Summer Road Trip: Pigeon Forge

When we first arrived in Pigeon Forge we were a bit shocked because we felt like maybe we had accidentally gone to Vegas instead! The main highway leading into Pigeon Forge is jam packed with all kinds of attractions: go karts, dinner theaters, zip lining and a Titanic Museum shaped like the Titanic just to name a few. The traffic was bumper to bumper and people were EVERYWHERE! We had to drive through Pigeon Forge, then go to Gatlinburg to get the keys to our cabin, and then drive back to Pigeon Forge (where our cabin was located).

Gatlinburg seemed a little more quaint - it was basically a ski town - and at first I was wishing we were staying there.  However, when we finally arrived at our cabin we were very happy! It was nowhere near the main highway and we were really out in the woods! The cabin was great. It was two story, with two bedrooms, two balconies and a hot tub. The kids had bumper pool and air hockey to play. They really loved the cabin.

We spent the night in the cabin and then the next day exploring Great Smoky National Park. We drove to Cades Cove and saw quite a few pre-Civil War log cabins - the kind built without nails, etc. It was interesting, but I think at least one of the kids kind of thought they all looked the same!



This is a view from our balcony - it's obvious why they are called the Great Smoky Mountains!



A view of our cabin from the front

On the balcony of our cabin

One of the many old cabins inside the park. This is in Cades Cove.

Cades Cove (Great Smoky Mountail Natl Park)

Visiting the working grist mill

Inside our cabin

Gorgeous view from the balcony of our cabin

A stop along the way during our drive through Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Bumper Pool!

Summer Road Trip 2011



Horses at Aunt Barbara's and Uncle Sam's
Lindale, TX



The kids in Little Rock with their cousin, Abby







This summer we went on a two week, 12 state, 3800 mile road trip.We started in Austin and stayed overnight in Lindale, TX, Little Rock, AR, two nights in Pigeon Forge, TN, three nights in Washington, D.C., one night in Savannah, GA, three nights in Navarre Beach, FL and one night in New Orleans, LA! Here is the first post documenting our adventure. 

The trip started out as a plan to visit Washington, D.C., but we wanted to stretch out the stops so we didn't have to just drive straight there. We figured this would be a perfect opportunity to drop by and see some family that we hadn't seen in quite some time.

Our first stop was Lindale, TX to visit James' aunt and uncle, Barbara and Sam. We had a delicous dinner and good conversation. The kids love visiting them- especially since there are some cute horses that Mia can feed and pet.

After staying one night with the Franklins, we headed to Little Rock, AR, to stay with Julie's Aunt Margaret and Uncle Charles. Charles and Margaret had arranged for lots of other aunts, uncles and cousins to drop by and say hello. Some of them drove two hours just to come and visit for less than an hour! That meant a lot to us! We only stayed in Little Rock one night and left early the next morning to we could make it to our next destination.

Up next.....Pigeon Forge, TN!

New Blog Post? What??

Mt. Vernon

Hello! I've been inspired to make another attempt at posting regularly on this blog.
Coming soon: The Road Trip of 2011!

Totally Current, Up to the Minute, Just happened 4 Months Ago Thanksgiving Post

Way back in November James and I went to Paris to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. The actual date of our anniversary is January 7th, but we found it much easier to go over the Thanksgiving holiday since things would be a little slow at work and the kids had the whole week of Thanksgiving off. We had both been to Paris before, but never together, so, we sent to kids to Houston to stay with my parents and headed to France!

View from the top of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is one of my absolute favorite places in Paris!

We rented an apartment right near Rue Cler (close to Les Invalides). Here's a view from our window. I recommend renting an apartment if you are staying in Paris more than a couple of days - not only did we have more space, we had a kitchen and it was all for a very reasonable price!

View from the Pompidou Center! I took this picture to compare it with a picture I already had at home that I took when I was 17 years old and visited my friend Leslie in Paris.

One of Monet's Water Lilies paintings (Musee de l'Orangerie - right by Jardin des Tuileries)

James in the Louvre standing underneath two of the Horses of Marly.

James and I love museums. We visited Musee D'Orsay, Musee de L'Armee, Musee du Louvre, and Musee de l'Orangerie. Plus the Pompidou. We spent the entire day in the Louvre and still weren't able to see everything. Really, we needed more than one day, but now we have a reason to go back!

More Louvre...

Self explanatory, right? By the way, it was very cold while we were there - it even snowed briefly. We were lucky that soon after we left Paris there was a blizzard in Western Europe that certainly would have delayed our flights. Our timing was perfect.

Stained glass in Notre Dame

Notre Dame

More Notre Dame (these pictures are all out of order)

More from the top of Notre Dame

Still at the top...

Inside the stairwell that takes you to the top of Notre Dame. LOTS of stairs! This was actually our first full day in Paris. We arrived in the morning and spent the first day getting our bearings. Since we were staying right around the corner from Rue Cler, we enjoyed a leisurely coffee, got a baguette and a few staples to take back to the apartment (wine, cheese and bread, duh!). The next day was spent walking/taking the Metro to a few different parts of Paris. (Notre Dame, Montmartre, Place de la Concorde, etc.) I really shouldn't have waited four months to post - I am already getting mixed up in the details and what order we did things. But the memories are there...I know we will be back again someday...

One more Halloween

Halloween

Multnomah Falls - Columbia River Gorge, OR

I feel the need for some explanation on this post. We did a hike that took us up to the top of the falls - the falls is something like 650 feet high, but it took us a mile of hiking to get up there. Eleven switchbacks! It was some pretty steep hiking. Plus, the trail had mostly no rail or anything, so, on one side you would see rock wall or trees and the other side...steep dropoff! In a couple of places the trail had crumbled away and only one person could go on it at a time (there were people hiking up and down on the same narrow trail).

I am sure I'm exaggerating the danger, but I am somewhat scared of heights and I just had to force myself not to think about all the things that could go wrong! (That's just the way my mind works!) Anyway, the view from the top was worth it - when you see the pictures from the top, take a look at the parking lot down below and see how tiny the cars are!!

Not even half way there! (above)

This one (above) is looking down from the top!

It made my heart drop into my stomach to peek over this railing. Pics don't do it justice!

Mt. St. Helens

Seattle

Mt. Rainier - it's not often you have clear enough days to see it!

It's the Wizard from Deadliest Catch!