Prior to Ashley/'s 9th birthday she phoned me from New York.
"Pat, I have a favor to ask you."
"Okay?"
"I want my 9th birthday trip to be a railroad trip. And I want you to talk Uncle Jay into letting Erin and I ride the train alone to where we're going."
Hmmm...cop instincts kick in. Two 8 year olds riding a train alone cross country, making themselves the easy target of any child trafficker, pedophile, kook or weirdo in their vicinity. Nope! Don't think so!
"PLEEEEEEEEASE Pat? You can talk Uncle Jay into anything! He listens to YOU!"
"Neither your parents, your Uncle Jay, Erin's parents or I would go for you 2 riding a train alone cross country. Not with all the child predators out there now."
"But Paaaaat....we're old enough!"
"Tell you what. Let me think of a way we can safely do this. Give me a couple days and I'll call you back."
There had to be a solution to this that would make everyone happy. After some phone calls to Amtrak, I thought I'd found the solution. The girls could travel on a 50% off fare if they were in the company of an adult who'd paid full fare. I could sit in the next car and pretend I didn't know the girls so they'd feel like they were traveling on their own. Yet they'd still have an adult with them to keep an eye on them and in case of any emergency. The Amtrak Crescent traveled direct from New York's Penn Station to Charlotte, NC.
The Crescent
Of course, I ran my idea past Ashley's parents, Brit's parents, and Jay before I ever phoned Ashley back. They all agreed to my plan, knowing an ex cop would be with the girls. Jay was agreeable to driving the Beast to Charlotte and picking us up at the train station. I phoned Ashley back.
"But Pat, we're old enough to ride alone!"
"Ash honey...it's not you and Brit I wouldn't trust. You know the kinds of cases I used to work, you've heard to horror stories. There are too many predators out there that could spot two girls traveling alone and abduct you in under 30 seconds. I don't want the next case I'd have to work to be you and Brit. I promise after we board I won't sit anywhere near you and will act like I don't even know you unless there's an emergency of some kind. Okay?"
"Wellllll....o-kay."
"But there's something you have to do for me here. You and Brit have to earn your own train fare. As long as you board with me you only have to pay half price. Once we board you and Brit go sit wherever you want."
I wanted them to learn money doesn't grow on trees and how to budget their money. They did an excellent job on both fronts, earning far above the cost of their train fare so they'd have their own spending money.
Jay was extremely busy at the time so the girls and I planned this itinerary together. As always, adjust it to fit you and your family and what interests you, what fits your length of trip and budget. The girls got a bit of an eye opener in how much these trips cost! But they also learned where to look for discounts and deals to bring the cost of the trip down as much as possible.
Our trip was actually being done in 2 segments.
Jay would drive the Beast from NY to Charlotte, NC. 10 hour drive alone so he'd layover for the night somewhere and meet us at the Charlotte train station the next day.
We girls took the Amtrak Crescent from Penn Station in NY direct to Charlotte, NC. 5 hours.
WHAT TO DO GUIDE
Throughout Gatlinburg, you will most likely find the What-To-Do guide located in racks of various businesses. This Smoky Mountains guide features a coupon section with some Gatlinburg coupons. Their website also offers printable restaurant coupons, which changes frequently, so be sure to check out the available coupons for restaurants through the link button below.
The company that previously offered the Smoky Mountain Sightseeing Pass as well as the Tennessee Sightseeing Flex Pass has suspended operations with no given date of returning.
Smoky Mountain Navigator is a vacation guide and free Gatlinburg coupon book that can be ordered and directly sent to you. It also has a page that features all sorts of scannable Gatlinburg restaurant coupons, such as the popular Flapjack's coupon and more! Definitely check out Smoky Mountain Navigator for some great printable Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge restaurant coupons.
The Best Read Guide is another guide to the Smoky Mountains that can be ordered and you can easily print Gatlinburg coupons directly from their website. They offer numerous coupons for Gatlinburg attractions, shows, restaurants, lodging, and more.
For our layover in Chattanooga, we stayed at Raccoon Caverns & Campground, 319 West Hills Dr., Chattanooga.
Besides tent and RV camping, the park also rents cabins and glamping sites.
It's a beautiful park with any amenity you'd need. We paid $57 to park the Beast overnight with full hookups.
Hours
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Monday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Tuesday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Wednesday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Thursday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
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Sunday: 9 AM to 5 PM
Money $aving Tip: Any guest of this campground gets a 15% discount to seeing the Caverns if that's something that would interest you.
