Gatlinburg, Tennessee

We drove down to Tennessee to see the Great Smoky Mountains, and it was really fun to hike the trails and see the clouds clinging to the mountaintops. But right outside the entrance of the park is a completely different experience that's found in the town of Gatlinburg. Unabashedly touristy, it's a complete wonderland for kids. From mini-golf to mountain coasters, Gatlinburg features every kid-friendly amusement in existence. The downtown area resembles the Las Vegas strip, but for families.

Unfortunately, our visit coincided with a spike in COVID cases just after the pandemic, so we had to stick with outdoor activities where we could socially distance safely. This meant that we weren't able to check out many of the indoor attractions and restaurants we wanted to visit. But here's what we were able to safely do, with masks on and a lot of hand sanitizing.

What to Do

Our first activity in Gatlinburg was a ride on the Rowdy Bear Mountain Coaster. Gatlinburg has no fewer than four mountain coasters, and I picked this one for its fun name. A mountain coaster is a single or double seater roller coaster that is pulled to the top of the mountain on a track, then winds its way down at about 30 mph. My kids had a blast and each rode the coaster three times.

A few yards away from the mountain coaster is Hillbilly Golf, an absolutely delightful mini-golf course. You have to take a funicular to the top of the mountain, where the course begins, then putt your way down the mountain, through 18 holes. The course features a moonshine-making theme, and also has some interesting signs along the way about the recent fire and tornado that devastated Gatlinburg (and the mini-golf course). Our favorite part was the Plinko-inspired hole.

Gatlinburg's neighboring town is the equally touristy Pigeon Forge, which is where we visited the Paula Deen Adventure Park and Lumberjack Show. Here, you get outfitted with a harness so you can participate in activities like the log roll, speed climb, ropes course, and zipline roller coaster. I've never seen a lot of these attractions before, and the kids had a really good time at the park.

The lumberjack show plays at least twice a day and features lumberjacks (and jills) competing against each other with axes and chainsaws. The show is family-friendly, with many kids in the audience receiving lumber "cookies" (slices of wood) throughout the performance, and the competitors are very impressive in their athleticism.

A short drive from Gatlinburg were two other activities that we had a blast with: ziplining and white water rafting. We did the ziplining with Climbworks, and it was amazing. The ziplines were really long and high up in the trees — sometimes it was hard to see the next landing because it was so far away! It was the kids' first time ziplining, and the fantastic staff made it really fun for them.

For the white water rafting, we went with Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting, the largest outfitter in the area. We were lucky enough to have a raft and a guide all to ourselves, and everyone had a great time rafting through class 3 and 4 rapids.

And finally, we spent a lot of time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our whole reason for visiting Gatlinburg in the first place. Here's my post on some great hikes to do in that park.

Where to Eat

As I mentioned, we didn't feel particularly safe eating in Gatlinburg's crowded restaurants, so we ended up cooking most of our meals at our Airbnb home. We did do takeout once, from Mama's Chicken Kitchen, just a few minutes drive from the main drag. The fried chicken and all the sides were absolutely delicious, particularly the biscuits with gravy and jam. Everything was all eaten up before I remembered to take a photo.

Where to Stay

Because we were traveling post-pandemic, I decided we'd rent a home outside of the downtown area. The home we found, dubbed the Royal Chalet, was absolutely perfect — tucked at the top of a winding mountain road, nestled in the trees. The panoramic windows were great for bear watching, although no bears actually came around during our stay. We did spot one digging through a neighbor's garbage cans, though.

What's Nearby

Just two hours from Gatlinburg is Asheville, North Carolina, a fantastic city with so much good food and more great hikes. Here's my itinerary for that part of our road trip!

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Grand Canyon National Park: Best Hikes and Activities for Kids

For our recent trip to the Grand Canyon with another family, we flew into Phoenix and drove three hours to the South Rim, where we stayed for three days in Grand Canyon Village (here's a map of the area). We concentrated on this section of the park for our visit, as the canyon is so large that to travel to the North Rim would've taken four to five hours. But there's plenty to see and do with kids in the South Rim over three days.

The Grand Canyon was a part of our larger tour of Arizona, in which we saw a bit of Phoenix, a bit of Williams, and spent a few days in Sedona. You could also tack on visits to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park while you're in this part of the country. Those two parks rival the Grand Canyon in grandeur and offer plenty of fun, kid-friendly hikes.

Where to Stay

We flew into Phoenix and opted to stay one night at the Squaw Point Hilton Resort before hopping in our rental car for the three-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. I chose this hotel because it's got a built-in water park and lots of resort activities like poolside movies in the evening. It's the perfect way to unwind after a long flight.

