GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the less brash, less vulgar brother to Pigeon Forge. In fact, it has echoes of an Austrian ski resort with chalet-style buildings. Even its name has a Teutonic resonance. A cable car and ski lift stretch their lines up into the surrounding hills, which are still showing the scars of a devastating fire. It is another 'roadside' town with some of the 'seaside' amusements that dominate Pigeon Forge but overall it is a lot more civilized. Thankfully there are still some hillbillies around, with long beards and dungarees but it is mostly tourists. The distilleries, as you know, are a magnetic attraction to the lovely, lively Memsahib Sandie. 

Time to get her up into the Mountains.