Back in November, Clay and I loaded up the kids and his mom and step-dad and made our annual trek to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We had a full itinerary including attractions like the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and several Ripley’s attractions like Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. When we travel with more than just the two of us we always, always, always rent a cabin for space and convenience and Auntie Belham’s Cabin Rentals is, by far, my favorite rental facility. This year, we actually did sort of a “cabin hop” and decided to stay in TWO of their cabins throughout our trip. The first was Family Tradition. I’ll share the second with you in a couple of weeks.
Disclosure: My family and I were provided with a complimentary stay at Auntie Belham’s Cabin Rentals Family Tradition cabin to help facilitate our review. All opinions are strictly my own and/or those of family members participating in this review.
Family Tradition is located in the Covered Bridge resort so you do have other cabins surrounding you. But once inside, it is very private. We prefer to be far up in the mountains with some seclusion, but I’ve always wanted to stay in one of the resorts to see what it was like. And I have to say that it was really nice. It would be the perfect place to stay if you were having a family reunion and wanted individual cabins instead of one large rental. Especially the cul-de-sac we were in. The cabins were laid out in a court and family would be able to gather and enjoy being together. Parking was a little strange, but once we figured out where our two spots were, there was no problem getting in and out.
The cabin, itself, is beautiful! There are two decks with rocking chairs and a rocker/glider. There is a hot tub for relaxing after a long day of walking through Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and a nice gas grill for grilling up a big, juicy steak.
If grilling isn’t your thing, there is a fully stocked kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a dishwasher. There were plenty of pots and pans, electric can opener and coffee pot and all the utensils you’d need. It was beautifully decorated throughout with black bears and pine trees with white lights.
Family Tradition has 3 bathrooms. One on each of the three floors. The bathrooms come with a starter supply of toilet paper, hand soap and one towel and wash rag per guest. Family Tradition sleeps up to 10 people. The bathrooms also each have a tub and shower and the upstairs bathroom has a Jacuzzi tub!
There are 4 bedrooms. The main floor and upper level bedrooms feature king sized beds. The upper level has the Jacuzzi tub, that my kids and mother-in-law did NOT want to leave behind! 😀
It also has an electric fireplace that was so nice to turn on at night after walking around Gatlinburg. It is really beautiful. I fell in love with the bed in that room. The headboard was so pretty and the bed was beyond comfortable. I laid across it and immediately fell asleep!
The lower level rooms both have queen sized beds. The game room is in the lower level so those bedrooms would be perfect for the kids. There is also a little sitting area with a pull out couch in the game room. This was one area where I was able to sit and do some work.
There is another loft sitting area with a reclining sofa and a chair in the upper level. It was gorgeous. There were really large windows with a beautiful view during the day. I loved to sit up there at night, though, and work while everyone else was downstairs playing in the game room. And one of my daughters thought this was the perfect place to take a nap.
Speaking of the game room. This room featured fun for everyone. There was a pool table, a 60 game arcade table with games like Pac Man and other Atari games. The kid LOVED the arcade game. I wish that was a standard feature in all the cabins. There was also a magnetic dart board and a flat screen TV. The kids loved sitting down there and watching TV at night before bed. The bedrooms each had their own TV as well.
The view was picturesque! From the front deck, you are greeted with not only a beautiful mountain but also a valley view. We were there in the fall and the colors were amazing. I loved sitting out on the deck first thing in the morning. There is a little store, pizza eatery and deli right before you turn in to Covered Bridge resort so even though you have this beautiful view, you are still within driving or even walking distance to establishments. You aren’t out in the middle of no where. I know a lot of folks prefer to be within easy access to stores. And at Family Tradition, you are!
I have a TON of pictures from this cabin, like, at least 60. I am working on a video and slideshow to show them all. But I’m having some trouble with my editing software so it will be a few days before I get it online. When I do it will go up on our Youtube channel and I’ll update this post with the link and embedded video. I can’t wait for you to see all the photos of the cabin! So be on the lookout for the video NEXT WEEK! Better yet, subscribe to our email list or Youtube channel so you won’t miss out!
I also wanted to give a little shout out to Auntie Belham’s for something I heard about while I was there. The owner is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He has been just as friendly and down to earth each time I’ve seen him. And I new that he and Auntie Belham’s were generous and kind but I didn’t know just how much. During our stay I learned that Auntie Belham’s had been featured on an episode of The Doctor’s. A Nashville, Tennessee resident was in a horrible accident resulting in the loss of a limb. Auntie Belham’s Cabin Rentals graciously gave this man and his family a FREE stay in one of their cabins. Just because. It’s random acts of kindness like that, that really show you a businesses character. That really touched my heart and made my love for this place grow even larger. You can read more about the story over on Auntie Belham’s blog.
I always give my honest opinion of a place or product. If I don’t like it, I will tell you. If I love it, I will tell you. And I have to say that so far, I’ve loved each place we’ve stayed with Auntie Belham’s, including Family Tradition. Resort areas might not be our thing but the cabin was perfect.
If you are looking for a cabin that is in the lower elevations but has a gorgeous mountain and valley view, then Family Tradition is absolutely perfect for you.
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I am a stay-at-home- mom, living in KY with my husband and children. I’m a travel and lifestyle blogger encouraging folks to live their life one adventure at a time while also focusing on beauty, essential oils and health. From time to time I also like to showcase my adorable pets along with my family. Along with Cinnamon Hollow I can be found at The Martin Family Adventure … read more
Very nice blog about Family Tradition At Auntie Belham’s Cabin Rentals. If grilling isn’t your thing, there is a fully stocked kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a dishwasher. Their are 4 bedrooms in each apartment. Each room have attached bathroom. Their are very good facilities. The food is also very delicious and very traditional like rooms.
Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Hi Crystal,
Our Tennessee trip was a blast. We stayed in Good Times. It was everything we expected. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a powder room was perfect for 4 adults and 2 kids. Everyone at Auntie Belham’s was super friendly and helpful. We got in Pigeon Forge late due to traffic in Atlanta. The drop box had everything we needed including directions, keyless code, and extra linens.
We spent time in the Smoky Mountains National Park, including Cade’s Cove. The rangers at the visitor center in the park were very friendly and knowledgeble. We wanted to spend more time in Gatlinburg but due to the Rod Run Weekend, traffic was horrible. We did the Ripley’s Aquarium and Odditorium. We spent a full day at DollyWood which provided lots of fun for all.
We would definately recommend Auntie Belham’s and the area as a great family vacation spot due to the beauty, friendly folk, and numerous activities.
Hi Darren,
Thank you so much for coming back to tell us about your stay with Auntie Belham’s! The event weekends like the Rod Run do bring in a ton of traffic and make it pretty busy down there. Having a friendly experience does help make up for the hectic arrival. I’m glad you all were able to enjoy a few of the attractions during your stay. We’ve visited the Ripley’s attractions and they are always fun.
Cades Cove is a must in my opinion. It is truly one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever seen! If you didn’t get a chance to walk or hike any of the trails there I definitely recommend it. The walk back to the Elijah Oliver cabin is very pretty and only about a mile round trip.
We haven’t visited DollyWood since we were kids. Our own children are begging to go so I think that’s on our list to do next.
Thanks again for coming back and leaving a comment. I hope you all can make it back and check out more of the Great Smoky Mountains!