Tennessee - Gatlinburg

We decided to venture out for Cinco de Mayo to Gatlinburg which was about 45 minutes from where we were staying.  It was a nice drive and the weather was great.

We walked around the town and came across this.

You can't see it well but that little speck above the barrel in the back is a person performing and people sitting in chairs listening.

This was an interesting sign - I didn't notice until just now that it was the first legal distillery and established in 2010?  Is that right?

A quick look at their website gave this description:

Founded in 2010, Ole Smoky became Tennessee’s First Legal Moonshine Distillery after the state legalized the production, distillation, and sale of the region’s infamous and illicit alcohol. The company traces its roots to the Smoky Mountains’ earliest settlers - families who produced moonshine with enduring pride and Appalachian spirit. The century-old recipe is still used today in Ole Smoky’s award-winning products.

So I guess the key word is legal because, obviously, Moonshine has been produced for many, many years.

We walked in and saw every type of moonshine imaginable.

Ron loves cherries so he was enamored with this display.

Moonshine pickles?

We intended to come back so we didn't have to carry things around town - maybe it's best that we never made it.

Interesting to note the name Smoky - I'm sure my siblings remember my favorite pastime as a kid.

Debi and Smoky Joe

Oops, I got sidetracked for a minute.  Back to Gatlinburg.

There were plenty of places to get some lunch but since it was Cinco de Mayo, we figured we had to have Mexican food.

The table above on the right was "our" table.  And again, since it was Cinco de Mayo.....

Yummmmm!

We had a great view of the town.

Yes, my friends, there is a Space Needle in Gatlinburg.  Thank goodness it was closed for annual maintenance (I'm really not fond of heights).

It was a fun day and we were happy to finally experience a place we'd heard about for many years.