For our lodging in the Grand Canyon, we booked the Kachina Lodge one year in advance. The park offers five hotels that are convenient to the sights within the South Rim, but they are mostly no-frills lodgings. You are staying at these places for the proximity to the sights. The Kachina Lodge is literally located right next to the rim walk, and if you book early enough, you could find yourself in a canyon-side room. There's nothing like waking up to a view of the Grand Canyon right outside your window.

Where to Eat

There are many restaurants within the park, and the two that we enjoyed the most were the Arizona Steakhouse and El Tovar. Have dinner at Arizona Steakhouse according to when the sun will go down to catch the sunset over the canyon from the panoramic windows. And show up for breakfast at the historic El Tovar dining room early so you don't have to wait for a table.

What to Do

Before we entered the park, we stopped at the IMAX theater in town that features a movie called "The Hidden Secrets of the Grand Canyon." This was a great way to get a preview of what we were about to see, and also learn more about the canyon. The movie was pretty exciting (it may be too exciting for small children), with awesome reenactments of the early explorers boating down the canyon river.

Once in the park, we did two amazing, kid-friendly hikes. The first was the popular Bright Angel Trail, which starts off at the rim and switchbacks all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. But covering that distance would take more than a day, so we just hiked for about an hour and then turned around. The views are seriously amazing, and it's nice to get a different perspective of the canyon. Just remember that going back up is considerably more difficult than going down, so it's best to turn back before the kids start whining!

Our second hike (and my personal favorite) was Shoshone Point, a two-mile out and back. This hike is a must-do, and it's best to go one hour before sunset, with a picnic dinner in hand. The trailhead is a bit tricky to find, as the parking lot is unmarked, but it's located on the north side of Highway 64, about 1.2 miles east of Yaki Point Road (just west of mile marker 246).

After parking your car, head past the gate and simply start down the path. It took us about 20 minutes of hiking through the forest (we spotted an elk up close!) to reach what may be the most amazing views of the canyon in the entire park. The hike ends at a lookout point that juts out over the canyon, but on a wide swath of rock so that it doesn't feel so death-defying to walk out to the very tip with your kids (but do hold onto their hand!). At the tip of Shoshone Point, you'll get 360-degree views of the canyon that will take your breath away.

After checking out that view, retreat back to the safety of the hiking path and eat the dinner you brought on one of the many picnic tables overlooking the canyon, as you watch the sunset. Then before it gets completely dark, start the one-mile hike back to your car. Bring some flashlights (or use the one in your cellphone) for the hike back, as it'll likely get pretty dark.

For a different way of viewing the canyon, hop on some rental bikes and ride along the rim. Bright Angel's Bicycles in the park has the best bike excursion for families, called the Hermit Shuttle Package. After getting fitted with a bike and helmets (there are plenty of kids' bikes available, as well as tagalongs and trailers), you hop on a shuttle bus and ride down to Hopi Point, where you're dropped off for a 5.5-mile ride down a wide road to Hermit's Rest. The occasional park shuttle goes by on this road, but otherwise you'll have it all to yourself.

The route is basically flat or downhill; you're pretty much coasting the entire time. Once at Hermit's Rest, the shuttle will pick you up and bring you back to the rental shop. The whole thing took about two-and-a-half hours (including the time being shuttled back and forth), and it's safe to say that I've never experienced such an easy bike ride in my life! If only all bike rides consisted of coasting down in one direction, then getting picked up by a shuttle for the uphill return.

There's even a small cafe at the rental shop, so you could do the ride in the morning and grab lunch there right after. I highly recommend checking out this package!

What's Nearby

There are two animal attractions within an hour of the Grand Canyon. At the Grand Canyon Deer Farm in Williams, you can feed the farm's collection of deer, which roam freely among the visitors. They don't bite or jump up on you, but they do aggressively follow you around if they see that you have a cup full of pellets, which can be frightening for kids. My kids were both pretty scared. There are other animals in pens around the farm, including wallabies, llamas, bison, goats, and reindeer.

A bigger hit with my kids was Bearizona, a zoo with a drive-through section, a walk-through section, and fun animal demonstrations. You can do the drive-through section in your own car or in the park's open-air trolley. The most impressive thing to see there are the dozens of black bears, all lolling about right in front of your vehicle. The raptor show is also really well done and interactive, with birds ranging from owls to falcons practically grazing the tops of audience members heads as they fly around.

About two hours from the Grand Canyon South Rim is Sedona, an absolutely stunning town with excellent food, hikes, and views. We spent four days there to complete our tour of Arizona; here's my itinerary for that part of the trip.

