Labor Day In Gatlinburg!

The Pumpkin People Are Back!!!

If you have ever been to Gatlinburg in the fall, then you know about the pumpkin people!  The city puts out these amazing statues to capture that true fall essence that only Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains can offer.  The statues have become a favorite for families who come back year after year and take pictures with them.  It is no secret that fall is considered by most to be the bsuiest time of the year for Gatlinburg, and with Labor Day Weekend coming up it is surely going to be busy.

When the statues come out, that is a signal that fall has begun, and it will not b long until the leaves start changing.  The Craftsmans Fair will be kicking in and run almost the full month of October.  Some of the menus will be changing and the whole town will be ready for the amazing tourists that come to visit our little slice of heaven in the mountains.

For those that are new to vacationing in Gatlinburg, we would like to say welcome and you are turly among friends here in these mountains.  If you have a bad time it is because you wanted to. There is something here for everyone!  However if you are new to Gatlinburg, you are not alone.  We have seen record numbers of new vacationeers coming to the place we call home.  We love to see all of the new faces mixed in with the faces we know and see year after year.  There are some things that will help you out and we are going to jump right into it.

What To Do in the Fall Month’s

The main attraction during the month’s of August-December is the leaf change.  The leaf change season starts in September and peeks around the 2nd week of November.  The Mountains look like a solid quilt when you are looking at them.  It is one of the most beautiful sights to be seen around the world.  People actually come from all over the world to wittness the beauty that the Smoky Mountains gives us during this period.  We always recommend getting into the National Park and enjoying the grandness that is offered in this beautiful nature seen.

When you are finished hiking trails and taking pictures there is going to be quite a bit going on back in town.  There is the Craftsman’s Fair going on all through October at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.  The Craftsman’s Fair has handcrafters from all over that comes to sell some of the most incrdible handmade items that can be found anywhere.  These are true artists that have perfected their crafts.  Most of the tourists I talk to that go to the fair usually are buying up gifts for the next year, since everything is so affordable and 1 of a kind.  There are painters, glass blowers, wood carvers, jewlery makers and just about anything else that has to do with being handcrafted all in one spot with the top artisans in the nation.

Need to entertain the kids and young adults?

No problem! Gatlinburg has the best arcades and attractions than anywhere else.  They can even walk to everything in town.  There are toy shops like Once Upon A Child, and Big Boys Toys.  These two stores represent both ends of the spectrum when it comes to toy shopping since you can find kids in their 50’s and 60’s in there! “Hey nobody says we have to grow up.”

Ripley’s also has a lot of attractions in Gatlinburg such as:

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smoky’s

The Haunted Adventure

Guiness Book of World Records

Ripleys Believe It or Not

Ripleys Moving Theatre

You get the idea.  When it comes to entertaining kids Gatlinburg has you covered.

But Where To Eat?

Restaurants in Gatlinburg are plentiful.  We will only focus on the ones we know are incredible and you will have a great experience at.

Howards Steak House– Privately owned steak house that has been around since the 70’s.  They have a very intamate atmoshpere and ofcourse the food is great as well!

The New Orleans Sandwich Company– Family owned and operated this little gem is a true one of a kind in Gatlinburg.  This family is from New Orleans and you can taste it in the food!

The Best Italian– Pravately owned this restaurant has been in business almost as long as Howards.  Serving incredible pizza and pasta dishes you will surely get your stomach full here!

Hot DIggity Dawg– Then there is us! We are just a small family restaurant serving some amazing food out of this weinie shop. We ask that you check out our reviews and our menu here on the website to see just what we offer!  You will always be greeted with a great attitude that really is greatfull to see you! We are also the most affordable place in town to eat by far so that helps as well!

 

No matter where you choose to eat there will be something special on the plate that you will love. Unless you go to a corporate chain and you know what you are getting with that junk.  Over priced and horrible quality food.  Definatly find the mom and pop restaurants and you will get the best quality food and you will know you are spending your money with someone who truly does appreciate you!

A Wonderful Place To Vacation For The Family

Gatlinburg offers something for the whole family.  There is tons of shopping, eating, and just plain fun around every corner.  Gatlinburg is a top destination to vacation in the country for a reason, It is fun and it is a safe place to unwind with the family or just a couples getaway.

The adult scene in Gatlinburg is not lacking at all.  Often being compared to the French Quarter without the crime!  There are any number of wine tasting and moonshine tasting venues such as:

Sugarlands Distilling Company

Old Smoky Distill

Sugarlands WInery

Smith Creek Moonshine

Doc Collier 

Any one of these distilation companies offer tastings and samples.  Be careful because as you can see there are lots of places giving lots of samples and that can get a buzz going real quick so remember to eat and stay hydrated.  These companies are the best in the world at what they do and you can check them all out just by walking to them since Gatlinburg is so compact.  That is what makes it such a great place. You can do everything on foot.  Just walk out of the hotel and go have fun!

 

It is easy to see why so many people choose Gatlinburg as their vacation destination of choice.  There is more to do here than anywhere.  The atmosphere is extremely family friendly and safe!  Our law enforcement is nothing short of amazing and they really keep this town the safest vacation zone in the Nation.  We hope to see you choose to give Gatlinburg a try and see why family after family comes back year after year!

Thank you so much for all of your support, as a true small business owner I can say that absolutely every one of you make this small town as special as it is! We appreciate that more than you will ever know!

See Yall Soon!!

Hot Diggity Dawg,

Spring/Fall/Winter

All the seasons offer their own unique benefits. When it comes to the busiest season that would easily be Fall. From the Month’s of September-Novenber The Smoky Mountains have the most beautiful autumn colors in the world during Fall!

