Old Mill Restaurant - Gatlinburg

Old Mill Restaurant

I have been going to Gatlinburg for over 20 years and finally stopped for dinner at the Old Mill. I had heard good things about the Mill, good food, good service, fair prices.

Being November, of course this was a 20-30 minute for a table, but no problem, the air that evening was warm and the Christmas lights were on. The wait wasn't as long as expected and we were seated in less than 20 minutes. Rolls, butter, and an assortment of breads were brought right out along with menu's. So far so good.

Old Mill Soup And Salad

I ordered one of the popular house entree dinners, Southern fried chicken. Soup, house salad, mashed potatoes and corn came with the meal. I asked the waitress if I could have macaroni and cheese (Which was a side order on the menu) but she flatly said that no substitutions were permitted with the dinners. I politely pointed out that it was on the menu as a side but she again said no substitutions were permitted.

No big deal. Odd, but no big deal. My soup and salad were delivered to my table in minutes. Not bad service and not a bad salad either. The soup, chicken noodle, was bland, edible at best.

Southern Fried Chicken

As you can see, the fried chicken was golden brown and the pieces were average sized. And it tasted OK. The batter was crispy and the chicken juicy, as expected. The potatoes were all right but the corn was horrendous. (Now I understand why there were no substitutions, they were pushing the corn.)

The cost was just under $20 without tip.

The Grassy Knoll Institute awards 2.5 out of 5 shots as the food was average, nothing special, and points deducted for not being able to substitute a side dish and with that does not recommend the Old Mill for lunch or dinner.

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1. 
   

   Gumby said

   February 26, 2008 at 12:52 pm e
   Serious, that doesn’t sound good to me. The chicken looks dry and old. From the looks, I would rate below a 2.
   Reply
2. 
   

   Uni-Verse said

   February 26, 2008 at 2:12 pm e
   The proverbial shit on a shingle dinner.
   Reply
3. 
   

   Lolo said

   October 30, 2011 at 8:11 pm e
   the mill is something my family and i go to eat at everysingle time we come to gatlinburg. Ya’ll don’t know what u r talking about.
   Reply
   • 
     

     LOTGK said

     October 30, 2011 at 8:18 pm e
     Lolo.
     I call them as I see them. Perhaps the waitress was having a bad night or whatever but, the fact is that she was border line rude and I really never heard that you couldn’t substitute one of the side dishes from your main course.
     Reply
   • 
     

     Deeroddy said

     February 17, 2012 at 1:12 am e
     We eat at the old mill everytime we are in the area. Always great service and great food. We love it !!!!!
     Reply
     • 
       

       LOTGK said

       February 17, 2012 at 8:44 am e
       I’m glad you have a great experience when you dine there. Perhaps our waitress was having a bad day.
       Reply

Ripleys Haunted Adventure Tour Gatlinburg

Ripleys Of Gatlinburg Haunted Tour

Ripley's Haunted Adventure located on the Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a very popular haunt during the month of October. I have visited this haunt several times before but never in the month of October. Until this year.

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the month of October, at 6:13PM sharp, Ripley's has their own version of a zombie crawl as a horde of monsters parade down the Parkway ending up in front of the Haunted Adventure where they interact with the people on the street. after about 20 minutes, the monsters filter into the haunt and add to the excitement and fright.

We bought our tickets and got in line. There were about 100 people in front of us and several hundred behind us before it was our turn.
It was now our time to step into the rickety old cage that takes it's paying customers (Victims) to the top of the haunt. It is a very effective prop. Very loud, old, looks unsafe, and has a hint of danger to it. We met a crazy man at the top. I was informed that my camera must be turned off at this point. I obliged.

The haunt is a self guided tour. We were in a group of six people. I was the lead, my wife Patty behind me, the others behind her. We were instructed to put our hand on the persons back in front of us. A few seconds later we began our march through the haunt.

I will say the haunt is much larger than what it looks like from the outside. There were many rooms inside to navigate through. The props and graphics were above average and the actors were well trained and effective. This haunt was all about misdirection.

After about 30 minutes, we found our way out. We stepped into the elevator and.... I won't spoil it for you.

