Prior to Ashley's ninth birthday trip she came to me (out of Jay's earshot) and asked "Do you think you could talk Uncle Jay into my next trip being a railroad party with one of my friends?"
I was somewhat taken aback by this as unlike myself, Ashley had never shown much interest in the railroad before. There was a catch to this somewhere...
"Why a railroad birthday?" I asked, waiting for the punchline.
"Well...because Britt and I want to ride a train alone together to our travel destination and you and Uncle Jay can pick us up at the train station."
Having been a cop there was no way on God's green earth I would let two 8 year olds ride a train alone together across half the country. There are too many kooks, weirdos, pedophiles and child traffickers out there preying on our children and two 8 years old girls alone would be prime targets.
"PLEEEEEEEASE?" she begged. "Uncle Jay listens to you! You can talk him into anything!"
(Well, almost anything.)
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 in case of any emergency.
The Carolinian traveled round trip from NYC to Charlotte, NC. Jay could pick us up at the Charolette train station and we'd drive the next 248 miles together to our travel destination in Tennessee and Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The Carolinian
"Better we do it this way than have your parents, Britt's parents and your Uncle Jay say NO WAY! altogether," I told Ashley. But I laid a condition on the girls myself - they had to earn their train fare plus any spending money the wanted to spend on the train, themselves. (My fare was $47, theirs $23.50 apiece)
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.
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. Have your older kids help plan it. Ashley and Britt got a real eye opener as to what these trips her Uncle Jay was taking her on cost now that they'd had to earn their own train fare and spending money! She learned to look for discounts and deals in order to bring the cost of the trip down wherever possible.
Discounts & Deals
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 below.
Also check sites like Groupon.
We took advantage of a few discounts and deals. Some are now expired, some are still valid...but I'll advise you of all of them so you can watch for them to repeat
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 printable 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.
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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.
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
Day 1
We had to be up before the sun to catch our train in NYC to Charlottesville, NC. The train didn't run down into Tennessee. Jay had left the day before in the Beast. Since he had a nine hour haul and was alone he opted to lay overnight somewhere and meet us at the train station the following day.
The girls and I boarded so that train personnel could verify the girls were traveling with me and then we parted ways and I took a seat in the car behind them. I had the conductor checking on them every now and then for me but they didn't know that.
Although the video below was made by a gentleman traveling on the Carolinian from Greensboro to NYC (the reverse from us), it will give you an idea of what our train ride was like.
Thirteen hours later Jay met us at the Charlottesville depot and the four of us continued the 248 mile drive to Marysville, rolling in to our train car accommodations around midnight.
As exhausted as we all were, we all fell into the next best thing to a coma. Not even the girls engaged in their usual hour's worth of whispering and giggling before they fell asleep. Much to Jay's relief.
On your Day 1 arrive in Maryville, TN and get settled into your accommodations.
Day 2
Once you're firing on all cylinders, drive into Marysville for breakfast and to explore the town. I was thankful to see Marysville was a bit larger than the towns in the Catskillls but it's still easily walkable.
We weren't fussy about where we had breakfast and just stopped at a Shoney's we saw. 1021 W Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, Tennessee. The food and service was good and the prices reasonable. $$
When the girls discovered Maryville had a mall they wanted to go shopping. Jay and I made ourselves comfortable in the food court with the biggest cup of coffee we could find and let 'em have at shopping until lunch time.
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.
In addition, Groupon had (and still has) a $10 For $20 Worth Of Authentic Mexican Cuisine deal at Margarita's - so our lunch ended up costing us next to nothing! The bill for all 4 of us was less than $20.
The food and service were both good. Prices are very reasonable even without the discounts we used.
Monday Closed
Tuesday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
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.
(We'd make many of our own meals not only to stay in budget but because we prefer home cooked to restaurant food.)
Day 3
The visitor center features knowledgable 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
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.
Head into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Start with a visit to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
Sugarlands Visitors Center
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.
After lunch we took the girls to Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park, 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN.
Anakeesta Tree House
This immersive mountaintop park with a theme-park vibe offers rides, attractions, and dining. Explore the 50-foot-high Treetop Skywalk, race down the mountain coaster, tackle a dueling zip line, or let kids enjoy the Treehouse Adventure play area. Don’t miss the Astra Lumina light show, available year-round.
Note: This park tends to be more crowded, and lines to get up and down the mountain can be long.
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.
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.
Return to your accommodations for the rest of the evening.
Day 4
Morning: Have fantastic coffee and light breakfast fare at Town's End Coffee Company, 7249 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend,TN.
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
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: The girls wanted pizza so Ashley had planned on lunch at Slice Pizza Bakery, 117 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg.
Slice Pizza Bakery in downtown Gatlinburg serves up oversized New York-style pizza slices, strombolis, calzones, and more—all hot, fresh, and perfect after a day in the Smokies. Located inside Arcade City, it’s a casual, family-friendly stop for lunch in the heart of town.
Those slices were about the size of half a pizza! Drawback: They only serve cheese or cheese and pepperoni pizzas.
Money $aving Tip: $2 off coupon here good until 12- 31- 25, Tip from Ashley: "Ask for separate checks!
That way we got $8 off instead of $2!"
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.
Ashley decided horseback was the way to do this. Head for 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: We took advantage of a $2 off per person discount on our ride. This coupon will be valid until 12-31-25.
Evening: We returned to Maryville and stopped at a grocery store to pick up items with which to cook our own dinner and have a leisurely dinner on the train car deck.
Day 5
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: $
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.
Photo credit: Incline Railway
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: Topsaving is offering 4 different discounts for Ruby Falls - 20% off admission, Annual Pass starting from $25.95, Enjoy Lantern Tour Tickets For $39.95 While The Offer Lasts, and Cave Walk Tickets Starting From $15.95. No expiration dates are listed.
