Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg needs 2 days: touring Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, with an underwater shark and ray tunnel, on one, and heading into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited in the United States and free to enter, on the other. April-June and September-October bring the best weather for hiking, with fall foliage as an extra draw. It's mid-priced. It's the main gateway to the country's most-visited national park -over 12 million visitors a year, more than the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone combined-, and its name ironically contradicts the landscape, since the bluish haze that gives the mountains their 'Smoky' nickname is actually water vapor released by the vegetation.