The Cattle Car: Stepping In and Out of Darkness experience comes to Greenville, SC March 16-18, 2022. Learn about the Holocaust and what people endured in this immersive educational experience. We sent Kristina to experience it and here is what it is like.
Have you heard about the geology museum at Clemson University in South Carolina? The Bob Campbell Geology Museum on Clemson’s campus near Anderson is packed full of interesting gems, crystals, rocks, and even dinosaur fossils. The impressive collection is educational, but tons of fun! You will walk away with a newfound appreciation for all of the things hidden beneath the surface of the earth. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Visiting St. Augustine in Florida and looking for a really neat place to go that is both fun and educational? Let us introduce you to Castillo de San Marcos, a National Park right on the water with cannons and a pretty amazing history.
Have you heard about the Adopt a Cop program in Greenville County? As I was mindlessly perusing Instagram one night I came across a photo of a Greenville County police officer holding a basket of goodies, smiling from ear-to-ear. The post thanked the community for the gifts for the police officer as part of their Adopt-A-Cop program.
There are several police families in my neighborhood so this sparked an interest and I definitely wanted to learn more. I contacted the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), who told me all about the program and what to do. A day later, I signed on my family to adopt our own cop and I’m thrilled to be able to write about this awesome program.
You can walk across the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the country in Gatlinburg, just a few hours away from Greenville. We sent Kristina to do it because she won the coin toss. Here’s what you need to know if you want to go. Media tickets were given so we could review this incredible experience.
I think my mouth may have hung open the first time I saw a video of the SkyBridge in Gatlinburg when it was completed in May of 2019. It was gorgeous. And so, so high up in the air. I knew I had to go, no matter how scary getting up there may be. Sometimes you need to take those risks, right?
The SkyBridge is part of Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, which was founded in 1954, way before the town became the destination it is today. The park is the longest running attraction in Gatlinburg, which borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The national park is the most visited in the entire country. Last year, more than 12 million people stepped foot in the Smokies.
But the views are still the same as they were in the late 1950s – sweeping and majestic and unforgettable. You have to take a gondola up to the SkyLift Park, five hundred vertical feet to be exact. Just don’t look backwards and you’ll be fine.
The SkyBridge was completed in May of 2019 and holds the record of being the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. It’s 680 feet in length and sways 150 feet off the ground. There are glass panels in the middle of the bridge, which honestly I didn’t even think about until I had to walk across 30 feet of it. You look straight down. It’s terrifying but also awesome.
The people who run the SkyBridge social media pages are geniuses. You may have seen the videos of the bridge all lit up in Christmas lights around December or when snow was falling in the mountains or when the leaves were bright reds and oranges in the fall. They do such an amazing job of bringing viewers onto the bridge who have never been yet still entice them to go. At least that was my opinion and one of the reasons why I really, really wanted to walk the SkyBridge.Â
If you’re wondering if you can feel the bridge sway, the answer is yes. If you’re wondering if it’s worth the five hundred feet vertical ride in the yellow gondola with nothing but a bar separating you from a long drop, then yes, it’s worth it. The views going up and down the mountain are incredible. You can see all of Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. We got lucky and the clouds were moving between the peaks of the mountains, creating a surreal view. I could never get tired of that view.
This is such a unique attraction that is just amazing and I certainly recommend it when you visit Gatlinburg. And don’t you want bragging rights for walking the longest pedestrian bridge in North America? I did.
New for 2021 is the gorgeous SkyTrail, a trail that lines the ridge around the mountain. Part of it is a boardwalk and the other part is natural dirt. The views are just spectacular and you can go across the mountain without actually walking the bridge. Just don’t run into a bear! It’s a great opportunity to build you the courage to talk the 700 foot walk across the swinging bridge.
I had no idea that the wildfires of 2016 totally destroyed Crockett Mountain, where the Sky Park is located. There are plaques around the trail that talk about the devastating fires and what happened in the rebuilding process plus how the SkyBridge was engineered. If you’re a homeschooling family, this totally counts as an awesome field trip.