One thing I didn't like about this haunt. Outside while we were waiting in line, a woman was selling fiber optic lights to help you see in the haunt. She said it was absolutely necessary to see inside the haunt for it was pitch black inside. The lights, (Which were throw away quality) cost five dollars. I noticed that if you bought the lights at the ticket box office, they were only $2 dollars. Whip a rip off. I declined to buy the light. The woman selling them told me I would be sorry.

I was not. At no time did I ever need the fiber optic light. DO NOT BUY THE LIGHT! IT IS A RIP OFF. The rest of the haunted adventure was very entertaining and enjoyable. It was actually fun. We recommend it in the month of October.

Enjoy the video's and pictures.



Happy Halloween

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Mountain Heritage Inn - Gatlinburg - Cottage

For well over 20 years I have been traveling to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to attend the Smoky Mountain Gift Show located at the entrance of the great Smoky Mountains. I have stayed in just about every hotel, motel, cottage, Inn, bungalow, and room in town. About 10 years ago, we were told about the Mountain Heritage Inn, located at 575 River Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The proprietors are real nice folks, (Hello Louise) who understand a traveler and are ready to help when something comes up. The Inn is located in the heart of Gatlinburg making everything within walking distance. The room rates are very affordable. This exact cottage, room 127, is $74.99 per night. Before you say that other establishments offer lower rates, take a look at what you get for this price.

First, the cottage is a stand alone structure. It does not share any walls with other rooms. This offers enormous privacy. It has a nice little front porch with old fashioned rocking chairs and a grill for cooking burgers or hot dogs. A quick right turn from the room and you find the pathway to the Parkway, the main road of Gatlinburg and the convention center.

Inside the cabin, there is a spacious kitchen with round table and chairs, a mini stove, full sized refrigerator, microwave, kitchen sink, counter, cupboards, toaster, dishes and utensils. Everything needed to have a cooked meal in your room.

Moving along, the bathroom was large and clean with all lights working. (I absolutely hate when lights are burned out) The sink counter was large to hold all my toiletries and a large mirror to help in shaving. The shower and tub surround was sturdy and the water pressure strong.

As you enter the main living area, the heater and air conditioner is located on the right side of the wall. Amazingly, it was very quiet compared to other floor units. A comfortable recliner to watch TV in and a work desk with lamp plus several drawers for your clothes.

On the far right side of the room, a gas fireplace sits. It's very easy to use, merely turn the switch, set the timer and sit back and prepare to get toasty. To the left of the fireplace is the 25 inch TV set with a good channel lineup. Below the TV is a dresser for clothes.

But wait, there's more. There's a hot tub in the room. After a long day of work at the show, a nice relaxing soak does the body good.

Lastly, a king sized bed with a firm comfortable mattress with clean sheets and covers. Plenty of fluffy pillows to sleep soundly.

Before we get to the photo gallery of the cottage, let me tell you one quick story about one of my trips to Gatlinburg. We had gotten a late start and with the drive time roughly 10 hours, we were going to get in town quite late. I called ahead to Louise and explained the situation, that we would not be there by 6pm, but more likely around 11pm. With the office closing at 6pm, Louise said that she would tape our keys to our doors and in the morning come in and register.

Sure enough, our keys were on our room doors. Try that at another hotel. Now onto the gallery.

There you have it, the cottage at the Mountain Heritage Inn. At $74.99 it's a pretty good bargain for what you get.

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Heaven Or Hell In Gatlinburg

Saw this sign on a car on the Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee recently. I pondered a moment and thought...

A far better question is, What the Hell is Lady Gaga? Depending on the answer, it could be Heaven or Hell. Or both!

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No Smoking Sign Not Working

Read The Sign Dumbass!

This photo was taken at the top of the Ober Gatlinburg chair lift ride. Do you see the woman on the left smoking a cigarette? Do you see the sign she is looking at?

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Climbing The Ladder Of Success

If you ever have the chance to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee, be sure to ride the ski lift at the top of the Smoky Mountains at Ober Gatlinburg. These five pictures are the view you will have climbing the mountain. See if you can find the Grassy Knoll Institute Logo.

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Hey Donkey

Being a veteran of trade shows, I am quite familiar with the setup and mechanics of the ones I attend. Except for one show I was asked to attend and fill in for a colleague of mine.

