pigeonforge

Thursday, May 28th: Downtown Gatlinburg & Dinner at The Old Mill Restaurant

On this day of our journey, we were still with the rest of the family. We spent the day downtown Gatlinburg. We visited the Ripley’s Aquarium and also did the lift at Ober Gatlinburg. I had been to Ripley’s. It’s an awesome aquarium and you get to go “under” the shark tank. It felt like we had a personal tour guide since my sister-in-law is studying marine biology. She told us all about the different fish and sharks. Of course, my favorite part was the penguins. There’s a newer exhibit with penguins. They’re adorable.

Another stop was The Donut Friar (located in The Village Shops). I swear this little bakery has the very best donuts in all of the Smokeys. I had a long john, in case you were wondering. We also tried lots of beef jerky and enjoyed tasting moonshine at The Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine.

My favorite place, though was a newer shop called Bootleggers Homemade Wine. This little shop sells wines that are extra sweet and have unique flavors. After tasting a few, we picked up a bottle of Homegrown Blackberry Wine to enjoy at our bed and breakfast. My in-laws picked up some Homegrown Strawberry Wine for a friend. Cute country t-shirts and glass mason jars are sold in the store. I really liked the packaging of the wines. The winery began with two sisters and they make all of their wines by hand. You can’t order online, you have to visit the location in the Smokeys to enjoy it.

Now, I’ve heard lots about Ober Gatlinburg but I’d never been there. It’s basically an attraction park at the top of a mountain overlooking downtown Gatlinburg. In the winter you can ski or tube up there. Along with kiddie rides, there are animals on display and restaurants. We took the ariel tram too late in the evening and didn’t spend time up there. The view was wonderful. I’ll admit, being on the tram was a little bit scary, but it was fun to walk around and look into the mountains. Per person it was $12. It takes you 2.1 miles up into the mountains and can take 120 passengers. The Aerial Tramway at Ober Gatlinburg is also one of the largest in all of America.

Last, but definitely not least, we ate at The Old Mill Restaurant for dinner. This is one of my favorite restaurants on the planet and we make a point to eat there every time we are in town. Located in Pigeon Forge, this restaurant is one of the oldest attractions in the area. The food is ah-mazing. We’re talking Southern fritters, homemade chicken and dumplings, and lots of sweet tea.

For about $20 you receive

-a cup of corn chowder

-a side salad

-corn fritters

-an entree

-mashed potatoes and green beans

-dinner rolls

-homemade dessert

I was in food heaven. The chicken and dumplings were delicious. Made just like I like them. Dustin ordered the meatloaf. It was at least a pound in weight. Massive. We all had leftovers, including desserts. It’s safe to say we slept well that night on full bellies.

Friday, May 29th: Alpine Coaster, Working from Starbucks & Headed to The Yellow House Bed and Breakfast

The next morning, we said goodbye to our family and they headed back to Ohio. I had found tickets for an alpine coaster on Groupon for $17 for two. The attraction was located at Goats on the Roof. This center had games, rides, and a gift shop…it also had live goats living on the roof. I didn’t believe it at fist, thought it was just a sales gimmick, until we saw goats walking around on the roof. Above is the picture of where the goats live. There are connecting walkways to each building and the goats can walk around up and down the buildings and hide in the little barns. For a dollar you could buy food and use a mechanism to feed them on the roof. This was hilarious as the goats would anticipate the food and crane their necks to eat it. But, we weren’t there to feed the goats. We were there to ride the alpine coaster.

An alpine coaster is basically a small roller coaster, only you have a hand held break which helps you slow down. The little cart is attached to a track and once you go up the mountain, you are let go and roll around circles and hills until you slow to a stop at the bottom. Dustin and I thought this would be easy peasy. Not scary at all. We love roller coasters and have been to Cedar Points lots of times. Well, it wasn’t a walk in the park. As soon as we began gaining speed I was hollering and Dustin was pulling the break. Even though you were wearing seat belts, it felt like you could fly off the side of the mountain. It was really fun and the dips caught your stomach. Well worth the $17. I’d do it again!

Unfortunately, it was time to work. We both had stuff to get done. After finding a Starbucks, we ordered drinks and hunkered down. It would be a few hours before we could leave and drive to our first bed and breakfast.

Once we finished up, we looked up the directions to Waynesville. The drive was about an hour and a half. We passed some fun places, including the home of Bush’s Baked Beans.

Next up, the best bed and breakfast we’ve ever visited. The Yellow House!

Love & Laughter,

Tiffany

As promised, I will be breaking down our southern road trip. We began our trip on Monday, May 25th with family. To see the whole trip overview click here.

Monday, May 25th: Cumberland Falls

While driving down to Pigeon Forge, we stopped at Cumberland Falls. Located in the Daniel Boone National Forest near Corbin, Kentucky, this falls is a popular destination for those wanting to see the moonbow (a rainbow seen under a full moon). We visited during the afternoon and hiked about two-three miles. It was really hot and humid, but it was a good hike and the falls were worth the trek. You can also just drive straight up to the falls.

Do you see the small raft in the corner of the picture? It helps you get an idea of how big the falls are. The rocks at the bottom are really large. I learned there was once a hotel overlooking the water but it burned down 1949.

