Trek Dirty to Me: 64 days until the Appalachian Trail train leaves the station and WTF is the deal with Gatlinburg, TN?

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is considered to be a weird stop along the Appalachian Trail. Many skip it. Some go and never leave. I have heard of this place since I was a kid, and childhood and adult friends have returned from weeks spent here exclaiming that this is the greatest place on earth. I admit that I have morbid curiosity to explore this place and there is a distillery that is on my list to visit. But the rest is a great unknown.

Okay, I have four questions:

1. What the hell is the deal with this place?

2. What do I do here for two nights and on my second “zero day” (day of rest with no hiking miles planned)?

3. Where do I eat?

4. Where do I drink?

You can give me this info in the comments section below, on social media, or by emailing the project (currently just me) at trekdirty@booksbourbonbacon.com.

-AJ

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