Usually, I know what hall the show is located in and the name of the company I will be assisting, the personnel in the booth, and the booth row and booth number. That wasn't the case for this show.

All I knew is the that it was located in the Nashville convention center and I was to be there Friday and Saturday. I asked my colleague how was I going to find where I needed to go.

He said he knew the first name of the contact, (Mike) but not the company name he was exhibiting under because they went under several names. However, he said I wouldn't have any problem finding the booth. He said to walk into the show and listen for a man that sounded like Shrek!

Shrek! WTF? I asked, "That's it! That's how I'm supposed to find the booth? By listening for a man that sounded like the Disney cartoon character Shrek?" He assured me that I would have no problem.

My flight to Nashville was uneventful and I checked into my hotel and went to find Shrek in the convention center. Thankfully, this trade show was a small one, only about 300 vendors and about 600 booths lined up in 10 rows. (Some shows have thousands of vendors and thousands of booths)

I decided to start at the first row and work my way around the show. I walked up the aisle slowly listening to the people talking hoping to hone in on the Shrek voice. No luck in row one. None in row two or three either. As I turned the corner of row four, I heard a man talking very loud. With an accent. A Scottish accent. I heard him say, "Hey donkey, that's not where that goes." A few seconds later I came face to face with Shrek. He was talking up a storm and he sounded exactly like Shrek. And looked a lot like him as well. A blockhead, big ogre type shoulders, tall, round stick out ears, just sans the green coloring. Give him a club and he could double as Shrek.

I started laughing out loud. Shrek, (Mike) turned around and stopped what he was doing for a moment and sized me up. He then said, "Oh, look at the funny man. Who are you supposed to be?" I told him I was Patrick and was here to help him. He said, "Oh, that's just great!" I told him, "Just don't call me donkey there Shrek!"

My colleague forgot to tell me that Mike (Shrek) didn't like to be compared to the cartoon character. Mike clammed up for a moment, gave me one of those upset looks that Shrek did and folded his arms and just stared at me. I couldn't help it. I said, "Hey look, it's Cameron Diaz!" (Princess Fiona, Shrek's love interest) All weekend long I called him Shrek. After a while, he got used to it.

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On The Run From Nuns

Nuns Are Following Me

Catholic Nuns In Gatlinburg

I think my identity has been found out by the Catholic Nun order. Spying several nuns in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I boarded the Ski Lift on the Parkway to the top of the Smoky Mountains to avoid detection.

Assuming I was safe I glanced back to see if I was followed....

Out of reflex, I immediately said 10 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers and one really good Act Of Contrition.

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Gatlinburg Aquarium Shark Tank

On a tip from a reliable source that Jimmy Hoffa's remains were buried under the Smoky Mountains Aquarium owned and operated by Ripley's, the Grassy Knoll Institute scientists immediately went there to investigate. We didn't find Hoffa, however, we snapped a few shots while inside the aquarium.

As you can see, the aquarium is huge. Sharks and other fish swim on the side and above you as you wind your way through the aquarium.

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Texas Roadhouse Restaurant

Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Of Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Located on the Parkway, the popular Texas Roadhouse Restaurant really packs em in. Upon arrival, you receive a beeper and when your table is ready, it begins to hum and red lights flash alerting you that your table is ready. (Expect at least a 45 minute wait on weekends.)The wait was very minimal, and we were seated at a nice table. Rolls to die for were delivered right away. They were hot, fresh, tasty, and served with a cinnamon butter.

A bucket of shelled peanuts was waiting for us on the table. You kind of just swept the peanut shells on the floor when you were finished.

I ordered the chicken strips with bacon and cheese fries and of course a Coke.

The entree was of biblical proportions. Six big pieces of chicken and a moutain of artery clogging cheese fries. The chicken was crunchy and spiced just right. The fries were heaped with bacon and cheese and were crunchy and hot.The service was very good and the order right. The rolls were fresh and hot with cinnamon butter. I have to say that the rolls were the best I ever had at a restaurant.

The cost was just under $20.00 without tip. The Grassy Knoll Institute recommends the Texas Roadhouse and awards 4 out of 5 shots.

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