We had plans to go to North Carolina/Georgia in April and Wyoming in June this year but due to Covid-19 we had to cancel both of these trips. ☹️ So when you have to cancel all other 2020 vacation plans, you just pack up the pups and head to the mountains for a few days.
Our first stop was at Dunkin’ for coffee, munchkins, and pup cups. I think the pups love it as much as we do!
We booked a great pet friendly farm house “The Farmer Bear” in Pigeon Forge through AirBNB. The house was located off of Wears Valley Parkway and only 10 minutes from the main parkway in Pigeon Forge. This was our first time taking our two catahoulas Rosie & Jemma on a vacation. They had fun in the fenced in backyard and there was even a doggie door for them to go in and out of the screened in porch.
We arrived late on Sunday afternoon. For dinner we did take out from The Old Mill restaurant rather than leaving the dogs alone in a strange place. We both had their chicken & dumplings which were delicious.
Monday morning we got up super early and left the house at 5:30 to go to Cades Cove. Upon arrival we found out they are testing new entry times and it doesn’t open to vehicles until 8am. I had read that it is closed completely to cars on Wednesdays but had missed that it didn’t open daily until 8 am.
Instead of waiting around until 8 o’clock we walked the Gatlinburg Trail that’s dog friendly and ends in Gatlinburg.
We also saw a bear with cubs across from the gas station at the end of the strip going into the park. Who needs to go to Cades Cove when they are hanging out on the edge of town now?
After the morning hike with the pups we went back to the house and took naps. It was a good timing since the rain moved in mid day.
Now that we were caught up on sleep, we headed out to do a little shopping at some local places. We discovered Ogle Brothers General Store where we got some great deals on some winter hiking apparel and some shoes. We may have gone back for a second trip to pick up some more deals! We also made a stop to pick up my favorite local cider at Tennessee Cider Company. They had three new flavors I wanted to try: peach, strawberry and hibiscus. All three were delicious.
For dinner we went to The Local Goat. We had the fried green tomatoes, fried devil eggs and wings. All were fantastic and we highly recommend this place. Definitely make reservations online because they are super busy!
On Tuesday, we got up and drove over the mountains to Cherokee, NC. There were two dog friendly hikes there for Rosie & Jemma.
First, we went to Mingo Falls (which means “Big Bear” in Cherokee) which is not part of the National Park, but instead is part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The falls is 120 ft high and is only a fourth of a mile hike from the parking lot; however, it’s 161 steps up to the falls making it a short moderate hike. Rosie may have had to pull me up that staircase!
We also saw a few elk while we were in North Carolina.
After leaving the falls we drove back into the town of Cherokee and picked up lunch at the Sassy Sunflower. We both got some sandwiches to-go and had a picnic at the Oconaluflee Visitor Center. Then, we did the other dog friendly hike on the Oconaluftee River Trail.
Next, we returned to the Tennessee side of the mountains, we stopped at Mad Dog Creamery for ice cream before we all took naps. For dinner, we met our friends Randall & Cassie in Newport, TN at Fox & Hounds where we all had the steak.
First thing Wednesday morning we went to Five Oaks Farm Kitchen for a great breakfast. We then took the girls on morning walk at the Island Pigeon Forge along the Riverwalk. The Island is pet friendly; however, it is up to the individual shops and restaurants as to whether they are allowed inside the businesses.
Before leaving the mountains we had to make a stop at Dunkin’ for coffee & pup cups. 🐾
Our last stops on the way home were for lunch at World Food (the pizza was excellent) and donuts at Ralph’s Donuts (known for their butter twist donut which was fantastic) in Cookeville, TN.
We had a great time in mountains with our pups. Hopefully corona goes away soon so we can go back to exploring new places!
So Many Places So Little Time 