Day trips are a great way to see Tennessee a little at a time.

See-Tennessee.com suggests day trips to help you plan a special getaway from home or the office. All you'll need is a sense of adventure, a full tank of gas and a comfortable pair of shoes.

 

Sevierville: Where Smoky Mountain Fun Begins!

Day 1

When you arrive in Sevierville, stop at the Sevierville Visitor Center (1.5 miles from I-40 exit 407) to pick up valuable area coupons and get the latest information about convenient new roads to travel.

While you're there, spend some time just down the hall in the Great Smoky Mountains Gift Shop browsing mountain arts and crafts, books and even stuffed animal versions of mountain creatures such as black bears and salamanders.

 

 

Purchases here benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Check into one of Sevierville's hotels, motels or cabins and relax by the pool before dinner at one of Sevierville's restaurants -- ranging from home cooking to ethnic cuisine.

After dinner, see a show! Cirque de Chine at Smoky Mountain Palace Theater showcases international award-winning Chinese acrobats, performers and musicians in a Chinese circus-style show.

Day 2

Have a hearty breakfast at Flapjack's Pancake House in Sevierville where the pecan pancakes were named one of the top 204 food finds in the South by Southern Living (2003).

Then head to downtown to take a family photo with Sevierville's favorite hometown girl, Dolly Parton. A bronze statue of the music legend is located on the lawn of the Sevier County Courthouse.

Depart for spelunking through one of America's most spectacular caves and great natural attractions, Forbidden Caverns.

This hour-long guided tour is an easy walk that takes visitors deep underground where they learn the cave's history as a shelter for Eastern Woodland Indians and a hideout for moonshiners. The Caverns also boasts the largest wall of rare cave onyx known to exist.

On your way back, stop by the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Petting Zoo where you can see and pet reindeer, camels, kangaroos, zebras, goats and more! You can also take a leisurely horseback ride through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Then burn rubber to NASCAR SpeedPark where there is always full-throttle fun for everyone. NASCAR SpeedPark offers eight thrilling tracks, from the kid-friendly Baby Bristol to the Smoky Mountain Speedway.

Guests must be 16 years of age with a valid state-issued license and at least 64 inches tall to ride in the 5/8 scale NEXTEL Cup-style cars.

Enjoy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants in Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Center, including two casual dining restaurants (Connor's or The Chop House) and two delis (Mountain Edge Grill and The Ritz).

Sevierville is known for its shopping. Since you're already at Tanger Five Oaks, go ahead and browse some of the 110 high-end outlets (everything from Coach and Ralph Lauren to The Disney Store and Old Navy).

These are authentic outlet stores and all offer significant discounts off retail every day. For even better deals, purchase a Tanger Coupon Book for $5 (it can help you save more than $700).

Just for fun, challenge your family to a round of golf at Ripley's Old MacDonald's Mini-Golf -- right in the heart of Tanger Five Oaks. Play the "Chicken Eggspress," "Porky Putts," or the "Udder Course" surrounded by animatronic farm animals just waiting to comment on your golf swing.

Day 3

Depart for Dollywood, a 130-acre Smoky Mountain theme park filled with a variety of thrill rides, entertainment, food, music, attractions, craft demonstrations and more.

New for 2008 is a $5 million themed water raft ride named River Battle equipped with powerful soaker guns that allow riders to take aim at each other and at targets along the way.

Dollywood is also home to Thunderhead roller coaster, the Tennessee Tornado (the world's first spiro-loop coaster, Mystery Mine (featuring 95-degree drops) and the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Day 4

Head for the hills ... or the mountains in this case.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, only 12 miles from Sevierville, is the most visited national park and the only one that is free to enter.

Begin your visit at Sugarlands Visitors Center at the Park's entrance. There you'll find a nature museum and informative film about the Park as well as plenty of rangers to ask about activities (such as horseback riding, hiking and fishing).

For added fun, take a picnic lunch to one of the Park's popular picnic areas (such as Greenbrier or the Chimneys) then take a leisurely hike. Trails in the Smokies are rated by length and difficulty in most all area guidebooks.

Later in the afternoon, journey into the fascinating and beautiful world of the Rainforest Adventures where parents and children can learn about exotic birds, mammals and tropical flowers.

After working up an appetite hiking and learning about exotic creatures, visit the Apple Barn & Cider Mill, a working farm with more than 4,000 apple trees covering the surrounding hillsides. These trees provide some of the apples for the two restaurants, candy factory, winery, creamery, bakery and general store located in the complex.

Then enjoy a home-cooked dinner overlooking the Little Pigeon River at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant.

 


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