Weekend in East Tennessee one of three ways: on a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge.
Trip tips: Plan an autumn journey on roads less traveled into the Smoky Mountains. Loudon County's Highway 321, recently designated as the Great Smoky Mountains Byway, is the most scenic and least congested route to the Smokies from I-75 North. It's a 49-mile drive to Cades Cove, a 2,500-acre valley in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where visitors will find an abundance of trails for hikers of all experience levels, and picnic areas. Beginner hikers might try Rich Mountain Loop at Cades Cove, Laurel Falls Trail, or Schoolhouse Gap, near Townsend. From Townsend, Highway 321 turns north toward Pigeon Forge and then south to Gatlinburg for a scenic 45-minute drive. The East Tennessee River Valley Geotourism MapGuide highlights the natural, historic and cultural assets unique to the area. www.tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org. Plan trips at www.tnvacation.com/east.
Getting there: The tri-counties of Blount, Loudon and Roane are a 3.5-hour drive from Atlanta. Round-trip airfare to Knoxville, about a 35-minute drive to Lenoir City, from $296; nonstop Delta, 21-day advance purchase.
BUDGET
Stay: Rates at the pet-friendly Econo Lodge (Platinum Award Winner) start from $67, including continental breakfast and use of a seasonal outdoor pool. The hotel is on the "Lakeway to the Smokies" leading to several lakes. 1211 U.S. 321 N., Lenoir City. 865-986-0295, www.choicehotels.com.
Eat: Le Noir is where Southern-style cuisine meets Belgian fare. Chicken is cooked into a crisp Belgian waffle and served with a homemade Southern bacon peach honey chutney, $12 (other items, $9-$16). 123 E. Broadway St., Lenoir City. 865-816-3516, www.abelgianbistro.com.
Experience: Loudon County's Tennessee Valley Winery has garnered more than 800 awards in national and international competitions. Stop in for complimentary, no-limit samples. 15606 Hotchkiss Valley Road E., Loudon. 865-986-5147, http://tnvalleywine.com. Sweetwater Valley Farm is located in the heart of dairy-rich southeast Tennessee. Stop into the farm store and bring home a velvety cheese. Through October, take a farm tour to see the cow-to-cheese process. 17988 W. Lee Highway, Philadelphia. 865-458-9192, www.sweetwatervalley.com.
MODERATE
Stay: Unplug at the Chilhowee Mountain Retreat, located in Blount County. The luxury adults-only (21 and older) bed-and-breakfast offers panoramic Smoky Mountain views, covered wraparound porches with rocking chairs, a reading loft and hot tub. The Great Room features a soaring stone fireplace and exposed log beams. Even the lighting in the three guest rooms is considered for comfort — along with king beds, two-person air-jet tubs, steam showers with rainheads, robes, towel warmers and Aspen log cabin furniture. An 8-mile hiking trail from the inn leads to Abram's Falls in the national park and a further 2.5 miles to idyllic Cades Cove, the most visited part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Smoking is prohibited on the entire 10-acre property. Rates from $200 for two or more consecutive nights ($250 one-night), including full hot breakfast and snacks. 5110 Little Doubles Road, Maryville. 865-983-8511, http://chilhoweemountainretreat.com.
Eat: Dinner reservations are suggested for the Foothills Milling Company ($20-$32). Consistently good reviews for service and cuisine have made this restaurant the most popular within miles for casual fine dining. 315 S. Washington St., Maryville. 865-977-8434, http://foothillsmillingcompany.com.
Experience: Fort Loudoun, a reconstructed British colonial fort built to protect the Cherokee frontier during the French and Indian War, hosts several garrison weekends with colorfully costumed soldiers re-enacting life in the 1750s (Oct. 17-18). 338 Fort Loudoun Road, Vonore. 423-884-6217, http://fortloudoun.com. The park's Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, on the shores of beautiful Tellico Lake, offers insightful information on local Cherokee life and how it mostly ended in the South with the Trail of Tears. The 24th Annual Cherokee Fall Festival is held Sept. 12-13; $5. 576 Highway 360, Vonore. 423-884-6246, www.sequoyahmuseum.org.
SPLURGE
Stay: The 600-plus-acre, AAA Four-Diamond Whitestone Country Inn (Roane County, west of Lenoir City about 35 minutes) is set on the shores of Watts Bar and surrounded by meadows, woods and mountains. The grounds are visited daily by herds of deer, bald eagles and songbirds. The lodge, chapel, barns, farmhouse and 22 individually decorated guest rooms have a cozy New England feel. Rates, including country breakfast, from $165-$335 (varies by room type, season). 1200 Paint Rock Road, Kingston. 865-376-0113, http://whitestoneinn.com.
Eat: Even guests of Whitestone Country Inn need reservations for an upscale Southern dinner. Entrees, $20-$34, include an appetizer of Baked Brie with a Warm Apricot Sauce and a Classic Caesar Salad. 1200 Paint Rock Road, Kingston. 865-376-0113, http://whitestoneinn.com.
Experience: The Highway 11 Antique Trail begins in Lenoir City and leads south to Loudon and Sweetwater. Antique shops around the courthouse square in downtown Loudon carry a wide variety of items, from antique baskets made by Cherokee Indians to primitive furniture. Many fine antique shops line the streets of downtown Sweetwater. Take a tour of the 4-acre Lost Sea, America's largest underground lake, located in Sweetwater. The 90-minute tour involves a round-trip walk (3/4 mile) and a glass-bottom boat ride to see rare anthodites in immense cavern rooms 140 feet below ground level; $18.95 adults, $9.95 ages 5-12. 140 Lost Sea Road, Sweetwater. 423-337-6616, http://thelostsea.com.