If you're following our itinerary, your first full day will be taken up with traveling.
Morning: In keeping with our railroad theme, for breakfast we thought Track's End Restaurant sounded interesting. 3435 Amnicola Hwy., Chattanooga.
The restaurant serves comfort food 24 hours a day, and has an extensive menu, daily specials and breakfast anytime.
The place did remind me of the old days restaurants one typically found in train stations with counter service, tables and booths.
All of the menu items have railroad term names. What astonished us was the size of the portions!
I ordered the Railroader omelet at left. What came out was a 4 egg omelet that could've fed all 4 of us. Jay's and the girls' portions were every bit as huge.
The pancakes were so big they filled the entire plate. Jay ordered the Locomotive at left. Not even he could finish all the food on his plate.
The food wasn't exceptional but it was tasty enough. We didn't have any complaints with it. Price: $
Incline Railway
Go to the Incline Railway, ST. ELMO STATION (Bottom station) 3917 St. Elmo Avenue, Chattanooga, TN
The Incline Railway takes you to the top of historic Lookout Mountain.
The Incline Railway has daily departures from the lower or upper stations. Tickets are available for purchase at either the station or online.
Adult round trip ticket $22
Child (3-12) round trip ticket $10
Adult 1 way ticket $15
Child 1 way ticket $7
At the bottom Incline station in St. Elmo, you will find a great collection of unique shops, restaurants, and
attractions. Some of the things you’ll find include microbrewery tours, fresh flowers, homemade candle-making, unique coffee, an indoor climbing wall, outdoor local dining, hand-dipped ice cream, nostalgic clothing, and relaxation with a massage.
Ruby Falls Waterfall
At the top of Lookout Mountain there are separately priced attractions. The one worth paying to see is Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall in Ruby Cave.
Descend 260 feet on a glass-front elevator into historic Lookout Mountain to see the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States. You have to see this waterfall to believe it. It looks like something off the set of the movie, Avatar. Even the girls were impressed.
Purchase your tickets online as early as possible because this is a timed entry attraction and time slots sell out really fast especially during the summer!
Take the cave walk to the waterfall tour.
Adults $28.95
Child (4-12) $18.95
Senior (65+, ID required) - $27.95
Child, age three and younger - Free
Participants should be comfortable walking, standing, and keeping pace with the group for up to 90 minutes.
Money $aving Tips: Ruby Falls Coupon & Promo Codes
We paid $15.95 per ticket, saving us $32 on the Ruby Falls Cave Walk.
You also want to bring a bunch of quarters along for the large binoculars at the top of Lookout Mountain.
You can bring your own binoculars of course, to save your quarters but what we discovered is that kids want to use the large binoculars.
Afternoon: Have lunch atop Lookout Mountain in a castle built in 1929, now called the Castle Cafe.
Enjoy a seasonal menu for a casual breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and lighter fare.
Local craft beer + hard seltzer from Chattanooga craft breweries on eight taps.
Fair-trade certified coffee, roasted locally, and hot cocoa!
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There are two ways to get around downtown Chattanooga to see the sights.
The Chattanooga Trolley Tour offers a 1 hour guided tour of Chattanooga.
The Express Trolley Tour takes you through the city’s iconic landmarks — from the Tennessee Riverfront to the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo. Along the way, your local guide shares fascinating stories, fun trivia, and insider tips. Perfect for first-time visitors or anyone wanting a quick yet comprehensive look at the Scenic City’s history, charm, and hidden gems. Pricing here
Chattanooga has an incredibly walkable downtown, but if you need to rest your feet or plan on trekking all the way across town, hop on the free electric shuttle! Find maps and more here.
We parked the car, hopped aboard the free shuttle and rode it around downtown Chattanooga to see the sights.
The free electric shuttle covers all of Downtown and connects to the Northshore.
Dinner: Miller's Ale House, 2119 Gunbarrel Rd. Chattanooga, TN
KIDS EAT FREE ON TUESDAY
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We LOVED Miller's! Great appetizers, great menu variety, good food, good service, friendly atmosphere and the girls ate free.
It checked all the boxes. That's saying a lot because we don't normally like sports bars.
Plus they have weekly specials! Prices are in line with what you'd expect to pay.
After returning to the RV we decided to spend 2 nights in Chattanooga because there were still things we wanted to see and do.
