Remember weekends in college, embarking on a road trip with a favorite music and your closest friends, sharing gossip and nail polish? Now that you're married with a couple of kids, it's hard to find time to just get away from it all. The job, soccer practice, dentist appointments, and piles of dirty laundry keep you from sharing time with old friends as much as you'd like. Don't you think it's time to relive some of those happy memories?
Girls' Weekend Adventures
The Great Smoky Mountains offer lots of choices to keep even a diverse group of ladies happy. With miles of fantastic scenery, exciting night life, and world-class shopping, every member of your group will discover too many fun things to do. And the central location means even the most far-flung college friends can make the trip easily.
Heading out for a weekend of fun in the backwoods isn't just for the guys. For the outdoorsy types, the 800 miles of hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountain National Park provide hours of rest and relaxation. Wander through this lush forest on foot or by horseback for a quiet commune with nature, and let the noise and chaos of the big city fade. Clear mountain streams burble and sing, while the scent of wildflowers in bloom fills your senses with the peace and tranquility only the mountains can bring.
After a day spent in the wilderness, a little nightlife in the city is sure to be appreciated. Put on your dancing shoes and hit the hot spots in Gatlinburg. Whether you prefer sophisticated wine clubs, rowdy rock and roll, or want to take the stage yourself in a karaoke bar, Gatlinburg's got you covered.
When the sun comes up, it's time to hit the shops for some serious retail therapy. The Tennessee Heritage Arts and Crafts Trail provides eight miles of shopping pleasure where you can buy everything from hand-carved wooden bowls to hand-sewn quilts and home-spun wool sweaters. Elegant boutiques and one-of-a-kind eateries line downtown Gatlinburg's quaint avenues. For the serious shopper, outlet malls offer brand name merchandise at discount prices.
Where to Stay in Gatlinburg
Motels are plentiful in this popular tourist destination, but for the ultimate Smoky Mountain experience, choose a private cabin in the woods. You'll fall asleep to the sound of crickets in the meadow instead of trucks on the interstate, and awake to a cool mountain breeze through your window. You and your girlfriends can even have a grown-up pajama party in cabins with one, two, three or up to 10 bedrooms. Regardless of the size of your crowd, everyone will have plenty of space. Pamper yourself with an in-room massage, or just order out for pizza and settle down for a chick-flick marathon.
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are fantastic getaway destinations for any size group. You can stick together and tour the area, or divide and conquer, meeting only for meals and girl talk. Spending time with your old college or high school buds in this idyllic spot will make the day-to-day stresses of life fade into the background, if only for a while.
Bennie McCann is Reservations Manager of Volunteer Cabin Rentals specializing in Smoky Mountain cabins. Visit the main website to book cabins for your next girls weekend in Gatlinburg and other special events.