January, February, & March
After the summer party dies down, after the bright, shining multi-colored leaves have fallen, after the turkey has been cooked, the presents opened and the fireworks celebrating the new year have exploded, the city of Gatlinburg gets to take a well-deserved break from January on to the start of Springfest.
At the start of the new year, the city of Gatlinburg goes into a sort of quiet season where there are no major tourism events or festivals are going on. Traffic is considerably cut down, the energy is much more still and it just feels like a moment to breathe. For visitors who want a vacation to truly get some peace and quiet after the stressful holidays or take a romantic getaway, THIS is the season to do it in. And don’t be fooled by Gatlinburg’s “quiet” season either, much of the city’s attractions, restaurants and things to do are still in business.
* Winter Sports at Ober Gatlinburg *
Well, we kinda lied just a little bit. There is ONE thing that draws people to the Smokies during the winter months besides the peace and quiet – and that would be Ober Gatlinburg being the only place for miles and miles that offers a fully equipped ski resort facility with skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, indoor ice skating, a ski school for training and much of the rest of the indoor amenities of Ober Gatlinburg continuing to be open for business as well.
Ober Gatlinburg is accessible by car or you can take the Tramway to lift WAY above the mountains to get there in the most scenic ride you could take in town. The Tramway is on the same sidewalk about 5-7 minutes walking distance from Gatlinburg Inn.
* Additional Gatlinburg Attractions *
You could get a full weekend’s worth of entertainment and pleasures just with the suggestions listed above, but we’re not done yet! Here are some other recommendations for itinerary items to consider:
- Gatlinburg Sky Lift
- Christ in the Smokies
- NOC Great Outpost
- Mysterious Mansion
- World of Illusions
- The Space Needle
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of those things you can enjoy within walking distance to and from Gatlinburg Inn. No need to jump in your car, just grab your jacket, a scarf and an appetite for food and fun!
* Ripley’s Attractions *
Being the #1 provider of attraction fun in Gatlinburg, it’s not hard to imagine they would be open year-round. All of their major downtown attractions are in operation:
- Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
- Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum
- Ripley’s Guinness World of Records
- Ripley’s Haunted Adventure
- Ripley’s Mirror Maze
*Gatlinburg Restaurants *
Boy howdy, short of a big city like New York or LA or something, you probably haven’t seen so many restaurants available in such a short walking distance. Even better, Gatlinburg really doesn’t have as many of the big chain restaurants as you might expect either. A majority of the ones you can get to from Gatlinburg Inn are either unique or a very good chance you haven’t been to it before:
- Cherokee Grill & Steakhouse
- Calhoun’s Restaurant
- Smoky Mountain Brewery
- Log Cabin Pancake House
- No Way Jose’s Mexican Cantina
- The Best Italian on the Parkway (two locations)
- Bubba Gump Shrimp
- The Melting Pot
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries
- Blaine’s Bar and Grill
- Crawdaddy’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar
- Johnny Rocket’s
- Loco Burro Fresh Mex Cantina
- Pancake Pantry
And if you decide to venture forward from there, there’s much else to see in Gatlinburg that you can check out at www.gatlinburg.com.
We hope to get to see you during Winterfest!