Morning: None of us were all that hungry so we made a quick breakfast in the RV.
Choo Choo Hotel Complex
After breakfast we headed to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel complex.
This is an old railroad depot that was converted
into a hotel - an entire complex, actually!
You can picnic on the Great Lawn, catch a live show at the Comedy Catch, visit its bars, shop or experience the taste of classic cocktails and gourmet French-Belgian cuisine served up with a nod to Appalachia in The Hotel Chalet’s high end restaurant Elsie’s Daughter.
You can discover the sights of Chattanooga on a trolley. An experienced guide will take you on a leisurely ride through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Ready for the ultimate one-of-a-kind escape
experience? Runaway Train Transport takes place on an actual (simulated runaway) train car that you only have an hour to escape from. All aboard for the Escape Experience!
Kid or not, you’ll feel like one in the uniquely curated CoinOp Arcade. Try your hand at new and old arcade games, classic and even a few newer game consoles. There is fun and games for all ages.
Map of the complex...
You can stay in the luxury boutique hotel or even book a railroad car to stay in!
(Off season rates start at $300 per night)
If you're going to stay at the hotel or in one of the railroad cars, be sure to check out the Offers page before booking.
It costs you nothing to go in and explore the depot-turned-hotel and complex and it's actually kind of interesting with some good photo ops.
We had a really good time at the complex, starting with the Runaway Train Escape Room. They offer changing promotions so we got 15% off the price of our admission.
They have a number of different escape rooms, we did the Runaway Train:
Six months after agreeing to testify against crime boss Joseph Guarino, you are transported under heavy secrecy aboard an armored cargo train. The route is hidden, the doors are locked, and somewhere along the way your cover is blown - turning a protected transfer into a sprint for survival. This unique experience takes place inside an actual vintage train car at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo.
At the Chattanooga Choo Choo, your team steps into the role of protected witnesses whose lives depend on making it to court. Six months ago, you agreed to testify against Joseph Guarino, one of the most dangerous crime bosses in the country, in exchange for amnesty and a new identity. Since then, the U.S. Marshals have kept you hidden, moving you carefully and trusting almost no one with your location.
Now comes the final transfer. To get you to the hearing without exposing the route, the Marshals move you aboard an old armored cargo train, blindfolding you as you board and locking you inside for the ride. The plan is simple: stay hidden, arrive at Eagleton City, testify, survive. But somewhere along the line, somebody talks. Your cover is blown. The train is compromised. The doors are locked, the danger is real, and the one thing that was supposed to deliver you safely is suddenly carrying you straight toward disaster. Can your team escape before the runaway train reaches the end of the line?
The experience lasts 1 hour. $35 per person, not counting promotional discount.
Cruise the Tennessee River
Take a cruise of the Tennessee River on the paddlewheeler, The Southern Belle, 151 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga. You'll travel all the way to Lookout Mountain, under the bridges and past the Bluff view Art District.
Photo credit: Southern Belle
Adult Ages 13+ $ 34.99
Child Ages 3-12 $ 24.99
Infant Ages 0-2 $ 5.99
Money $aving Tip: Tranpen discount and promo codes (We saved 30% on our cruise tickets)
Coolidge Park
Afternoon: After our cruise we visited Coolidge Park, 150 River St., Chattanooga. Situated at Northshore's waterfront, Coolidge Park is a marvelous destination that inspires visitors with its restored 100-year-old carousel, interactive play fountain, and the Outdoor Chattanooga Center. This park is a hub of diverse activities, including concerts, festivals, and other special events. The park also provides ample open space, making it a perfect spot for people to relax and rejuvenate.
Photo credit: City of Chattanooga
The 1894 Dentzel antique carousel provides a delightful old-fashioned experience with 52 hand-carved animals, a calliope band organ, and ornate gold leaf benches.
No admission to the park and a carousel ride is only $1! The carousel is operational 7 days a week from 11 am to 7 pm.
There's also an Interactive Play Fountain: A water fountain with animal statues that shoot water out and the Outdoor Chattanooga Center: A hub for concerts, festivals, and other special events.
Evening: Tipped off to OPA by a local, 249 River Street, Chattanooga. Very close to Coolridge Park. OPA is by reservation only and we were lucky enough to snag a last minute reservation. (Reservations are usually made 2-3 weeks in advance!)
Some of the best Greek food we've ever had! From the classic moussaka, saganaki, pastitsio, spanakopita, souvlaki, fresh Greek salads and their specialties, every dish of food and dessert is made using only the best ingredients. Their Dolmades are to die for!
