Brad "The Appalachian Geek" K.'s Profile

Dear god the kids couldn't wait to go to this place. As soon as they read about it, it was on the schedule.

The good: the underground walkway was amazing; the petting zone capture the kids attention for at least an hour; and several of the fish exhibits (including the spider crab!) were breathtaking. We wandered for quite a long time.

The bad: the penquin section small, and hardly offered anything despite the massive advertising campaign built around it. It was one small corner, which disappointed the kids; it's quite pricey considering the relatively small exhibits (outside the walkway).

We arrived late in the day, though, so it's possible some of the attractions were closed down; however, that didn't stop them from taking our money. Also: the staff -- which seemed to be made up of kids -- was kind, but mostly unhelpful. They just stood around and offered little in the way of direction or information.

This campground is SMACK in the middle of Pigeon Forge, and just a stone's throw away from Dollywood and its accompanying water park. If you have kids, definitely go here. And the cabin rental is quite cheap.

They had the best facilities of any of the KOAs we stayed at during our trip. A great camp kitchen in the different loops, complete with a stove and sink. There were great facilities close to all the different loops.

And we were just a five minute drive into Pigeon Forge, which the kids loved.

The staff was amazingly kind (we actually showed up at the wrong place), and helped us get settled after a long day driving. Definitely heading back here again.

Dear god this place was gorgeous. The swimming pool was heavenly, and I could have stayed there all day.

There's a great workout room (small, but nice), a day spa, a restaurant, and it's just a mile or so away from wonderful running trails.

I don't even know how to describe this other than: go there, bring your suit, you'll be happy. Everyone is there to make your life easier :)

We didn't get to spend too much time in the area as I was there mainly to run the Grandfather Mountain Marathon at Appalachia State and to see the Scottish Highland Games.

Unlike other KOAs, though, the evening at this particular place wasn't quiet. There was a lot of drinking and loud talking going on into the evening. I assume that had something to do with the Games; still, we stayed at the KOA because it's normally far more friendly.

The main office was great for kids. Pool table, ping pong table, big reading room that connected to the pool, and the camp store had everything we needed.

The bathroom/showers were a bit of a walk for us (we were in the cabins), but there are worse things in the world.

The layout segregated campers for sure because of the limited number of facilities, but clean and kind as all KOAs are.

If you can find your way through the construction, this is a nice little KOA. Unfortunately the front desk closes early (7 pm) so make sure you get there in time. We didn't, and thus couldn't get more than 1 internet code (1 code per computer). That's a problem when you have 2 kids in tow.

The bathrooms were okay, but not nice. They were, however, very big. Plenty of room. The men's room has no security code, but the women's room does.

The pool was okay, but nothing particularly nice.

The whole place was dirty, but not unclean. "Live in" is how my mom would describe it.

That said: everyone there was nice as pie. We chatted with several of the guests, and the cabin we stayed in had a working air conditioner. Yay for working air.

This was my first trip to the Domain, which is about 5 minutes from my house. Parking, of course, SUCKS so plan on getting there a bit early and head for one of the garages. (I should say driving sucks; the parking part was easy once I was in the garage.)

The place is quite nice, very modern feeling. The tables are a bit on top of each other so save the really interesting talk for when you leave; however, the food was great, the mood was good, and we couldn't have had a better time.

On the 3 days in Austin when it's not boiling hot, I'd suggest sitting outside. There was a little Torch band playing, which we could hear as the servers went in and out. It was awesome.

Also: save room for dessert. You will eat your face full.

What a great little local experience. After the Hardback Cafe, I needed some food. This is, I'm told, the place to be.

The service was nice. The food was okay, but I wasn't expecting much. The atmosphere was the thing. People seemed to be having fun. It's a place to come be as much as it's a place to come eat.

This is the second largest canyon in the United States. You won't really get that from staying here (which isn't a knock on the park...this thing is just BIG).

There's not much going on here. There's a little general store with some food (and ice!); there's an interpretive theater with some historical shows and some tours; and there is an indoor theater with a show every night. (The current one -- TEXAS -- has a moment where some cannon is fired at 9 pm. Let me tell you: go the bathroom before 9 pm because that echoes throughout the park and it sounds like the end of the world.)

There are a half-dozen running and biking trails, but you need to be finished with those by 9 am during the summer months. After that, temps get close to 110 degrees. That, friends, is NOT a typo.

Don't be a hero. More that 90 degrees temperature and you risk serious injury. And there's not really many people roaming the canyon to help you.

If you fancy yourself a trail runner, try the trails (early) and make you get to The Lighthouse and Little Wolf trails.

There isn't much to do in Canyon, Texas when you're trying to escape the blistering heat of Palo Duro Canyon.

This cafe is a great little find, and it's attached to a record/CD store (although 2 of the 5 used CDs I bought didn't work - and the 5 for 25 apparently didn't apply to me and I'm still not sure why).

BUT we were talking about the cafe. The staff was friendly. It's right next to the Christian college so you're going to see some Bible-ling going on. I recommend ear buds or headphones.

The Wifi is blazing, and there are a few plugs ta boot. If you're in Canyon -- and let's face it, why WOULDN'T you be in Canyon -- go here.

I love REI. This one is a tad small, but still had what I needed. The staff was nice, as well.

I was only there for a few days (I mean - I didn't STAY in the store, but I was in the town for a few days), and when I stopped by there wasn't much action. I'm used to REI stores being the epicenter of activities.

So: good for gear, not so good for connecting with other outdoor freaks.