Experience Gatlinburg! The Redwood Retreat is a remodeled historic home in the heart of Gatlinburg.
Located a short 4 minute walk from the parkway, this well appointed 2 bedrooms, 2 bathroom cabin sleeps 7 or more people and has a private hot tub. It is an easy walk on level ground to the Convention Center, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, The Space Needle, The Sky Bridge, and so much more. The Aquarium, Anakeesta and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are all about a 15 minute walk.
Enjoy a Private Theater with a 70' HDTV, true surround sound, Xbox One, Blue Ray DVD player, Charter Cable, and Netflix. Bring your favorite games and movies; the theatre will blow your mind. If you're a gamer you will love being able to use the sound clues coming through surround sound to navigate your games. This dedicated theater room has two walls covered in rich, sound attenuating satin curtains and you'll enjoy all your media from a reclining leather sofa.
From the Private Theatre, you can walk into the compact spa-like master bathroom with a huge 2 person heated, jetted tub that has 2 showerheads. The next door opens into the Master Bed Chamber which welcomes you with a king-size Kings Down mattress, piles of puffy pillows, and a clean, cozy comforter all piled into a sturdy, solid wood sleigh bed. Of course, there is a 40' flatscreen HDTV with cable, Netflix and a Blueray DVD player tucked into the corner.
The doors in this part of the house are arranged such that the Theatre, Master Bath and Master Bed Chamber can be isolated from the rest of the house to make a truly indulgent Master Suite. With this set-up, parents can enjoy their own retreat while the kids use the front Living Room room to watch movies. Alternatively, the Master Bathroom and Master Bed Chamber can be isolated so any guest can use the Private Theatre. If the kids are old enough, they can walk 4 minutes to the arcades and Lazer Tag arena at the Space Needle and Ripley's Believe it or Not while parents unwind in the Master Suite.
As you exit the Master Bed Chamber you can turn right into the Bunk Room where there are 4 wonderfully comfortable, memory foam mattresses; two full size and three twin size. Here too, there are piles of pillows for everyone and a 40' flatscreen HDTV with cable, Netflix and a Blueray DVD player. If you happen to have an extra guest there is a spare mattress in the trundle under one of the bunk beds.
Across the hall from the Bunk Room is the fully renovated main bathroom. From the hall, you will also see the fresh and fun kitchen with beautifully refinished original cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a huge dining room table that can seat 6-8 people. The kitchen is appointed with a standard 12 cup coffee maker, an electric kettle, 12 sets of dinnerware (1 set includes: dinner plate, small plate, bowl cup, glass, spoon, fork, and knife), 8 wine glasses, 8 beer mugs, a stovetop cook set, basic bake-ware, casserole dishes, pizza pan, blender/food processor, mixer, toaster, large pitcher and general cooking utensils. The Kitchen has a door into the Theatre room, and adjacent to the kitchen are the washer and dryer and a space big enough to set up a queen air-bed if you are coming with a lot of guests (we don't supply any air beds).
The last door out of the hallway brings you to the first room in the house; the luxurious living room. Here you will find an original stone hearth outfitted with a gas fireplace, a 42' flat-screen TV with true surround sound, and huge leather sectional with 3 recliners in it. What may strike you most is what you see out the front window; the space needle, the Sky Park, and the mountain the Sky Park sky lift climbs. From here you really begin to understand just how close you are to all that makes Gatlinburg one of the most popular destinations in the United States. It's all just 5 minutes away, but from inside one of Gatlinburg's original homes, you still feel secluded in this quiet neighborhood.
Outside you'll enjoy the large hot tub with an easy-to-use cover lifter and a patio with a charcoal barbecue, two tables, and seating for 8. With the location of the Redwood Retreat, we are sure you will really appreciate having private, off-street parking for 3-4 cars. There are paid parking lots further from downtown than this! The gently sloping ramp going to and from your car means the only time you'll have to lift your rolling bag is to get it out of the car. Your first adventure doesn't have to be getting your luggage into the cabin!
The hot tub is about 40 feet from the door, we chose this location for a couple of reasons. First, for the view toward Gatlinburg. Second, when it's firefly season, the fireflies in the trees behind the house and around the jacuzzi are magical. Finally, the ivy-covered stone walls of this hot tub alcove have a historic charm that we just can't get enough of. We arranged the hot tub cover lifter so that when it's open, the cover itself provides privacy from the neighbors to the south. Please bring a bathing suit as this hot tub is not isolated enough for nude bathing. The hot tub water is changed, the tub cleaned and new chemicals added after every guest.
Beneath the surface of this home are the systems that you should never have to think about: The new 2 stage heating and cooling system with brand new ductwork and state of the art air filtration will quietly keep your air clean and comfortable. Meanwhile, the top of the line tankless water heater provides unlimited hot water; meaning every-body can take showers at the same time and all guests can cleanup without the last few having to suffer through a chilly shower. Please note this is not an 'instant' water heater; the hot water still has to travel through lengths of pipe to get to your faucet, so it can take 30 seconds to a minute to flow hot. Each bathroom has a ventilation fan that will automatically turn on when the humidity increases and an auxiliary heater so you can stay toasty warm after your shower.
Historic Charm: This home was built in 1934, throughout its life it has been a private home, an overnight rental, and a long-term rental home. At one point the head of Gatlinburg's Garden club lived here, we suspect she planted the tree you will see about a foot outside the front window. Originally there were a number of homes just like this one in this neighborhood. Most were demolished but one was so well-loved that it was detached from its foundation, loaded on a truck, and taken to the owners' larger property in Sevierville. This one has survived. Its former owner kept it well maintained so when we bought it we were able to live in it as our primary home for a year.
During that year, we learned what we loved and what we wanted to change; though the home was well maintained it was also very outdated with a lot of accumulated wear and tear. After walking downtown for coffee, food, and entertainment almost every day for a year, we decided that this home was something we needed to share with others who love the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg. We bought another historic home in Sevier County, made it t livable, and moved in. Then the work on the Redwood Retreat work began. Months and many dollars later it was finally ready for your arrival. We did our best to maintain the historical charm of this cottage while making it a luxury getaway fit for discerning travelers.
Getting back to the Tree:
It took me months to figure out what kind of tree this is because it's not a common tree of the Smoky Mountains. It is a Coastal Redwood. It is the same tree that has huge parks dedicated to it in California. It just so happens that the Smoky Mountains, with their high humidity and frequently misty conditions, provide a great climate for the Coastal Redwood. Needless to say, we think the tree is just wonderful. It will eventually encroach upon the house, and that is just fine as there are plenty of techniques that we can use in the future to maintain the house alongside the tree; for now, we just want you to be able to enjoy the 'Redwood Retreat' tucked beneath its boughs.