Rather than individual menu entree prices, OPA charges for a 4 course meal + drinks. $95 per adult,
$45 for kids 13 - 20 (yes, 20!)
Children under 2 FREE
Everything about the meal was fantastic.
Money $aving Tip: We took 10% ($28) off our meal using this OPA coupon from Pinpoint Perks.
Morning: Breakfast at Ruby Sunshine, 405 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN
I kind of had to laugh...Ashley's a quick study when it comes to becoming a travel discount diva. I think she went to every Chattanooga restaurant website and signed up for their free Rewards program - including Ruby Slippers Ruby Bennies®.
For signing up she received a welcome treat of free Starter Beignets, a birthday treat, and she'd received an exclusive offer for $off a meal.
Ruby's serves Southern-inspired breakfast classics, satisfying lunch favorites and indulgent sweet specialties.
They had a pretty large, diverse menu and the food was actually good.
Our next stop after breakfast...
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: 4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, TN.
Photos credit: Tennessee Valley Railroad
We booked a 9 hour ride on a steam train called the Summerville Steam Special. During the journey, you will travel through Rossville and Chickamauga, pass by Chattanooga Military Park and historic towns. There's a one hour layover in Summerville, GA during which time the train turns around on the turntable for the return trip.
You can also grab lunch in Summerville.
The train departs from the depot at 9 am but you must be there by 8:30 am.
Optional dining service is available on the train.
Arrive back at Grand Junction Depot by approximately 6:00 P.M.
Among the top Summerville restaurants, is The Willow Tree Grill.
The coolest thing about it is it’s a remodeled early 1900s general store with a great retro ambiance.
The restaurant is spotless, with beautiful natural plants outside, great homemade food, excellent service, and fair costs.
It's ranked the #2 restaurant in Summerville.
Try the fried catfish and hush puppies!
After your train ride, grab dinner at the Caboose Courtyard, an outdoor dining patio extension of Elsie's restaurant: 1404 Rossville Avenue,
Chattanooga, TN
It seemed fitting that if this was to be a railroad themed trip that we stay in an actual railroad car - and I found a beauty in Maryville, TN in the Great Smokey Mountains. This would also give the girls a chance to see Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
One bedroom with a pull out couch for the girls, full kitchen, BBQ facilities, a nice deck to sit on and a swing by the pond, no one around us. And the best part? $1692 for 9 nights or $188 per night.
And our hosts were fantastic.
The only drawback? One bathroom. Accompanied by frequent shouts of "GEEZE UNCLE JAY! PUT THE SEAT DOWN! WERE YA BORN IN A BARN?!!" (Sometimes Ashley sounds so much like her mother...)
Here's a list of 13 train car accommodations across the country if you're interested.
We based our stay in Maryville (pronounced Mar-vul) but we'll be visiting nearby cities like Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, etc. so you can base your accommodations in those cities to take advantage of accommodations discounts.
Hotel & Cabin Discounts in the Smoky Mountains Area
Groupon Accommodations Discounts
Morning: We took the girls to IHOP for breakfast. 906 Turner Street, Maryville.
IHOP’s Kids Eat Free promotion allows children aged 12 and under to receive a complimentary meal from the kids’ menu when an adult orders a full-priced entrée. This offer is generally dine-in only and is available at participating locations.
Explore Maryville
When the girls discovered Maryville had a mall they wanted to go shopping so we made the rounds of the Foothills Mall before lunch.
Afternoon: Have lunch at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant, 2129 E Broadway Ave, Maryville.
Margarita's is a festive little Mexican restaurant that is family owned and run. They cater to families - to the degree that kids eat for FREE.
Our lunch ended up costing us next to nothing! The bill for all 4 of us was less than $20.
Open 6 days a week from 11 am to 10 pm. Closed Mondays.
Service, food quality, atmosphere, cleanliness - all great. No complaints from us.
Sam Houston Historical School
Visit the Sam Houston Historical School, 3650 Old Sam Houston School Rd. Maryville, TN.
This place was interesting. When you first arrive, you are seated in a small room at a table to watch a LONG 3 hour video. They tell you that you can leave at any time. We watched the video for maybe half an hour. It was pretty interesting. The girls had never heard of Sam Houston, so his story was all new to them.
