{"id":4406,"date":"2017-09-20T09:18:51","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T13:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/?p=4406"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:47:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:47:33","slug":"laid-back-gatlinburg-getaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/attractions\/laid-back-gatlinburg-getaway.htm","title":{"rendered":"Visit the GSM before your busy vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is already creeping into retail stores around the country, and Santa Claus seemingly keeps showing up earlier and earlier every year\u2026Pump the brakes and get centered before all the craziness begins. The serenity and peacefulness of a cabin in the Smoky Mountains<\/a> is my favorite, quick remedy to that itch to run away before all the hoopla of the holidays revs up.<\/p>\n

I may have Wi-Fi access in the cabin, but I will gladly set all the tech aside to keep school, work, and everyday stresses from invading my weekend mountain sanctuary. If you\u2019re like me and you just want to slow down for a few days before hitting the ground running from October through January, take an intermission and escape to a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains.<\/p>\n

Scottish-American author and environmentalist John Muir once said, \u201cKeep close to nature\u2019s heart\u2026and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.\u201d I am not going to be roughing it in the woods, but it\u2019s advice I\u2019ll happily take because there is something about that mountain air and the expansive views across miles of majesty that soothes my restless mind. Here\u2019s my usual laid-back lineup when I need some major \u201cme time\u201d in the Smokies.<\/p>\n

IN-CABIN SPA DAY<\/h2>\n

Just Pure Laziness<\/em><\/strong> – I don\u2019t have to worry about doing my beauty routine or putting myself together for this day. It\u2019s all about me and whomever I dragged with me to my cabin escape. When I manage to climb out of the comfy bed, I\u2019ll grab some caffeine-free herbal tea and relax out on the deck as the morning bird conversations progress.<\/p>\n

Working It All Out<\/em><\/strong> – We are not going to start getting too dressed up, because I\u2019ve scheduled an in-cabin massage<\/a> via Cabins for YOU! I love the Swedish massage, but there\u2019s a different massage for every need, including deep tissue, neuromuscular, and more. After we get our problems literally kneaded out of us, we grab my favorite refreshing drink, cucumber water, and head to the hot tub. Quick note: if your masseuse used spa oils, be sure to take a quick rinse in the shower first, so you don\u2019t accidentally leave residue in the hot tub.<\/p>\n

I Deserve This<\/em><\/strong> – For the rest of the day, we will each grab our favorite book and melt into the living room couches. We\u2019ll snack small because I have an awesome dinner surprise. Chef Jeremy of Savory Solutions<\/a> is very talented and loves what he does because it really shows in his work! He and his team can create a custom menu for any allergies, tastes, or special occasions.<\/p>\n

Lying around with purpose<\/em><\/strong> – If we are able to keep our eyes open after such a divine, hearty meal, it\u2019s feature film time for movie night in the living room. I FINALLY watched The Dark Knight Rises<\/em> during my last cabin trip and I\u2019m kind of glad I waited. The huge flatscreen TV in the theater room of our cabin was a pretty awesome upgrade from my small TV at home, and we didn\u2019t have to drop all that money at a theater!<\/p>\n

SOUL-STIRRING SIGHTSEEING<\/h2>\n

Cruisin\u2019 in my Camry<\/em><\/strong> – If you want to keep physical activity to a minimum, or want the most relaxing drive of your life, head down Newfound Gap Road for lush, green forest roads by soothing, quiet streams in the Great Smoky Mountains. As beautiful as that sounds, just wait \u2018til you catch that first opening in the trees\u2026but don\u2019t worry about missing your opportunity to gawk, because there are numerous spots along the road and a couple small parking lots to stop in. I\u2019ve sat on the trunk of my maroon Toyota Camry \u2013 staring across miles and miles of mountain peaks touching clouds \u2013 and completely lost track of time. No writing can sufficiently do this feeling justice.<\/p>\n

A Cove of Mountain Treasures<\/em><\/strong> – After sights like those, I\u2019m hooked, and I want more of the Smoky Mountains. That\u2019s when I discovered Cades Cove<\/a> while searching short hikes in the Smoky Mountains. Cades Cove is a divine rolling valley nestled quietly into the mountains, where you can drive the 11-mile scenic route, bike, hike, and take guided horseback tours. Park the car at the Cades Cove Visitor Center or one of the small lots along the loop and explore the sleepy mountain town cabins and restored remnants. Cades Cove is a crowd favorite for its picturesque views, so I like to get out there early. Plus, the sight of the dreamy morning light drifting across the magical valley in Cades Cove is wildly captivating.<\/p>\n

PREPARING FOR FAMILY<\/h2>\n

Let me preface: I love being with my family. But holidays are stressful, even if you love all the tinsel and egg nog and watch Christmas Story on repeat. Rocky Top Wine Trail and Tennessee Whiskey Trail are where I left the rest of my mental stress \u201cknots\u201d that the masseuse couldn\u2019t get to. From the gorgeous mountain scenery to the lovely taste of the local drinks, these tours are a great way to just enjoy some peacefulness in the Smokies. Start at any of the 6 locations and download their \u201cpassport\u201d to check in to each winery and distillery you visit! Every location offers free tastings, while a few run free tours during the day. Simply click the tour names to access the passport, map out your personal itinerary, and tour wine and whiskey country with some friends before family holiday gatherings have you running everywhere!<\/p>\n

Simply getting away in a Smoky Mountain cabin with a few friends or a loved one is rejuvenating enough to prepare you for the domino effect of events from October all the way through the end of the year. If you are a teacher, the jitters of the new school year have only died down for the few weeks before the holiday school parties. If you\u2019re a parent, you\u2019ve also just gotten past the Labor Day weekend and the kids have already started handing you their wish lists. No matter who you are, the lull of the few weeks in October and early November is the perfect time to center your soul by planning to be lazy for a laid-back weekend in the Smoky Mountains during the breathtakingly beautiful fall season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is already creeping into retail stores around the country, and Santa Claus seemingly keeps showing up earlier and earlier every year\u2026Pump the brakes and get centered before all the craziness begins. The serenity and peacefulness of a cabin in the Smoky Mountains is my favorite, quick remedy to that itch to run away before all the hoopla of the holidays revs up. I may have Wi-Fi access in the cabin, but I will gladly set all the tech aside to keep school, work, and everyday stresses from invading my weekend mountain sanctuary. If you\u2019re like me and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[289],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10169,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4406\/revisions\/10169"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cabinsforyou.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}