The trail is brand new and is an entirely unique experience. There are no hills (I mean, you’re already at the top of the mountain) so it’s an easy walk. Most of the trail is only open during the daytime hours for now.
Also new in 2021 is the steel Tulip Tower rising 70 feet in the back of the ravine behind the SkyBridge. It has four floors and is accessed by two rope bridges.
The tower has educational plaques inside the middle of each floor that talk about the wildfires, local wildlife and native plants and trees. The tower is so named because the Tulip Tree was one of the last remaining trees when the wildfire swept through the mountain and wiped out the park. So the tower is named for the resilience of the tree and all those people who rebuilt the park and those who lost their homes (five SkyLift Park employees lost their homes because of the fire).
Again, the views are unreal. I legitimately took 100 photos of the bridge from all along the SkyTrail and the Tulip Tower. The tower is open for daytime use.
What makes a great view even better? Food and drink! The gift shop at the park is awesome. It has all kinds of cool bridge-related items plus the warmest winter hats I think I’ve ever felt. They also have a basic menu of pizza, pretzels, and snacks plus coffee.
Head upstairs and grab a craft beer and an outside table and take a deep breath while you gaze at the scenery. It’s breath-taking. These views are incredibly unique. If you’re going to Smokies, why not see the sweeping views they offer right there at the park? Just do it.
There are rocking chairs and tables outside on the deck also. We saw plenty of people just rocking away their worries up there. I would have swiped one to do the same but they were all full.
Tickets to the SkyLift Park, which include access to the Gatlinburg SkyBridge, SkyTrail, Tulip Tower, and Sky Deck are $29.95/ages 12-64, $18.95/ages 4-11, $23.95/seniors, and kids 3 and under are free.
Your ticket is good for unlimited visits for the same day so if you wanted to get up there in the morning, take a walk across the bridge, climb the Tulip Tower and then come back for sunset, you’re welcome to do that. If you purchase your ticket after 8 pm, you get to come back for free the next day.
The SkyBridge opens at 9 am and closes at 10:30 pm during the summer and 9 pm other times of the year. We were planning to head back up there during sunset but my kids were tired from a long day of fun. But I Imagine those views would be spectacular during dusk and for the seasonal lights that adorn the bridge. They are open all year round, seven days a week except for Christmas Day and Maintenance Week (January 17-21). See full hours here.
I recommend parking at the garage next to Ripley’s Aquarium, which is about a five minute walk to the SkyLift Park. It costs $10 all day as of November 2021.
Follow the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park on Facebook and Instagram for beautiful photos and videos, which will probably entice you to go there on your next visit!
Gatlinburg SkyBridge
765 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TNÂ
865.436.4307
https://www.gatlinburgskylift.com/
A game mansion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and within easy driving distance from Greenville, SC? Oh yes, we were definitely up for a trip here when given the opportunity! We sent Kristina to get all the details on this unique lodge in Gatlinburg. An overnight stay was provided for us to do this review.
There is a 17 room mansion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, an easy sub three-hour drive from Greenville, where every room is designed after a certain game, whether it’s Scrabble, Clue, LIFE, Chess, or Pac-Man. And you can rent out the entire house and have access to playing more than 300 games.
I saw photos of course beforehand of the Go Lodge but nothing – and I mean, nothing – could have prepared me for walking into this ultimate mansion of endless fun. My kids and I had the absolute best time playing as many games as we could manage and going to bed ridiculously late because we wanted to do all the things.
The lodge is not even a three-hour drive from Greenville. It’s very easy to get to and is only a 14-minute drive from the main strip of downtown Gatlinburg and about 25 minutes from the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are restaurants, cafes, and shopping all nearby. But honestly, you probably won’t want to leave the Go Lodge once you arrive.
The mansion itself is about 6,000 square feet on four-and-a-half acres and has 17 rooms, including seven game-themed bedrooms, five game-themed bathrooms, an entire sports den with an enormous television and the most comfortable sofa ever, a foyer with a pool/ping pong table, an outdoor game courtyard, three bonus game rooms, and a fantastic kitchen that has the old school Nintendo game setup (more on this in a bit).
