By Kirk Brown
Things to Do Off the Main Roads in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a popular tourist getaway near Gatlinburg in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains. In addition to the Dollywood theme park, the 5-mile parkway passing through Pigeon Forge is lined with a plethora of miniature golf courses, go-cart tracks, gift shops and shows starring mind-reading pigs and racing ostriches. But visitors who choose to leave the main drag behind don't have to venture far to find 50 life-sized dinosaurs, historic mountain enclaves and unforgettable scenic vistas.
Come Face-to-Face With a T-Rex
Located on the northern end of Pigeon Forge, the Dinosaur Walk Museum is less than a half-mile off the parkway. The museum features 50 life-sized dinosaur sculptures, as well as high-definition educational movies, a dinosaur fossil dig and other kids' activities. Admission in 2009 is $9.95 for adults, $6.95 for children between 4 and 18 years of age and free for those under 3.
Dinosaur Walk Museum
106 Showplace Boulevard
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 428-4003
Dinowalk.com
Explore the Roaring Fork Motor Trail and Cades Cove
Home to some of the most pristine areas in the eastern United States, Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers more than 800 square miles in Tennessee and North Carolina. Admission is always free at America's most-visited national park. There is a pair of driving tours in the park that visitors to nearby Pigeon Forge should consider checking out.
The Roaring Fork Motor Trail is a narrow and twisting 5-mile road that offers sights of rushing mountain streams, old-growth forests and historic buildings. Buses, motor homes and trailers are not permitted.
History, natural beauty and frequently deer and other wildlife are on display along the 11-mile loop road that circles Cades Cove, a wide valley surrounded by picturesque peaks. The one-way road goes by three churches, a working mill and other carefully restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings. The road is restricted to bicyclists and walkers on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from May until September.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-1200
NPS.gov/grsm
Experience the Foothills Parkway
The 16.5-mile section of the National Park Service's Foothills Parkway that extends from the town of Walland to Chilhowee Lake includes a dozen overlooks with spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee Valley. Chilhowee Lake is also an ideal place for canoeing and fishing that is only 40 miles yet seemingly a world away from Pigeon Forge's tourist attractions.
About the Author:
Kirk Brown is an award-winning freelance writer with two decades of diverse media experience. A former newspaper reporter and editor, he also was managing editor of an acclaimed scuba diving magazine. Brown has written scripts for more than 50 half-hour TV programs focusing on technology and health topics.
Photo Credits:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/capturelifeinaction/3185877851/
