Our Smoky Mountains Weekend Retreat

We took a weekend off to visit Tennessee near Gatlinburg. We packed everything we needed for our weekend getaway and took Mason (our dog) along. 

We decided to give Airbnb a try and rented a cabin called Wet Your Whistle in Seviervielle, TN. The drive from Louisville, Kentucky to Sevierville, TN was around a four and a half hour drive. To account for the breathtaking views this cabin offered, it was situated on a mountain overlooking the city and the terrain. It was beginning to darken upon our arrival and we still had to drive up the mountain to this cabin.

Even Mason was so excited!

We were relying on our GPS but it was dead in some areas. We started up the narrow, twisty road surrounded by thick trees and brush and almost no light. It twisted and turned and then became rather steep. Our GPS directed us to turn into the wrong cabin and when we realized this, there was no room to turn around. Our only option was to carefully reverse out 4 cylinder engine vehicle down the steep driveway and continue on the original path. It helps to pay special attention to the signs as they do point you in the right direction to the cabin. 

Some more steep twists and turns, our small car was struggling to push forward. All the while, we were wishing we had an off road vehicle. At last, we reached a road that indicated we made it. It was a rock and gravel road however, but we managed to make it. When we got to the cabin, the road forked into our driveway and a gated path which had a sign warning not to trespass. I made a point to carefully turn the car around in this little extra space we were given and reverse the car into our driveway.

We were thrilled by how beautiful this cabin was. It had a rustic, western inspired design to it. Pictures of cowboys, western life, and wanted posters adorned the walls. The inside walls were made of log and the outdoor siding was tree bark. On the porch there was an easy to use hot tub, a table and chairs, and a porch swing. Upstairs was a loft in which you can play a game or two of pool. The bathroom was spacious and included a standing shower and a separate Jacuzzi tub.

The following day, we ate breakfast on the porch as we soaked in the view of the mountains. We started off toward Clingman's Dome in Bryson, North Carolina. Pets are not allowed on the trail, but Mason, being in an unfamiliar place, started panicking. We decided to see if we might be able to get away with bringing him along the trail so long as he was secured in our specialized dog holding frontpack. It was an hour or so drive within the Smoky Mountains. The closer we got, the higher into the mountains we were. Before long, we were driving through literal clouds that appeared on the mountainous road.

Ultimately, we decided to go on the trail one at a time while the other sat at the visitors center with Mason. The climb up was only a half a mile, but the steepness of the trail was grueling. Here are some pictures we took of the trail and the observation point.

After, we went to the Cade's Cove Scene Loop.

There are signs that tell you to pull over to the designated spots to take pictures and not hold up traffic. Unfortunately, almost everyone ignored these signs. Traffic around the loop was in a jam for much of our drive. While it was beautiful, it was almost not worth the hour and a half to two hour commute.