So you have made your reservations and you are going to be staying in a cabin in the Smokies for the first time. You went online or you called a reservationist, you picked the cabin that had all the amenities that you wanted, you got the right number of bedrooms and you are packing the car to head to the Great Smoky Mountains for the best vacation of your life. So the question is: What do you bring, or what do you need to pick up for your week long stay in a cabin?
First things first, you are going to have a full kitchen in the cabin. This is completely different than staying in a hotel room. That first night you get in, you are not going to want to go to the store before you get to the cabin and settle in for the night. Bring enough food to cook breakfast for the next morning. Your vacation rental will have a refrigerator; bring the items that you need for breakfast without fear that they will spoil overnight. If you have the room, bring your food for the whole week and save that shopping trip the next day. Either way, remember this is one of the reasons that you got the cabin in the first place. Being able to cook some of your meals will save you money and bring your family closer together then eating out every meal while you are on vacation.
Another reason that you chose a cabin was for the entertainment that the amenities provide. If you got a cabin that has a theater room or a large screen TV, make sure that you bring movies with you to watch. If your cabin has a hot tub (most of them do) or a pool, bring extra towels for the many trips to the hot tub or pool that you will take. The cabin rental companies do provide towels in the cabins but you will find yourself washing all the time to keep up with the demand that a pool might put on the towels in the cabin.
And speaking of laundry and cleaning, most rental companies will provide a starter set of laundry detergent, dishwashing soap and dishwasher detergent. If you are staying for a week or more you are going to want to either bring some cleaning supplies with you or you are going to want to pick some up while you are in the area. As previously said, you will have towels but just like at home, unless you want to use the same one all week, you are going to wash at some point. If you have kids with you, there will be accidents and you will wash at some point. Also, before you leave the cabin, the rental company is going to ask you to leave it like you found it before you check out, so having some cleaning supplies is a good idea. Bring them with you or pick them up while you are out having fun in the area.
Remember that in a cabin you are staying in a home and there is no maid service like in a hotel. You are going to want to pick up after yourself and come prepared to have a good time while you stay in the Smokies. Stock up on food, bring plenty of movies to watch on the numerous TVs that are in most cabins, and bring extra towels if you are going to use the hot tub a lot and some cleaning supplies are a must. Making sure you have what you need when you stay in a cabin will make your vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains area that much more fun.
