We really enjoyed this play cafe. The building it is housed in has a really cute food court…read moreNextdoor that was fun to pair with our visit. Lots of great stuff for younger children. My 3 year old had a blast and there were some fun things to engage my 9 month old with too. The snack and beverage bar area was a notch above what you usually find at these types of places. The baked items looked good and they had some fun drink options. I really appreciated NOT having to pay for nonslip socks. Thank you. We brought our own. The birthday spaces were a great addition to the thoughtfully designed space. I also loved all the parent seating options. My biggest issue was that it's already a very loud space and there was also loud music blasting the entire time. It was pretty overwhelming to have all the kids yelling and screaming on top of the loud Disney ballads too. I really think playing some more chi music or maybe just at a lowered volume would be sooo much better. It was just too much. They had noise cancelling headphones available for use which I assumed were for kiddos who were overstimulated but mama considered putting these on just to drown out that loud music. I also kinda wish the construction vehicle and firetruck "rides" were free since we had already paid to get in.

Inside is nice and insanely clean. Lots to do here but man it can get really busy. Came in and they…read morewere absolutely packed out. I love all the little nooks and slides that they have. One thing that I'm not a huge fan of is that the bathroom is a little far. You have to leave the actual cafe area to go down the hall to the bathroom. Might not be a huge deal to some but it could be if you have younger kids.

Dec 15th! What a treat to walk through all the Christmas lights along the paths!…read more I believe was their second year of lights. It was amazing! A chilly night, bundled up for it and a Hot cocoa from the drink trailer was just the perfect ticket to stay out longer! Can't wait for the next display!

Where to begin. The atmosphere is nice. Unfortunately, that is the only positive statement I can…read moremake about this alleged higher end restaurant. I was visiting my brother and his wife and they wanted to take me to a special dinner. I maintain a vegan diet, so my sister in law asked a server at Aspire if they accommodate a plant-based diet. She was told absolutely; further, the server said the chef and kitchen are very creative. We get to the restaurant and the server did not even know what a vegan diet is. Nothing on the menu, either. He went to the kitchen and said they could serve me some pasta with broccoli and mushrooms. I said that would be acceptable. The server brought out a bowl of overcooked penne with a tiny bit of broccoli and some small pieces of mushroom...all drenched in what seemed like a cup of olive oil and very little spicing. There was so much oil, I had to ask the server to take the dish and drain off the oil. He did and brought back the bowl which now only had maybe a 1/4 cup of oil. They did add a pinch of oregano and salt and pepper. Of course it was over salted now. I get the bill and they had the nerve to charge me for their chicken and pasta dish. Nearly $20 for cheap pasta and a few veggies. Seriously! I asked for the manager on the way out and shared my disappointment. What I got was a bunch of excuses. The Executive Chef was off that night. They were really busy. The manager was new and was here to fix things. He offered to comp the bill for the entire party. I told him that was not necessary. He insisted again and I said, my brother and his wife had what they ordered, so again, not necessary. (Note...the steak and fish dishes they had were, according to them, just OK...nothing special and a bit disappointing.) He said he would comp my dinner and I said that was fine. He did comp my dinner dish, not the wine I had. Frankly, if he wanted to make up for the poor experience I had and the embarrassment my sister in law, who had selected this restaurant, was experiencing, he would have written off the entire bill as a surprise. That is how he would get them back to the restaurant. Oh well. I did suggest, since he was new, that he has numerous opportunities ahead of him and he acknowledged this. He said they would be working on a new menu that plans for gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets. I hope Aspire does and I wish them the best in the future.

My wife stumbled across Wandering Llamas while researching things to do during our annual spring…read morebreak adventure. We spent two nights in the fox den treehouse which is located in one of the llama pasture areas. The "treehouse" is a elevated wooden shed like structure that has been refurbished into a pleasant little hideaway in the Smoky's. The treehouse has a nice deck to sit and enjoy the mountain view. There's also a nice swing chair and firepit to enjoy as well. The treehouse has electricity with a small electric heater to take the chill out. The treehouse was very clean and the bed unbelievably comfortable. The treehouse is a one and only. If you are renting here you have the treehouse and llamas all to yourself. The property owner and host (Sandy) lives on the property and is available if you are in need of anything. Sandy is very personable and will spend time sharing of herself with her guests. On the llama walk each person usually gets there own llama to walk with. Sandy accompanies you and can answer any llama related question you may have. The walk is at a very leisurely pace and lasts about two hours. The llamas are easy to walk and well behaved. Contrary to popular opinion of some the llamas did not spit at one another. One thing to be aware of if staying in the treehouse is there is no running water and only a fancy bucket of a toilet in an outhouse under the treehouse. This didn't bother us, but for some that don't care for "roughing it" I could see it as a drawback. (There is a gas station about a mile away that we used the bathroom at. We are members of the YMCA at home. There's a Y a few miles away and with the Y reciprocity program we were able to go there to take a hot shower. The Wandering Llama was an awesome get away experience for us and Sandy is a great host. We appreciate her sharing her llamas.

