| theres also an outdoor pool and river access. room entrances are exterior. check-in time: 10:00 amcheck-out time: 10:00 am. the relaxed rooms offer coffeemakers and cable tv; some have patios and river views. set on leafy grounds along the oconaluftee river, this straightforward budget hotel is off highway 441, 2 miles from harrah's cherokee casino resort and 3 minutes' walk from the museum of the cherokee indian. upgraded rooms add jacuzzis. parking is free
McGhee Tyson Airport 2 hr 4
Clingmans Dome (43 min)
Mountain with a seasonal road, paved trail & observation tower, plus an information center & store. Mingo Falls (14 min)
120-ft. waterfall on the Cherokee Indian Reservation reached by a 0.4-mi. access trail. Santa's Land Fun Park & Zoo (11 min)
Year-round Santa Claus-themed park with rides, a gift shop, a zoo & paddle boating in a lake. Mountain Farm Museum (8 min)
Group of historic log farm buildings, moved here in the 1950s, with living history exhibits. Charlies Bunion (35 min)
Bare-rock protrusion named for a bygone climber's food wound, now popular for hiking & views. Waterrock Knob (33 min)
Highest peak in the Plott Balsams, with a visitor center, picnic tables, an overlook & hiking trail. Oconaluftee Visitor Center (9 min)
Center with history exhibits on mountain life & a farm musuem with log structures, plus a gift shop. Oconaluftee Indian Village (17 min)
Re-creation of a traditional Cherokee community with live performers, tours, crafts & a gift shop. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (22 min)
Vintage steam trains with dining cars travel from a historic depot through scenic countryside. Andrews Bald (46 min)
Grassy double peak in the Smoky Mountains, with hiking trails through forest & meadows. Newfound Gap (31 min)
Alpine road featuring the Rockefeller Memorial, honoring the Great Smoky Mountains park financer. Museum of the Cherokee Indian (4 min)
Cherokee art, history & culture presented via exhibits, digital films, photographs & holographs. Mingus Mill (10 min)
1886 grist mill with demonstrations of its still-functional sluice, turbine & other machinery. | 
