Cincinnati to Great Smoky Mtns road trip: 24 stops worth the detour

A classic Smokies comfort-food stop for families staying between Cades Cove and Gatlinburg.

the Niagara of the South, with a moonbow

Contemporary Southern restaurant and award-winning bourbon bar on Jefferson Street pairing chef-driven plates with a deep whiskey list. Order: Bourbon flight.

For over 40 years a pillar of Lexington fine dining, serving refined American fare with Southern and European influences downtown. Order: Tournedos Maxwell.

Restaurant inside the historic 21c Museum Hotel elevating Southern dishes like smoked grits with locally sourced farm ingredients. Order: Smoked grits.

the highest point in Knox County

Michelin-noted north Gay Street deli serving Eastern European and Jewish fare like lox bialys, matzoh ball soup and house babka Order: Lox bialy.

a wide, mossy fall on a forest trail near Cumberland Falls

a graceful fall on the Sheltowee Trace in Daniel Boone forest

the tallest fall in the Smokies, in old-growth forest

a fall with a face-on view of the "Niagara of the South"

A simple drive-in burger stop for the Cades Cove day, useful when the loop runs long and nobody wants to fight Pigeon Forge traffic.

Townsend coffee roaster and breakfast stop for early Cades Cove entry days, before the loop road backs up.

the tallest fall in the Smokies, deep in old-growth forest

A historic valley loop full of wildlife

A quieter Townsend dinner for the Cades Cove side of the park.

The Red River Gorge’s natural arches

a tall, delicate fall on the Cherokee reservation near the Smokies