We looked at several trail ride options in the area and finally landed on Davy Crockett based on some reviews that mentioned how wonderful they are with children.  Our six year old had done a few pony rides before in a small ring with someone leading her on foot but had never been on a trail ride on a real horse. She was a tiny bit nervous so Kelly our trail guide hooked up a lead line and put her right behind him to make her feel secure, but also encourage her that she could do this and let her feel independent. We had an amazing ride through beautiful woods and she loved every second of it. We will absolutely ride with them again next time we are in town and highly recommend if you are looking for an equestrian excursion option in the area. 

🐴 30 minutes - $27
🐴 1 hour - $38
🐴 1.5 hours - $56
🐴 2 hours - $75
🐴 half day - $200
🐴 (All rates are before tax&tip)

Reservations are preferred so give them a call before you go. They accept cash or credit card, but all tips for tour guide must be in cash. 

☎️ 865-448-6411
📍505 Old Cades Cove Rd. Townsend, TN 37882
💻 www.davycrockettridingstables.com

Our now-six-year-old is absolutely in love with mini-golf so we usually try to find a course to play wherever we go and our trips to Pigeon Forge are no exception.  I found the newly opened Lost Mine Mini-Golf & Mountain Coaster online and knew it looked like just the place to include on our Spring Break Itinerary!

We cannot possibly recommend this place highly enough.  The mini golf course is great with a whimsical bear-and-possum-and-honey theme throughout; our six year old could not stop laughing at the statues and their antics throughout the course.  Hole number 9 was by far our favorite; {spoiler alert} never have I ever hit a golf ball into the water on purpose, but what a fantastic gimmick!  They also have a putting green at the beginning which is perfect for group photos, actual putting practice or killing time if there are groups in front of you.
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Their mountain coaster is INCREDIBLE!  We loved it so much we rode it during the day and then came back and rode it at night as well; (there is a great bundle deal if you do this so we highly recommend that, see below for details.) The track itself is 5,440 feet long, and takes 9ish minutes to enjoy (depending on how fast you choose to go!) There are both beautiful natural scenery and clever attractions to enjoy as you whiz by, and this coaster features new technology that allows the ride to be not only safer but more enjoyable.  We also loved the point of view camera mounted on each vehicle and opted to buy the photo/video package. 

We also can’t say enough about the incredible staff - everyone we met was kind, knowledgeable and accommodating in every way; truly the finest of southern hospitality.

🏔️🎢: $17.99 Adults, $13.99 youth, $7.99 kiddos
⛳️: $17.99 Adults, $13.99 youth/kiddos
💰: You can also do a bundle of mountain coaster + mini golf for $27.98 adults, $23.98 youth or $17.98 kiddos. Also, you can ride/play again for $9.99 adults…perfect for coming back to take a night ride!
🎟️: Want a discount? Sweet Retreat guests can find coupons in our cabin!
​☎️ 865-280-0089
📍2509 Teaster Lane Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
💻 https://lostmine.com/​

Be sure to check out the video below for a peek at what it's like to ride the mountain coaster!  So much fun!

Welcome to the first installment of our "Visit Cade's Cove" Series. There are so many stop-offs on the Cade's Cove loop that we wanted to give you an overview to help you know a little bit about them.

The John Oliver Place is located pretty close to the entrance. There are two small parking lots about 50 yards apart from one another and a pathway leading from each one up to the charming homestead. This excursion is about a 5 minute walk from the parking lot and is definitely worth the stop. We saw deer grazing in the field as we walked up.

​John and Lucretia Oliver arrived in Cade's Cove in 1818 and were among the first Euro-Americans to settle in the area. They completed the one-and-a-half story cabin that still stands sometime in the 1820's and it is one of the oldest structures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Members of the Oliver family lived there for more than a century. Each of the 3,000 wooden shingles on the space were hand-hewn by Oliver who also used half-dovetail notches on his logs to help water drainage and protect from rot. The doors and single window were small for temperature control. The building has been carefully preserved and restored.

We loved getting to host Nonnie and her husband a few weeks ago when they were in town.  She was the kindest guest who not only created a beautiful blog about her time spent at The Sweet Retreat, but also painted a gorgeous portrait of our cabin!  Check out some of her photos below and be sure to check out her instagram post and her blog about our cute little cabin!  
Thank you Nonnie, and come back anytime.