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Zion National Park: Best Hikes and Activities for Kids

Zion National Park in Utah is like the Disney World of U.S. National Parks. There's a shuttle bus that takes you through the park (cars aren't allowed to drive around during the high season), and at each of the nine stops, there are a bunch of fun and interesting hikes, several of them perfect for kids. We combined a three-day visit to Zion with a day in nearby Bryce Canyon National Park and a day in Page, Arizona, in late August, and it was a wonderful mix of adventure, beautiful scenery and, of course, plenty of time at the hotel pool.

Where to Stay

Unlike at Yellowstone, it's not terribly important to stay within the park to enjoy it, and we found the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale to be perfect, just three minutes from the park entrance and within walking distance to dozens of restaurants and adventure outfitters. The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable, with kitchenettes and small tables for dining. We had a room looking out onto the large pool, with a majestic view of Zion's towering red peaks. There's nothing more awesome than sitting in the hot tub and looking at that view.

Plus, on the premises there's a laundry room and an excellent restaurant called Moki. You never have to leave the hotel — except to go hiking at Zion, of course!

What to Do

Our first activity in the park was to take a one-hour horseback ride with Canyon Trail Rides (Bus Stop 5: Zion Lodge). The path we took followed the Virgin River — the horses actually had to cross the river, which was thrilling! — to the Court of the Patriarchs, a set of three towering sandstone peaks. Kids have to be 7 years old to ride, and the horses were very well behaved. If you're visiting in the summer, I recommend booking one of the earlier rides that start at or before 11am, to avoid the afternoon heat.

Right across from the Zion Lodge is the Emerald Pools, a kid-friendly hike that can be adjusted for age and hiking ability. There are three levels of pools: lower, middle and upper. Our original plan was to hike all of them by doing a loop from The Grotto (Bus Stop 6), along Kayenta Trail to all three pools (map here), but weather-related closures relegated our hike to just the Lower Pool. As it turns out, that's about all we could manage in the mid-afternoon heat — a one-mile out-and-back. The entire trail to the Lower Pool is paved, making it easy to navigate with small children, and the payoff at the end is a wet path that leads behind a small waterfall. Getting sprinkled on by the falling water is a real relief in the heat.

The Narrows is a classic Zion hike (along with the decidedly less kid-friendly Angel's Landing), and we all had a blast with it. The entire hike takes place in the Virgin River, so proper footwear is definitely required (trek shoes or water shoes with a hard toe). My friends who came with us got their kids neoprene socks to go with their trek shoes. A walking stick is also an excellent idea for keeping your balance on the slippery rocks and against the stronger currents.

The Narrows bottom-up hike begins at the last shuttle stop (No. 9), then requires a one-mile walk down a paved path to the river. Once you're in the river, that's when the real fun begins. You start off wading through shallow waters, then the river starts to get deeper in parts, and the walls of the canyon start to close in. Still, there are many sections where you can take a break along a sandy shore, and the water never rose above my knees (or my kids' waists), so it's manageable for elementary-aged children. My 7-year-old son was able to do the hike just fine.

The Narrows goes on and on, becoming deeper and more treacherous, so at one point you'll have to turn back if you're bringing along kids. We hiked for about an hour in, then another hour out, with a snack break in between. Here are more of my tips and tricks for hiking the Narrows with kids.

A short hike that kids can easily do on a hot afternoon is Weeping Rock Trail (Bus Stop 7). The entire out-and-back hike is about half a mile, but it's a steep climb up a paved path. The payoff is worth it, though, a stone patio that looks out from under a "weeping" rock — a curved alcove with water permanently dripping off the top. In addition to cooling off there, you get a stunning view of the peaks from the patio; that's where I took the photo at the top of this post.

The last hike we did in Zion was slightly more death-defying, but if you've got kids who can follow directions and are willing to hold your hand, it's perfectly safe. The Canyon Overlook Trail is found off the glorious Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, which snakes from one side of the park to the other (and is worth the drive for the astounding panoramas). The out-and-back trail is only one mile long, but what a mile it is! As you go up, up, up toward the scenic overlook, your journey takes you onto the slickrock and across several hair-raising paths, where you're separated from a plunge into the slot canyon below by just a railing. It's sort of like Angel's Landing Lite, and perfect for adventurous little hikers.

Then there's the view at the top of the trail, which is so beautiful it feels unreal. There are also several small peaks for rock scrambling at the top. We spent an hour at the Canyon Overlook viewing area alone, taking pictures from every angle. We weren't there at sunset, but were told that it's spectacular there.

