50 Years in the Smokies: Why One Couple Keeps Coming Back to Gatlinburg (and Mountain Laurel)

Most people discover Gatlinburg once and fall in love with it. Skip Davis discovered it nearly 50 years ago and never really left.

Skip and his wife have been making the trip to the Smoky Mountains for decades — first with young kids in tow, staying in hotels along the strip in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, then gradually moving up into the mountains as the kids grew, discovering the kind of chalet-above-the-city experience that changes how you think about a Smokies vacation. About 25 years ago, they found Mountain Laurel Chalets. They haven't looked elsewhere since.

This past year they stayed at Highland Fling — their second consecutive year in the same chalet — and Skip sat down to write about why Gatlinburg keeps calling them back. What follows is part guest story, part travel guide, and entirely worth reading if you're planning a trip to the Smokies.

It's a question Skip gets from family and friends all the time. With so many vacation options available, why the Smokies every year?

His answer: Gatlinburg is one of those rare destinations that genuinely offers something different every trip. The mountains don't change, but how you experience them does — and the combination of outdoor adventure, small-town charm, great food, and the simple peace of a mountain chalet is hard to replicate anywhere else.

Some years the Davis' spend most of their time downtown. Other years, like this one, they barely leave the chalet. The mountains accommodate whatever kind of vacation you need.

Over nearly 50 years of Smokies trips, Skip has developed strong opinions about what's worth your time. Here's his list — a mix of iconic stops and local favorites most visitors never find.

Ask Skip for his single favorite hike in the Smokies and the answer is immediate: Charlies Bunion, accessed from the Newfound Gap parking area on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

The hike is an 8-mile round trip along the Appalachian Trail, with elevation changes that make it a genuine workout — but the views from the rocky outcropping at Charlies Bunion are among the most dramatic in the entire national park. On a clear day, ridge after ridge of the Smokies rolls out in every direction with nothing between you and the horizon.

The trail passes by the Icewater Spring Shelter, one of the backcountry shelters maintained along the AT. If you hike this trail in March or April, there's a good chance you'll encounter thru-hikers making their way from Springer Mountain in Georgia toward Mount Katahdin in Maine. Skip's advice: if they have time to talk, take it. The stories are always worth hearing.

Difficulty: strenuous. Distance: 8 miles round trip. Trailhead: Newfound Gap parking area (US-441 on the NC/TN border). Best months: May through October, though spring snowfall can make an early-season hike magical.

Not every Smokies experience requires hiking boots. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 5.5-mile one-way loop road that winds through some of the most beautiful old-growth forest in the national park, passing historic homesteads, cascading streams, and mountain scenery that rewards slow driving and frequent stops.

Skip and his wife do this drive every single year — and find something new each time. There are multiple pull-offs along the route where you can step out of the car and explore on foot, making it flexible for every age and ability level. The trail is closed in winter, typically from late November through March.

Tucked into Gatlinburg's arts and crafts district, the Wild Plum Tea Room is the kind of restaurant that regulars keep quietly to themselves. Skip describes it as a very quaint, small restaurant with excellent food — the sort of place that feels nothing like the busy downtown strip a few miles away.

Two important notes before you go: the Wild Plum Tea Room is only open a few days per week, and reservations are typically required. Check their current hours and book ahead — this is not a walk-in situation, especially during peak season. The effort is worth it.

This was Skip and his wife's second consecutive year at Highland Fling — and the fact that they came back intentionally says everything. Here's what stood out.

The deck: where most of the vacation happened

This year's trip was quieter than most — deliberately so. Skip and his wife spent the majority of their time at the chalet itself, and the deck at Highland Fling was central to almost every morning and evening. Coffee as the mountains woke up. The hot tub as the sun went down. Reading in the afternoon quiet. Listening to woodpeckers and other birds in the trees. Watching bears pass through.

The owner had replaced the deck since their first stay, and Skip noted the improvement immediately. It's the kind of detail that signals an owner who genuinely cares about the property — and it made an already peaceful spot even better.

Bears at Highland Fling: what to expect (and how to be responsible)

If seeing black bears in the wild is on your bucket list, Highland Fling consistently delivers. Skip saw bears almost every day of his stay this year — including the kind of sighting that becomes a lifelong memory: a mother bear with three cubs.

He's also clear about responsible bear etiquette, which matters in an area where bears are genuinely wild neighbors. Do not leave coolers or food containers on the deck. Do not feed bears under any circumstances. Observe from inside or at a safe distance and resist the urge to approach. Following these guidelines protects both guests and the bears — and ensures the wildlife experience remains natural and safe for everyone.

The Mountain Laurel Chalets difference: 25 years of coming back for a reason

Skip is not a first-time guest offering a polite review. He has been booking with Mountain Laurel Chalets for a quarter century. He has rented from other agencies. He knows the difference.

What keeps him coming back is the team. Kelly and the rest of the Mountain Laurel Chalets staff communicate from booking through checkout in a way that Skip describes as sincere and genuine — a quality he specifically contrasts with the transactional experience of larger booking platforms.

One small moment illustrated this perfectly: during their stay, the local garbage service missed a pickup. Skip called Kelly, and within an hour someone from Mountain Laurel Chalets arrived at the chalet to handle it. A minor inconvenience, turned around immediately. That's not a policy — that's a culture.

We asked Skip to close with his five favorite memories from nearly five decades of Gatlinburg trips. What he came back with is as good a case for visiting the Smokies as anything we could write ourselves:

1.    Hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with his youngest child when it started snowing. “It was beautiful.”

2.    Watching all three kids in the hot tub as snow started falling around them.

3.    Playing pool and sharing stories with the whole family at the chalet until 1:00 in the morning.

4.    Watching a mother bear and three cubs playing together.

5.    Watching a full moon rise through the trees from the deck. 

Skip and his wife are already planning their next trip. If 50 years of annual visits isn't a recommendation, we don't know what is. Start exploring Mountain Laurel Chalets' properties at mtnlaurelchalets.com — and if Highland Fling is calling your name, check availability before it fills up.

The mountains will wait. The best chalets won't.

If Highland Fling isn't available for your dates, or if you're looking for a different experience, here are a few other standout properties in the Mountain Laurel Chalets portfolio:

•      Heaven's Peak — one of the most booked properties in the collection, with sweeping mountain views and premium amenities

•      Ski Bear Chalet — a classic A-frame retreat sleeping six, private hot tub, fire pit, and a location minutes from Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

•      Smoky Mountain High — ideal for guests who want total immersion in the mountain atmosphere

•      Cottage View for 2 — a quieter, more intimate option perfect for couples