While the guide, Dustin, was very informative, the transportation was less than desirable The van had seats for maybe 15 but the seats were not wide enough and uncomfortable. there were a number of stops where the people were to get out of the van to look at the colors of the leaves. It was very difficult for some to exit and enter the van and that made the whole experience distasteful.
Dustin, being local, provided a wealth of information about the Smoky Mountain area. He had wonderful stories and definitions of language used in the area. He said that he had scouted to find good spots for viewing color. He took us on the Foothills Parkway to a couple of overlooks where the views were great.
He also took us to Elkmont, Daisy Village, I believe he said, to view the historic buildings. That did not seem to be in the description.
The trip was scheduled to be five hours long. That meant he needed to stop for a food break and he picked a cafe in Townsend but had said that we could bring our own food if desired. Having a "picnic" at the cafe was not the thing to do. The only tables were at the cafe where patrons of the cafe sat and ate the food purchased in the cafe. I did not feel comfortable taking space where paying customers normally sat. The descriptin should specify that food can be purchased during the tour.
The tour was acceptible only because of Dustin, who did good preparation for finding where the good views of colored leaves were, was the guide and provided much good historical and cultural information.
Ответ от хоста
Nov 2023
I really like this review ... it was very honest and informative. I can respect a review that is so well delivered and unbiased. To address a few things, the location we stop for lunch had picnic tables in the area next to the coffee house but for some reason they were removed recently. This was not a change we were aware of. There are also seating areas at the coffee house and you are welcome to sit at the Cafe. We bring them many paying customers and you are our mutual customer so they would be more than happy to accommodate you. If it was unwelcome we wouldn't suggest brining a picnic lunch. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the information given by Dustin. He's an excellent tour guide and a long term local so he does have a wealth of knowledge on this area. The locations visited on the tour aren't really listed because every year the areas change based on the whims of the guide and how the colors are looking. Some years we visit Cosby, some years we see Newfound gap ... it changes from year to year and sometimes week to week. As for the tour vehicle, we agree on that. Ford did a poor job at making adequate room inside the Ford Transit. The seats are often too narrow for grown adults which is why we stop at 12 guests even though it can hold 15. We had bigger busses before the pandemic but thanks to the government deciding that it was a great idea to stop the whole country for a few months we had to issue tens of thousands in refunds, something we were not ready for. To give those guests their refunds we had to sell assets. Since the pandemic carried on with no income and bills pouring in we had to sell even more assets. We went from a very well established tour business with 6 vehicles to a tiny business fighting its way back up the ladder with only 1 vehicle. We aren't backed by a multi million dollar company so we have to play with the hand we are dealt.
I do hope your vacation was a pleasant one and that you come see us again on your next visit.