A super fun, unique outing if you are spending time in the Smoky Mountains, about a 1.5 hour drive…read morefrom our cabin in Sevierville. We booked the 2-hour wine and cheese tour because it was the only tour that had open spots left (we booked about a week ahead). We skipped the wine and cheese part due to our concerns about COVID (the food is served in their open gazebo, so it's relatively safe - we just prefer taking extra precautions and had already eaten lunch just before we got there), but the llama hike alone was well worth it. The walk, about 1.5 hours total time, is along the gravel road, which is a little hilly, but manageable if you're fit (not so much if you have small kids that don't do a lot of walking). Most of the time was spent relaxing in an open field - very socially distant from the other eight people in our group - where we fed the llamas and took lots of pictures. The llamas are super friendly and so soft! Though Sandy (the owner) provides animal crackers and strawberries for the llamas to enjoy during the middle of the hike, definitely bring your own -- we brought graham crackers and sliced apples to feed them throughout the walk, and the llamas LOVE to eat! Sandy is very friendly and welcoming and took pictures of everyone during the hike, which she emailed to us later. A great highlight of our trip!

Talk about diamond in the dust! This little neat Nifty child's Galore is hidden within one of the…read moredeadest malls in the surrounding areas. Maryville Foothills Mall to be exact, there's so much to do games, lights, tokens and fun everywhere along with bounce houses.... miniature ones at that inside. The prices are relatively cheap and fair and ready for any kid (or adult) to go explore. I could not find any advertising for this place and actually had to walk into the zombie Mall to see this establishment. I did walk through the games and it took about five minutes for any staff to come out but I assume since no one is hardly here then they are all in the back scrolling through the phones Etc. This is like a Chuck-E-Cheese Junior, where you can win prizes tickets tokens with the addition of an inflated bounce house that kids will probably end up playing on more than not. The area, games and houses look relatively clean as there are seldom people here. You cannot miss it and if it helps and you do not have the energy to walk 30 seconds end to end in this mall. This is great bc you won't be dealing with too many other people as you will love it and the owner will love you even more!

From the owner: Keep calm and bounce!…read more family entertainment center offering Inflatables, arcade, laser tag, parties and more!

We had a great time here today and the new owners are great people.. a lot of fun and great…read moreprices.. we did a round on the course and afterwards had some ice cream and a malt shake.. both were delicious Also if get a chance they have gem mining as well.

We had a fun afternoon out at Bear Creek. The 18 hole miniature golf course is well maintained…read moreand has some fun challenges. My grandsons had a great time on the course. Afterwards, we enjoyed some cold drinks and snacks in the main area. It is very neat and clean. One grandson elected to pan for gems which yielded a nice assortment of pieces. A nice added touch was a chart for him to help identify what he found. Lots of fun. Nice, friendly staff help round out this find located just outside Murphy,NC.

So, I only knew about this place because my 3 year old watches Handy Man Hal and he had an episode…read moreabout it recently he's actually the one who spotted it so we had to go check it out. We built 2 monster cars. It is just like build a bear. You can do basic and get the standard wheels, rims, etc at no additional costs but do you? Nope... you upgrade and pay for all the extras and accessories. If can be as cheap as $20 or the sky's the limit. Once you pick out all you want, you get to build your ride with assistance. Lastly, one more opportunity to upgrade at check out. Free bag or upgrade to a cardboard box garage, or a car backpack! We got 2 vehicle bases, non RC, upgraded rims on both, monster truck wheels on both, a spoiler on one, a front grill on one, and 2 cardboard garages all for $140. The 2 employees working were very helpful, polite, and informative. Great with my two boys ages 3 and 7. Would recommend if you have a car loving kid!