We loved hosting singer/influencer Olivia Aichholz and her husband Dawson for a weekend getaway in May!  They were the absolute loveliest guests and Olivia was so sweet to post stories about their adventures along the way!  She created this fantastic walk-through reel and caption sharing about their experience which you can check out below.  Thanks so much, Olivia and Dawson!  You are welcome back anytime.  Be sure to give her a follow.

Someone recently posted in a Facebook forum I'm part of about traveling to Pigeon Forge with her husband and their 3 year old.  Although the family-friendly options in the area really are seemingly endless, I put together a list of things we have enjoyed doing with our daughter when she was in the 3-5 age range and I thought I would share it with our guests & friends as well.  I know there are many other amazing options not included on this list, but here are a few to get you started.  ***Post Updated 3/16/24

​1) Dollywood is bar none the cleanest theme park I’ve ever been to and while it has big roller coasters and thrill rides, it also has excellent options for tiny ones. There are two different kids areas (one in Wildwood Grove & one in Peppermint Valley) and rides are color coded by thrill level so you can see at a glance what your family or might not enjoy. There are also lots of shows and places to sit when you need a break.

2) Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is really fun if you want to venture over to Gatlinburg (about 15 minutes away IF the traffic isn’t bad - I’d recommend checking the Waze traffic app before you go). Be sure to check out the penguin walk - they literally walk the penguins around the aquarium like a parade and my daughter thinks it’s absolutely the best thing ever. 
 
3) An affordable thing we enjoy is mini golf - there are TONS of courses to choose from. Our favorites are Lost Mine in Pigeon Forge, Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, and Ripley’s Old Mc Donald’s in Sevierville (three farm-themed courses to choose from). Crave mini golf and Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay are also great as they have indoor and outdoor courses (the indoor options has saved us on many rainy days!) 

4) The “Pirates Voyage” dinner theater is absolutely incredible.  It's highly entertaining for people of all ages but little ones will no doubt be wide-eyed by the pirate costumes, acrobatics, Salty the Sea Lion and fancy trick diving and the like.  We also found the souvenirs to be really reasonably priced (we got a cheering flag, light up flower crown and a lightup seashell wand for a total of $25 - the light up wand alone would have been $25 or more at any other attraction) and the meal was shockingly delicious.  The theater is also on the smaller side - in a good way - so even the value seating would have a great view of all the action.

5) If you need some free options, there are some animal-themed gift shops/tourist stores (The "Jaws" s​hark store, 3 Bears General Store, Gatorland Alligator Store and “Goats on the Roof”) that have animals you can go see for free. The exhibits are a little underwhelming for adults as these are primarily t-shirt shops like you'd find at the beach, but my daughter loves them all and it’s a great free option you can do on the way to or from something else - it just takes 5 or 10 minutes to pop in the store and enjoy the wildlife! (*the bear viewing does have a nominal admission fee.). You can also go to the Pirates dinner show parking lot and often catch a glimpse of Salty the Sea Lion in his outdoor enclosure (he won't always be there due to showtimes and weather, etc.)

6) Great Smoky Mountain National Park is also absolutely gorgeous and free although they just instituted a minimal parking fee ($5 for a day, $15 for the week) if you choose to park and hike. Parking at the visitors centers is still free. Wear’s Valley and Townsend areas are also really beautiful to drive out to and enjoy a more scenic version of the area. 

7) Food wise, heads up that portions are MASSIVE everywhere you go so you might want to consider sharing or you can often get lunch and have enough to take back for dinner! Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Cafe is a MUST with little kids. We also love Big Daddy’s Pizza which has an arcade in the back, perfect for killing time while you wait for your meal to come (or a seat on crowded days.)

8. Mountain coasters are a big attraction too and really fun and unique. We strongly recommend the one at Lost Mine!  The coaster was built with a brand new technology that has lots of added safety features, a "point of view" camera and really cute scenes to pass as you whiz by.  And since you can bundle with mini golf, its really the best place to spend the day.  The coaster is also lit up at night and has amazing views of the lights of the city, so that's a great option as well if you have a tiny night owl.  **Note that kids must be 38 inches tall to ride.