Are there any decent hotels in or close to Gatlinburg? The Schengen people continue to make it extremely difficult for my green-card wife to go to Europe so we can inject thousands of dollars into faltering economies, so I am planning to take her to the Smokies and some other domestic destinations.

I have been to Gatlinburg about a zillion times, but that was when I was a kid, so I have no idea what it's like now. I would like to take her for some unchallenging but pleasant hikes and see things like Clingmans Dome.

I doubt you can spend $300 per night on a hotel in Gatlinburg, but just in case, let's say that's our limit.

Is there any good food there other than Cracker Barrel?

Also, we might want to check out the Mountain City area, so recommendations in that general region would be appreciated.

Gatlinburg is not what it used to be, and it wouldn't surprise me if you have to spend $300 a night during high season. We stayed at the Hilton, which was within walking distance of just about everything. Gatlinburg has retained some of it's charm, but Ripleys has given it a garish, Disney type vibe and not in a good way.

There is so much good food in Gatlinburg I don't know where to begin. The restaurant that stood out the most was Crocketts Breakfast Camp, which is a short walk from the Hilton. There were so many others I wish I could remember all of the names. If it comes to me later, I will post back. We also enjoyed Paula Deens in nearby Pigeon Forge.

I recommend a day trip to Cherokee, NC. Cherokee is a haven for the beautiful Native American culture and it isn't as commercialized as Gatlinburg. You have a very good chance of seeing wildlife in Cherokee, and the scenery is spectacular.

Thanks for the helpful reply.

Last time I was in Gatlinburg, Ripley's had a little museum, and that was it. I am Googling now to find out what you're writing about. Looks like that little museum metastasized.

We are not primarily interested in Gatlinburg itself. I want to show my wife a little bit of the mountains. I thought Gatlinburg would be a good place to sleep and eat.

If you're not interested in the town or any of it's attractions, I would stay somewhere else.

We too last stayed in the Hilton Garden Inn, very nice and just off the main drag overlooking the river. Also ate at Crockett’s, huge skillet breakfast that I don’t want to even know how many calories were in there but definitely fueled the hike up Mt. Le Conte. Also ate at the Park Grill and a BBQ place I can’t remember the name of not far from the hotel and they were pretty good. People poo poo the touristy nature of Gatlinburg, but we were there for easy access to the park for hiking and Cades Cove and it was fine for that.

Since I was just passing through a few years ago, I stayed at a nice motel in Sevierville for less than $100. I have no interest in Dollywood or Ripley's. There's a nice large lake near Sevierville.

I fully expect Gatlinburg to be touristy and silly, because it was that way 60 years ago. It will be a good base for touring the area, though. Nice room within walking distance of food; that's what we want.

We used the Garden Inn. No problems there apart from some not-classy people yelling outside at night. Planning on trying beer for the first time? Go to Gatlinburg.

They have the best blackout blinds I have ever seen. At 9 a.m., I could not tell whether the sun was up.

As for food, we tried Pancake Pantry for our first breakfast. This is one of a couple of joints that have somehow convinced people to give them stellar reviews and wait in line. It took around 15 minutes to get in. They move fast.

The waitress was great, but the food was sub par. Cracker Barrel stomps this place. Black bits in the bacon. Pancakes that tasted like burned eggs. Sausage that may not have been 100% pork. I think they may have sneaked disgusting turkey in on us. Pancake Pantry and Crockett's top the reviews, but I would not go back to Pancake Pantry. Even Waffle House is better.

Next time, we put ourselves on the waitlist for Crockett's and another place, Flapjack's, simultaneously. I told my wife reviews were clearly garbage, so in all likelihood, one place was as good as another. Flapjack's let us in first, and the food was 1000% better than Pancake Pantry's. On the down side, a male employee kept screaming. Maybe he has a hearing problem. As we walked in, I thought a crackhead was trying to start a fight.

My wife craved barbecue, so we tried Bennett's. The food was nice. No problems at all.

She craved Mexican, so we went to Loco Burro. The atmosphere screamed "high school kids with fake ID's," and the service was grumpy and slow, but the food was surprisingly good. We were there early, so if this place goes wild with things like body shots and bad bands, we were not there to see it.

The best place we tried was near Pigeon Forge. It's a little Italian place called Ristorante Della Santina. The location is a little strip mall. From the second I tasted their Caesar dressing, which was clearly made in-house, I knew these people were serious. Everything was good. The interior was spotless. The service was great. I wish this place were near me.

Gatlinburg is much trashier than it used to be, but you can still have a good time there if you take it for what it is. If you saw it a few decades ago, when it was less degraded, you should know that the old Gatlinburg is gone.

It was an excellent base for exploring Sevier and Blount Counties, and we enjoyed the woods. Saw a truly gigantic bear behind a hotel. I am used to seeing little scrawny bears, but this one looked like a cow. The record is over 900 pounds. Must have been related to the one we saw.

Sevierville has loads of VRBO cabins. Save some $$ and cook breakfast at home.