Inclusive travel destinations in Smoky Mountains or thereabouts

May 16, 2021 9:12 AM

HI there. I'm tasked with researching on possible retreat destinations for a group of professional women that includes a mix of identities, cultures and religions. A third of the members are Black, some are Jewish, some are queer. The Smoky Mountains came up as a possibility because it's the geographic epicenter of our group. We want to ensure a safe, relaxing time for everyone and avoid unwelcoming, biased or racist encounters with staff, other travelers, etc. Can you recommend any places?

We're open to looking at various types of accommodation, from a cabin rental (ideally near a reasonably progressive town/city) to a hotel to a full service resort. This would likely take place in 2022, but dates are flexible.

Also if you have any destinations to recommend for a really great group of women colleagues who all work in history organizations, would love to add those to our list!

posted by Miko to Travel & Transportation around Blount County, TN (12 answers total)

I just got back from a week in the Smokies yesterday. It's solidly Trumplandia. The t-shirt shops in Gatlinburg are proudly displaying their Trump 2024 t-shirts and Confederate battle flags. I'd go a couple of hours farther east to Asheville NC - it's a much more progressive area. Charlottesville VA would also check the near mountains and progressive check boxes.
posted by COD at 10:46 AM on May 16, 2021 [6 favorites]

You should definitely look into Asheville NC if you haven't already, it has a long history of working towards inclusivity. I suspect you would find several explicitly inclusive accommodations near Asheville. It's not technically in the smoky mountains (do you mean Great Smoky Mountain national park?) but close enough. Plenty of history around there too, the big one being the Biltmore (which is kind of the opposite of historically inclusive but I did find it interesting)
posted by JZig at 10:47 AM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Don't expect Asheville to be great in terms of race. It should be very welcoming to the Jewish and queer parts of your group, but it is nothing like Atlanta or DC or even Charlotte. It is very, very white, and you can expect a lot of microaggressions (if not full on aggressions) against the Black women in your group, I'm sorry to say. It might be the best you're going to get in the region, but it's not going to be great for everyone.

Anyone know about Dollywood?
posted by rikschell at 10:57 AM on May 16, 2021 [3 favorites]

Great Smoky Mountains NP is the most visited national park in the system with north of 12 million annual visits. You are going to find every possible type of person for better or worse.
posted by mmascolino at 11:38 AM on May 16, 2021 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Anyone know about Dollywood?

I was wondering about Dollywood and the related resorts.
posted by Miko at 12:29 PM on May 16, 2021

It’s in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I’ve only been there for UU programs, but there’s The Mountain RLC nearish to Asheville.
posted by supercres at 1:25 PM on May 16, 2021

Whoops, not as close to Asheville as I remembered— about 2h. Same from Atlanta and Greenville. Close to Highlands NC but I can’t remember much about that town.
posted by supercres at 1:30 PM on May 16, 2021

I recommend Berea, Kentucky!!
posted by smorgasbord at 6:24 PM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Asheville, NC isn't the most diverse city, but it's a lovely town.

Western NC and the Smokies definitely see a lot of tourists, but some areas there were sundown towns. They aren't going to feel super welcoming to your group, I suspect. I'd look at cities, preferably a bit further east, or college towns, so Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, NC, Durham, NC, etc.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:42 PM on May 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm not a fan of Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. Perhaps The Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend would be an option. While Townsend is not socially diverse, I've been pleased with how welcoming and friendly the employees are at the lodge. I feel like the smaller, quieter towns are more likely to attract the nature lovers and outdoorsy types, while Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg tend to be full of people that want to sample moonshine and buy T-shirts and partake of kitschy tourist attractions.
posted by Ostara at 10:20 AM on May 17, 2021

Highlander Research and Education Center in TN is near the Smokies (dunno exactly what counts as the Smokies), and has hosted convenings and conferences for radical and progressive causes for several generations now. They definitely understand intersectional politics, group dynamics, and are committed allies to all sorts of positive movements for social justice.

I have no idea whether they can accommodate your particular group, or what COVID has done to their capacity for hosting meetings, but they're worth reaching out to.
posted by dkg at 3:09 PM on May 17, 2021

I was in the Smokies last week. Plenty of Trump signs and Confederate flags. I always make it a point to smile at fellow hikers, but hardly anyone even made eye contact. Wasn't a covid thing either -- random white folks happily chatting or saying hello to each other, just not to the brown woman. I've hiked in a lot of places across the country, never felt this unwelcome.

There may be pockets of inclusivity, but they are quickly beaten down. Example : on the way home, we drove through Maggie Valley, past a motel that had an ACAB sign (which surprised me), and then about 25 "Back the Blue." So the Our Place Inn might be the place to stay in that region, if they stay in business (they've been getting death threats; the FBI is investigating, but even the local NPR affiliate can barely conceal its disdain, so I don't have high hopes they'll stick around.)

Asheville seemed more progressive, though still very white. Good breweries though.
posted by basalganglia at 1:36 PM on May 25, 2021 [1 favorite]