Thirty years ago my husband and I spent the first part of our honeymoon at Rose Mountain chalet, one of Mountain Laurel Chalets, at the time. As far as we know, it was lost in the 2016 fire, because we could not return for our 30th wedding anniversary this year. But we did return to the Mountain Laurel Chalets website and found a spot that we both thought we would like, Bear Paw. We thought correctly, because we absolutely LOVED it. And we did see bears. A mom and four cubs, right outside our bedroom window, on our third day there. But my phone/camera was outside on the deck. Lesson for the day: always keep your camera within reach!

Mountain Laurel Chalets did not disappoint. Online reservations were easy. My husband's phone calls to ask questions that were not on their website were answered pleasantly and thoroughly.

In-person check-in was smooth and efficient with very friendly staff. I was very warmly greeted, too, because I was wearing the 50th anniversary T-Shirt for Rose Mountain Chalets, with the bright yellow name emblazoned across the front. I was not about to miss the opportunity to celebrate their 50 years (which was actually 2022) with our 30 years. It was close enough, right?

The map to get to the chalet was perfect. WE were NOT. We missed a turn, going left instead of right. When the names of the roads we were on were on the other side of the map, we back-tracked. If you've ever driven the roads in those mountains, you know they are narrow, steep and winding. Just like the driveway we needed to take, once we found Bear Paw. BUT THE VIEW WAS WELL WORTH THE CLIMB!!!

We had a little problem using the key-less entry, but a call to the office and a remote reset had us inside in no time.

We were greeted by Alexa playing music that was heard throughout the chalet. We're not Alexa users and after a few unsuccessful attempts to get her to change the music to our 80's rock, we just told her to go to sleep and we enjoyed the natural mountain sounds.

The chalet was everything we wanted and more. It was not only beautifully furnished with bear themed decor, but well stocked with laundry soap, dish washer detergent and a "surprise" breakfast treat from a local bakery. And THE VIEW had me smiling my "I'm in heaven!" smile.

We had made a few plans for our Gatlinburg visit that would take us back into town, but I would have been content to just stay at the chalet the whole trip. There were things to do (hot tub, TV's, checkers and backgammon), a full kitchen and grill to cook whatever our hearts desired, a reclining sofa for watching movies or reading books (that we'd brought from home), bistro-like tables and chairs on the deck for outdoor dining.

We had breakfast on the deck every morning, after I got up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains.

We were having trouble getting the TV's working on our third day there. Nothing we tried could get us anything beyond the welcome screen. We called the office and someone was at our door in a couple of hours. We enjoyed some Gatlinburg wine and a movie that evening.

We enjoyed the stay so much we made reservations to return in 2024.