I'm on vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

[AwakeAtLast]

We booked our rooms for the week of Memorial Day before Christmas last year and prepaid. When the Tennessee Legislature went crazy we said we wished we could cancel. We haven't had a true vacation for the entirety of our 23 year marriage, so we went.

Memorial Day weekend was crazy busy, but this weekend was vastly different. A lot of business owners commented about how slow it was.

Maybe we weren't the only ones who didn't want to come?

Anyway, we spent most of our time in the Smoky Mountain National Park and I wore the Pride Slides I got at Target every time we were in town!

[Bayard]

1. Time spent in the Smokies is never wasted

[AwakeAtLast]

2. We have had a great time!

I got video of a bear standing up on his hind legs! Lots of great pictures, and I actually made it up to Clingman's Dome!

[SCantiGOP]

3. Tennessee used to be a progressive state

40-50 years ago. Kefauver, Gore Sr and Jr and others. Eastern Tenn had even refused to support the Confederacy.
Don’t know what happened to them.

[AwakeAtLast]

5. We went through the local artist colony tour

Met lots of delightful artists and crafters. More than one of them talked about how their area wanted to stay with the Union. I need to research more on that, because I had no idea.

I will say, I haven't seen as much Trump paraphernalia as I expected. There's more in Southern Indiana.

[SCantiGOP]

14. One branch of my family was from East Tenn.

I asked them if it was opposition to slavery that kept them from supporting the South.
They thought that was funny. They said everyone was too poor in that area to own slaves, and didn’t want to fight for rich planters and distant governments that they weren’t connected to.

[SCantiGOP]

15. One branch of my family was from East Tenn.

I asked them if it was opposition to slavery that kept them from supporting the South.
They thought that was funny. They said everyone was too poor in that area to own slaves, and didn’t want to fight for rich planters and distant governments that they weren’t connected to.

[dflprincess]

4. I was there many years ago

very pretty part of the country. I believe their busiest time is in the fall when the tourist come down to look at the leaves.

As I recall, there is a fair amount of WPA construction in the national park, which was officially dedicated by FDR in 1940 (or so).

If you're driving and your route takes you near Nashville you may want to check out Andrew Jackson's estate (The Hermitage).

[AwakeAtLast]

6. I will put that on our list for next time.

But thanks for the suggestion. Hubby has to get up early Monday morning, so we are driving straight home tomorrow.

We commented about how we really want to come back during the Fall!

[Silent Type]

7. Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg is a great drive. Did it on bicycle once.

Some great hiking too.

[AwakeAtLast]

8. We did that on Thursday!

Found another route off of the Blue Ridge Parkway that was so fun! We had lunch in Cherokee, and the people were great!

[Silent Type]

10. I've been going there/nearby since 1950s. Gatlinburg itself, got old though.

There’s a road that goes from just north of Cherokee to Asheville that is nice too. No services or stores, just road except for a rather primitive Inn.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Sounds like you guys had a great time! Beautiful country

Gotta be a time when we ignore it all and just enjoy!!! They can't take that away can they? Life is short!

[MLAA]

12. My grandparents went on vacation every year to Cherokee and I often went with them as 9 year

old kid. The early years were spent at a hotel on the river that ran (still runs?) through Cherokee. As time went on they were able to build a small cabin in the mountains near Franklin. What glorious memories spending part of every summer there with them. 💗. Glad you are having wonderful vacation.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

9. We Were There About 5 Years Ago

We rented a cabin in the Smokies, literally on top of a mountain. The drive was perilous (super-steep hills with super-sharp turns, huge drop-offs right next to the road, and no guardrails anywhere), but we enjoyed our time there. We even had a bear walk down our driveway our first night there. We also went to Cherokee in NC and got to see some elk on our way home.

It was about 2018, so the mid-term election ads were all over the TV then, and my wife and I commented to each other almost every night just how frightening they were. The current Governor (I think it's Bill Lee?) and the horrible female Senator, and another guy were in a 3-way race and were constantly running ads about how they were the Trumpiest Trumper who ever Trumped, and how THEY were WAY more Trumpy than everyone else in the race, and how they loved guns more than the other ones, etc. It was really shocking.

When you got into town, the wax museum had a wax statue of Trump right out front with a white board next to it of all his "accomplishments," and throngs of people in red MAGA hats would stop to get their pictures taken with it. I was going to get a picture of myself giving it the finger, but I was afraid I might get lynched if I did. In a huge contrast, the following year we went to Niagara Falls in Canada and the exact same wax museum had the exact same statue of Trump, but had him holding a little Russian flag and posed between statues of Putin and Kim Jong Un. I love those Canadians.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. That is so funny! Went to Niagara and into Canada

too.. Right after 9-11 and original trip got canceled. Never will forget those Canadians in the pub laughing and mocking bush on the TV! They were pissed cuz US said can't land here, land in Canada.

[pastballs]

16. tennessee

anyone know what the best live version of " tennessee Jed is? .... suspect there is one/another deadhead at this site 🌈

[JackSabbath]

19. The last one you listened to 🌹💀🌹

[gopiscrap]

22. welcome to DU

[videohead5]

17. Nashville

Is a progressive city. I'm not sure if we have ever had a Republican mayor. I know it's not been in my lifetime.

[Norbert]

18. I still need to climb Lount LeConte to the top

I better do it soon. Not getting any younger.

[KentuckyWoman]

20. You are a brave soul

I would not touch Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge with a 99 and a half foot pole near Memorial or Labor Day - and I'm counting the days until they close Cades Cove to private vehicles and run shuttles instead.