Sam Houston had a challenging childhood, left home at 16 and lived on an island with Cherokee Indians for three years, we had no idea he was an alcoholic, bipolar, married three times (1 was a woman from the reservation that he didn’t officially marry).
He was BFF with Andrew Jackson, learned how to lance and drain his own war wounds, & of course, as we know was an incredibly brave soldier, leader, rebel-rouser & later the father of eight amazing kids.
There's a lot to see museum-wise in that same video room and an adjoining room. After that, we could walk outside to see the beautifully landscaped grounds and schoolhouse. When the girls learned what going to school was like back then they decided maybe their school wasn't so bad.
ADMISSION:
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Ages 0-5 - FREE
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Ages 6-12 - $3.00/person
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Ages 13+ - $5.00/person
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Field Trip Participants (students and chaperones) - $3.00/person
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No charge for bus drivers
HOURS: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Evening: You can eat at a restaurant or do what we did - pick up the makings of dinner at a grocery store and have a cookout at our train car, then relax after dinner. The girls liked swinging in the swing by the pond and playing with our hosts dogs.
Morning: Have breakfast at your accommodations or at Calloway's Tennessee Kitchen, 2128 East Broadway Ave., Maryville.
Calloway's Tennessee Kitchen is a family-owned restaurant in East Tennessee serving freshly made food highlighting local and regional ingredients.
They have a fairly extensive breakfast menu.
Calloway's is a counter service restaurant.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The visitor center features knowledgeable rangers, maps, restrooms, animal exhibits, informative museum, and a free movie. Stop here to stretch your legs, get your bearings, and speak with experts about your itinerary.
The Great Smoky Mountains Natl. Park is fee-free year-round. No entrance fee or pass is required.
However, a parking pass is required.
If you're going to park for over 15 minutes. A daily parking pass costs $5. Purchase your parking
tag before arriving at your trailhead. There are parking tag kiosks within the park where you can purchase your parking tag.
Shuttle services in Great Smoky Mountains National Park provide convenient transportation to popular destinations, helping visitors avoid parking hassles.
Overview of Shuttle Services
Shuttle Providers
What sets the Great Smoky National Park aside from other national parks is the number of waterfalls it has due to ample rainfall and an elevation gradient. Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the park. Countless injuries have resulted from people swimming, climbing around waterfalls, and riding inner tubes in park waters. So please familiarize yourself with park water safety.
Due to the park's popularity, many well-known waterfall hikes such as Abrams, Grotto, Laurel, and Rainbow falls are highly trafficked trails, often with limited parking and crowded paths. Together, these waterfall hikes see more than 200,000 visitors each year.
Our advice? Take the trail less traveled. The Smokies has waterfalls in nearly every river and stream in the park and venturing out to the less-visited areas will give you a more relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Unlike many of the other national parks, the Smokies hiking trails are not loop trails, they are out and back trails of varying difficulty. So be prepared when hiking - water, sun protection, etc.
You can see a list of the trails here.
Be sure you check trail closures before heading out on your hike. Bears are plentiful in the Smokies and the park will often close trails where bears are active.
Make sure to download a park trail map
I recommend downloading the NPS app that will show you everything about every national park.
You can also pick up a park map at any visitor center.
We hiked the Laurel Falls Trail - 2.6 miles roundtrip through a mixed hardwood forest to an 80 foot waterfall. Enjoy a few views of the
mountain before arriving at the waterfall. PLEASE NOTE: Laurel Falls Trail is expected to close starting in mid-December for 18 months for restoration work.
We didn't want to OD the girls on the park and hiking, being they're not overly fond of hiking so we chose a short hike that would allow them to see part of the park without losing interest in it.
But if you wish to spend the entire day in the park, by all means do so!
Afternoon: Have a packed picnic lunch on the trail or head to Calhoun's, 1004 Parkway, #101 Suite 101, Gatlinburg, TN.
Calhoun's is a local, fresh, casual dining establishment specializing in hickory smoked BBQ, hand-cut steaks and seafood, and fresh ground hamburgers. They also have a kids menu, and free parking with receipt.
Money $aving Tip: Fill up on your favorite burger and fries, starting at just $7.50 ALL day! - Dine-In Only
Every Monday @ The Original, Bearden Hill, Turkey Creek, and Maryville locations.
Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park
After lunch we took the girls to Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park, 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN.
