Gatlinburg or Lake George?

This is the widest gap between the two. Gatlinburg is a mountain town far from any coast, and in summer people cool off by tubing the Little River or wading in cold park streams, where fast water after rain can be dangerous.

Lake George puts swimming at the heart of a summer stay. The state beach at the south end of the village is broad and lifeguarded, Shepard Park and the shore hamlets have smaller strands, and swimming off a boat in the Narrows is a classic day out. The season is short, though, and the beaches are crowded on hot weekends.

Neither town is somewhere you would go for the food, and both have plenty of pancake houses. Gatlinburg leans Southern, with barbecue, fudge and moonshine tastings, and it now and then turns up proper Appalachian dishes such as trout, country ham and stack cake.

Lake George is pizza, burgers and waterfront decks where you pay for the view. Its better meals are up the western shore at Bolton Landing, with Adirondack game, lake fish and New York wines. Serious eaters drive out of both, to Knoxville or Asheville from one and to Saratoga Springs from the other.

Neither is a sightseeing destination, but what each has is quite different. Gatlinburg's heritage is living craft: the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, where potters, weavers and broom-makers work in their own studios. Its mountain history survives in the cabins and mills at Cades Cove and along the Roaring Fork.

Lake George's history is military. Fort William Henry recalls the siege of 1757 behind The Last of the Mohicans, with musket demonstrations on the grounds, and a small museum sits in the old courthouse. The weightier forts and battlefields are a drive away.

Lake George has more of an evening scene, at least in summer. The bars on Canada Street and along the waterfront fill with boaters and young day-trippers, and some of their decks stay loud until closing.

Gatlinburg's evenings are gentler. People walk the lit Parkway, sample moonshine in the tasting rooms and then head back to the cabin hot tub, and the strip is quiet by late night. Neither town has clubs worth mentioning.

Both are superb, but Gatlinburg has the edge because the Great Smoky Mountains begin where its main street ends. Waterfall walks to Laurel Falls, the climb up Mount LeConte, the high road to Clingmans Dome, bears and elk all lie within easy reach, and spring wildflowers and fireflies add to the appeal.

Lake George's outdoors is built around the water: kayaking, sailing and island camping among more than a hundred islands, with summit views from Prospect, Black and Tongue Mountains. It also opens onto the Adirondack High Peaks, and its winter, with serious skiing nearby, is much stronger.

The two are broadly level, and both need a car. Gatlinburg's best outings cross the mountains, to Asheville and the Biltmore Estate, or over Newfound Gap to Cherokee and its museum of the Eastern Band.

Lake George leans towards history and old resort towns: Saratoga Springs with its racecourse and battlefield, Fort Ticonderoga above Lake Champlain, Lake Placid and the Vermont villages to the east.

Gatlinburg is the bigger children's playground. Aquarium visits, alpine coasters, treetop bridges and Dollywood fill the days, the park adds creek wading and bear spotting, and roomy cabins suit groups of families. The trade-off is Parkway queues and traffic.

Lake George is an easy, informal family resort, with The Great Escape, steamboat cruises and gently shelving lifeguarded water. Most of it shuts outside summer, so it suits a July or August trip far better than a winter one.

Both are car destinations, but Gatlinburg makes life a little easier without one. Its walkable Parkway strip and a trolley that runs out to Pigeon Forge let downtown hotel guests leave the car parked for a day or two, although hillside cabins and trailheads still need driving.

Lake George's village takes only minutes to walk, and its trolleys are seasonal. The western-shore hamlets, trailheads and every day trip need a car. A rented boat is the best way to see the lake itself.

Gatlinburg has a little more worth buying. Beyond the souvenir and moonshine shops, the arts and crafts loop sells quilts, pottery, brooms and woodwork straight from the studios, and big outlet malls in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are close by.

Lake George's Canada Street is mostly T-shirts and beachwear, and the outlets on Route 9 handle the brands. For gifts, look for the Adirondack crafts, maple syrup and balsam pillows.

Gatlinburg goes a bit further on a modest budget. Big cabins shared between families, older motels and a national park that costs little to enjoy keep the basics reasonable, although paid attractions and the leaf season push costs up.

Lake George in July and August is priced like a typical American lakeside resort, with expensive lakefront rooms, boat rentals and theme park tickets. Staying in Glens Falls or going outside the peak months cuts the bill noticeably.

Gatlinburg's live entertainment runs all year, while Lake George's is mostly a summer affair. Around Gatlinburg that means dinner shows in Pigeon Forge most nights, with country, gospel, comedy and magic revues, plus bluegrass pickers in the moonshine rooms and mountain music at Dollywood.

Lake George's programme is shorter but more varied: free concerts by the water in Shepard Park, a September jazz weekend and an August chamber music festival. The Saratoga amphitheatre is close enough for orchestras and ballet. Neither town has opera or serious theatre of its own.

Lake George offers a little more for a restful stay. Grand resort hotels near Bolton Landing have full spas, quiet mornings on the water set the pace, and the historic mineral baths of Saratoga Springs are less than an hour away.

Gatlinburg's calm comes from where you sleep rather than from spas. A secluded cabin with a hot tub on the deck and mist on the ridges is the draw, and it's best to stay well above the noisy town centre.