Donuts in Gatlinburg.

I think everyone knows that Gatlinburg has some of the best pancake houses that you can find absolutely anywhere. If you visit Gatlinburg for a few days though you might find yourself wanting a different breakfast option one morning.  With that, may I suggest a donut?

The first of two options would be going to the Donut Friar. Situated in The Village, this is the most popular place in Gatlinburg to grab a donut. They open at 5AM and you can grab a seat at one of their tables inside or sit outside near the Village fountain. Popular items there include their cinnamon bread, éclairs, and jelly filled donuts. Powered,  chocolate glazed, coconut,  and donuts with sprinkles are popular option as well. As for myself, well, I usually can't decide. In those instances, I'll just get a few glazed and mix in several different kind to make a dozen.

Another place to get a great donut is at Mad Dog's Creamery and Donuts.

They are located at 731 East Parkway and open at 7AM and I actually prefer them over the Donut Friar.  Options seem to be endless here. They have several different varieties of cake donuts, yeast donuts, filled donuts, and house specialties such as Espresso Sugar. They also serve funnel cakes, 24 flavors of ice cream, milkshakes, banana splits, and doggie treats! Yes, if you have your 4 legged baby with you, you can enjoy your donut or ice cream on one of the outside picnic tables and your fur baby can also enjoy a treat with you. They also have water bowls outside for your pets convenience.  If you visit here, I highly recommend my personal favorite,  the chocolate dream!

Don't limit yourself to just to one, be sure to get a box full so you can enjoy one later in the day.

While you're there be sure to also check out the awesome piece of chainsaw art on display outside.

Donut Friar and Mad Dog's Creamery and Donuts gives you two great options on that day you want to take a break from the pancake houses. I hope you give them a try and find them to be as delicious as I do! Be sure to check back soon as I continue to blog about my favorite things to do and favorite places to visit in Gatlinburg.

FUN off the strip in Gatlinburg.

There are a lot of things to do and places to visit on the Strip in Gatlinburg. In fact, you can check out my other blog posts for some great ideas on what to do when you are on the Strip.

This time I want to tell you about a couple of places to check out that's not on the strip. Get ready to spend about half a day having what might be the most fun you'll have while in Gatlinburg.

If you're coming in from Pigeon Forge,  turn left at red light #3 onto East Parkway when you get in Gatlinburg and drive until you come to traffic light #3A at Glades Road. On the right you will see the shops and artists of Buie's Landing.  One of those is Art Studio of the Smokys. I'd suggest to call ahead of time and schedule an appointment for yourself and absolutely anyone in your party to stop by and take a private art lesson/ create a painting.  My wife and I recently did just that. Neither of us have ever tried to paint or have any art experience what so ever.  We had seen all the gorgeous works of art that had been shared on their social media sites of people just like us, however. People with little to no experience,  and they ended up with wonderful paintings. Even if ours didn't end up looking as good, we figured we would at least have fun trying! We were right about the fun! The paintings we ended up with didn't look bad either! Have a look!

This was such a fun and unique experience! Your whole family would enjoy taking the time to truly relax and enjoy the time together while doing this. I'd also recommend it as something wonderful for couples to do. We can't wait until we get a chance to go back again! The finished painting you end up with will always be a reminder of the wonderful and unique time you had while in Gatlinburg, or if you prefer, would make an awesome gift!

I'd recommend calling ahead and getting an early appointment time of about 10AM or so. This way, you can reserve a couple hours of time, and when you get through, head right across the street and have a bite to eat!

Right across the street you will find an awesome place to grab a bite to eat. That place is Three Jimmy's!  We headed over there as soon as we finished our paintings. The first time we went there we actually ordered a Hawaiian pizza to go. It didn't disappoint!

In fact it was so good we decided we needed to go back and dine in. We also wanted to try something different on the menu. My wife ordered the club sandwich,  which she said was wonderful!   I opted for the street tacos w/shrimp and a raspberry Chipotle sauce! The verdict....some of the best street tacos I've ever had!

We're looking forward to going back and trying something different on the menu. I'm sure it's all good, so we'll end up trying everything on the menu at some point. Perhaps next time we'll even save room for dessert!

So there you have it! A nice little half a day in Gatlinburg, off the Strip. A nice morning of relaxation and fun followed up with a wonderful lunch! If you want to spend the rest of the day in the area, you are right at the beginning of what is known as the Arts and Crafts community. There's plenty of shops and businesses in the area to keep you occupied for the rest of the day. I'll also guarantee that if you do visit other artists and businesses in the Arts and Crafts community that you will find something else you don't want to go home without!

There are a lot of ways to enjoy all that Gatlinburg has to offer. Check back soon as I'll share more of my favorite businesses and things to do.