Like most mountain homes in Gatlinburg, you’ll have to get up some hills to get here, which isn’t an issue for most of the year. In snow or ice, however, you will need a 4×4. There are several steps to get to the front door but around the back is a little shorter (just five steps) if you have someone in your party that can’t get up all the front steps.
The place is enormous. I can’t tell you how many times my kids and I got turned around (which was pretty fun actually). My kids said the Go Lodge would make an awesome house for playing hide-and-seek. They aren’t wrong but really, with 300 other games to play in the house, thankfully hide-and-seek got put on the back burner.
Almost all of the rooms are on the main level, which wraps around an outdoor courtyard. The only rooms upstairs are the amazing Game Over bedroom, the Uno bathroom, and the Checkmate bedroom.
The house is one surprise after the other. After entering the main foyer, you can go up the stairs to the Game Over (I’ll call it the Pac-Man room) room. I loved, loved this room because Pac-Man is one of my very favorite games. This room has an old school Pac-Man game that I admittedly played for awhile and attempted to teach my kids how not to get eaten by ghosts. This room has four twin beds plus a sleeper sofa, massive TV with game controls, and a Legends game console.
I tried to convince my kids to sleep in this room but I was unsuccessful because they wanted to sleep in the Brick room. This room has a big wall of LEGO bricks plus a LEGO table and two sets of triple bunk beds. Confession: I really like bunk beds so I slept in here with my kids and I absolutely loved it. Staying at this place really made my inner kid take over.
The other favorite room of ours was the Stadium room because it had hunting games, a basketball game, and foosball table, plus an enormous soft (hence referred to above as the most comfortable sofa ever). We didn’t watch any games or movies but you could absolutely do so here. There is also a beautiful gas fireplace in this huge room.
The nearest bathroom to where we ended up sleeping is the Boneyard bathroom, a domino-themed bathroom. I only mention this because they have a magnetic domino board next to the toilet seat so, you know, if you needed some entertainment while in there, play dominos.
Lastly, the Word Play room, a Scrabble-themed room, was super creative. There is a magnetic board on one of the walls to play Scrabble, which I helped my kids to use for spelling practice. They had fun, too, I promise.
The kitchen is a whole other experience that gets its own section here. So it’s a Mario Brothers decorated kitchen with mushroom tables, red stools and walls, a double oven, full space for a pantry, full refrigerator and dishwasher, green floor tiles, and a Nintendo game console. I didn’t really play video games growing up but my friends had Nintendo and good luck trying to pull me away from Super Mario Brothers 3. And they have it at the Go Lodge! My excitement was uncontained.
My kids and I pulled up some red stools and I tried to teach them how to play, which looked like me playing the entire time. I had such a good time and the kids caught on a bit and had a blast. Our loud laughing would have disturbed neighbors had there been any around. It was such a fun experience.
The Nintendo console actually has 30 classic games but I just wanted to play Mario Brothers.
Exploring the Go Lodge was a blast (here is a short video tour). Every room is labeled and since the house is so huge, it’s like a surprise around every corner and in every room. Here is a list of all the other rooms:
The five bathrooms are the Royal Flush room (it has a huge bathtub fit for a queen), the Trivia bathroom which has framed Trivial Pursuit cards, the Sink It bathroom modeled after the game Battleship, the Draw Two bathroom featuring decor from the game Uno, and the Boneyard bathroom modeled after dominos.
As if the Go Lodge could get any cooler, there is a 1970s looking intercom radio throughout the entire place. So you can talk to people anywhere in the house using that system. Also, use the map in the foyer to find your way around. It looks like a game board!
There are also facts about games and their history in the rooms and corridors. Anyone who really enjoys board games is going to love this aspect. All together, there are about 300 indoor and outdoor games at the mansion. There is no way you are going to be bored here.
The Go Lodge only opened in August 2021 so improvements and additions are happening often. We have heard of some neat things they are adding and will update this story when that happens.
This would be an awesome place for a multi-family or multi-friends trip. It sleeps up to 20 people currently and you really wouldn’t need to leave the place as there is so much fun to be had right there. The house is very private, the driveway has space for multiple vehicles, and there is a grocery store just five minutes away.
