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in hand, grabbed some magnificent shots. Also, the tower houses a nice gift shop and restrooms. We spent about half-an-hour on the observation patio before riding down to continue on across Parkway and begin our walk back to our stating place.

And then we saw ita Baskin Robbins.

"Ice cream?"

"Yes. Ice cream." I ordered my all time favorite vanilla, but the Rocky Road was temptingso was a "Creamy Bold Breeze." I like the Wild Mango. This was certainly a cool break.

Just so you know, ice cream, candy, and eateries featuring various deserts and sandwiches, including Italian sausage, green pepper and onion on a bun, are plentiful inside and outside the streets of Gatlinburg making it really hard to pass over any of these mouthwatering cafes. Also, public restrooms are available in various courts.

On a platform just outside the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! a five-ton ball expended on 1/256th-inch of water lures sightseers. Like just about everybody passing, I had to give the ball a pushit can be rolled with the tap of a finger. Also, I had to grab a few snapshots. In the near vicinity are more Ripley's; as well, there are numerous other fine museums of various types including the Guinness World of Records Museum. Certainly, you will need more than a day to take in all of this.

Next stopthough I don't like heightswas the Space Needle. Here, just off Parkway on Historic Nature Trail, we took an elevator straight up 342 feet to the deck with a 360-degree panoramic view of the busy city and misty mountains. From a distance, we had thought the Space Needle was just a ride up, but actually the structure houses a hi-tech arcade, mini golf, lazer tag and other neat things to do.

By the time we reached our starting point, we felt we had walked and done enough for one day. Now it was time to return to our motel, located just off Parkway and the Dollywood Lane-U.S. Hwy. 441 Y-in-the-road, and take a dip in the cool pool before going to dinner at the Light Gables Inn, on N. Mountain Trail.

The following morning, with our visit to Tennessee coming to an end, we were up and out of the motel early enough for leisurely breakfast of blueberry pancakes at the traditional Pancake Pantry before heading right into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for a day of sight-seeing and education before leaving the park on the south and entering the Cherokee Reservation, our next stay.

We haven't decided where we will stay or our next visit to the city. This trip, our picking a motel in the heart of town had proved ideal. However, fine-to-very extravagant motels, cabins and modern camping facilities with reasonable rates and parking are abundant. In season, we paid about $75.50that seemed the average price going. Numerous restaurants range from elegant to fast foods, so you can set your budget. Gatlinburg offers so much to do in the way of sightseeing, shopping; and day, evening and night entertainment that we didn't even touch the surface. We plan an extended trip to Gatlinburg within the next few months that will give us time for horseback riding and a little whitewater rafting. We want to see and do all this exciting city offers. We plan to take advantage of trolley riding, as that is a fine way to see much of Gatlinburg and the surrounding area.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Lieb.
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