We came up to the mountains to get out of the heat. Townsend is a lovely place, lots of river float trips going on, but it is not commercial like Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. Lots of hiking trails and parks. If you enjoy golfing, the Laurel Valley Golf Course is right on the property. It's a pristine quiet community. The Company distillery is a great place to visit. There's a carry out restaurant attached that has delicious pub food. There are several restaurants that range from simple to higher end dining, as well. We found the Cade Cove Winery a fun place to visit, mostly sweet wines, with a few drier choices. There was even a cute Catholic church in town right on the river! One note of caution: there are lots of bear. Do not leave food in your car or on your deck. Follow garbage disposal rules exactly! A bear actually got in our truck bc we didn't lock the doors. Fortunately, no food so they didn't go in further. They were rude, though and left the door open!