5 things you Must Do when on the Gatlinburg Strip!

1. SEE A SHOW

When you visit Gatlinburg there is a good chance you will want to see a show of some sort. My recommendation is Impossibilities located in the Iris Theater at the base of the Space Needle. Described as an evening of Magic, Mindreading, and Mayhem it's a show anyone would want to see from children to adults.  The Magical Comedian Chris Collins and the Master Mentalist Erik Dobell will provide an evening of humor, magic, and mindreading. You will leave wondering 'How did they do that?', and as a warning your side might be hurting from all the laughing you'll do!

2. EAT!

Well, of course you will want to eat, but there are a lot of places to choose from, and you will want to get this choice right for sure! So, before you go to see the Impossibilities Show stop by one of the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants choices. In the mood for one of the best steaks in town? Cherokee Grill is where you'll want to go!

Perhaps you want some award winning ribs! Visit Calhoun's! You won't be disappointed!

In the mood for a pizza and a beer, or maybe some wings? Smoky Mountain Brewery is the perfect spot!

You can find a complete review of the any of these restaurants or the Impossibilities Show by checking out my other blog posts.

3.Visit ANAKEESTA.

Now, before you get that wonderful meal and go see a great show in the evening, take a ride up via chairlift or chondola to the top of Anakeesta!

You can find out all you need to know about Anakeesta by visiting their website at www.anakeesta.com Highlights include:
The ride up!

Breathtaking views once you get there.

In the Forest Memorial Walk you will see scars from the devastating fires from a year ago, but also the realization that Gatlinburg is alive and well and continues to heal!

Be sure to experience the tree canopy walk.

And there's no way I'm going and not getting what I consider to be the best ice cream in Gatlinburg from

Pearls Pie in the Sky!

These are just a few things you will enjoy at Anakeesta. Get there early, because you will want to spend most of the day there!

4. Walk the Strip.

Before Anakeesta opens at 10AM just take a chance to walk the strip and familiarize yourself with all the shops, attractions,  and places to grab a snack. You'll actually want to spend a whole day walking the Strip and exploring all the businesses, but take this chance to scope out some of the places you'll want to remember to visit for sure.

5. Go to Tennessee Homemade Wines.

At some point during the day make sure you stop in Tennessee Homemade Wines and grab a bottle, or three, or six, or...well, you get the point. The more you buy, the bigger discount you get. I always recommend here because I have never been a big fan of wine at all! My wife has loved a good wine for a while, so we always will check out the different wine places and get samples when available. She will always find one she likes and buy a bottle. I will take samples and always decide I'm good without any. Tennessee Homemade Wines was a true turning point for me however.  The first time a tried samples there changed the way I feel about wine.  I still try samples from other places, but generally I still don't like them. When we visit Tennessee Homemade Wines however, we always end up in agreement that we walk away with at least 6 bottles! Don't miss out! Even if you think you don't like wine, try a sample. You just might change your mind. I did!

There is a LOT to do on the Gatlinburg Strip, but these suggestions will definitely fill up a full day for you. If or when you visit these suggestions I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do! Thanks for reading and check back soon for more fun things to do while in Gatlinburg.  Also,  please give me a follow on instagram or twitter @GatlinburgLife

Our visit to Calhoun's, Cherokee Grill, & Smoky Mountain Brewery.

Last week my wife I decided we would visit 3 restaurants that are in the Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants.  Two of the three we have never had a chance to visit; Calhoun's and Cherokee Grill. We had been to Smoky Mountain Brewery before, but wanted to go and try a different menu item from what we had last time.

On Monday we went to Calhoun's in Gatlinburg .

We arrived just after 1:00 PM, so for the most part the lunch rush had past. We were seated right away, service was good, and our meal was out to us in no time. Now, on to what we actually ate. My wife opted for the prime rib quesadilla. She loves to get quesadillas at any and every restaurant we go to, so I was curious to see how this one would stack up to anyone else's. According to her, it definitely didn't disappoint and when we go back, although she might try something different, she'll probably just go right back to it, if she can. It wasn't on the regular menu. It was on a special of the day menu, so she's just hoping it will be available again.

