Anna's Adventures

By now you probably already know that my husband and I love a good road trip. So when we were thinking of ways to spend our 1 year anniversary we both thought that a cozy getaway to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains was the way to go. Here’s a little recap of day one of our trip!

Cabin stays, the skypark + subs, oh my!

The first thing we did when we arrived in town was head straight to our cabin rental. We’ve actually stayed in this exact cabin before, so we already knew what to expect—but that didn’t make it any less magical. It was just as breathtaking as the first time!

The Legacy Mountain Resort has the perfect cabins for a weekend getaway. Our cabin was two stories with a full kitchen, a hot tub on the deck, and a pool table downstairs. We dropped our bags, took in the view of the mountains and then headed straight for the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg to kick off the first night of our trip.

Before we came, we did a little research and discovered that the Gatlinburg SkyPark is pet-friendly. So of course, we brought our weenie dog along for the ride. Yeah, she rode the SkyLift with us! It was so cute. She had no clue what was going on, but she was such a trooper.

Now, my strong, tough husband… let’s just say heights aren’t exactly his favorite thing. Watching him white-knuckle the SkyLift handlebars while pretending to be totally fine? I know I shouldn’t laugh… but come on. It’s funny. HAHA!

When we reached the top, one of the employees tried to sell us a souvenir photo—but y’all, it was the worst picture we’ve ever taken. And trust me, it wasn’t the camera’s fault…We declined the photo and made our way toward the SkyBridge.

The bridge itself was awesome but definitely a little wobbly. There’s a glass section in the middle where you can see straight down to the ground. Scary, right? Thankfully it wasn’t very crowded when we were there, but I can totally see how crossing the SkyBridge could be a little insane during busier seasons.

On the other side of the bridge, there’s a cute little snack shop and some walking trails. Instead of braving the bridge again, we decided to take one of the trails back. Much less nerve-wracking, and honestly, it was such a peaceful little walk.

We found some rocking chairs and sat for a while, soaking up the view of the mountain range. But as the wind picked up and the sun started to set behind the mountains, we figured it was time to head back down. The ride down felt quicker than the way up and our dog’s ears were flapping in the wind like a little cartoon character. It was adorable!

When we made it to the bottom, we wandered around the Parkway for a bit before heading to the Village Shops. This is one of my favorite spots on the Parkway. The whole area is so charming, and everyone is always so friendly. An employee at one of the shops even told us about a recent bear sighting! Apparently, he sees them all the time. We’ve only ever seen a bear from inside our car, which feels much safer. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I ran into one face-to-face. I’d probably panic. LOL!

We made a quick stop at Walgreens to “pick up a few things” for the cabin… which somehow turned into an $80 haul. Don’t ask us how. We’re still confused.

We were both craving sandwiches for dinner and we found this little spot called Joe & Pop’s Sub Shoppe. Let me just say that the Philly cheesesteak was DELICIOUS! Like, possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. The reviews also said to try the chicken & dumplings, and I know what you’re thinking…chicken & dumplings at a sub shop?! I was skeptical too. But obviously, I had to try them… and wow. INCREDIBLE.

Day one of our anniversary trip? I’d say it was a success!

Must do: smoky mountains, tn

• Gatlinburg SkyPark
• The Village Shops

must eat: smoky mountains, tn

• Joe & Pop’s Sub Shoppe