You drink green beer for St. Patrick’s Day, hunt eggs for Easter, decorate the tree for Christmas, overstuff yourself for Thanksgiving, dress up like superheroes for Halloween, and set off fireworks for the 4th of July. So what do you do for International Goof Off Day (March 22)? Take off work, skip school, and find some fun and silly things to do for the day!
Whether you love the great outdoors, need a laid-back day away from work, or want to find some family fun that the kids will love, too, you’ll find it all in the Smokies. Read on and take your pick for the perfect goof off day!
Play in the Great Outdoors
If your idea of goofing off is getting your feet wet, your hands dirty, and your hair wind-blown, then some quality time among the gorgeous scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains is just the International Goof-Off Day fix for you. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of opportunities for outdoor fun here, with miles of cool mountain streams and scenic trails. Grab your fishing pole and do some fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, lace up your boots for a day of hiking on the 800+ miles of trails in the area, or toss around a football in Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge.
Not silly and exciting enough for you? Head over to Smoky Mountain Ziplines for a tree-top adventure, fly down a hill in a giant inflatable ball at the Outdoor Gravity Park in Pigeon Forge, or ride down the mountain – day or night – at the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster for an up-close mountain experience. At Ober Gatlinburg, you can hit the slopes or do some snow tubing with the kids.
Goof Off with the Kids
Adults aren’t the only ones who need a break and a little goofing off time. Get the whole family involved with some of the silly and fun attractions found in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. At WonderWorks, mix education with hands-on fun in space, light and sound, art, and more. At the Hollywood Wax Museum, you can grab props and pose with celebrities or check out the sister attractions on the property, where you can run from zombies, wind your way through a mirror maze, and fight off creatures in a 5D ride.
You can spend the day exploring beneath sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in downtown Gatlinburg or head over to Pigeon Forge to drive go karts and putt around at miniature golf before finishing the night with dinner and a show at Dixie Stampede, The Comedy Barn, Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure, and more. And don’t forget to stop in at one of the old-time photo shops for a fun picture with the family before getting some matching airbrush t-shirts – a Smoky Mountain rite of passage.
Grown-up Goofing Off
If the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear International Goof Off Day is a laid-back day away from work, this part is for you. The Island in Pigeon Forge is a great place to start your day, where you can sit in the rocking chairs around the show fountain or listen to some live music after picking the perfect jar of moonshine to take back to your cabin or bring home. Then you can spend an hour (or less, if you’re really good!) putting together puzzles, decoding, and finding clues to break out of a room at The Escape Game. You can even take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, which boasts awesome views of the city below.
Tour the Rocky Top Wine Trail’s 5 wineries, get your adrenaline pumping at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, spend the day on the greens at Bent Creek Golf Course, take the Aerial Tramway up to Ober Gatlinburg for some ice skating, or spend a day in a cabin – soaking in the hot tub, swimming in your own indoor pool, or having a movie marathon in your own home theater!
If getting away from work and school just wasn’t in the cards for International Goof Off Day, no worries. Just start planning your next vacation to the Smoky Mountains! You already have plenty of ideas for what to do, and you can check our blog for even more ideas and tips. We have cabins in both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, ranging from cozy and charming 1-bedroom getaways to spacious and fully-loaded large group lodges that are perfect for reunions, retreats, and big family vacations. And with amenities like private indoor pools, movie theaters, game tables, mountain views, master suites, wood-burning fireplaces, and fully equipped kitchens, we really have something for any type of vacation!