My son saw "Ridemakerz" on a show and had been begging us to visit ever since. So for his 5th…read morebirthday we took the plunge and drove all the way from Louisville so he could build his very own RC car. My son was so excited! The experience was everything we had hoped for. From picking your own car body from a wide selection, to choosing tires and rims, to putting the car together under the instruction of one of the knowledgeable team members: my kiddo had an absolute blast! The more accessories are added on, the more expensive the car will ultimately end up being so I recommend being aware and setting a limit with your kiddo before visiting. Thank you "ridemakerz" for the great experience!

As a self-proclaimed rock hound, Rose Creek Mine met all expectations and more…read more Our family of 6 went on Sunday, most of us choosing the "DIY Dig" buckets for $20 per person. The experience consisted of digging up two buckets of dirt from the pile that was recently hauled from their Smokey Mountain mine, and using the provided equipment to sift through little by little. The DIY dig touts "non-salted" buckets, which was important to me, giving us as close to a real boots on the ground mining experience that a family of all ages can expect. The pictured peach moonstone was my favorite find of the day, and I also took home some really unique and reasonably priced pieces from the gift shop. I've done a few "dig & sifts" across the states and I was especially impressed with the staff helping to identify the material found and packaging up and labeling for later. The extra few minutes spent was so appreciated. Special shout out to Miss. Nancy for making my family's visit extra special!

This place was amazing. The staff is incredibly helpful, it's a great value and the setup is…read morecomfortable and well shaded. My wife, myself and two girls found a ton of garnets, lots of quarts, a little bit of amethyst, moonstone, ruby and sapphires. Most of the gems were significantly included but they tell you ahead of time that it's pretty rare to find near perfect gems. It's still a great value and a lot of fun. If you want an extra bucket to shift through it's only an additional $5. As far as value the only place around here that might be better offers unlimited buckets for twice the price. That pretty much means you would have to sift through six buckets just to break even. If you only plan to go through 1-3 buckets this is a much better value and the people are nicer as well.

My review is based on the two places I visited at Santa's Land. A stop at Santa's Land on the way…read moreto Cherokee, NC of a family day trip. I've seen the signs for this place, but had never visited. We didn't go to in the park itself, but we did check out the gift shop, and Mrs. Claus's Kitchen. The gift shop was decorated with Christmas trees, and had every kind of ornament that you could imagine. The lady working check out was so friendly, and she told us about the different animals that she sees in her yard. Mrs. Claus's Kitchen was a stop for more fudge. It was a fun visit, Christmas in July.

This is a roadside zoo. My heart broke as soon as we walked in…read more My parents wanted to take my 2 year old daughter here while we are visiting them from Washington state. Apparently they brought me here as a toddler 30 years ago and thought it would be fun to recreate the memory. I had no idea what it was or I would have never agreed to come here. The animals are kept in small, dirty cages of packed dirt and gravel. No attempt made to recreate their natural habitat or provide any enrichment whatsoever. The two baby bear cubs were the most tragic, following tourists as they walked around their very small circular enclosure, begging for food (that can be purchase from a gum-ball machine and inserted into a chute that goes into the cage.) I asked an employee where the cubs come from. "A man in Missouri leases them to us." I then asked what happens to them when they aren't babies anymore and he takes them back. The employee didn't know. Then I said, "so this guy in Missouri is just breeding bears and then shipping the babies across the country to be rented to places like this?" And she said, verbatim, "yeah, I try not to think about that part." I am glad my two year old will have no memory of this place. If she was older we would be having a long, somber conversation about animal abuse and exploitation for profit. And how any zoo with captive animals should be committed to research, conservation, and betterment of the species. It is crazy to think that in 2023, places like this still exist. Even after multiple citations from the USDA for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. We know better now. We have to do better. To alleviate some of my guilt for unknowingly supporting an establishment like this, I will be making a donation to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Please take your kids there, not here. **inhumane animal conditions aside, the park is old and rundown. My daughter did enjoy the train ride and some of the old fair-style mechanical rides (carousel, circular cars and boats) and most of the staff were friendly.**

So much to do ! Real life experience of working hard with construction materials and equipment.read more

Honestly... I felt like it was a rip-off for anyone living a more country lifestyle (mowing your…read moreown yard, driving tractors, 4 wheelers, side by sides regularly). BUT! If you aren't around this type of equipment regularly or live in the city and have construction loving kids, this might be worth it. For us, we were let down. Alot of the machines have the same type of games so it was just repeated play over and over. The little ride on carts for tots barely move, so my 3 year old was bored. Shes a little dare devil though so a tamer 3 year old might enjoy it. I get why its expensive, I know those machines are expensive to upkeep. And staff was very friendly. Place was clean. But we wont be returning.