Anakeesta Tree House
General Admission
All day access to the park and major features including:
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Unlimited Chondola and Ridge Rambler rides
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AnaVista Observation Tower
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Treetop Skywalk
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Vista Gardens
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TreeVenture Challenge Course
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Treehouse Adventure Play Area
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BirdVenture
Pricing
Adult (Ages 12-59): $37.99
Children (Ages 4-11): $22.99
Seniors (Ages 60 +): $27.99
3 and under: FREE
Money $aving Tip: Knock $4.81 off each adult admission ticket using this offer.
Gatlinburg TN Guide: Discounts
If you sign up for Anakeesta's newsletter they will send discounts, special promotions, etc. directly to you.
Evening: We ate dinner in the park so that we could see the Astra Lumina light show. $17.99 per person ticket add on.
Astra Lumina is a walk through the woods, through 9 unique zones of astral energy in which the stars appear to come to you. It was actually pretty cool! We all enjoyed it and it gave the girls something to do that evening that was relatively inexpensive and didn't involve having to travel anywhere.
You can buy tickets for the park and Astra Lumina online before your visit to the park.
Morning: Have fantastic coffee and light breakfast fare at Town's End Coffee Company, 7249 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend, TN. (20 minutes from Maryville)
A cozy mountain coffee house and gift shop serving espressos, cold brew coffee, tea and light brunch of various breakfast sandwiches. $$
Sunday 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Monday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Little River Railroad Museum
After breakfast visit the Little River Railroad Museum, 7747 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Townsend, TN.
The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company is a non-profit corporation founded in 1982 to preserve the heritage of the Little River Lumber Company and the Little River Railroad.
For many years, Native Americans and pioneers depended on the Little River and its surrounding forests to survive. After the Cherokee were forcefully removed in the 1830’s, the upper region of the Little River was inhabited by self-sufficient farmers. Later, the forests of the Smokies attracted logging companies such as the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company to the area.
The museum is a hands-on exhibit experience for kids. They can even ring a train bell.
The museum contains a history of the railroad, lumbering exhibits, a Shay engine, logging equipment and more.
The museum is housed in the old depot.
Admission is FREE but donations are appreciated.
Monday-Saturday
10 am to 5 pm
Sunday
1 PM to 5 PM
Afternoon: Lunch at Little River Pub. 7503 Old Highway 73, Townsend.
Amazing little Pub and Deli right on the Little River in Townsend, Tn. Offering items from Wings and Fries to Moonshine Margaritas.
They have a beautiful outdoor back beer garden to eat on, overlooking the Little River. Made lunch even more enjoyable!
Vegetarian, gluten free, and kid's meals available.
Food and service were both very good.
Following lunch we took the girls to Cades Cove and back into Great Smoky Mountain National Park in
Townsend. We like to get them out in nature and away from screens but we constantly have to come up with inventive ways to do this and actually get them to enjoy being out in nature.
Horseback Riding
The girls love horses and horseback riding so we headed to Davy Crockett Riding Stables, 505 Old Cades Cove Road, Townsend.
Rates
Half hour $28
One hour $40
Hour and a half $58
Two hours $76
Half day $225
Plus Tax
We took the 2 hour ride which was plenty. Enough to get saddlesore.
With our discounts we paid $296 for the 4 of us.
Reservations are required during the off season but it's best to make reservations during the summer months as well.
Money $aving Tip: Use the coupon at right to save $2 per person off a ride,
Valid until 12-31-2026
Dinner: Ruby Tuesdays, 109 FURROW WAY,
ALCOA, TN.
TUESDAY DINNER is for kids
Kids Eat Free, After 5 pm
With purchase of full-priced adult entree. Available for kids 12 and under. Dine-in Only.
Morning: Have breakfast at one of the favorite restaurants in Pigeon Forge - Old Mill, 175 Old Mill Avenue, Pigeon Forge.
Big thumbs up on the Old Mill! Food and service excellent.
For breakfast you get banana nut muffins, biscuits & the house jelly, pepper gravy, house ground yellow grits and a small orange juice with your meal at no additional charge.
Portions of homestyle cooking are LARGE. You won't leave hungry, that's for sure!
HOURS
Sunday - Thursday 8 am - 9 pm
Friday & Satureday 8 am - 9:30 pm
Money $aving Tips: Sign up to save 15% on your first order and enjoy special offers, recipes and more when you join. (Click on the red 15% off button at the bottom of their website)
Our first stop given my fascination with Titanic and now Ashley's as well (...read Titanic Weekend) was the Titanic Museum, 2134 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN
Walk the Grand Staircase, touch 28-degree water, explore authentic artifacts, and discover the fate of an actual Titanic passenger. Of all the Titanic museums, exhibitions, events I've been to, this one was the most interactive. They also had a temporary exhibit of Isador and Ida Straus' belongings on display.
