Old Mill District, Pigeon Forge #Tennesse

We didn't get to  see the beautiful and quaint village of Old Mill Square until on the third day.  Had I  made  my research before going there, I would have loved to explore more and experience their hospitality with their southern  food and treats.  We discovered this when we were looking for a place to eat.  Unfortunately, we didn't know  that there is an  Old Mill Restaurant  there where you can eat Southern food.  That's what we missed out on. 

Anyway, I told my husband that we should go back there the next day so we can take a picture of Pigeon Forge's beautiful landmark.  The Little Pigeon River  is a favorite spot for tourists to take pictures with.  The first time we saw it,  it was crowded.  So I am glad that on the day that we had to go to Hartford Tenessess for our white water rafting adventure, there was no one there yet so we had the place all for ourselves.   

This historic location of Old Mill District in Pigeon Forge is gorgeous. There are unique shops inside the squares and different restaurants as well. We looked around at some of the shopping stores where you can find beautiful souvenirs. 

It's amazing that the  Old Mill General Store and Mill are still a big part of Pigeon Forge.  Imagine seeing this place which dates back to the 1800’s, it is so cool.  I am also amazed that they still grind the grains for the all of the properties inside.

My daughter would have love to see the Pigeon River Pottery.  It said that it  is the cornerstone shop and has been in continual operation for over 50 years. I would have love to see the  potters demonstrate how to make this traditional mountain craft. 

It might have been a blessing in disguise that I did not get to explore the pottery  because I would have not control myself from buying  handmade serving pieces and decorative art. The Pigeon River Pottery must have made  some of the the plates and  bowls from the restaurants that we  dined at.  

Adjacent to the  Old Mill Plaza is a the Patriot Park.  I can tell that Tennessee are big on  religion and love for military.  

Aside from the kitchen items that we missed to check out,  we also missed out on checking the food and spices at the Farmhouse Kitchen.  I bet my son would have been in heaven for  an irresistible array of candies and sweets.  Oh the sound of homemade caramel and fresh pecans at the Old Mill Candy Kitchen would have been terrific.

 I am saying all of these things that we didn't get to do and see so that when you  go there in Pigeon Forge, you will remember to check it out.  That's one  downside too when you visit a place during the hot summer  days.  You tend to stay away from  walking around, driving around doesn't  bring much fun because finding a parking space in a busy street is hard.  

 I am happy however that we were able to at least take some photos of these  beautiful river.

 This would be a great group of   images to make as postcards.  I didn't  even get a refrigerator magnet  with this mill on it, ugh... but I have a chance to order it online using my photos so it's not a big deal.  

 If I live in Pigeon Forge, I would be in this spot often.  The sound of the water is so relaxing.

The Pigeon Forge Mill or  commonly called the Old Mill, is a historic gristmill .  It is located along the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River.  The, the mill complex currently consists of a millhouse, breastshot wheel, and milldam, all of which are operative.  The history of this mill is very interesting.

 If we ever go back to Pigeon Forge, I would definitely do the things that we didn't get to do do when we were there.  I would prefer a  cooler  temperature when visiting though that way I could walk around without sweating like crazy.  

 Overall, our three-day adventure in Tennessee was awesome.  We get to see not just Pigeon Forge but part of Gatlinburg and Hartford.  We even drove through one  city of North Carolina!