A Smoky Mountains vacation is all you need when you want to get away from the hustle-bustle of city life to immerse yourself in pristine natural beauty.
The Smokies, as the Smoky Mountains are affectionately called, are replete with Southern charm, sites steeped in history, majestic overlooks, verdant, dense forests, and mesmerizing waterfalls.
Can you really blame the more than 11 million visitors that make this gorgeous place their home for some time annually for doing so? This is a true slice of heaven which is why the Smokies are the most visited national park in America.
Foodies’ Paradise
The fall foliage is absolutely breathtaking here, and many visitors come here in the fall to gaze at it for hours altogether. But the views aren’t really the main draw here – it is the food!
Just imagine sipping on deliciously warm apple cider while taking in the splendor of the vistas here. Pumpkin-flavored treats, apples, corn… all of these bring many special memories of one’s childhood to mind.
Apple Ahoy!
Most gourmands start their food journey with warm apple fritters. You have two choices here – The Apple Barn and the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. At the latter, you can also have Apple Julep Grilled Chicken with freshly made warm apple fritters on the house!
At the Apple Barn, you can stop at the Apple Valle Creamery for delish desserts. The most famous one here is apple cinnamon bread, that’s full of coconut and raisins. Then there are apple coffee cake, apple pie, apple butter muffins, and apple banana nut bread as well. The best part is you can pair them with hot apple cider. Here, you can see apples being pressed into the cider – what a treat!
And no, the apple journey is not at an end! Apple lovers can head over next to Atrium Pancakes for baked apple pancakes. These super-yum pancakes are made with freshly sliced apples and brown sugar.
Moving On
Once your apple fetish is over with, it is time for pumpkin! The Smokies’ Harvest Festival offers a wide variety of fall food, and the best among these are pumpkin spice funnel cakes. Many tourists love them so much they carry several of them home for eating and sharing with friends and family.
A must-try here is candy corn cotton candy. If you are here for the Great Pumpkin LumiNights, you can admire the gorgeousness of Timber Canyon illuminated in the soft lights of thousands of pumpkin displays and jack-o-lanterns while enjoying the deliciousness of candy corn cotton candy, candy apples, and caramel apple sundaes.
And bringing your food safari to an end is a scrumptious slice of warm pecan pie. This classic Southern dessert is a must-have on a cool fall evening, and the throngs of crowds at The Old Mill Restaurant are testimony to this statement. They are also famous for their turkey-with-dressing and corn chowder.
Take a vacation to the Smokies if you want to eat good food and enjoy untouched natural beauty. You will surely love your time here and keep coming back for more!
