Buckhorn Inn Dinner in Gatlinburg Tennessee

While in the Gatlinburg area again, we HAD to have a dinner at Buckhorn Inn.  This is just a great place.  Some of the best meals I have ever had have been here (I've mentioned it here and here before)....  and the meal we had this night was, as I expected, incredible.

I always go here with very high expectations, and those expectations are met each time.

Right now they are offering a set four course meal for $40.  It is in a very nice setting and the food is perfect.  Actually, the price isn't bad for the area, and for something so nice, I think it is a good value.  Look them up next time you are in the area.

Berry Springs Breakfast

So....  here are some photos of the great breakfasts (and a snack) we enjoyed while staying at Berry Springs Lodge in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

Berry Springs Lodge, Pigeon Forge Tennessee.... again

We are getting to where we love making it south to the Gatlinburg area....  and being able to stay at Berry Springs Lodge is especially a great treat (I've mentioned it here and here before).  In fact, we sometimes talk about our next trip, not to Pigeon Forge, but to Berry Springs.  We love this place.

LOOK AT THAT BACK PORCH!  There is nothing like watching birds or reading while setting in a rocking chair there.

We always get to meet great travelers here and we talked to people from South Dakota and Illinois on this trip.  One couple was on their first trip since having their first child two years earlier.  Another couple had planned on a trip around Kentucky and Tennessee.  As they mapped things out, they decided to spend all of their time in Tennessee.

This got me thinking.  If I lived somewhere else....  say South Dakota, and I had a week or two to spend in the Kentucky/Tennessee area...  how would I want to spend that time?

I LOVE my home state of Kentucky, but what are the BIG things people from other states might have on their bucket list?  I'm thinking about major attractions anyone and everyone would want to see.  In Kentucky, there's a Lincoln site or two on the list.  There is Mammoth Cave.  Churchill Downs.

Now, think about Tennessee.  There's Nashville- Broadway, The Country Music Hall of Fame.  The Ryman.  I can name a TON of secondary attractions I would want to see in Nashville alone.

There's Memphis- the Lorraine, the Peabody Hotel, Graceland, Beale Street.


Chattanooga has Rock City, Ruby Falls, the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Not to mention that Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, and Knoxville are great cities all around that all should be on everyone's list of places to visit.

And pick up any visitor guide for Tennessee.  Those guys are putting up various museums everywhere right now.

Unfortunately, I can understand tourists from South Dakota passing on Kentucky to spend all of their time in Tennessee.

But....  back to Berry Springs Lodge.  This is a great, relaxing area that we love.  Its great meeting new people there, relaxing on the porch, and enjoying their breakfasts.

Pottery Cafe in Pigeon Forge TN

I've raved and raved about Pottery Cafe.  THIS is our favorite soup and sandwich place anywhere....   Its the perfect spot for a quality meal at a reasonable price in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area.

Here are some photos of some great food.

Random Gatlinburg Photos

We are totally in love with Gatlinburg right now.  It is such a special area, and we have made several trips to the area, some very different from previous ones.

When I was really in to baseball, we would go down to see the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball team a lot.  We might make it some of the way in to Pigeon Forge, but we would often not even make it to Gatlinburg.

These days, we probably enjoy a bit more time in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  We do some of the same stuff we used to do, but our trips are usually different ones than in years before.  A decade from now, we will likely still be doing trips to the area....  but we will likely be doing different stuff than we are doing now.

Right now, we really love hanging out at Berry Springs Lodge when we go and not getting too far from there.  Its a relaxing place.

Even after our most recent trip, we are talking about getting back soon, hopefully at least 2-3 more times this year.

The area has the busiest National Park in the US, AA baseball, several one of a kind museums, great food, etc. etc.  We agree that whether you are looking for excitement or relaxation, the area is perfect.

Ark Encounter- Williamstown Kentucky

We visited the Ark Encounter a couple of years ago, and decided to make it back again to check it out now.  There are a lot of things that haven't changed, but there are some new things too.

I think the main museum/landlocked boat is still pretty much the same thing.  They still have the amazing Hollywood style animal sculptures.

There is a new visitor center you can walk through before making it to the museum.  There is a gift shop, snack bar and a theater.  They show movies and have live music in the theater.

On the second floor of the ship there is an area where you can get yourself 3D scanned and you can order a small figure of yourself!

Here are some recent photos!

Manchester Coffee in Lexington Kentucky

I love cool independent coffee shops, and I found a great new one in Lexington, not far from downtown!

This is one of the cleanest, slickest coffee shops ever!  They've really hit it out of the park with their logo too.

Its modern and cozy.  I usually love the older looking shops with lots of woodwork, but Manchester Coffee Co. goes in a different direction and totally pulls it off!