Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains - Travel Guide | What to Do, See, & Eat!

Published 2023-06-19
Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains - Travel Guide | What to Do, See, & Eat!

Welcome to the Great Smoky Mountains! For our time in this beautiful part of the country, we spent some time in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the most visited national park in the US), explored the tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and ended our time at our favorite theme park… Dollywood!

Check out our β€œThe Perfect Weekend in the Smoky Mountains” blog for more info and tips for planning your visit πŸ‘‰πŸΌ tinyurl.com/rmz9yba

** Watch to the end for bloopers **

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

⬇️ Best Tours & Experiences in the Smoky Mountains ⬇️
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour: tinyurl.com/4jhaae94
The "Classic" National Park Tour: tinyurl.com/5aj3ajcd
Small-Group Jeep Tour of Smoky Mountains Foothills Parkway: tinyurl.com/4mnnh22e
Dollywood Theme Parks 1 or 2 Day Entry Ticket: tinyurl.com/yfc7axmt
Dollywood's Splash Country Entry Ticket: tinyurl.com/2p8eyenx
Pigeon Forge: Titanic Museum Advance Purchase Ticket: tinyurl.com/39p8kkwr
Whitewater Rafting Tour in the Smokies: tinyurl.com/4dxt7azm
Mountaintop Zipline 2-Hours Activity: tinyurl.com/5r4vje4z
Moonshine Mountain Coaster Ride: tinyurl.com/mrxkstvy
Rocky Top Mountain Coaster Ride: tinyurl.com/y46a7un5
Tour to 3 Pigeon Forge Wineries with Tastings: tinyurl.com/ypwe8dp3
Wine and Shine Walking Tour: tinyurl.com/jxmb8w8h
Wine Me, Shine Me, Dine Me: tinyurl.com/29uzfafr
Tickets to Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud Show: tinyurl.com/2p8sv4ar

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

PATREON:
Support our work & get some awesome perks and exclusive content!
www.patreon.com/AdventuresofMattandNat

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains - Travel Guide
Filmed October 25-26, 2022

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

MAIL TIME:
If you want to send us a postcard from your recent travels or send us a product to review, you can send it to…

Matt & Nat
PO Box 140231
Nashville, TN 37214

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

β˜…β˜… FOLLOW US β˜…β˜…
WEBSITE/BLOG - www.adventuresofmattandnat.com/
INSTAGRAM - www.instagram.com/adventuresofmattandnat
TIK TOK - www.tiktok.com/@adventuresofmattandnat
FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/adventuresofmattandnat
TWITTER - twitter.com/Matt_n_Nat

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
Disclosure: We only endorse things we've personally used or come highly recommended by trusted peers. If you purchase anything using our referral links, we may get a small commission. However, there's no extra cost to you.

OUR CURRENT GEAR:
Sony RX100 VII: amzn.to/3jZj1kR
Nikon D5600 DX - DSLR: amzn.to/3aywSeA
DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo: amzn.to/3k4gSo6
GoPro Hero 9 Black: amzn.to/3u8oWZn
Full List Here… www.amazon.com/shop/adventuresofmattandnat?listId=…

Check out our Amazon recommendation with ALL of our travel essentials and MORE… www.amazon.com/shop/adventuresofmattandnat

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC:
All of the music that you hear in our vlogs is from Epidemic Sound! Check out this link for a FREE Trial! bit.ly/40H3bzg

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

== About Us ==
We’re Matt & Nat, a part-time, non-remote travel couple based out of Nashville, TN. In 2021 we visited all 50 US states & documented our entire journey on our blog & here on YouTube! After spending a full year focused on such a defined goal, 2022 left us feeling a little lost & wondering "What's next?". We continued traveling & creating vlogs but always with the "What's next?" question lingering. During one of our trips, we came across the book β€œ1,000 Places to See Before You Die” & were immediately drawn in by it & knew that it had to be a part of our adventures. So, in January 2023 we officially launched our β€œ1,000 Places To See Before You Die” series where we’ve set out to see as many of the β€œ1,000 Places To See Before You Die”… before we die!

We hope you’ll join us on the adventure & find some adventures of your own along the way! And remember... It’s better to see something once (even if only for a moment) than to hear about it a thousand times.