Admission price depends on month and day booked but in our case an adult ticket was $39.99 and a child's ticket was $14.99. Hours were 9 am to 8:30 pm. 7 days a week.
Money $aving Tips:
$3 off adult admission available through the official Titanic Pigeon Forge website
Up to 53% off instantly at Tripster without needing coupon or promo code
Travelin’ Coupons offers a discount of $7.16 per person.
15% off coupon code: Destination Coupons provides a 10% discount on admission tickets
Afternoon: Have lunch right across from the Titanic Museum at the Local Goat: 2167 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN.
The Local Goat is a New American restaurant that serves up perfect burgers, wings, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and more. Pick from your choice of domestic and imported beers, both on tap or bottled and canned. If you’re feeling something a little sweeter, explore their extensive wine and cocktail menu to find the perfect mid-day drink. Speaking of sweets, make sure you save room for dessert so you can try their Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie!
Dig'n Zone Theme Park
Take a 15 minute ride to the Dig'n Zone Theme Park: 1707 Veterans Blvd Sevierville, TN.
Courtesy of Ashley and Erin this one's for your little guys.
My nephew took his son to Dig 'n Zone. He had the time of his life operating all of that big construction machinery!
Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours there as once the boys get on that machinery they don't want to get off of it.
To my complete and utter surprise the girls loved it too!
For that matter, so did Jay! It was harder getting him off the rigs than it was the girls!
There are height restrictions so be sure to check their website for those details.
From a skid-steer to an amazing zero turn machine, this theme park is brimming with heavy machinery and plenty of fun. Guests can also choose to grab a bite to eat at the 'Dig In' Cafe which features burgers, fries, and more. See a fun show at the Dig'N Zone Stage, or visit the Arcade at Dig 'n Zone for some fun family-friendly competition and some awesome arcade games.
PARK HOURS here
DAY PASS ADMISSION
Adults 11-64 $69
Seniors 65+ $55
Children 3-10 $55
Children 2 and under FREE
Evening: Have dinner at The Diner: 550 Winfield Dunn Pkwy, Sevierville, TN.
Car culture is one of the premier attractions of Sevier County over the decades. In particular, from Rod Runs to cruising up and down the strip, the 50s/60s American graffiti vibe is a big part of the social fabric of the area. At The Diner, get a patty melt, some onion rings, french fries, green beans, a chicken tender basket, and a big ole shake. It’s not culinary artistry. Certainly, it’s not Picasso at the grill. But it’s one of the best places in the Smokies for a traditional diner experience. It’s good and fun and classic and there’s a place in any good food culture for those things, too.
Reservations are not available at the diner. Parking is available on-site.
When the sun sets in Sevierville, the city transforms into a magical wonderland of nighttime amusements. From enchanting light displays to captivating performances, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Stroll through the illuminated streets, catch a live outdoor concert, or marvel at dazzling fireworks shows. The enchanting atmosphere of Sevierville at night will surely leave you spellbound and eager to explore more of the city’s after-dark charm.
We went to Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm for a nighttime game of mini golf before heading back to Maryville.
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Jay took the girls for the day so I could prepare Ashleys birthday party for that evening.
Since we didn't own the railroad car we were staying in I couldn't attach decorations to the walls, etc. so made do with the tablescape being the party decorations.
But if you're going to throw a home railroad themed party here are some decoating ideas:
Nearly everything you see above is made of corrugated cardboard. Yes, even the trains.
If you have railroad memorabilia, great. If you don't, it's easy to decorate with red and white checkered tablecloths or a railroad themed disposable tablecloth, balloons, model train cars from a second hand shop. conductor hats, red bandanas, wooden train whistles, DIY railroad tracks and signage.
My grandfather was Yardmaster for Milwaukee Road so I just used all the train memorabilia he left me to set my table to look as close to a vintage dining car as I could. (For one of my adult themed railroad parties)
For my table I kept it simple but classy, using the Milwaukee Road dinnerware I had - that I'd eaten off as a little kid while riding the Milwaukee Road trains.
While the above will work with adults, I wouldn't suggest it for younger children.
