Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa

We all have our passions, and the current “Wandering” issue of Edible Nashville celebrates the journeys we undertake to pursue them. For this Edible editor, my passion is trail running, preferably mountain trail running. Like a surfer on a beach getting giddy at the sight of a serious set of swells, I get giddy going east on I-40 when the Smoky Mountains first come into view, jutting skyward just beyond Gatlinburg like the giant waves of deeply ancient rock that they actually are. Tallest among them here is Mount LeConte, my earth-surfing destination, its lofty, 6,593 foot summit accessible only by five trails. My plan is to either run up or down all of them on two consecutive ‘big run’ days and then recover at “basecamp,” but not just any old basecamp. I like luxury.  

Therefore, for Gatlinburg runs, the place that pairs most well with the trails is Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park, a family-friendly resort less than two miles from the closest LeConte trailhead. You see, while Mount LeConte is famous for its guest lodge near the summit, the one literally supplied by caravans of llamas hauling everything from clean linens to kerosene -- the cabins have no electricity -- I only like rough running, I do not like rough living. The LeConte Lodge, for example, doesn’t even have hot showers, and hot showers are a need of mine, particularly after logging 20ish miles. I also enjoy amenities like a spa and fitness center and creature comforts like hot tubs and swimming pools, all of which Smoky Mountain has in abundance. The resort even has its own mini golf course, zipline and jaw-dropping indoor/outdoor waterpark. Got kids? Well, if you’re looking for an upscale yet still affordable place to stay that combines lots of kid-friendly activities with easy access to some of planet Earth’s most beautiful mountains -- the Southern Appalachians -- then go Westgate, young family. The suites are spacious and well-designed with full kitchens and tubs that double as jacuzzis, a welcome luxury after a long mountain run. Also welcome is the private deck each suite offers, a perfect place to enjoy the stunning mountain views and to leave those wet and muddy doglike trail shoes outside. 

Speaking of trail running, the activity is not only a wonderful way to see the mountain forests, but also an excellent way to work up a big appetite, another reason Smoky Mountain Resort and Spa is my Gatlinburg go-to. Smoky Mountain has Southern Comfort, a restaurant with a classic Southern comfort food menu featuring many of the same dishes my grandmother used to make in Jackson, Tennessee back in the ‘60s and ‘70s.  (Only the chefs at Southern Comfort make them way better; Granny wasn’t much of a cook.) My favorite starters there include the deviled eggs and the fried green tomatoes. Both feature house-made pimento cheese and the tomatoes are soaked in buttermilk before receiving a coat of flour seasoned with house-blended Creole spices. As for main courses, I can’t get enough of Southern Comfort’s fried chicken. Brined for 24 hours in a citrus-forward blend -- lemon, limes, and oranges with sugar, salt and thyme -- the meat is then breaded and deep-fried golden brown and served alongside fried okra with spicy aioli, house-made collard greens and mashed potatoes blended with butter, sour cream, salt, and white pepper. Dessert has to be pecan pie and house-made vanilla ice cream. The meal was so good that I almost ordered it again after the next day’s mountain run. Instead, I went with Louisiana-style blackened catfish and mac and cheese, the former was as tasty as any I have ever had in New Orleans and the latter was arguably some of the best mac and cheese of my life. Made “low and slow,” Southern Comfort’s three cheese mac takes three to four hours to make and comes topped with cracker bits and smoked paprika. For dessert, I was all about the peach cobbler and another scoop of that house-made ice cream. 

But man doesn’t live by great food alone. Man also needs massages, particularly after day two’s 20 something mile run. And this is where the “spa” part of the name ‘Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa’ comes in very handy -- literally.  It’s called Serenity Spa and the masseuse who worked on me was an expert in rubbing the sore muscles back to where they all needed to be in order to avoid any possibility of waking up during the middle of the night to the sound of my own screams from the calf cramps. (Yes, that actually happens on occasion and trust me, it is highly unpleasant.) But Serenity Spa sure is pleasant, very much so, from the scented candles to the relaxing music to the expert care. 

The Great Smoky Mountains have over 800 hundred miles of trails, and I want to make friends with all of them. I’ll definitely be back to Smoky Mountain Resort to do so. Sure, they don’t have llamas there, but Mount LeConte Lodge doesn’t have the creature comforts this creature craves. So Southern Comfort, I’ll be seeing y’all again. I didn’t get to try the Carolina shrimp and grits last time around, a problem I’ll fix on my next Great Smoky Mountain run.