You’ve chosen your destination, probably even booked your lodging, and now comes the next phase of trip planning, working out the details. What are some things to do in the Smokies? Where are the best Smoky Mountain restaurants? Where is this Dolly Parton statue I’ve heard about? How will we find time to do everything we want to do!? Don’t let this part of trip planning stress you out, we’ve got some expert tips to help make your trip a success!
Don’t Over Plan
An easy mistake to make when planning a vacation to the Smokies is to over plan. We all want to cram as much as we can into a vacation but if we go through the motions of simply checking things off a to-do list, how much fun are you really having? There’s nothing wrong with doing just a couple of things a day, or even taking a full day to do a whole lot of nothing but relax in the peacefulness of the Smokies. It’ll give you an excuse to come back for another visit!
Include Time For Nothing and Slow Down
As mentioned above, make sure that you include time for resting. Remember, you’re on mountain time when you are in the Smoky Mountains and mountain time is a lot slower than regular life. Find a mountain stream to sit and soak in the sounds of nature, enjoy a picnic at one of the many National Park picnic areas, or stay in your cabin enjoying a relaxing family day. Give yourself permission to sleep in and to not rush from one thing or another.
Details Matter
When working on your itinerary make sure to include the details that will make your activity go smoothly. Location address, hours of operation, and cost are examples of the little details that you should include on your trip planning itinerary.
Use a Vacation Guide
If you were to type in “things to do in the Smoky Mountains” on a Google search bar, you’d get plenty of results, but they are the same results that the thousands of other searchers found too. Instead, opt for a local vacation guide, like this one here. A local guide will not only have major attractions of the area but will usually include little local tips too like things to do in the Smokies on a rainy day.
Planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains can be an exciting time. But trying to choose all of the adventures to experience and places to eat can be overwhelming. Leave space in your itinerary to change things up and don’t forget to enjoy yourself!