Trip Report Day 3: Indoor Water Park and The Island

When we woke up, we all got our bathing suits on and headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and a little shopping since we bought my mother a gift card for her 60th birthday. They always have such cute baby items and seasonal decor. It is a fun place to shop and eat.

Afterward, we took a quick drive through downtown Gatlinburg and then headed to Wild Bear Falls within our resort. Wild Bear Falls is an indoor water park that we weren't able to visit the last time. We received passes for the entire week because my parents are Westgate timeshare owners. 

We had a great time splashing around. Jackson loved the kiddie area where he could run through sprinklers and splash down slides. In the kiddie area, the water was only ankle high and it was pretty warm, so it was really nice for the little ones. I was able to sit in the water with Addison and it barely covered her legs. Jackson went through the lazy river with us, after a little bit of a struggle. When Jackson needed to rest and Addison had to eat, TK and I went down the slide on a double tube and I laughed hysterically the whole time. One time, I went underwater and TK and the tube ended up on top of my head. It was a lot of fun and I swallowed a lot of water.

When Jackson was ready to play again, I took him over to the hot tub with my parents and uncle. He just sat at the edge and put his feet in. After we had our fill of the hot water, we went back to where we were set up and TK and I went up to the snack bar for drinks and a bite. Oddly, everything cost $5.49 each. Drinks? Pretzel Bites? Wine? $5.49. We left shortly after and headed back to the room to shower off. 

After we all were dressed and ready, we headed over to The Island in Pigeon Forge. There, we ate at Margaritaville. Most of us ordered margaritas and my mother even had a Bahama Mama. As we were leaving and I was getting Addison situated back in her stroller, I banged my head really hard on the staircase overhead. I saw stars and my teeth hurt; that's how hard I hit it. I had a bump for a few days. 

We walked around and visited a few shops throughout The Island. There were a variety of stores and we didn't actually buy anything, but we did buy Spaghetti Ice Cream from Poynor's Pommes Frites. It was so cool looking, but essentially, a tasty ice cream sundae. 

Included with the shops was Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine and we met Uncle George and Aunt Rosie for a tasting. Some of the flavors were brutal, but others were pretty smooth, especially the Shine Nog. We made sure to buy a bottle later in the week. 

Afterward, we watched the dancing fountains and went over to get a drink at Dick's Last Resort. The servers are supposed to belittle you, but we had a nice conversation with the bartender and a couple by the bar. We told my parents that we would meet them at 7:15 p.m. at the Margaritaville coffee shop, so we had to leave after one drink. We played cards again before bed.

                      

Trip Report Day 2: Getting Settled

After breakfast at Flapjack's, we had energy and continued on to our resort to check in. My parents own a timeshare, so our stay was at Westgate Smoky Mountains Resort and Spa. We received a two bedroom and a connecting one bedroom. Each room had a balcony that overlooked the Smoky Mountains and it is a gorgeous view. TK and I took the bedroom downstairs for us and the kids, and my parents took the bedroom upstairs. My aunt and uncle took the one bedroom. 

We all unpacked and decided that we all needed a hot shower, separately of course. Fortunately, our bathroom had two showerheads, so it felt wonderful to step in and get sprayed with warmth from all directions. I would love to have that at home, but it may lead to really long showers and possible fainting spells.

After we all showered and changed, separately, we headed out to Walmart to get some essentials. Walmart is always better in the south. I made sure to get water and milk for the kids. By then, we were hungry for dinner, even though it was still the afternoon. We went to Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que because it had pretty good reviews during the research phase of my planning. It proved to be delicious and you know how I enjoy patting myself on the back. This was another good choice.

After our meal, TK and I went to find the grocery store for Tennessee's "build your own six pack" deal that I remembered from five years ago. We got really lost and ended up in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Whoops! So, after some accidental site seeing, we made a U-turn and finally found Food City. We brought back beer and a cake.

To end the night, we played poker and then all went to bed. 

Trip Report Day 1: Traveling to Tennessee

We got on the road at 8 p.m. with a fully packed car, complete with one infant, a toddler, an activity mat, four duffle bags, bags of books, an Avengers backpack, a cooler bag, a snack bag and a portable DVD player. We had everything we needed ... and more.

Unfortunately, we hit traffic in Staten Island and added an hour to a trip that should take around 12 hours. Finally, we met Uncle George and Aunt Rosie in Pennsylvania and I was able to feed and change Addison on the folded down seat in front of me. She was in good spirits, thankfully.

The next time we stopped was in Virginia at 2 a.m. to get gas and some snacks. I actually found the elusive Little Debbie Peanut Butter Sandwich Pies that I've heard about, but have never seen. They were good, just a little sweeter than I'd hoped.

There was something really peaceful and serene about sitting in the back of a car staring out the window into the darkness at a foreign location in the middle of the night. 

We stopped one more time to change Addison, but by then we were in Tennessee and needed a meal. We started our stay in Tennessee with breakfast at Flapjack's in Pigeon Forge. We had eaten there five years prior, so we knew it would be good. It was the perfect way to start the day.