smokies | Ammo the Dachshund

If you’ve been following along with my adventures lately then you know a couple weeks ago I went on an epic road trip. My week long travels have already taken me to some wonderful places; Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, and now Gatlinburg, Tennessee!

Pet Friendly Cabin in Gatlinburg Tennessee with Ammo the Dachshund

My mom and dad had found a cute little cabin tucked into the mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for me to spend two nights in during my road trip.

Gatlinburg is nestled at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and has great access to many of the hiking trails in the Smokies, but also has a bustling downtown area. The Downtown Parkway is essentially a boardwalk of sorts without the beach!

Pet Friendly Gatlinburg - walking downtown with Ammo the Dachshund

After a day of hiking in the Smokies I decided to check out the activity down town and headed out on an evening walk.

Pet Friendly Gatlinburg - walking downtown with Ammo the Dachshund

Many of the shops had open-air type attractions, and I started to gather just as much attention as the fast and furious cars and the cotton candy and the haunted attractions (if you catch my drift).

Pet Friendly Gatlinburg - walking downtown with Ammo the Dachshund

While I didn’t meander into any shops (and I’m not quite sure if there were any that were pet friendly or not), I had some fun checking out some of the more wild attractions – like this Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Super Heroes in Gatlinburg with Ammo the Dachshund

Heck, I even got to meet some of the Avengers! I’m pretty sure they were wondering where my super hero costume was, but I assured them that it was safely packed in my travel bag should any funny business arrive.

Pet Friendly Dining in Gatlinburg with Ammo the Dachshund

After exploring the town for a bit I stumbled across a pet friendly patio for dinner at the Back Alley Grill.

Pet Friendly Dining in Gatlinburg with Ammo the Dachshund

At this point after a day full of hiking, and exploring the town, I was pretty beat. So while mom and dad ate I snuck in a quick nap.

Bears in the Smokies with Ammo the Dachshund

On the way back to my cabin I got to meet my SECOND BEAR of the trip! Only this one must have been pretty tried like me, because he was in a deep deep sleep and couldn’t even be bothered to say hello to me. (I left him my business card for when he wakes up)

Pet Friendly Cabin in Gatlinburg Tennessee with Ammo the Dachshund

After so much excitement for one day I spent as much time as I could relaxing at my cabin while mom and dad packed up for my next adventure. My next stop would be the BlogPaws Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, and I was going to need all the rest I could get!

Rest Stop with Ammo the Dachshund

And after a few more hours of driving, and a couple rest stops (where I left a few of my signature calling cards), I was almost in Nashville!

Make sure you stop by my blog tomorrow to hear all about the adventures I had the BlogPaws Conference, where I even got to meet Elvis!

P.S. Don’t forget, for you local Pennsylvanians, I’ll be at the Ryerss Family Fun Day this Saturday from 12 – 4pm with my friend Minnow the famous Painting Pony. Hope you’ll stop by and meet me! I’ll be performing some of my favorite tricks too!

My week long road trip recap continues on the blog this week! Last week I shared my adventures in Washington, D.C. and the Shenandoah National Park and then headed on to today’s adventures, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Pet Friendly Road Trip // The Great Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park // Pet Friendly Travel // Ammo the Dachshund

The Great Smoky Mountains straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and the drive is beautiful with an amazing view of the Smokies.

Skyline Drive // The Smokies // Pet Friendly // Ammo the Dachshund

The Blue Ridge Parkway made my drive that much better, and I couldn’t get enough wind in my face!

The Great Smoky Mountains // Dog Selfie // Ammo the Dachshund

Of course I couldn’t help but stop along a few overlooks to take some selfies. Who doesn’t love a good selfie?

Pet Friendly Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

My first stop in the Smokies was the Oconaluftee Visitor Center where I shared a picnic lunch and met up with my Uncle Taylor, who lives in North Carolina, for the day.

Oconaluftee Trail // Pet Friendly Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

After lunch I set out to hike the Oconaluftee Trail, one of the two pet friendly trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

Oconaluftee Trail // Pet Friendly Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

This 1.5 mile trail (one way) is relatively flat and follows along Oconaluftee River. I probably would have enjoyed a bit more challenging hike, but unfortunately most of the more scenic trails in the park are off limits to dogs. But I’m always one to follow the rules, because they are there to keep everyone safe.

Oconaluftee Trail // Pet Friendly Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

I still had a blast taking dips in the river to cool off and despite the fact that this trail isn’t as tucked into the wilderness as I typically like, I got quite a fill of wildlife….

Elk // The Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

….I met Elk for the first time!

Elk // The Smoky Mountains // Ammo the Dachshund

Although to me they just looked like smaller than average ponies!

Cherokee N.C. // Pet Friendly // Ammo the Dachshund

After I reached the end of the Oconaluftee trail I was surprised to find myself in the outskirts of a small town, Cherokee, N.C.

Cherokee N.C. // Pet Friendly // Ammo the Dachshund

It was quite the contrast from my nature filled hiking trail, and I found myself suddenly immersed in a touristy town.

Cherokee N.C. // Pet Friendly // Ammo the Dachshund

I had a blast exploring the town, stopping for ice cream, watching other tourists ride the mechanical bull, and I even met some larger than life farm animals! It was a fun little surprise at the end of my trail that I very much enjoyed.

Cherokee N.C. // Pet Friendly // Ammo the Dachshund

Eventually it was time to hit the road again, and I headed off to my accommodations for the night in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I’ll be back to share more about my road trip adventures the rest of this week, so stay tuned!

Any other pups out there hiked in the Smoky Mountains before? I wish I had had time to check out the other pet friendly trail in the park, the Gatlinburg Trail, but perhaps next time!

P.S. for anyone wondering where my super comfy car travel bed comes from – check out my post about Pet Safe Travel.