for you.
Inexperience ATV drivers are asked to get in the front of the group while experienced drivers are in the back. This will help the guide and tour flow easier. The tour itself is about an hour in a half long. There is some beautiful scenery along the trail. Once your group is close to the end, the tour guide will take you to the top of the hill with a beautiful view of mountains and your group can take photos on your cell phone. Once your tour ends, it is best to have cash so that you can tip your guide.
Spending the Day at the Island 🌴(Private Island me please)
Okay, seriously, it’s no Island & home grown palm trees in Gatlinburg. However, there is a place in Pigeon Forge, TN (about 20 minutes from Gatlinburg) called the Island at Pigeon Forge. The island provides live entertainment, shopping, and ride attractions. This is a perfect place for you and your girls to get cute and step out, whether it’s day or night. The island is like an outdoor mall, however there are many bars, stores, and restaurants that have inside seating. Once arriving to the island, there is free parking however, it is a bit of walk to the car (about 10 minutes). There is a trolley that you can take, and the trolley has different bus stop locations for visitors to get on and off. During the pandemic, I would recommend just walking to the island from the free parking area because the trolley does not have a way to effectively social distance.
Big Wheels:
The island is known for its many of fun attractions. This would be a great time for you and your girls to experience your exploring side and check out many of the attractions that the Island has to offer. The one main attraction that everyone can see from afar is the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. The wheel sits at 200 feet in the air and you will ride in an all glass gondola. The Gondolas have air conditioning and heat installed in them. The wheel allows you to select everyone in your party that will ride with you in your Gondola, so you’re not riding with just random people which is great due to Covid-19. However, the max number of individuals in the gondola is 6, so if you’re in a large party, you may have to take separate gondolas, but don’t worry, remember the gondolas are all glass so you guys will be able to wave at one another in passing. Once you are at the very top of the wheel, it sits for about 3 minutes and you have the opportunity to take in the beautiful view of Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains.
If you’re riding at night time, you will get to experience how well lit the city of Gatlinburg looks. The pricing for the wheel can be found here. You may also find some coupons for a few dollars off for the wheel on the website as well. There is a huge ticket booth that is attached to an Arcade. The tickets for the wheel and other attractions have to be purchased at the ticket booth, the operators at the wheel do not take payments.
Once you’ve paid at the ticket booth, you are given a reloadable card that can be used during your time at the island. Once you’ve received your card you can head over to the wheel. There is a single line format & there are social distancing stickers on the pavement that tells you how close to stand to someone. Once you’re close to the wheels entrance there is a photographer who takes your photos & it’s photoshopped to look like you are standing right behind the wheel. This is a great girls trip photo opportunity. You can view the photos and purchase them once you’re done with your ride. The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel is an experience you and your girls will always remember.
Rides Over, Let’s Drink;
Since you’re out with your girls, to keep the party going I would definitely recommend trying wine. The wine tasting allows you to try up to 6 different flavors of free wine. While completing the wine tasting, the wine is poured into a small shot cup and this is how you sample it.
There is a plexiglass between you and the distributor which led us to feel safe while sampling the wine. They generally also have a sale on the wine bottles, so grab you a bottle or two for you and the girls to use later tonight at the cabin!
From Wine Tasting to the Hard Stuff:
Wine tasting was just a sample to get the girls loose. Gatlinburg is home for the established moonshine product and what better way to get the girls pumped up than with moonshine! Ole Smoky Moonshine is the ultimate spot to sample over 10 different moonshines. Ole smoky is spacious, however, it can become very crowded due to popular demand of moonshine, however there is still room to social distance. The bar is a standing only bar and you’re only at the bar with your group that your in. There is also a plexiglass between you and the distributor here as well. The cost of the moonshine tasting is 5 dollars per person. The host in the middle are great for entertaining as they sing, cheer, & pour you different flavors to try. If there is a flavor that you do not want to try, you can cover the glass with your hand and the host will bypass your glass until the next sample shot comes around. Once you're tasting is done, it is best to have a cash tip for your host in the middle & you can also choose to purchase any of the moonshines that you sampled.
It isn’t Vegas, but it’s a Water Show:
While the moonshine might be making your head spin. You can use this time to sit down and collect yourself before leaving the island for the day. Right in the heart of the island is a small water show. During different times of the day and night, the water show begins with a colorful water tricks and music. There are chairs around the fountain for you and your friends to sit and enjoy the show. The show normally lasts about 15-20 minutes.
Downtown Gatlinburg:
Downtown Gatlinburg is a definite stop for your girls trip. Downtown Gatlinburg is a large walking strip known for its restaurants, bars, hotels, and attractions. One of the main attractions that we decided to do while downtown was the Gatlinburg Sky Lift Park. The park is about 35 dollars per person. The park is an open-air chair ride. Three individuals can ride up together and have an amazing aerial view of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. The open-air chair ride is very slow and soothing so that you can enjoy and take in the scenic views. The ride up is about 15-20 minutes. On the way up, there is a camera and the chair slows down for you and your group to pose and take a picture. Once you arrive to the top there is a guide that helps you get out of the chair. There is a small gift shop where you can shop around and use the bathroom facilities. You can also purchase your photos that were taken of you and your group on the sky lift.
Once you’re done with the gift shop, there are stairs that will take you to the Skybridge. Fun fact: The Skybridge is said to be the largest walking bridge in all of North America. The first part of the bridge is wooden & there is a small section of the bridge that is glass and you have to walk over the glass to get to the other side of the wooden bridge. You are allowed to take your time and enjoy the bridge. There is normally an attendant by the glass part of the bridge and you can ask them to take your photos on the glass part of the bridge.
We decided to go at night to enjoy the city light views. Since it was night time, the bridge was well lit for visitors to see where they were walking. The view of Downtown Gatlinburg is breathtaking from the bridge. Once you’ve enjoyed your time at the bridge, you can catch another Sky lift ride back down to get back to the ground & the heart of downtown. Whether you ride the Sky lift day or night, you & your girls will definitely enjoy the exciting fun of the park and can continue to explore and enjoy the liveliness of downtown Gatlinburg.
Hot Girl Weekend Completed:
Gatlinburg is the perfect place for a small weekend getaway for a girls trip. Even during the pandemic, a girls trip can be safely established and plenty of fun. Use this time to enjoy your girlfriends, relax, disconnect, and unwind. Remember to stay safe, enjoy, and create magical, meaningful, memories.