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, when we were there, still showed the scars of a devastating fire. This is another 'roadside' town with some of the theme park amusements that dominate Pigeon Forge but overall it is a lot more civilized. Thankfully there are still some genuine hillbillies around, with long beards and dungarees but it is mostly tourists that pack the sidewalks and bars.
