Boasting one of the best college towns in America and the most iconic national park of the South, East Tennessee is truly one of a kind. From Dolly Parton and Ronnie Milsap to Knoxville and the Tennessee Volunteers, the Smoky Mountain Foothills are rich in regional culture. I hope this article helps you get a sense of that culture on your next trip to East Tennessee!

My Last Visit to Knoxville and the Smoky Mountain Foothills

We recently spent a couple days in East Tennessee, with afternoon trips to Knoxville and Smoky Mountains National Park. While we couldn’t see everything in either destination, we saw some great things in both places!

In Knoxville, we began at the McClung Museum and then continued to Kern’s Food Hall for a little lunch. When we visited the Smoky Mountains National Park, we took the Gatlinburg Bypass to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and then continued up Newfound Gap Road to the Chimneys Picnic Area. Both trips were short, but enjoyable nonetheless.

• Top tip – Not only does the Gatlinburg Bypass avoid the heavy traffic in downtown Gatlinburg, but there are also quite a few scenic overlooks on the road!

Where We Stayed

Club Wyndham Smoky Mountains – An 8-minute drive from downtown Sevierville, the Club Wyndham Smoky Mountains provides great views of the surrounding topography. From this resort, you can easily reach Knoxville and Gatlinburg with short drives. We have frequently stayed at Wyndhams and always found the service to be excellent and the rooms to be of high quality.

• Top tip – Be aware that when you stay at a Wyndham property, they will try to sell you a timeshare. Staying there is worth the trouble, but just be prepared for the sales pitch.

What We Saw in Knoxville and the Smoky Mountain Foothills

McClung Museum – Located on the University of Tennessee campus, the McClung Museum was a good natural history and cultural museum. Some of my favorite exhibits featured art from around the world, the fossil history of Tennessee, and the freshwater pearl industry on the Tennessee River. This is a great, free museum, and I would encourage you to stop there if you’re in the area.

• Top tip – The parking deck next to the museum has kind of a confusing layout. Make sure you remember which floor and spot in the deck your car is parked in!

Sugarlands Visitor Center – If you’ve ever entered Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, this is the visitor center at that entrance. Despite it often being crowded, this visitor center has a small museum that does a great job of educating visitors on the flora and fauna of the Smoky Mountains.  

Chimneys Picnic Area – On Newfound Gap Road, just a short drive from the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimneys Picnic Area is a great place to stop. There are ample spots to park and set up your picnic, and a wonderfully rocky stream going through the site. This is a good place to stop and take in some scenery.

• Top tip – The rocks in the stream are extremely slippery, please exercise caution if entering the water!

Where We Ate

Roma Table – You may have already read my review of Roma Table. If not, go ahead and read it here. This is a good place to get Italian food in the Sevierville area. I would recommend the chicken or eggplant parmesan, and the salted caramel budino.

Zukku’s Sushi (Located in Kern’s Food Hall) – Inside the former Kern’s Bakery, Kern’s Food Hall provides a unique ambiance with an air of trendy industrial style. Zukku’s Poke bowl, while tasty, was a little underwhelming for me. Small portioned, and featuring mixed greens, the Poke seemed to be more of a gentrified interpolation of Poke than Poke itself. As someone who has had quite a few college-town Poke bowls, I can say confidently that the Athens standards Ahi and Bubble Café have Zukku’s beat handedly.

Aubrey’s – A regional favorite of Eastern Tennessee since the chain was founded in 1992, we visited the location in the Strawberry Plains area of Knoxville. With a menu of typical American fare, there’s a little something for everyone at Aubrey’s.

What We Wish We Could Have Seen

Clingman’s Dome – The observational tower on Clingman’s Dome is supposed to offer one of the best views of Smoky Mountains National Park. Unfortunately, we were tight on time and were not able to make it up there or see much more of the park. Fortunately, we are going to make a return to Smoky Mountains National Park in the Fall!

Most Overrated

The Tourist Traps in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg – How many Ripley’s Believe It or Nots do you think there are in the world? It seems like they may own about half of the land in this area. I’m not sure who frequents these establishments or places like the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Theater, but I implore you to spend your time on something better and more authentic!