Poor planning can lead to too much time sitting in traffic or waiting for a table.
You may think this seems silly. Budget your time on vacation? But, this will help you enjoy your time even more. Seriously! I admit it; I am a very planned out person and I think about stupid details like this. But, I beg of you, hear me out.
You see, the GPS (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville) area is a busy one. There is a main strip that most restaurants, activities, stores, etc. are located on. Because of this and the traffic that flows through there, it can get very busy!! Here is what I am trying to prevent: it is 5 p.m., a group of 8 gets hungry and decides to head out for something to eat. They get in the car, drive the 10 minutes down the mountain from their cabin to get to the main drag, they then get in traffic and it takes another 20 minutes to get to the restaurant. Now it takes another 15 minutes to locate a parking place. Add 10 minutes to walk to the restaurant and another 45 waiting for a table. All of a sudden, it is 6:40 and the kids have been screaming bloody murder for 20 minutes and although the adults are frustrated with it, they can’t really blame them because they are starving too.
This is where my annoying planning personality comes into play. (My sister makes fun of me for it, but in this situation, she will thank me.) You need to think ahead! If you think you might be hungry around 5 p.m., plan to leave around 3:30 or 4 to make sure you get there in plenty of time. If you are there early and aren’t quite hungry yet, congratulations, you just earned extra poking around time in the shop next door!
Another thought: eat at weird times! Have a big brunch in the cabin around 11 a.m. If you are like me, you will be hungry at about 3 p.m. There are not nearly as many people trying to get a table at restaurants at 3 p.m. Most places don’t take reservations, but if you call ahead, they can at least tell you what the current wait is. This might help you to avoid getting into a long waiting situation.
The GPS area is great and we love it. (Obviously, we have a whole blog about it!) But, if it is your first time, you could easily be overwhelmed by the busyness that can be there around the holidays and just popular weekends. There is nothing more frustrating on vacation than planning a 2-hour outing that ends up to be 4. So, please, take my advice and think ahead just a little bit!! And, of course, enjoy your vacation!
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