Not Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge (Ducktown, Townsend: train, estate, bikes)

[Charming Mosquito]

Hello, All. I'm one of those people who grew up travelling to The Smokies. We mostly camped, and hiked, in the park, and ventured out to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge for fun. We loved it. We'll be going in a few weeks, and staying in that area, but I really would like to find a new place to visit. Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge, are just too much for me now.
Are there any other areas around The Smokies, including North Carolina, with quaint little towns close to the Park? Just somewhere that I can pop into for lunch, coffee, or a souvenir, and have a little mosey.
I know, and am fond of, Cherokee. And, we'll go into Townsend after driving around Cades Cove. But, I'm wondering if there's something that's more removed from all of it?

[ElDiabloJoe]

How about Ducktown?

[TheShadow]

Bryson City is not far from Cherokee, about a 15 minute drive, and has a very quaint downtown area and you might look into whether the old excursion train will be running when you are there and reserve seats.

If you have any interest in old motorcycles, the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley is incredible and very well done. Of course Asheville NC is fun and artsy, and the Biltmore Estate is a fabulous thing to visit in that area.

[Charming Mosquito]

I just looked up Wheels Through Time, and that is something we would enjoy. I'm excited about visiting that one day, thank you.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by Charming Mosquito

I just looked up Wheels Through Time, and that is something we would enjoy. I'm excited about visiting that one day, thank you.

If you're into bikes at all, it's a pretty amazing place. What's cool is that they fire up those old bikes and you can see and hear them run. They have some really rare, valuable ones. Check the schedule carefully though-they aren't open every day.