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.
(We made the girls spend their own spending money to do this!)
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!
The girls were surprisingly stoked to be able to eat in a castle.
While you're in downtown Chattanooga, you can also explore the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel complex if you like and time allows.
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.
Photo credit: Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel
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.
Day 6
Given Chattanooga is nearly a 2 hour drive from Maryville we decided to take the Beast to Chattanooga and lay overnight there in an RV park. Driving those hairpin curvy mountain roads in a 35 foot+ RV is no picnic and Jay saw no sense in driving 2 hours back to Maryville only to turn around the next morning and drive 2 hours back to Chattanooga. But you have to do what suits you and your budget.
I will fill you in on the RV park we stayed in though as they also offer tent camping, and have both glamping safari tents and cabins for rent in case one of those options would be useful to you.
We stayed in Raccoon Caverns & Campground, 319 West Hills Dr., Chattanooga.
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.
Morning: Have breakfast at Ruby Sunshine, 405 Market St, Chattanooga. We chose this restaurant due to the fact Ruby Sunshine brings the unique flavors and hospitality of New Orleans to their all-day brunch. They use fresh and local ingredients whenever possible.
Thoroughly enjoyed breakfast at Ruby's. Extensive menu, good food, good service, reasonable pricing.
Money $aving Tip: Groupon currently has an offer for Ruby's.
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:
We saved 30% ($36) on our sightseeing cruise using the above deal at Tranpen. Tranpen still shows this deal on their website.
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. ORA 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 the OPA coupon below from Pinpoint Perks.
After dinner return to Maryville.
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Day 7
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 $7.16 Off Per Person:
Travelin’ Coupons offers a discount of $7.16 per person.
10% 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!
Named one of Pigeon Forge's top 6 restaurants.
Photo credit: eaglesridge.com
This one's for the little guys in the family. I don't know a one of my great nephews that hasn't gone through an I LOVE BIG TRUCKS phase - fire engines, garbage trucks, construction vehicles...
Take a 15 minute ride to the Dig'n Zone Theme Park: 1707 Veterans Blvd Sevierville, TN.
My nephew took his son here. 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.
It's fun for girls too though. Ashley and her friend loved operating everything too!
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
Money $aving Tip:
4-Pack Ticket Offer: Get 50% off a 4-pack of tickets, which is a great deal for a full day of fun.
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.
Day 8
Morning: Drive 20 miles to Knoxville and have breakfast at The Farmacy: 5018 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN
Farmacy is a restaurant that focuses on preparing fresh Southern cuisine in a casual, fun, and upbeat environment.
The restaurant’s primary focus is to offer great southern-inspired meals using natural and super fresh ingredients. Farmacy is closed on Mondays but opens for breakfast on all other days except Sundays.
Farmacy takes reservations and offers outdoor dining.
They're noted for their waffles. And they have beignets!
All day: 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
The Courtyard comes alive with live music several nights a week.
After dinner return to your accommodations.
Day 9
Morning: It's your free day to do whatever you wish. We had breakfast in the RV, Jay took the girls for the morning while I began preparing Ashley's Railroad birthday party.
We were already in a train car (that wasn't our property) so I couldn't put decorations on the walls, etc. I settled on making the tablescape the decorations.
However, if you're holding a railroad party in your home, here are some decorating 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 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 older kids and 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.
Photo credit: Etsy
FOOD/MENU
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
Ingredients listed below
Veggie Train
Directions listed below
Model Railroad Car
Can hold items like blueberries...
We filled ours with raisins
Stop Lights
Rice Krispie bars + M&M's
BarbeChoo Sandwiches
Infamous Fish Car
Goldfish crackers
Train Wheel Pasta Salad
Candy Locomotive
Train Wheel Sandwiches
Pinwheel Sandwiches
Railroad Diesel Fuel
Punch
Birthday Cake
Photo 1 Train Sandwiches:
4 slices of bread (cut crusts off) For each sandwich made
Fillings of choice
Pepperoni
Mini crackers (Ritz)
Cucumber
Photo 3 Veggie Train:
Cut one side off a pepper to open up the train car. Fill a car with each of your different veggies - celery sticks, carrot sticks, etc. We used one pepper car to hold Ranch dressing to dip the veggies in.
Games/Activities
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.
TRAIN CIRCLE WALK
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!
CONDUCTOR RACE
What you'll need:
-
Conductor hat, conductor vest and bandana per team
-
One train ticket per player
-
Two ticket boxes
-
Optional whistle
Note: If you used the 3 piece party favors we did of cap, bandana and train whistle, then all you need is 2 conductor vests. Link to inexpensive conductor vest under photo at left.
How to play:
1. Divide players into two teams
2. Have teams line up behind the starting line
3. Provide each team with a conductor's hat, a conductor's vest and a bandana
4. Give each player a train ticket
5. Place the two ticket boxes across the playing area
6. Blow a whistle to start the race
The first player puts on the conductor's hat, conductor's vest, and the bandana.
Player runs across the playing area to the ticket box, we used a mini suitcase!
Player tears train ticket in half and places in the ticket box
Player runs back to the starting line
Player takes off the conductor's hat, conductor's vest, and the bandana
Play moves to the next player
The first team to get all of their train tickets in their ticket box wins the game
Miscellaneous train theme items
Train Silicone Muffin Mold & Cupcake Baking Pan for Train Theme Party, Muffin Cups, Ice Cube, Soap, Wafer, Cake, Tart, Pie, Flan, Dough, Donuts
Hayes 15887 Railroad Train / Track Crossing Sign with Flashing Lights and Sounds