Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
11am-5pm Tue-Sat winter) , a nifty look at the sport from the time when women competed in
full-length dresses.
For dinner, find Tupelo Honey Cafe ( www.tupelohoneycafe.com ; 1 Market Sq; mains $9-19;
9am-10pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri, 8am-11pm Sat, to 9pm Sun) a bustling, eclectic dining
room on Market Sq serving chorizo-crusted sea scallops, pulled pork with jalapeƱo BBQ
sauce, and shrimp and goat cheese grits. It does a handful of vegetarian dishes too. The
Oliver Hotel (
865-521-0050; www.theoliverhotel.com ; 407 Union Ave; r from $145) is the
most stylish nest.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Cherokee called this territory Shaconage (shah- cone -ah-jey), meaning roughly
'land of the blue smoke,' for the heather-colored mist that hangs over the ancient peaks.
The Southern Appalachians are the world's oldest mountain range, with mile upon mile
of cool, humid deciduous forest.
The 815-sq-mile park ( www.nps.gov/grsm ) is the country's most visited and,
while the main arteries and attractions can get crowded, 95% of visitors never venture
further than 100 yards from their cars, so it's easy to leave the teeming masses behind.
There are sections of the park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Unlike most national parks, Great Smoky charges no admission fee. Stop by a visitor
center to pick up a park map and the free Smokies Guide . The remains of the 19th-cen-
tury settlement at Cades Cove are some of the park's most popular sights, as evidenced
by the teeth-grinding summer traffic jams on the loop road.
Mt LeConte offers terrific hiking, as well as the only non-camping accommodations,
LeConte Lodge ( 865-429-5704; www.lecontelodge.com ; cabins per person adult/child 4-12yr
$126/85) . Though the only way to get to the lodge's rustic, electricity-free cabins is via
an 8-mile uphill slog. It's so popular you need to reserve up to a year in advance. You can
drive right up to the dizzying heights of Clingmans Dome , the third-highest mountain
east of the Mississippi, with a futuristic observation tower.
With 10 developed campgrounds offering about 1000 campsites, you'd think finding a
place to pitch would be easy. Not so in the busy summer season, so plan ahead. You can
make reservations ( 800-365-2267; www.nps.gov/grsm ; tent site per night $14-23) for some
sites; others are first-come, first-served. Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds are
open year-round; others are open March to October.
Backcountry camping ( reservations 865-436-1231; www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/
backcountry-camping.htm ; per night $4) is an excellent option. A permit is required; you can
make reservations and get permits at the ranger stations or visitor centers.
 
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