Smoky Mountain Retreat

In August, my fiancé and I enjoyed a stay in the Smoky Mountains at Alpine Chalet Rentals. We thoroughly enjoyed our stayed and I wanted to write a post about our time in the Smokies and how much we enjoyed our chalet!

Service- First, the service was superb from the start. The woman who helped us at the reception desk was very friendly and hospitable, providing us with driving directions and a number to call if we had any issues (which we didn’t!).

The Chalet- Our chalet was beautifully decorated and immaculately clean! We stayed in the Mountain Comfort 59 chalet. It is a one bedroom perfect for a romantic getaway from two. 

It had a black bear theme and a rustic feel which was very appropriate for the mountain cabin. Our chalet was an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining, living, and bedroom area all together. It made it feel very cozy and I personally love open floor plan layouts. The separate bathroom was spacious and included a washer and dryer, if you needed to use it. 

The kitchen was fully equipped with all dishes and utensils that you need to make meals. We loved this because we really enjoy cooking our own meals for each other. We cooked meals and then would sit on the deck enjoying the view and peacefulness of our surroundings. There was a pretty heart shaped tub in the corner of the cabin that had a window that overlooked the view, as well.

Personal touches- Each chalet is owned by an individual owner and then managed by the alpine chalet rentals. We really noticed and enjoyed the personal touches of the owner of our chalet. Black bear stuffed animals and Smoky Mountain magnets were part of the décor and also available to purchase. It was nice to be able to buy a souvenir without even leaving our chalet! There was also a guest book with countless glowing reviews to the owner. We added ours at the end of our trip, as it was such a great experience.

The tranquil atmosphere- I think this is what we enjoyed most about our getaway to the Smokies. Our chalet was at the very end of a mountain road. It was so tranquil and quiet. And the view… oh the view! The view from our porch (our porch with a new hot tub and table and chairs for two) was spectacular! It was so nice to enjoy a peaceful get away and be able to eat quiet dinners and enjoy the hot tub together… looking at the view. The chalet was far enough away from others, so that it felt secluded. This allowed for plenty of rest and relaxation.

Activities- One of our favorite activities was the Rocky Top Wine Trail. The wine tastings are free! There are five wineries on the trail with different themes ranging from apple wines to Italian style. If you visit 3 wineries on the trail, you receive a complimentary wine glass and if you visit all 5 you receive an additional complimentary wine glass! How could you beat a deal like that? Free wine and wineglasses. Yes, please! A few wines that we really enjoyed were the Apple Julep (apple wine, but includes other fruits making it taste like sangria), Wildfire (strawberry-kiwi wine), and Mountain Valley blush (a medium-sweet red wine). 

Hiking trails are plentiful in the Smoky Mountain region. We walked down a shorter trail that was shaded and it was a nice walk. It was rather hot and humid when we visited in August, otherwise I think we would have taken a longer hike. The vegetation and trails are beautiful and well maintained. I would like to go back in the fall to see the changing leaves and I think that this would be the ideal time of year for hiking too. 

Downtown Gatlinsburg has plenty to do. It is definitely more tourist focused. It has many dining options and fun things to do like take “Old Time” pictures or try some moonshine. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but it is cool to check out. My fiancé really enjoyed the moonshine taste testing. We also enjoyed looking at all the fabulous paintings located in the Thomas Kinkade Art Gallery.

I highly recommend venturing into the Smoky Mountains and checking out all they have to offer! You can stay in your chalet if you want peace and tranquility or if you are feeling daring you can check out the variety of activities available in the area. Either way, you will have an enjoyable time.  

Happy traveling!