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The following is a continuation of a multi-part travel series about Anna Coburn’s trip through the Smokies with her husband James.

The next stop on our journey was Pigeon Forge. James and I stayed in a cozy little Hobbit House just outside the city limits that provided a quick trip down the strip but also privacy in the evenings.

One of our favorite attractions in Pigeon Forge was the over-a-century Old Mill. The Old Mill is a district started by the use of a mill on the Little Pigeon River that has been producing flour, cornmill and other grains for nearly two centuries.

The Mill is a timeless piece of Pigeon Forge history, having once provided electricity to everyone in the area. Not only that, the Mill’s restaurant (The Old Mill Restaurant) now provides food to about 3,000 people a day.

The experience was interesting. One of the first winter cold fronts was coming through the mountains, and yet there I was, standing outside in line for an hour in a very thin skirt. While waiting, we went to the Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery House, which is a long studio stuffed with all types of artisanal pottery. One of the potters was still working on the wheel and we watched as she finished a bowl and cleaned up.

We also made a stop at the Old Forge Distillery, and sampled some whiskey before heading back the line. All the time, peoples’ names were being called over an intercom place throughout the whole plaza so they could know when it was their turn for the tantalizing food.

The wait was definitely worth it. Seated quickly, we chose our meals as we tried to fight down our ravenous hunger. I picked the Old Mill Chicken and Dumplings for my meal and James picked the Deep South Chicken Pot Pie. During our wait, we were served a cup of Corn Chowder, corn fritters, house side salad, mashed potatoes and green beans.

The dumplings made from the Mill’s own flour melted in my mouth. It was true Southern comfort food, and I’m still craving it. James’ pot pie was also delicious, and we barely had room for the pieces of pecan pie we were served next. We kept the pie to-go, and after leaving with a bag full of leftovers, we went back to our Hobbit House.

The next day, we felt we couldn’t just go to the Mill at night, and James really wanted to see the wheel running, so we returned to the plaza.

We went into the original Mill shop where we were given a tour of the room where they grind the flour by an employee who started working at the mill when he was just 11 years old. Emmitt Denney, the oldest employee at the Mill, explained the grinding process and showed us the millstones, which have only been replaced once. They were replaced in the 70s after the first millstones had been used for 147 years.

After spending an hour talking with Emmitt, we went back into the store and bought some cookie mixes and pancake mix made directly from the Mill.

Afterwards, we had another scrumptious Mill at the Pottery House Cafe, which is on the plaza as well. They offer a completely different menu from the Old Mill, and serve it in a room filled with pottery from the Pottery House, which is just beside it.

If you’re traveling through the Smokies and make a stop in Pigeon Forge, you have to make a stop at the Old Mill.