A staff retreat here for a small company (where presumably everyone likes each other), would be a blast. There is plenty of space and the outdoor courtyard or the stadium room would be perfect for a bigger group to get together.Â
This is not a hotel so you cannot rent out each individual room. When you rent the Go Lodge, you rent the entire home.
You can book the Go Lodge directly through their website or through Airbnb. I’d recommend going their website to save money on the Airbnb fees. Pricing is dependent upon weekday/weekends/holidays/time of year but expect to pay around $500 a night at least – which, if you split it between a few families, would be a more affordable option. My two children are already scheming how they can get all their cousins here together!
Please note there is a $400 cleaning fee. After all, the house has 17 rooms to take care of. I found everything to be extremely clean and tidy and the beds were very comfortable.
Check in is at 4 pm and check out is at 10 am. Don’t ask for an early check in or late check out since they do not allow it. You’ll receive check-in instructions close to your arrival date and the lodge is managed by an incredibly responsive and thorough company right there in Gatlinburg. I was extremely impressed with their communication and help with anything I needed.
I would go back here in a heartbeat. I try to be consistent with bedtimes for my kids but I threw it all out the window here and we all stayed up late playing games together and truly having an amazing time. I was blown away by the entire home, by the thoughtfulness put into each room, and by the management company. Every aspect of this house was geared towards making sure the guest would have a uniquely memorable experience.
And the best part? Laughing so hard with my kids as they killed off their Mario and Luigi characters, hearing their excitement as they ran from room to room with unabashed delight, and sleeping on the bunk beds in the LEGO room.
You really can’t go wrong booking the Go Lodge. I’m already trying to figure out how I can go back!
Go Lodge
Gatlinburg, TN
Website
The second Crumbl Cookies location is opening this week near Greenville, SC. The sensationally delicious and big-as-your-hand cookies will be even more accessible to you for you to bribe your kids with or indulge in some well-deserved desserts. Find Crumbl Cookies in Simpsonville, SC off Fairview Road starting November 5th.
The first Crumbl Cookies shop opened on Woodruff Road, across from Trader Joe’s, in September of 2020. It was an immediate hit. And then got even bigger when the company went viral on TikTok for their enormous cookies and fantastic flavors. Owners Paul and Robyn Gallucci could barely keep up with demand and decided to move forward with opening a second location, this time in Simpsonville off Fairview Road right across from Target.
(more…)Anakeesta sits atop a mountain overlooking Gatlinburg and we sent contributor Kristina and her kids to explore the village and learn why people just love this magical place right outside the Great Smoky Mountains.
Media tickets were given for this review but opinions are solely those of the author.
Looking for more to do in the Gatlinburg area? Here’s our HUGE travel guide for Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.
(more…)If you are planning to travel to Gatlinburg with the family, then the Greystone Lodge is the perfect place to stay! It’s hard to find a hotel that is family-friendly, clean, within a budget, and ideally located. Conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Gatlinburg, The Greystone Lodge on the River is just that. We sent Kristina and her family there to see what the hotel is all about and why families love it.
Kristina’s stay was part of a media trip and included complimentary nights at the hotel but all opinions are her own.
This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Choosing a hotel for your family can be quite an ordeal. In the past, I’ve spent hours reading reviews, asking for suggestions, and then second-guessing my decision. In Gatlinburg, the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, about a three-hour drive from Greenville, there are hundreds of hotels and lodging options to choose from and it can be overwhelming. But after staying two nights at the Greystone Lodge in Gatlinburg, I can say with absolute certainty I’ve found the perfect place for a family trip to the beautiful mountain town. It is within walking distance of almost everything in Downtown Gatlinburg, making it a great option for families with little ones who get tired easily!
While families are often out and about during the day, they do appreciate a clean, relaxing hotel to come home to at night or to rest up before heading back out to enjoy the town. Greystone offers all that and more.
Originally built in 1962 by Jack Miller Sr., the Greystone Lodge was constructed with guests in mind, striving for a place to rest, recharge, and make wonderful memories together. The Miller family still owns the property today and it is one of the very last family-owned hotels in Gatlinburg. This is quite the rarity and affords them the opportunity to be more attentive to their guests.
