Hey motherfuckers! I am IN! Need to work out logistics and where to sleep but I will be there! I will also stil be jetlagged from a trip back from Singapore so don't be mad if I outdrink everyone.
Depending on what you want to do before and/or after the HERF.. here are some options...
Cherokee, NC... its a little bit of a haul (50-60 miles depending on whether you take the scenic.. or even more scenic route
)... but once you get there.. CASINOS... Hotel options are plentiful... anything from about $49 a night for the "Smokey Mountain Inn" (2 Star).. to $200+ a night for jr suites at Harrahs Casino Hotel.. Just google Cherokee, NC hotels.. and you'll see plenty to choose from...
Gatlinburg, TN... much closer.. about 20 miles from the pavilion.. G'burg and the next little town over, Pigeon Forge (less than 5 miles away) are major tourist destinations.. there is a large amusement/theme park there.. tons of restaurants, a pretty nice aquarium, lots of weird touristy attractions, I dont think they will still be skiiing at Ober Gatlinburg by April.. (almost certain they wont.. but if youre a big ski fan you may want to check..).. but riding the lift to the top is pretty cool.. and they have some neat stuff to see at the top, etc.. Hotels there are plentiful as well.. and range from about $45 a night for the Days Inn that is right in the center of "the strip" in Gatlinburg... to $150+ for the "big brand" 4 star hotels like Hilton, etc.. just google Gatlinburg hotels and tons of options will come up..
Or.. Knoxville, TN is an option (where I will be heading once the festivities are over).. Knoxville isnt a huge city.. but its big enough (metro area population is about 1/2 million Im guessing).. so there are hotel/motel options that run the complete gambit from $39 flea bags.. to $300+ a night boutique hotels... Depending on what you want to do, there are several different recommendations.. If you are looking for "night life".. Downtown has several nice bars and restaurants.. the University of TN is downtown as well.. the area surrounding UT is full of "college" bars.. Or you can head to "market square" or "Old Town" and find a bit of an older crowd that still enjoys "an evening out".. in Old Town there is a pretty nice B&M... directly across the street from the B&M are a couple of restaurants with outdoor seating that allow cigar smoking.. hotels downtown include Holiday Inn, Marriott, Sheraton, etc.. and plenty of other much less expensive options.. "downtown" is pretty vast for a smaller sized city.. everything is not walking distance (you wont want to walk from the Holiday Inn at Worlds Fair Park to Old Town for example.. but.. parking isnt a problem.. and most everything is within a mile or two of each other..
If youre not interested in Downtown.. I would recommend heading to the western edge of the city.. Farragut or Hardin Valley.. These are suburban areas.. mostly residential.. but... Silo Cigar is in Farragut.. a small, but really nice B&M that normally keeps quite a few HTF's in stock (you just have to ask the shop keeper nicely what they have hidden away... theyll usually tell you).. they keep tons of DE, TAT, Opus, etc.. stuff on hand as well.. and.. more importantly.. I live in Hardin Valley (just a few miles from Silo).. If you havent had enough "hanging out" by the time we get kicked out of the park.. some of you are welcome to swing by the house, crack open a beer, and hang out on the back patio for a while and fire up another stick.. There are a handful of hotel and motel options right off the interstate (I-40) on the Hardin Valley/Farragut line (less than 2 miles from my house.. and less than 2 miles from Silo)... on North Campbell Station Road, right at the intersection of I-40 there is a Comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Country Inn and Suites, and a Clarion Inn.. I think there might be a Super 8 and a Days Inn down there as well if youre looking for cheaper options.... All of these are in a "good" part of town though, should at least be clean and decent (cant speak to any of their ammenities..)..
Knoxville is between 50-60 miles away though depending on if you want to take the more direct (scenic) but slower route.. or the interstate (longer.. but faster).. its a bit of a haul...
Where none of you want to stay is Cosby (where the pavilion is).. unless you are planning on camping.. nothing out there except for trees, hills, and black bears... the local resident women have more hair on their face than the bears.. and far less teeth..