During the first week of November Julie and I took a much needed break from the daily grind and decided to take a little road trip to the Smoky Mountains. It was a perfect and more importantly affordable little getaway for the two of us. Plus it had the additional benefit of only being about an 8-9 hour drive from home (Northwest Indiana).

We left for our trip on a Friday morning, in the pouring down rain of course, though eventually the weather would end up being perfect for the majority of our time away. On the way down we eventually got out of the rain and enjoyed a beautiful drive through southern Indiana, Kentucky, and on into northern Tennessee. Without a doubt there is some beautiful countryside to be seen along the way.

It was the perfect time of year for the trip as it was out of the busy tourist season and we arrived in time to still catch quite a bit of the autumn colors. Needless to say the Great Smoky Mountains State Park is amazing and the sights to be seen are both grand and beautiful. You could easily spend weeks exploring and still only see a small percentage of what all there is to experience within the park, but in the short time we were there we were able to take in quite a bit.

We spent our first two days at a Holiday Inn Express in Kodak Tennessee as we had a couple of free nights to use up. But the highlight of our time in Tennessee was staying in a rental cabin on Bluff Mountain for 4 nights. It was great to have a nice place to relax in at the end of a day’s worth of site seeing. It came complete with amenities such as a full kitchen, two baths, wood burning fireplace, Jacuzzi tub, billiards table, covered wrap around deck with a hot tub, and most importantly a great view.

Essentially, the cabin was just what we were hoping for and we were so happy that it was. Having never done a cabin rental we weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but after doing some research and making the best decision possible, it all worked out just fine. We chose to go with Fireside Chalets in Pigeon Forge and we stayed in the Cliff Hanger cabin, if you’re interested in the details.

We always woke to a beautiful sunrise peaking up over the mountains in the distance, which was something we definitely enjoyed, as we made a point to get up every morning to experience it fully. And with the weather being so perfect overall, we enjoyed sitting outside quite often. The view before dusk was equally gorgeous, as taking in the varying colors as the suns light would slowly fade away was every bit as amazing.

Overall, this was a great trip and the perfect getaway on a budget. We saw quite a bit during our time there and some of the highlights would be the Cades Cove Loop Road, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and Clingmans Dome (the highest point in Tennessee – 6,643 feet). These are all popular sights to visit and there truly is something amazing to see around every turn.

Needless to say one must experience the Great Smoky Mountains in person, as words, or even photos cannot accurately capture the beauty of it all. Though this did not stop us from taking hundreds of photos, some of which can be seen here – Great Smoky Mountains Vacation.

|Great Smoky Mountains National Park| |10 National Parks to See Before You Die|

Related Entries: Our First Cruise Vacation,  A Trip to the Museum,  A Night at Sea,  Too Much Time Spent at the Computer,  Electronics Are Fun,