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Girls’ Getaway in the Smokies: Suggested Itinerary

Buckhorn Inn is a popular destination for sisters, girlfriends, and mothers and daughters to get away from it all and reconnect. Based on the input from guests, we offer an itinerary for a perfect three-night stay for you and your best gal pals!

DAY 1 Arrive and check into your room, suite, cottage or guest house. Stop by the sitting room for a fresh-baked cookie or brownie. Be sure to ask for some lettuce leaves in the office. Why? Because your next activity is to walk the beautiful Buckhorn Inn Nature Trail. You will go by Buckhorn Pond where you can give our resident swans, Bubble and Squeak, a tasty lettuce treat. The Trail will take you by our formal gardens, our raised-bed vegetable gardens, and beautiful views of the mountains. Maps of the trail are available in the office. At 7 pm please join us in the dining room for a delicious four-course dinner. Your meal will begin with a basket of freshly-baked warm bread and include soup, salad, entrée and a decadent dessert. Remember that calories don’t count on vacation, so you can feel free to indulge. You will then retire to your cozy accommodation with the rest of your getaway in front of you!

DAY 2 Meet in the dining room for a cooked-to-order breakfast. Your options will include a sweet entrée, like bananas foster French toast; a savory entrée like Southern Eggs Benedict; eggs cooked to order with a breakfast meat; a yogurt parfait; or cereal options. You will enjoy a fresh fruit cup and warm biscuits and coffee cake while you are pondering your decisions. Before you leave breakfast, be sure to ask for a sack lunch menu so that you can order one for tomorrow.

Today will be spent exploring the Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community. In the morning you may want to visit Buie Pottery to admire beautiful pottery and stoneware pieces. You might then want to stop by the Highland Craft Gallery. Their shop is a celebration of traditional and contemporary artisan work in metal, fiber, wood, leather, glass, clay, and printmaking. They also offer fine art created by more than 60 regional artists. You will also want to see the work in the G Webb Gallery. There you will find original watercolors, limited edition lithographs, and giclees. By this time you might be ready for a bite of lunch. We recommend the Wild Plum Tearoom as a lovely spot. A newer establishment, The Split Rail, offers a good selection of sandwiches and salads. We are partial to their fish tacos. If you opt to go to 3 Jimmy’s, we recommend the Mediterranean grilled vegetable flat bread. After lunch you can browse through Alewine Pottery, Tim Weberding Woodworking, and many other shops on the Loop.

The Loop has many options for dinner. You might want to visit the Red Oak Bistro for wine and tapas to share. There also is the Rampant Lion which offers a large wine list, imported draft beers, and elegant cocktails along with small plates and celtic-inspired dinners. No matter which entrée you select, the roasted brussels sprouts are a fabulous side. Another good spot is Crystelle Creek where you can listen to the live piano music and enjoy a spinach feta dip while you review the menu. Let the staff at Crystelle know you are experiencing the Buckhorn Girls’ Getaway and you will get a 10% discount!

DAY 3 Don’t forget to pick up your sack lunches after breakfast. This morning you will be exploring the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Whether you choose to hike in the Greenbrier section, to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, or to take a scenic drive to Cades Cove, you are sure to find a lovely spot to picnic. The afternoon is a perfect time to enjoy the serenity of the Buckhorn Inn. Perhaps you have booked in-room massages. Or maybe you would like to choose some movies from the library and have a film fest. Board and card games are a fun way to spend time together while you chat. Or perhaps you will spend the afternoon enjoying the silence and serenity of your private porch as you read books and enjoy companionship. Be sure to return to the main Inn building by 6:30 so you can enjoy a glass of wine or spiced tea in front of the fireplace or on the veranda before your last luxurious Buckhorn Inn dinner.

DAY 4 As you linger over breakfast, we know you will be making plans to return!