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Day 1: Welcome to the Smoky Mountains!
01:50 Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cades Cove Loop
08:28 Downtown Gatlinburg
09:00 Lunch at Tennessee Jed's
11:10 Ober Gatlinburg
12:50 Gatlinburg SkyLift Park
20:54 The Donut Friar
22:10 Dinner at Local Goat
24:37 Day 2: Pigeon Forge!
25:02 Lunch at Old Mill Restaurant
28:29 Exploring Old Mill Square
30:54 Moonshine Tasting at Old Forge Distillery
34:36 Dollywood!
43:49 Bloope

All Comments (21)
  • @user-hg7gc8xs7t
    You two compliment each other so well, I enjoy your energy. Very fun and informative.
  • @ladybug16421
    Nat, I just love how Matt looks at you and adores you with his eyes, so sweet.
  • I LOVE watching your videos, makes my wish list grow to places to visit and DOLLYWOOD is one of mine for sure :)
  • Don't know how you two are in real life, but if you are the way you come off on here, you two have some of the best personalities, and charisma of anyone that creates vlogs. Great job!
  • @lindagoulder5133
    I live in Gatlinburg. FYI: If any of you are planning to visit Cades Cove during the summer: the road closes (no cars) on Wednesdays and is open for bicycles and hikers only.
  • @scottnei1377
    Go there almost every year. Our daughter and husband love it so much, they bought a cabin in Del Rio.
  • @timothygriffin1062
    Nat @ 29:38.......".....that was really sweet..." ! ha ha Good one Nat !!! Also, both of you have honest, detailed critiques which are very helpful and appreciated.
  • Hello from Gatlinburg!! I was in the Skybridge part with white hair ..lol. You guys were so nice to speak with! Hope to see you two again πŸžοΈπŸ»πŸŒ„
  • @coopundiva
    Awesome video! Dollywood deserves its own video honestly, looks soo much fun!
  • @ralphjones7531
    i remember in one of my many trips in the smokies...there were bears and the tourists were climbing the hill towards them to get pics, they had their ribs showing ,most likely out of hibernaton. out of nowhere this park ranger was like get the hell down and back in your cars lol. will never forget that.
  • @renodowns5256
    You guys are FUN. Been on your channel for 4:00 hours now need to take a nap now.
  • Gained a new sub! Went there when I was a kid...Wife and I going this fall thanks for the help! Ya'll are great.
  • @jimmienonya8912
    You guys are awesome!! Just found yaw, i love the Smokies,got married up there in 96.....You guys need your own tv show, thanks for this....im hooked!
  • @andrewzook1034
    Omg I was dying lol, Nat with the Sky Bridge. I feel you100%. Love your videos guys!
  • @caraw73
    Great Vlog! I love going to the Smokies in the Fall! I always make a stop at the Donut Friar for the cinnamon sugar doughnuts. At the Old Mill, I highly recommend the Old Mill Pottery House Cafe across from the main restaurant. The food there was awesome! I had their Praline Pork Chop that is topped with French toast moonshine sauce and chopped pecans. It was delish (chef's kiss!) , we loved our meal there. Thanks and I always look forward to your adventures!
  • @moniquedeitz4356
    What a fun episode, Matt and Nat! I've never been to Tennessee and likely won't make it considering my well-into-senior-citizen years. Your vlog will definitely suffice. I'm with you, Nat, when it comes to walking across flimsy-looking sky bridges with even a foot of glass to view the scenery a couple of football fields beneath (and was sure this particular one was properly engineered and safe until Matt mentioned some fellow cracking it playing like he's a baseball hero!!). For sure any such contraptions will be passed up by me. I did worry about your sunglasses flying from your head into the valley below or your shoes falling off into the river when you rode the sky chairs and was relieved those incidents didn't occur...LOL! Β  Re the Ober park, you'd of thought the proprietors would have told you way beforehand that a major part of the park was closed...not exactly neighborly of them. Sheesh! As for the cold fries for dinner the first evening, perhaps the restaurant should provide a small toaster oven along with the food service and patrons could crisp and heat anything which cooled on the way from the kitchen to the table. If you think that's a worthwhile suggestion for the future, I'll forego my consulting fee and you can keep any profits which come your way via a patent on the design. Loved the Pigeon Forge general store...glad you showed it and the river flowing by the old mill. Yummy on the corn fritters and biscuits with the fried chicken! Moonshine taffy, though? Huh-uh! And I'd be under the table with real moonshine...just lift me off the floor and sit me outside in the fresh air. And Dollywood...what can I say but F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. Thanks again for a fun long episode. Enjoyed it a lot. Plus this is the longest post I've ever put on a YouTube...LOL!
  • @JimboInTheHouse1
    The GYPSY guide is the absolute best friend any tourist could have. IT's simple and user friendly. It's so very detailed and educational and fun. The options are fantastic. "Pull off here, if you have time, otherwise let's keep driving forward." No stress. No mess. I have used it a couple times in Hawaii and in the Florida Keys and several national parks. I can't even remember all the places I've taken advantage of it. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks for sharing, guys!!!