Spring is a wonderful time in the Smoky’s because of everything starting to bloom and the crowds are quite a bit smaller, which makes getting around and enjoying all the activities a lot easier. There are a number of gift shows and conventions going on that draw an amazing crowd of people who enjoy craftsmanship. There are several cars and truck shows during the spring like the Rod Run. Right after the Rod Run is the Jeep Invasion and the then the Corvette club come into town. It is a vehicle lovers dream as you can walk the strip and view anything and everything that you can imagine.

Winter is like stepping into a Halmark Movie! The towns light up and decorate with amazing decorations. Every shop and business is decorated as we celebrate Christmas in the Smoky’s. The mountains seem to come alive with the towns. At anytime you can find yourself standing in the middle of a white Christmas that seems like a dream. If you rent a cabin or chalet the experience really is the stuff movies are made out of.

Let’s also mention Gatlinburg has the best shopping with authentic handmade gifts that anyone would cherish as a gift. The craftsmanship of the professionals who make all of these amazing items is second to none and are perfect in their crafting professions. These artists create things such as wallets, jewelry, belts boots, just about anything, and the best part is it will be a one of a kind item since everything is handmade. There are also a ton of other gift stores as well that sell things like swords, blow dart guns, sunglasses, beef jerky, and about anything else you could want.

Questions People Often Ask!

Are the bears wild? YES!!! The bears that you will see in Gatlinburg are very wild. Please do not try to feed them or take pictures with them. People get attacked every year for getting to close or for just being stupid. That is how you get attacked here, by acting stupid. If you see a bear don’t do anything. They do not want you, they want whatever food they are after and they will go on about their business. DO NOT LEAVE FOOD IN YOUR VEHICLES!!!

Where is the best places to eat? Besides Hot Diggity Dawg we recommend The New Orleans Sandwich Shop, The Burg, The Park Grill, and Elsonador’s Mexican Grill. All of these restaurants are privately owned and operated. They are all also the best top rated restaurants in the United States.

Where do all the people stay who aren’t in Hotels? The Smoky Mountain area has cabins and chalets people are able to rent overnight. They are fully equipped and have all the bells and whistles such as pool tables, hot tubs, game rooms, theater rooms, and ofcourse majestic, breath taking views of the mountains and all the wonderful beauty and peace they have to offer. The best place to rent these cabins/ Chalet’s is through VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner). VRBO is the booking site the owners of these properties used to rent them out. You can view cabins right now and even put in the days you would like to rent it and it will tell you the availability. If it is available you can go ahead and rent it, and start planning the vacation of a lifetime.

Is Moonshine Legal in TN? First off yes. Moonshine is legal in TN. More specifically Sevier County, and Gatlinburg is the Moonshine Capitol of the world. There are quite a few moonshine distilleries in Gatlinburg, TN. Sugarlands, and Old Smoky are two of the more recognized names, however there is a Wine Trail, and Whiskey Trail in Gatlinburg as well. There are plenty of places to try anything you could want to try and in any flavor that you want it when it comes to the liquor scene in Gatlinburg.

Is Marijuana legal in TN? At this moment Marijuana is not legal in the state of TN. However, CBD, Kratom, Delta 8,9,10, and 11 are legal. There are head shops around town that sell everything that is legal. These stores are starting to pop up quite a bit as the legalities surrounding Marijuana are loosening more and more. They offer a great alternative to drinking and the therapeutics are pretty nice. You can also pick some up and try it yourself since CBD is legal in all the US at this link: CBD

DollyWood Is Here!!

There’s nothing else to say!! Everyone loves Amusement Parks and everyone loves Dolly Parton!!

You’re Smoky Mountain Vacation

It is easier than ever to start planning for your smoky mountain vacation right now. Everyone that works in Sevier County is here to create the most amazing experience for you that is possible. That is certainly the case in the service industry. Another question we often get is “How do y’all serve all of these people?” It is quite a monumental task, but the workers in this area are usually the very best that the service industry has to offer. From the cooks to the servers, to the people working in the hotels. Everyone here is trained and experienced in handling larger crowds. Still, restaurants hit their capacity and that is the most they can handle which creates waits, but that is really the hardest part of vacationing here. Either eat a little early or later, or be prepared to wait at some of these larger restaurants.

Hot DIggity Dawg very rarely has any wait due to our speed and execution so always keep us in mind if you find yourself on a long wait and are starving!

Gatlinburg, TN Gifts

If you Love the Smoky Mountains but just can’t make the vacation, we like to offer a few things that you are able to purchase! “> “> “> “> “> “>

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Hey!!

My name is Rich and I am one of the owner of Hot Diggity Dawg in Gatlinburg TN! We are a Mom and Pop restaurant, and we take great pride in quality of our food and our fast friendly service.  When we decided to open our doors in 2017, we also decided to bring a new flavor and affordability to the food scene in Gatlinburg, TN.  Looking at our reviews we seem to have hit our mark!

Every day offers us a new opportunity to make amazing new connections with people and we do not let that chance go to waste.  So far the amazing people we have had the chance to meet has truly changed our lives for the better. Like I said at the top of this post my name is Rich and Victoria is my wife and Co-Owner of Hot Diggity Dawg.  We have a daughter named Isla which we where blessed with in 2021! After years of being told we wouldn’t be able to have children and years of people telling us we couldn’t compete at the level Gatlinburg is with a restaurant. We are here to say dreams do come true and we are proudly one of the top rated restaurants in all of Tennessee!

Never Give Up On Your Personal Dreams No Matter What Age You Are!!

We look forward to meeting you and serving you some of the best food on the Gatlinburg Strip!

Thank you for checking us out and we hope to see you whenever you are in Gatlinburg, TN

Rich,