The last thing we did before leaving the Zion area was go on a half-day family canyoneering excursion with Zion Adventure Company. This activity is meant for families with kids ages 4 to 12 and is the perfect introduction to rappelling, rock climbing, and rock scrambling. I've done all these things before (without the kids), and even I learned a lot about the mechanics of canyoneering. Usually on these sorts of tours, the guides will hook you up on their ropes system and send you off, but with this company, the guides have you attach yourself to the rope system (always making sure you're getting it right) so that you really learn how to do everything. Even the kids were able to follow our guides' precise and kid-friendly instructions.

And boy, were those guides patient. We had two, Ross and Benton. My son was so scared during the first rappel that he started to cry. But Ross patiently talked him through everything, and by the end of the excursion, he was happily climbing up a steep rock wall called Copperhead. We also got to scramble through the most narrow slot I've ever seen, only wide enough to fit one person walking sideways at a time. It was an amazing four hours, and I can't recommend this excursion highly enough!

Where to Eat

We sampled many of the restaurants around Springdale, the town right outside of Zion, for lunch and dinner, and many were very tasty. Some of our favorites included MeMe's Cafe, Oscar's Cafe, and the above mentioned Moki. We also loved the creamy and flavorful ice cream at the Bumbleberry Gift Shop and Springdale Candy Company.

Inside the park, we had lunch at the Red Rock Grill by Zion Lodge. The food wasn't as good as at the restaurants outside the park, but it's an easy place to grab a bite if you're between activities within the park and don't want to give up a parking spot at the visitor center.

What's Nearby

If you're flying into the area, the Las Vegas airport is the closest one to Zion and you may end up spending a night or two there. While Vegas is decidedly adult-oriented, there are some activities that kids can enjoy as well. Here are my recommendations on what to do, see, and eat in Vegas when you have children in tow.

And as I mentioned, Zion is a great home base for a day trip (or longer visit) to nearby Bryce Canyon. The town of Page in Arizona is also close by, and I highly recommend making the trip out there to experience the otherworldly Antelope Canyon.

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Las Vegas, Nevada

We spent two nights in Las Vegas as part of a week-long trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon because it has the closest airport in the area. Checking out the over-the-top glitz of Vegas can be a fun way to start and end a week of intense hiking and natural beauty. And while Vegas is decidedly adult-oriented, there are activities that kids can enjoy as well. Just make sure they know that the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" rules don't necessarily apply to them!

Where to Stay

We decided to stay at Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand, both on the strip (Las Vegas Boulevard), for the pools and so that we'd be near all the shows and restaurants we wanted to visit. If you're looking for a quieter, more family-friendly experience, however, remember that there are plenty of options off the strip as well. Here's a list of the best pools for kids in Vegas, if that's what your children really care about.

What to Do

A personal favorite Vegas activity of mine is the Fountains of the Bellagio. Every 15 to 30 minutes, the fountain comes to life and starts to dance to synchronized music and lights. It's mesmerizing to watch, and we always end up hanging out there for a couple of shows. The Bellagio's impressive Conservatory and Gardens is right nearby and also free.

Vegas is home to several Cirque du Soleil shows, and we spent one evening watching the family-friendly one based on Beatles music, called Love. It was awesome. Here are all the Cirque shows in Vegas ranked in order of kid-friendliness.

If we'd had the time to watch more shows, I'd have taken the kids to Blue Man Group (since they loved the one in New York) or the Tournament of Kings (because what kid wouldn't enjoy watching a jousting match while digging into a meal with their bare hands?). Here's a list of all the family-friendly shows in Vegas.

Kids can get in on the shopping action in Vegas with M&M World, four stories devoted to all things M&M. We didn't visit it with our kids this time around, but had taken our daughter there when she was a baby a few years ago. In addition to all the candy you can buy, there are interactive attractions like a 3-D movie there.

Other kid-friendly suggestions: zooming up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel (the photo below was taken from the view at the top), riding the ferris wheel at the LINQ hotel, taking a gondola ride in front of the Venetian, visiting the shark reef at Mandalay Bay, and checking out the amusement park rides at Circus Circus. Here's a more complete list of attractions for families.

What to Eat

Vegas doesn't lack for dining options, so where you dine all depends on your tastes and preferences, but a couple of standouts that we enjoyed with the kids were House of Blues in Mandalay Bay (excellent food and service, plus kids eat free!) and Buddy V's Ristorante in the Venetian (best spaghetti and meatballs kid's meal ever). If you're able to sneak out for an adults-only dinner, or if you don't mind shelling out for a pricey meal with the kids, our absolute favorite place to dine in Vegas is Momofuku. The bo ssäm family-style dinner is one of the best meals I've ever had. 

What's Nearby

As I mentioned, Vegas was just a quick stop before and after a week-long trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon for us. I highly recommend visiting both parks with your kids; the hikes are super fun and memorable. Here are my posts for family-friendly hikes and activities to do at these parks.

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