One of the ways that you pick a place to vacation is by deciding if there will be enough to do while you are in the area. The Smokies and the surrounding areas are covered with attractions that allow you to get outside, play, spend some time together as a family and much more.
You will find attractions of all shapes and sizes in the Smokies from racing around a go-kart track to viewing sharks from an undersea tunnel. The level of the attractions in the Smokies keeps the visitor busy for days on end.
Go Kart Tracks – People that come to the Smokies love to race. One of the way that visitors get their race on is by going to the many go-kart tracks that cover the tourist towns on both sides of the Smoky Mountains. From Sevierville to Cherokee and back again, there are go-kart tracks to fit every taste and age group.
Miniature Golf – Just like the go kart tracks, every tourist town in the Smokies has at least one miniature golf course. Miniature golf is a great way to spend time with your family and friends competing with each other as you work your way through the course. Whether you are looking for a course with a dinosaur theme or one that is more mountain themed like Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, there is a miniature golf course in the Smokies for you.
Ripley’s Aquarium – One of the favorite attractions in the Smokies is Ripley’s Aquarium in the Smokies. Ripley’s Aquarium has been ranked as one of the Best Aquariums in the US. Featuring lots of saltwater tanks and a tunnel that takes around a man-made reef full of fish, turtles and sharks, this is a state-of-the-art aquarium. Recently they added a penguin exhibit that gets you closer to a penguin than you ever thought possible.
Gem Mining – The gem mining industry has a huge place in the history of the Smokies. Especially on the North Carolina side of the mountains, people flocked to this area when precious gems and stones were discovered in the mountainsides. As the commercial gem mining industry died off people found that they could still make gem mining part of the economy by letting people mine for gem while they are on vacation.