Disclosure: The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce invited me to experience a great girls’ getaway. Accommodations, food and entertainment costs were paid for by the Chamber. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
Despite being a native Nashvillian I haven’t gotten out of my Middle Tennessee bubble and explored much of east Tennessee. Sometimes a girl just wants to escape for a weekend with her friends or daughters and the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce invited me, as well as Nyssa from The Cultureur, to experience local activities ideally suited for a girls’ getaway. It was the perfect break this busy working mama needed after the craziness of the holidays! Scroll down to the end of this post for my idea of a perfect day in Sevierville.
Day one of arrival I woke up in my own king-size bed in a gorgeous cozy cabin on the Oak Haven Resort property and there was nary a dog in sight or any shouts of “MOM, where’s my (fill in the blank!)” Ahhh yes! Conveniently located just off the main Sevierville exit, the resort is tucked away off a winding side road but still extremely close to all there is to do in Sevierville. And there is a LOT to do, trust me!
Breakfast was courtesy of Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin and it was just the fuel we needed for shopping at Tanger Outlet. But first we met with local stylist Donna Jean Roland from Faithfully Fashionable. I loved Donna’s advice on what colors are most flattering on me and realized that although I love, love wearing black, I need softer colors around my face. I also really enjoyed hearing Donna’s story about her career path that led her from the corporate ladder to her dream job of helping inspire women and aiding them in the discovery of their own unique style. We had a blast shopping and I scored a pair of pants on clearance at Banana Republic Outlet for less than $10!
This was a big highlight of the trip…food!
I’ve only seen the Smokies in the fall so I enjoyed seeing the beauty of winter.
Shopping not only makes you hungry, but thirsty, so of course the Rocky Top Wine Trail tour was a welcome way to wile away a chilly afternoon after lunch at The Chop House. I had no idea there were so many wineries in Sevierville. Although I’m a fan of reds (cabs and merlot or a blend) there were a few of the sweet sparkling wines that Sevierville is known for that I really enjoyed, especially the blueberry-lemon Indian Summer from Eagle Springs. That night we had a fun family style 50s dinner at The Diner located on the main Winfield Dunn Highway and known for burgers, fries, and banana splits. We enjoyed chatting with owner who recommended told us the inspiration behind The Diner’s Philly steak sandwich and how he and his wife ended up relocating to Sevierville.
The morning of day two was devoted to learning more about the rich history of the Smokies after a hearty country breakfast at Applewood Farmhouse. No trip to east Tennessee is complete without a pilgrimage to the great outdoors. We woke up to extremely cold temps (I think it was a whopping 5 degrees windchill) so our “hike” ended up being more of a car tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but I was completely delighted to have our guide be none other than historian Carroll McMahan, who has written numerous books about the history of Sevier County. Our afternoon concluded with a much-needed massage and facial at Oak Haven Spa.
Although we had our share of country cooking while in Sevierville, an extremely pleasant and elegant surprise came in the form of Bistro 109, just off the square. There’s a movement to revitalize this area and this warm and welcoming, but upscale, bistro is a welcome addition. Our entrees were fantastic and the wine and dessert list was amazing. It’s definitely a nice change of pace and would be perfect for a nicer dinner out with girlfriends or a special date night.
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