Smoky Mountain Brewery
http://www.smoky-mtn-brewery.com/
Also a location in Gatlinburg. Get the sampler. 7-9 beers, 6.5 oz each. less than $10. Number depends on what seasonal beers are available. Your time frame, there will probably be 9 beers! Be aware, if you like their beer (which I do!), and want to carry some home with you..... Their beers ARE NOT pasteurized, and will require refrigeration 24-7, so I bring a cooler and keep the beers iced if I plan on carrying any home. Each of their locations has it's own micro-brewery on-site, and fully visible from the customer areas.
If you want a better shopping time, more "real" crafts, go thru 'Artist Valley" area off Hwy 321 going north out of Gatlinburg. shops are farther apart, require more driving, but they are mostly true artists and their output, verses mass manufactured trinkets you're more likely to find in PF and Gatlinburg. There's a good map on this site that gives you a good idea of what all is available on this 8 mile loop.
http://www.gatlinburgcrafts.com/
If you plan a trip to Cherokee, plan it with enough time to turn off and travel to Clingman's Dome. And go to the top for the observation deck (it's a strenuous hike, but well maintained and more due to incline, not length.
There is an excellent cigar and pipe tobacco shop inside the Gatlinburg "Mall" on the right just past the aquarium (which is also a good trip). If you go to the Mall, make the trip to the top level for the pepper shop. Don't burn off all your tastebuds! They have some really hot stuff there, and they have samples for tasting for many of the items they sell. Including a 1 to 10 scale of hot sauces/salsas for the brave!
If you go into Gatlinburg for a day or two, consider riding the Tram to Ober Gatlinburg. Decent ride, and there's snow skiing and an ice rink at the top (though I don't know the dates they make snow (if not already present).
Depending on where you are coming from, find a route into PF that DOES NOT involve coming in on Hwy 66 thru Servierville. While it doesn't look that long on the map, when it's bumper to bumper, it takes a long time. However, your girlfriend may be interested in the outlet center in Servierville.
Cade's Cove was mentioned previously. Definitely a "Must See" plus there is a campground at the very entrance into the Cove, with tent-sites, RV sites, a store, bicycle and horse rentals. A good chance to see the cove and to get the camping in you would like to do!
http://www.reserveamerica.com/campin...O&parkId=70969
We (wife, myself and out children's families) do a semi-regular Christmas vacation to Gatlinburg, so we are there almost every year. Gatlinburg does a huge decoration drive for Christmas, and the lights and displays that will be in place from Nov 7, 2012 thru February 28, 2013. This will be the 37th year for the event.
In my opinion, PF is more of a tourist trap than Gatlinburg or Cherokee. Not a lot to recommend Cherokee to you, except for the casino. And it was 100% machines last time I was there, which interests me NOT A BIT. The ride over there is excellent, but can be congested and frustrating.
PF is too spread out to walk it all. Gatlinburg's downtown area can easily be walked in a couple of hours with time for stops in many stores. In half a day, you can almost look thru all the stores and walk it. Look to park on the edge of town near the aquarium, and leave the car there. Plenty of places to eat. Again, consider the Black Bear restaurant (The brewery's location) on the park end of town, its in a side retail center half a block off the main road to the left.
Enjoy the trip. There's lots of things to do that don't fall under "tourist trap". PM me if you have specific questions.