When I had my party business, my fellow model railroaders and I actually restored a privately owned train car in which we held a little boy's railroad birthday party. While I threw out the original photos I had of this restoration project when I moved, the photos below will give you an idea of the condition of this train car and the finished product after we restored it.
In what I can only call a miraculous twist of fate, although the rail car owner and I didn't immediately recognize one another, he turned out to have worked with my grandfather on the Milwaukee Road. I nearly fainted dead away when he said to me "Oh my lord, you're SCOOP!" Scoop was the nickname my grandfather had given me and used, and it was the nickname only all his railroad coworkers knew me by from my childhood days of riding the Milwaukee Road trains. No one had called me Scoop but them.
There was a sad yet happy postscript to that story: This man lived alone and seldom had any visitors. The birthday boy's mother and we invited him to the party. He must have thanked us a thousand times and the boys were captivated by the railroad stories he told.
Two weeks after the party I was notified he'd died very suddenly and unexpectedly, We'd made his last days happy ones and for that I'll always be grateful.
At any rate, we held this little boy's birthday party in the restored rail car and the only decorations we used because space was so limited was an inflatable HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner, some balloons and the table place settings themselves - railroad hats, red bandanas and wooden train whistles. So you don't need a whole lot to decorate for a younger child's party. You can find a 6 pack of those 3 items here for $27.
The only other thing we used to "decorate" were activity placemats and we set colored pencils and crayons on the table for the boys to work on their placemats.
Tip: Use a plastic disposable tablecloth for this. Use foil mini loaf pans from the dollar store to contain your food items!
Really inexpensive to do and easy in that there's virtually no clean up after the party. You can just dispose of everything,
Optional: Use black construction paper or electrical tape affixed to the tablecloth to make railroad tracks to set your foil tins on.
You can make the train car wheels out of black construction paper, cardboard or painted unfinished wood circles hot glued to the foil tins.
Train Sandwiches
of any variety you like
BarChooChoo Sandwiches
BBQ
Train Wheels
Pinwheel sandwiches
Use model train cars
as food containers
Train Wheel Pasta Salad
Fish Car
Goldfish crackers
Candy Trains
Stop Lights
Rice Krispie bars + M&M's
Railroad Diesel Fuel
Punch
Train cake
Veggie Train
CREATE A PHOTO OP
It's simple to create a photo op and snap a pic of each guest to take home as a souvenir of the party.
Kids love to take something home after leaving birthday parties!
IF YOU HAVE A TRAIN SET, SET IT UP!
My late husband and I were model railroaders. We had 2 rooms in our finished basement that were filled with model train layouts - one for my O gauge Lionel sets my dad had given me through the years and one for our HO gauge layouts.
For one train party I held at my house, I just let the kids (both boys and girls) go down and play with our model trains. My HO Lionel model layout looked something like this..
One of the trains I had set up was the now rare Lionel pink girls train my dad had given me for Christmas. The girls loved running that one!
You don't need to build a whole layout! The kids just want to run the train, even if it just runs in a circle!
COAL TOSS
There are 2 versions of this you can play - one for younger kids and one for older kids.
All you need is a cardboard box decorated to look like coal box with a hole cut in the front and some beanbags for younger kids. The kids toss the beanbags into the coal hole.
For older kids, cut the hole big enough to get a shovel head through. Play this game outside or cover your floors to protect them! We used charcoal briquettes for the coal.
We gave each kid 30 seconds to see how many shovels of coal they could get in the coal box. The child who got the most shovels full into the coal box won the game and a prize.
Use something large like an appliance box to hold the coal the kids will shovel into, to get the coal out of that and into the firebox.
This game is played like a cakewalk. Create a large circle on the floor with tape (train tracks) or using pieces of cardstock cut into circles. The circle should be as large as possible because the party guests will be walking around on it.
On each piece of paper (or in the middle of each train track) draw or attach a different number. On smaller pieces of paper write down the numbers and place them individually in a hat or train themed container. Children stand around the circle and while music plays they walk from one number to the next in order.
Stop the music and draw a number from the container. Whoever is standing on the number that is drawn wins a prize or a cupcake to take home. Keep playing until everyone has won a prize or a cupcake to take home.
A familiar take on the above is musical chairs - but with the chairs set up like train seats.
UTILIZE COMMUNITY ASSETS
I was always on the lookout for community assets that could be utilized for my parties. For example, some parks have miniature trains you can rent by the hour VERY cheaply like the miniature train above. A train ride for a train party?! Perfect!
