WINNER
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
There's no admission to get in. So that's a plus -- especially if you've just run the dollar-grab gauntlet that stretches from Sevierville to Gatlinburg.
More than 10 million people visit the most-visited national park in the United States. It encompasses 800 square miles, of which 95 percent are forested. You can hike, drive, swim, camp, picnic, fish, ride horses, enjoy nature and visit remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture. Plus, you'll get soaking wet on the Drippin' Bear Falls Log Ride!
That last one was a joke, we think. ... Check back after the next budget cut.
Runners-up: Gatlinburg and Cades Cove
September 30, 2001