The hotel manager, Jackie, I spoke with has worked for Greystone Lodge for 23 years. She said many of their employees have had long careers there as well, which speaks to the kind of business the hotel runs.
The hotel has gone through an extensive $7.5 million renovation in the last few years in an effort to continue to provide the best experience possible to guests.
The two big things I think make Greystone stand out amongst other hotels are its ideal location and its family-friendly amenities.
The location of the Greystone Lodge cannot be beaten. It’s maybe ten steps away from the aquarium and across the street from Anakeesta. It’s a block away from the Pancake Pantry and within walking distance to pretty much everywhere you’d need to go in Gatlinburg, which is a huge deal because parking is scarce in town and you almost always have to pay for it, anywhere from $5-$10+.
The hotel is also just steps away from the Gatlinburg Trolley so you can take that around town if you don’t feel like walking.
You can also drive right up to your room, whether on the first or third or whatever floor you’re on, and park right outside the room, which is so helpful when it comes to unloading all the unnecessary stuff your kids decided they needed to take on the trip.
Greystone Lodge also offers a free continental breakfast, a heated pool with a slide, wi-fi, a fitness center, and free parking. The breakfast is really good – they have biscuits and gravy, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, coffee, juice, bagels, and pastries. It was a big hit with my kids.
The pool and slide were awesome. My kids must have gone down that slide at least 80 times. They loved it. The pool is open from April until mid-October or early November depending on the weather. The pool is such a good option for families to entertain their kids without spending anything extra during the trip.
The room we stayed in, a queen suite with a balcony that overlooked the river, was exceptionally clean, spacious, and comfortable. In my research on hotels in the area, I saw so many reviews of other places that were atrocious. I didn’t want to end up with a bad hotel on a family trip because that has unfortunately happened to me elsewhere and put a huge damper on a vacation.
The Greystone Lodge is so impressive in this aspect because they take such care to provide a great experience for their guests and it shows. They consistently have amazing reviews on all the major travel websites.
The Greystone Lodge offers family suites with one or two bedrooms and bunk beds, executive suites with fireplaces and soaking tubs, and more budget-conscious suites with all the amenities of the hotel. All rooms have a microwave and small refrigerator, which was perfect for the snacks I brought that needed to be chilled.
We got pizza one night and sat out on the balcony to enjoy dinner and the view of the river, which was very nice. Not all rooms have that option but if you get a room that does, certainly take advantage of it!
Jackie told me the majority of their guests are repeat stays and some families are on their third or fourth generation who have stayed at the Greystone. One woman recently showed Jackie a photo of herself at the Greystone when she was 10 years old and she was now bringing her grandchildren to the same place!
Like all hotels, rates are dependent upon season. During the busiest months of July and October, rates are higher than those of the slower months like January and February. A Queen suite may start around $145/night during the low season and be closer to $220+ for the high season.
Greystone has a Loyal Lodger Rewards program that offers discounts the more nights a guest stays with them.
If you’re looking for a perfect family hotel in Gatlinburg where you won’t have to worry about parking, breakfast, or entertainment, the Greystone Lodge is a great option, one that may just become part of your family for generations to come.
Have you stayed at the Greystone Lodge in Gatlinburg?
The Greystone Lodge on the River
559 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN
864.436.5621
Make your Gatlinburg vacation an epic one with our Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge Travel Guide, with things to do, places to eat, holiday fun, and more!
Have you heard that the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses will be at Fall for Greenville? Here’s how you can see them at the festival during the second weekend of October, 2021 in Greenville, SC.
There’s something iconic and just beautiful about the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. They are majestic and regal and everyone loves them.
And they will be at Fall for Greenville the second weekend in October! The eight horses hitched to the iconic red wagon have been a symbol of Anheuser-Busch since 1933. They visited Greenville back in November of 2018 to much fanfare.
If you’re not familiar with Fall for Greenville, it is one of the best festivals all year and focused on the delicious cuisine in the Upstate. There are booths all down Main Street where you can sample all kinds of food plus a kids entertainment area.
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