My family is interested in visiting the Smoky Mountains this year. Is it possible to visit that area without having to take in the corn pone atmosphere of Gatlinburg?

You can stay in Cherokee (not too much better than G-burg) or Bryson City, NC. Bryson City is right on the edge of the Park. From Cherokee you are also on the edge. Those come to mind quickly. The Fryemont Inn is in Bryson City as well as a lovely B&B (used to be Folkestone).

cornpone huh?..depends on what you mean by that I guess. You might try the other areas near the park..the Townsend or N.C. sides.

I guess I like Corn pone, even though I have no idea what that is, because I love Gatlinburg. Don't care who wants to bash it on here. Vacations are what you make of them.

Bigdaddy Paypay

Here's a recipe for:

Tennessee Corn Pone

Serving Size : 6

2 cups pinto beans -- seasoned,cooked
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg -- slightly beaten
Heat beans until quite hot and pour into a lightly greased 8"x8" baking dish. Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Melt the butter and combine with buttermilk and egg.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth, and pour them over the hot beans. Bake on the top rack of your oven until bread is a rich golden color and the sides of the corn bread pull away from the sides of the pan-about 30 minutes.

It is certainly very possible to visit the smokies without doing the Gatlinburg thing. You can even stay just a little outside of Gatlinburg proper and forget the tourist stuff even exists. We stay at Tree Tops and it is so quiet and peaceful. It is a timeshare resort, but I'm not sure if they have rentals or not. If you can go the 3rd or 4th week of August, you'd stand a better chance. You do have to deal with the traffic, but nobody says you have to stop. We have gone whitewater rafting, 4-wheeling, horseback riding, hiked to several waterfalls, yes and even done Dollywood, which depending on the age of your children would be enjoyable. they now have a waterpark. My son was 7 and 12 when we took him there. Make sure to do the Cades Cove loop at dusk. You will see deer everywhere and mostly likely a bear or two. There is alot of people doing the same thing though.

Personally, I have gone to the Smokies, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Severeville, etc; four times in two years and I'm planning on going back again. There is something about the atmosphere I just love. I'm from Miami, FLA., by the way.

Stay in Townsend. It's beautiful, and away from the traffic and hub-bub, but close enough to drive to the attractions!!

Me and the missus loves to drive our RV to Gatlinburg to watch the country music shows. I like wearing my ball cap all the time, even when we eats at a fancy restaurant. You know, the kinds where you don't have to get in line to serve yourself at the feeding trough. That's high living people.