South Pacific

There’s a version of Gatlinburg that’s all fudge shops and tourist crowds, and then there’s the version that actually makes you want to come back.

Here’s everything worth doing downtown, in the order I’d do it: 🏔️

✨ Start at @gatlinburgskypark before the crowds hit
✨ Walk the strip mid-morning when it’s still manageable
✨ @googooclusters stop (see my post from Tuesday: don’t skip it)
✨ Dinner at one of the local spots off the main drag
✨ Wander back out at night when the lights are on and it gets actually pretty

This isn’t your overscheduled Smoky Mountain itinerary. It’s more of a “here’s what I’d actually do if I had one solid day” kind of list.

Full downtown Gatlinburg guide linked in bio. 🔗

If someone told me I’d spend five hours at SkyPark, I would not have believed them. And yet. 😅

Gatlinburg SkyPark sits above the strip and it’s one of those places that looks like a quick stop on paper and turns into most of your afternoon. The SkyBridge alone is worth it — longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, and yes, you will look down.

✨ SkyBridge (longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America)
✨ SkyLift ride up with views of the Smokies
✨ Walking trails with mountain views in every direction
✨ Way less crowded than downtown

Fair warning: if heights genuinely freak you out, the bridge might not be your thing. The rest of the park is still 100% worth it. Full guide with tickets, tips, and what to skip linked in bio. 🔗

I walked into Goo Goo Cluster in downtown Gatlinburg thinking I’d spend five minutes and leave with a small piece of candy. I was wrong on both counts. 😅

You build your own chocolate cluster at a kiosk: caramel, sea salt, pretzels, cocoa pebbles, you name it, and then watch them make it right in front of you. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes and costs $15.

The caveat? This is not a snack. This is a full-size brick of chocolate that I was still eating two days later.

If you’re already walking the Gatlinburg strip, this is an easy yes. Especially if you have absolutely no self-control around caramel. (Asking for a friend.) Full experience breakdown linked in bio. 🔗

Your Knoxville Airport survival guide, from someone who’s flown through TYS 100+ times is now up on my blog🛫

Parking, TSA wait times, where to grab food before your flight, rental cars, all of it, from someone who actually knows this airport. No guessing, no googling at the last minute.

TYS is small, easy to navigate, and honestly one of the less stressful airports I’ve been through. You just need to know a few things going in.

Full guide linked in bio. 🔗

Hundreds of motorcycles. Tweed suits. Tennessee roads.🏍️

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is a global charity event, classic and vintage bikes, dressed-up riders, raising money for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health. The bikes are stunning. The outfits are even better.

Full guide linked in bio. 🔗 | @gentlemansride