Gatlinburg days 1&2

We're back!  We rolled back in town yesterday afternoon and it's good to be back.  Of course, we did not want to leave, and we heard the kids say all the way home that they wanted to go back, but once we were home, it was nice to be back, and nice to sleep in our own beds.

We had a fantastic time.  Yes, I was the one who really didn't want to go, but it was exactly what we needed and we really couldn't have had a better time if we'd tried.  I was going to include a link to our cabin but their site isn't working, so I may just end up having to post all of the pics I took of it if it doesn't get back up.  That will be a whole post in itself...  It was an adventure...  I'll share pics and post them by the day as I get them edited.  My big girl camera was acting up, so some of them, despite editing, aren't the greatest, but at least they capture the memories!

We set off early Thursday morning to meet Keith and Dee at Mc Donalds to leave town.  We were there by 6, they didn't get there until 6:30, so we got off to a late start.  We made great time, though, and were through Nashville earlier than expected, so the rest of the trip went by quickly.  The kids were SO good!  The PSP and iPod kept them entertained.

We "followed" the Man Caves truck and trailer most of the way down.  Keith didn't use his cruise, so we'd pass and get passed by this truck repeatedly throughout the day.    We made it to Gatlinburg right around 4:00, and stopped at the welcome center to stretch our legs.  It was so nice to be there!  After that, we went to our cabin to unload before buying groceries.  When we got in, we found this on our bed!

Jessica and Reid had to work Thursday, so they didn't leave town until after they got home, so it was just us and Keith and Dee the first day.  They got in around 2:30 a.m. and the kids were excited to see the girls when they woke up.

DAY TWO

At breakfast, we planned our day and decided to stop by a horse riding place to let the girls see if they wanted to ride horses and then planned to hike to Grotto falls after that.  Abbie rode on a pony, but Issie wanted no part of it!  And I figured it would be the other way around!

Once we left the horse place, we headed to the Smoky Mountain National Park to find the Grotto Falls hiking trail.  On the way up the mountain, traffic was stopped and there were two bears off the side of the road!  My main goal was to see a bear this time, and I was SO happy to see some!

This year's hike to Grotto falls was MUCH better than last time.  We learned our lesson and drove the second trail head before starting out!  We actually made it to the falls, too, and it was well worth the hike!  The kids got to walk behind the falls and they really thought that was cool!

 Our afternoon was spent planning our week and letting the kids play.  There was an air hockey and pool table downstairs and that was right up Preston's alley!  He played more pool than anything else all week, and he's missing it now!  He's pretty good, too!

We went to the Smoky Mountain Brewery for dinner.  I called ahead to all the restaurants we planned to visit to see what the kids could eat, and this one was OK for both of them- or so we thought.  Kate ordered her grilled chicken sandwich and they brought her a grilled cheese.  After much confusion, it turned out that they didn't even have a grilled chicken sandwich on the menu even though the manager assured me that they did.  So Kate was left to eat French fries, which she didn't mind.  The food was good, although WAY over-priced.

The Brewery was located downtown on the main drag, so we walked around the shops before and after we ate.  This is a big attraction when you're in Gatlinburg, and the street is packed with people.  We're not really shop-looking people, but it's kind of fun to see all the stuff they have, and you definitely see a lot of interesting people, too!

Stay tuned for day three!