The Island
I had no idea what The Island was in Pigeon Forge. Once again I realized a 3 day weekend was on the horizon and the thought of being stuck inside with my kids was giving me a panic attack. After perusing online for any last minute specials, there it was….Margaritaville at The Island. It just sounded good and the price was even better. I booked it and then started sweating as I broke the news to my husband that we had another 3.5 hour drive ahead of us. You guessed it, he was ecstatic!
Rooms
As you have caught on by now there is a theme I seek out with hotels…modern and clean. Margaritaville was perfect. Oddly enough as soon as my kids walked in they said it was the most beautiful room they had ever seen. I thought that was a strange reaction from a 4 year old. It was a very spacious room. The bathroom had great finishes, there was a balcony, and even a fireplace. Most importantly for my husband was the blender!
The hotel has a coffee shop on the main level as well as a bar. Just across the drive-way is the Margaritaville restaurant. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a breakfast buffet. They do have a pool, hot tub, and fitness center as well. The hotel is on The Island. Meaning as soon as you walk outside the front doors you are already in the middle of the action. Restaurants, shops, and attractions all at your fingertips.
Activities
From candy stores to magic stores to Build-A-Bear, it is all there waiting to thrill your kids and torture you! Just kidding, as long as you know what you are getting into use it as bribery. There are all kinds of rides good for small kids. The ferris wheel was fun for big kids as well. We did it during the day but I bet it would be cool at night as well. The ropes course would be fun for all ages also.
Area Attractions
Oh boy, I wouldn’t even know where to begin here. There is sooooo much to do in Pigeon Forge. Just drive down the strip and you will pass countless options of activities. I will offer a piece of advice when it comes to the Aquarium. We made the mistake of attempting to go on the weekend. This was a huge mom fail. I shouldn’ve known better. There was a line just to get into the parking deck. There was a line to buy tickets. There was a line to get in the building. There was a line to see every marine animal. You get the picture. My kids love aquariums and were really looking forward to that one. However, I may have made up for it a little with our favorite pigeon forge activity that weekend…..the alpine coaster. It went faster than expected and those fearless boys loved it!
Here are just some options:
- Ober Gatlinburg: Winter adventure with skiing and snow tubing.
- Titanic Museum: This has great reviews and comes highly recommended. We will be visiting on our next trip!
- Pigeon Forge Gem Mine: Sift through a bucket of sand for gems. This seem to be around every corner.
- Hollywood Wax Museum: Wax figures of famous stars and pop icons
- Alcatraz East Crime Museum: A different perspective on history and crime with an interactive experience.
- WonderWorks Indoor Amusement Park: Our kids our begging to go here on our next trip.
- Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Show: This was my pick my no one else wanted to go. Between Dad and the 2 boys I get overruled a lot.
- The Coaster at Goats on the Roof: This was the alpine coaster and obviously the favorite. I got a little surprise at how fast it went. Notice me grasping on to the brake for dear life HA!
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