Friday morning we got up and of course we had said we were going to be on the road no later than 9am but after having to take the kids to school, drop stuff off for Tyler's daycare parties, back by the house, drop kids clothes off at the church, back to school to pay for 8th grade trip, to Greer to drop off our taxes we FINALLY hit the road at 11 of course the time we wanted to be in Gatlinburg but instead we got there at 1:30. The funniest thing about our trip was that we set our GPS to get us to the hotel just to see if there is a different way to go to Gatlinburg than we know of well it tells us to get off at the first exit in TN but Eric is unsure of it so he goes on and then it told us to get off at the 2nd exit so we did well like me tell you that was some BACK roads we took for about 2 miles the road was only big enough for a little car to go down and of course we passed 2 cars and we had to pull off and then the last 2 miles is a little bigger but not much. We did find out it was closer to get off there but you can't go back that way cause there is not an exit ramp to get on the highway.
We arrive in Gatlinburg and got settle in our hotel room and took off to walk the streets and to meet up with our friends Jamie and Gina Campbell from Enoree that we have not seen in several years and we found out we were going to be in Gatlinburg the same weekend. We all use to hang out together even started dating at about at the same time but since the kids have came along we just don't get time. We met up with them in front of store and sat on the bench catching up and watching people and had a lot of laughs. We finally got up and went to 3 different places to find good ice-cream and then we took off to Riverbend Mall where our other friends Darrell and Kristie Owens were meeting us. They are from Moore and we had not seen them in a year so we had to go to Gatlinburg to see them too. Is that not sad??? Kristie and I do talk and in one of our conversations I was telling her about his trip and she ask if I could get them a room too since it was their anniversary. So we actually stayed at the same hotel. Eric has been friends with them since his high school days and we use to ride motorcycle with them and hang out alot together. Anyway, we all just walked around looking in the shops and decided we would go out to eat that night all together. We started out at Bubba Gumps but I was having a bad day and Eric didn't think I should eat the spicy food so we went to Texas Roadhouse (totally against my new rule that Ginger gave me on vacation you don't eat where you can at home but we have had not been there in years either so it doesn't count)..
Now, let me fill you in on our friend Darrell there is never a dull moment w/ him... First in one of the stores he told the lady that him and Kristie just got married and they were on their honeymoon, in Bubba Gumps he told that lady that he just married me and Kristie and that we have done nothing but argue where we were going to eat and not have at all about whose husband he was now at Texas Roadhouse he is talking the waiter like he knows him after we got our meal the waiter comes up to our table with a chair and stands on it and yells and I mean yells across the whole restaurant for all of them to give ME a big ye haw cause it was my b'day. I have no idea how he pull that one off we just saw the waiter come and whisper to him, we all laugh so hard (thank goodness this was not the week before I might would had to kill him, remember I couldn't laugh)I was blushing.. I could sit here and tell you what all he did the rest of the weekend but this blog would way longer than it should... You just never know what he is going to say and who he is going to say it too. Kristie is great women for putting up with it and she is truly bless being married to her high school sweetheart that was is also a comedian...
So, Friday night we all just stood around talking until Gina and Jamie had to catch the trolley to go up to their hotel. Then on Saturday us and the Owens got up and went to the Apple Barn cause I was told you didn't go to Pigeon Forge without going there and in many years that we had been there we never have been there. We get there and they stop serving breakfast at 11am and it was 10:30 when we got there and they told us it was a 40 min wait and that we would have lunch we stayed anyway but more and more they brought those breakfast plates by we all keep on hoping we could get breakfast.. They called us at 10:50 and said we could get breakfast so we are happy. It was worth going and worth the wait, the apple jubilee that I thought was OJ was wonderful, the apple fitters were great and the apple butter thank goodness we have a jar of it cause it was great too. I am sure we will go back again just earlier so we don't have to hope and pray we get in for breakfast. We did try to find the apple jubilee in the store to buy but we couldn't and I forgot to look for the apple fritters but I can look on the website... If you haven't been go and take an appetite w/ you.. After that since it was raining we decided to head to Bass Pro Shop and see what they had we stayed there for about an hour at least and then headed back to Gatlinburg and Eric and I had plan to go and spend the afternoon at Cades Coves well that didn't happen from Bass Pro Shop to our hotel room it took us at least 1hr 1/2 if not 2 hrs to get back which by that time it was 5 and we were ready for supper and to beat the crowds. Now a word of advice, if you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and you are mad at your spouse remember to close up the sun roof before you start yelling at them cause EVERYBODY around you can hear what you are saying. It was entertainment but I felt so sorry for that guy..
We went to Bubba Gumps that night and ate with Darrell and Kristie (the Campbells hotel came w/ a package for dinner on v-day night and for breakfast). I have to say if you have not ever ate at Bubba Gumps it too is very good. All kind of shrimp that was really good. They had a store attach that sold all kind of Forrest Gump stuff. After dinner we went our separate ways for a little bit and got the kids stuff to take back and then we meet up later for dessert and headed back to the room.
Sunday, Eric and I slept in until 9am something we never get to do we got up and got up and got ready and packed up. We were on our way to ride the tram up to Ober Gatlinburg and get our pic in the spot we have had a pic made every time we had been there and where he had proposal but the line was out the door of all the skiers wanting to go up there and 1 tram had just left so we knew it was going to be a long wait to get up there and we would not be able to really enjoy the time up there cause it was now 11 and we wanted to be on the road no later than 1 at least. So, we decided to just go ahead and leave after we made one more trip to a couple of stores to get stuff to bring back. We headed out by 12:30 and went to pick our little man from our sister law house and all I can say is he had a great time and he was worn slap out he feel asleep within a mile of her house...
A couple of things to share.
The weather was nice compare to how cold I saw it was in January. We never really were cold and had to break out the big coats.
Never wear new shoes for the first time, no I had no blister or sore feet they were actually really good. They look like the Dansko but they are Dr. Schols and are $70 cheaper but between that and a weak ankle I fell flat on my face (really knee) Friday night, just glad only Eric and alot of strangers only saw it.. Yes, you read it right I FELL on main st Gatlinburg and about did it again on Saturday night on our way to eat.. Seriously, no drinking going on just new shoes, bad sidewalks and weak ankle.
Its really funny to see how people act when they are on vacation and people are really nice and just talk to you like they know you.
If you make it Gatlinburg make sure to stop by Sauce Up I think that is the name of it they have all time of dips and sauces and you can taste them also the Beef Jerkly outlet. Do you know they make peanuts you can eat the shells and they have them in flavors like garlic, salt, cajun and something else. Did really appeal to me but maybe it has to grow on you.
Surprise to see all the youth group kids up there and the skiers instead of people getting married.
Just a few things I wanted to share.
We had a wonderful time spending some alone time together and spending time w/ old friends. We will have to make time to get together with them here in town. We did have close friends of our Tammy and Dexter that were there too w/ Katelyn their little girl and Chloe there new little puppy and were going to be staying in Gatlinburg too at the other Fairfield and we had plan to see them but once they got Chloe they had to change hotels so she could go too and they were all the way near the Bass Pro Shop and when we were that way they were in Gatlinburg and they ask us to meet them for dinner that night near them but Eric was not getting back in that traffic. We see them here so I guess it was ok we didn't see them there but it would have been nice too..
We are getting ready for our next alone trip and it will be all alone cause we don't know of anyone going at the same time. We are headed to Savannah in July for a our anniversary.
Happy V-day to all!!!!!!!!!!