Historic Moonbow Inn Photo Credit: Brenda Sampsel on Pinterest

After hiking, we drove to Knoxville, TN. We stayed the night at the Hampton Inn. I love Hampton Inns. This one had a salt water pool! The next morning, we woke up and drove into the Smoky Mountain National Park.

Tuesday, May 26th: Smoky Mountain National Park, Cherokee Village, the Cabin

On Tuesday we woke up and drove into the Smoky Mountain National Park. Together, it was me, my dad, Dustin’s mum and dad, his brother, his little sister, and Dustin. We stopped at an overlook and took the picture below of Gatlinburg. I’ve stayed at the hotel that’s higher up. It’s also where my little sister stayed on her honeymoon. It’s currently owned by Hilton and is called The Park Vista by Doubletree. It’s really cool and has a 15-story atrium.

Along with stopping a the park’s visitors center, we hiked to Laurel Falls. After that, we drove over the mountain to Cherokee in North Carolina. I remember visiting this little village when I was a small girl. It’s on an Indian reservation and has many different shops. It seemed a little run down and there weren’t many people there. Just going over the mountain was worth the trip, but I probably wouldn’t suggest going to Cherokee unfortunately. It just isn’t how it used to be.

After Cherokee, we drove back over the mountain and found our cabin! The cabin was rented through Cabins of the Smoky Mountains. Since we were staying in May, we received a great discount. I believe it was less than $300 per night and we stayed three nights. Dad and Dustin’s dad and mum shared the cost of the cabin. Dustin and I later contributed by paying for everyone’s aerial tram ride, which was about $85. The actual cabin name was Love View More.

The cabin was massive. It’s probably one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed. Five balconies, four massive bedrooms, five bathrooms, a theater room, a game room, and more.

We spent a lot of time on the front porch, which was attached to the living room and dining room. The view was spectacular. I can’t even describe it.

Above is a picture of the view from the front porch. We all got a private bedroom except Dustin’s siblings who shared. Each bedroom had it’s own bathroom, some with double sinks. The master suite was Dustin’s parents room. It had it’s own private balcony, a garden tub, vaulted ceilings, and a master bathroom.

Dustin and I picked the bedroom in the basement. There were glass doors that led to the hot tub on the bottom level. There was also a private bathroom attached. I loved the king sized bed and the decorations were really fun. We had plenty of room!

Below is a picture of one of the other bedrooms. When we arrived the towels were folded. I loved the exposed beams and wood. Each bedroom also had a flat screen tv.

Two of the four bedrooms had their own private decks. Our bedroom had a door that opened to a communal deck. Below is a picture of the dual sinks in one of the bathrooms.

We didn’t spend that much time in the family room. Instead, we found ourselves at the dining room table, out on the porches, or playing in the game room. Although this room was wonderful. The TV (not pictured) was massive and the couches were comfy. The kitchen was well equipped and even had an ice maker appliance built under one of the cabinets. I loved the granite countertops and the space. One morning our dads combined forces and made us a yummy breakfast. Other than that, we just snacked. We dined out more.

The game room and movie room were decorated with fun art, including a Gone with the Wind movie poster.

A lot of time was spent playing pool and arcade games. The arcade machine had lots of different vintage games and use was unlimited. The boys (and everyone else) couldn’t stay away from it! We turned on the fireplace a few times. It was really cozy.

Believe it or not, we didn’t really use the theater room. It had it’s own bathroom and was such a cool thing to have in the cabin. We all love movies, but we were pretty busy seeing the sights. One night we just watched TV down there before bed. The sound system was good and the picture clear. (Love that Grease poster).

Wednesday, May 27th: Poison Ivy Scare & Dixie Stampede

Every morning Dustin and I would wake up and try to get some work in. On Wednesday, Dustin was breaking out in poison ivy. We were unsure of how bad it was until his eyes began to swell. After a trip to Urgent Care and $200+ in medical bills, we were glad we paid attention. I guess Dustin is extremely allergic to poison ivy and it had gotten into his bloodstream. The doctor at Urgent Care gave him a shot and watched him until his swelling went down. His tongue was tingling and his lips were swollen. The doctor told us if it got any worse he needed to get to the ER. She gave us directions, but with steroids he got a little better.

That evening we got to go to The Dixie Stampede. Was it corny? A little. Was it fun? YES! I’ve been three times now and I love it. Headed up by Dolly Parton, this attraction is fun for all ages and includes a full meal. You eat with your hands “country style” and watch a show. There are live animals like horses, pigs, mini ponies, bison, and more. The tricks are cool and they’ve added a woman who flies around attached to invisible cords, representing a Native American bird. The service was great and our waiter took good care of us, making sure we had lots of sweet tea.

I was so full at the end. The amount of food is so big. You get a cheesy roll, a bowl of creamy vegetable soup, half a baked potato, a whole chicken, BBQ pork loin, corn-on-the-cob, and an apple turnover. The chicken is really strange (because it’s an entire chicken) when they lay it on your plate, but it’s delicious. There are wet wipes for your hands too.

For $60, it’s a bit of a splurge, but it was fun for the whole family and the horse tricks were worth seeing. Look around for coupons!

Dustin working in the morning with his coffee.

I already miss this porch swing 🙂

I think that’s enough of our trip for this post. (And that’s only three days!) Next, we had a few more days with the family and then headed off on our own.

love & laughter,