If you enjoy shopping at all, then a must see is the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community. Even I enjoy this one! Drive just about 3 miles outside of Gatlinburg on 321 North. Make a left on Glades Road and your there. On this eight-mile loop you will find lots of wonderful little shops full of locally crafted items. While you are there make sure that you take the time talk with the shop owners. They are the friendliest people you will find in the area!!
Visit the Turtle Hollow group of shops on Buckhorn Road and tell everyone "Hello" from the crazy people who locked the keys in the van!!! Yes, I am afraid to say it, but that was us! If your going to do something stupid like that, this is the best place to do it! The owner of the Pewter by Hedko shop didn't hesitate to pick up the phone and call for help for us. And the owner of the Turtle Hollow Gallery was nice enough to treat all of us to a soda! Needless to say, we were here long enough to get a little Christmas shopping done. My family will be very pleased that we spend so much time here. You will find some of the most beautiful things here.
We had to do this trip in two days since we spent so much time in one place! You can find just about anything that you could want on this drive. You can buy a painting at one stop and take it down the road to be custom framed at another. Make sure that you pick up a map of the drive. You can find one at just about any hotel or the visitors center. This will give you a nice description of all the shops you will find along the way.