Cherokee, North Carolina

Cherokee, North Carolina is home to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and is a reservation for these people.  The land that the reservation is on was owned by the Cherokee that stayed behind, hiding in the mountains while the tragedy of the Trail of Tears was happening.  After the founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee found itself poised on the edge of the what was to become one of the most visited national parks in America.  Over the years Cherokee has reinvented itself several times and is currently a destination unto itself as well as a gateway into the Smokies.

History
The Cherokee people can trace the roots of their culture back 11,000 years to the time after the last Ice Age.  Indeed, by 8,000 BC there were semi-permanent villages in the region.  From this time until 1540 when the first European settlers explored the area, the Cherokee people had towns that numbered in the thousands.  They had an agrarian lifestyle, a sophisticated religion, beautiful artistic works and a political system that included both men and women.  The Cherokee people extended a helpful to most of the European settlers for the first 200 years of co-habitation.  The new comers learned from the Cherokee and the Cherokee learned from the settlers.  In the mid 1800s, however, with treaties broken and President Andrew Jackson pushing for all southeastern Indians to be moved to the west and especially to the Oklahoma Territories.  People in government wanted the land of the Cherokees to sell for plantations.  In 1838 they got their wish and the majority of the Cherokee were forced to leave their land and go to the Oklahoma Territories.  Of the 16,000 Cherokee who were forced on this overland march, one quarter to half never made it to Oklahoma.  The few Cherokee that were able to remain on their land in Western North Carolina, after years established a 100 acre sovereign nation and a thriving community.

Attractions
Cherokee has some attractions that you are not going to see anywhere else.  If you would like to experience what the Cherokee culture may have been like during the time the first European settlers came to this area, then you need to visit the Oconaluftee Indian Village.  This self-guided tour around a replica Cherokee village allows you to see their culture from a first person perspective.  Unto These Hills is the second longest running outdoor drama in the US.  Also, besides the historical attractions, Cherokee is home to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.  Cherokee offers plenty of family attractions and something for everyone in your group.

Restaurants
Cherokee has a lot of eating options.  Most of these are designed with the family in mind.  Cherokee has several family style restaurants and many chains.  Along with these types of eateries you will find some of the beaten path restaurants specializing in Bar-Be-Cue and other niche markets.

Lodging
Cherokee has many hotels and motels some of which are connected to the casinos and have packages for staying and playing at the casino.  You can also find some great cabins that let you experience the beautiful mountains that surround Cherokee.  Cherokee is great for those looking for a bargain on a hotel room or for those people looking for somewhere special to spend a family vacation.