We drove over the mountain from the Gatlinburg area. We stopped here and there to admire the views, which were so common it felt unreal. You can get spoiled on good scenery that seems to be everywhere.
Our first stop was at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. They had a nice little museum in there and they had a great early Settlers area.
I have said it before, but a lot of these reconstructed 19th century farms remind me of my grandparents farm growing up. Lots of wood, chickens running around, and the smell of salted pork in the air really take me back.
From there we visited The Museum of the Cherokee Indian. This is a great museum, that is well done and polished. Its actually a very nice place. It does a great job of telling the story of the Cherokee Indians. The museum has displays and films that are easy to understand. I have been to similar museums that feel cluttered or confusing. That is not the case here. I really enjoyed their collections of relics and the presentations on the Cherokee Creation story. This classy museum almost seems out of place among all of the touristy shop.
Someone at the museum recommended a nice little restaurant called Paul's to us. It was right down the road. This was a great place with a local feel. It kind of reminded me of Mel's Diner. I did get an "Indian Taco, which was their homemade chili, lettuce, cheese, and tomato on frybread. Man, I know it sounds simple, but it was so good! My wife had a burger served on frybread. She liked hers too. Both were big enough that we could have shared. Mine was so good that my stomach hurt, but I kept eating anyway. This is a great local place that I would love to hit again in the future- not fancy but the food was good and the vibe was nice.On the way back over to Gatlinburg we stopped at the Mingus Mill, which is cool too. Check out the photos!
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