Paging TigerOnTheMountain

Glad to hear it. You'll have a great time. The Tuckaseegee Fly Shop in Bryson offers guided trips. Highly recommend. The fishing in this area is fantastic and you really have to try hard to not get on fish. As far as watching the game goes, the Nantahala Brewery in downtown Bryson would be my choice. Really good beer, food, and people. I may be there myself. Are you traveling with your family?

Any must dos or other recommendations? We have one day of no activities at this point.

I don't have as much familiarity with the Gatlinburg area, but it's a short distance to the GSMNP which offers tons of trails and sightseeing options. Cade's Cove is a must visit if you're going to the park. On the Bryson side, the road to no where is a cool place to visit to learn about the road and why it wasn't completed. There are also tons of trails in this area. Deep creek and Fontana Lake offer excellent hiking options, and it's cool to see the dam. The train in Bryson City is a unique way to see the mountains and learn about this area as well. My wife and I always enjoy visiting the Oconaluftee Indian village in Cherokee too.

There are two main rafting options for you in this area. The Tuck and the Nantahala. Both are good options, but I prefer the Nantahala as it offers more of a challenge and you can take out at the NOC. Here is a link to the NOC The AT runs through the NOC and you could easily do an out and back on the AT. Either here or several other locations. There really are an endless number of possibilities for hikes. Waterfalls, views. Whatever you prefer. Most of them are in the park or will take you into the park. Chimney tops, Deep Creek Loop, up to Mt. Leconte. If you don't mind driving, one of my favorite hikes is down near Hayesville in the Fires Creek area of the Nantahala National Forest. It's called the Cover Trail, and you have to cross the creek 10 or so times. There is a huge cascading rock you can slide down and into the creek along the way.

Fishing along Deep Creek and the Tuckaseegee is fantastic and can easily be done on your own, but I would recommend the guys at Tuckaseegee Fly Shop in Bryson City for a unique experience.

I hope you enjoy your time here and I will check this thread periodically if you have any more questions.

ETA:
My wife just mentioned that there is a nice resort and cabin rentals in Fontana, which would place you pretty centrally located to all of the things I mentioned. She also said that in college, they would float down the Tuckaseegee drinking beer on a mattress may be fun for you and the wife.

Here are some links to places in this area with availability.

Fontana Village
LINK

Bryson City Cabins
LINK

VRBO(homeaway)
LINK

Tiger, we are going to head down Thursday, weather and all...
Hit me up on here when you get a sec.