As for myself,  I had decided before I even walked in that I was getting their 'world famous ribs'. I had heard too much about them to try anything else. I ordered a half rack of ribs with fries and slaw for the sides. I find slaw to be tricky in restaurants and I usually end up disappointed. With the slaw here at Calhoun's though, that was not the case. It was actually really good. As far as the fries, well, I could have ate a whole plate of those. The main item here is of course the ribs though. Would they live up to my expectations? Absolutely!  The meat had a very nice smoked taste as well as being tender. It had just the right amount of sauce on them, which was of course,  wonderful as well! I wasn't sure if a half rack would be filling enough, but it was. I walked away from the meal feeling full and satisfied. Ordering a whole rack wouldn't be a bad thing though, as you could always take your leftovers with you. I'm sure they would be just as tasty warmed up the next day. So yeah, I'd definitely recommend the ribs! Just ask for a few extra napkins if you order them and dig in!

On Thursday we went to Cherokee Grill.

We both looked over the menu online before we went so we would have an idea of what we wanted. My wife decided to get the Blue Cheese Sirloin (10 oz. steak, blue cheese crumbles, mushrooms and sundried tomato sauce). Her sides were a baked potato and broccoli. Ordered medium well, the steak was cooked just right and very tender. She loved the flavor that the blue cheese crumbles added. Also, don't overlook the sides. She raved about how good the broccoli was!

She also ordered a glass of water and a 'Spring Fling' to drink with the meal. Another good choice!

I was unsure what I wanted. I had a couple of suggestions fom @gatlinburgnow and @clyde_usa on twitter on what to order. (Please go give them a follow, btw ☺️) @gatlinburgnow suggested the Prosperity steak or pork chops while @clyde_usa suggested the Filet Mignon. After a bit of deliberation I decided on the Filet Mignon. I added on a lobster tail to the order and chose broccoli and the Neva's potatoes as my sides. When everything  arrived at our table it all looked perfect. I like the fact that when the steaks arrived our waitress asked us to cut into them to make sure they were cooked just the way we wanted. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was cooked to perfection.  It was so juicy and tender that I cut it into smaller bites than I normally would just to savor the taste. After my first bite i then took a bite of the lobster tail. It was just as good. It along with the melted butter was so good I had to go ahead and finish it off before I could get back to my steak. The sides...can't forget about the sides. The broccoli really was wonderful. If you like broccoli as much we do, you could probably eat a plate of it alone. Now, with all that said, strangely enough, the Neva's potatoes might have been the best part of the meal! I mean really, how many times do you go to a restaurant and the sides are truly just as good as the main part of the meal? They were a creamy, melt in your mouth, hashbrown casserole type potato. I could have literally just ate a large bowl of those Neva's potatoes! Needless to say, we were both very pleased with all of our choices for the night. We will definitely be going back! I'd like to say we'll try something different next time, but everything was so good we might just have to stick with exactly what we had...one more time.

Saturday we went over to Smoky Mountain Brewery in Pigeon Forge.

We had visited the one in Gatlinburg before and it was great. We got a margherita pizza on that visit. It was very good!

We thought we would give the SMB in Pigeon Forge a try this time, however. We both wanted to try something different. She ordered the Brewmaster's club salad (ham, roasted chicken,  strips of bacon, green peppers,  tomatoes,  onions,  black olives, banana peppers, and cheddar cheese). Sound good? Just look at the picture! It was!

I ordered what is a popular item there, a single order of the Original WET Wings (breaded in seasoned flower, fried crisp, and tossed in their Sweet & Spicy Thunder Road Sauce). They were fried to the perfect crispness and had just the right amount of sauce on them. The flavor was just the right amount of spicy and sweetness. I was glad our waitress had brought me several wet wipes, because the way I tore into the wings, I needed them. 😋 With the wings, I ordered a Black Bear Ale on draft. When we went to the SMB in Gatlinburg,  I had ordered a sample of several different brews, and the Black Bear Ale was my favorite.

What I really loved about the place though was the atmosphere! There was a college football game on between Georgia and Auburn.  I'm not a fan of either team or dislike either team. There were, however,  a lot a fans for both teams in the restaurant as the game was going on. The restaurant had such an electric feel to it. There were cheers and boos with what seemed to be every play of the game. Adults and children alike were all having a wonderful time with their friends and family watching the game and having some good eats. I'd love to be there when a Tennessee Vols game was on or perhaps even an NFL Tennessee Titans game! So, not only would I recommend going to SMB for the food in Pigeon Forge, but I'd also recommend going just for the lively atmosphere.

Now, with all that said about our visit to Calhoun's,  Cherokee Grill,  and Smoky Mountain Brewery.....there was one unfortunate thing to report. Not ONCE did we save room for dessert! That's just inexcusable!  Now we will have to go back to all three places, order our meals, and be sure to save room for dessert next time!

I'd highly recommend going to all three restaurants and giving them a try! If you make it there before we have a chance to go back, be sure to try a dessert and let me know how it is!