• Travel

    Gatlinburg 2017

    We enjoyed another annual ski trip with the Scouts again this year. Last year I stayed back to deal with moving and organizing stuff after having the carpet installed. This year, I went so that Caitlyn wouldn’t have to pay for a room by herself. As usual we caravanned up there Friday night arriving around 1 am. The next morning the scouts got up and gallivanted through Downtown Gatlinburg, while Caitlyn and I decided to explore Gatlinburg on our own. We walked around and shopped and then ate an early lunch at Bennett’s Pit BBQ, which is my favorite place…

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    Winter Gatlinburg Trip

    Last year was the first Annual Ski Trip for our Boy Scout (and family can come too so we get the group rate) trip. You can read about that trip here: —Boy Scout Ski Trip 2014::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 1 & 2} —Boy Scout Ski Trip 2014::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 3 & 4} This year the boys wanted to do it again. We ended up at the Days Inn again. It’s not the nicest of places, in fact some of the parents opted to stay somewhere else this year. We like it for the price and the location. It’s in the same…

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    Boy Scout Ski Trip 2014::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 3 & 4}

    If you missed my post about Day 1 & 2, you should read it here first. Sunday we got up pretty early so we could hit the slopes before the crowds. We ate breakfast at the hotel, rode the tram back up the mountain, got our ski boots and skis, and then it was time for ski school for most everyone. Waiting for our lesson to begin Not long after we took this pic we saw Drew as well as most of the other boy scouts, flying down the mountain like they’d been skiing for years. The realization hit that…

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    Boy Scout Ski Trip 2014::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 1 & 2}

    Friday we headed out in a caravan with Drew’s troop towards Gatlingburg for a weekend of ice skating, snow tubing, skiing and more fun. We got in around 1am, handed out keys to boys, and found our way to our cozy little room. Driving through downtown Gatlinburg to our hotel Saturday morning we got up and shoved down some hotel breakfast before hitting the town. Who can’t go to Gatlinburg without drooling over the caramel apples, taffy, and handmade candies?

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    Forth July 4th Trip 2013::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 5}

    Chalet ~ Day 1 ~ Day 2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 Sunday we had to rise early and get packed and clean up the chalet before the 11am check out time. We were just in the nick of time and headed out on our last day of adventures. One of the things we had wanted to do on our trip was go to Cherokee, NC, but we decided to wait until on our way home to cut down on driving time since it’s in the direction of home. Cherokee is about an hour away from Gatlinburg, but it’s…

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    Forth July 4th Trip 2013::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 4}

    Chalet ~ Day 1 ~ Day 2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 5 Saturday, we got up, ate breakfast, and went to Ober Gatlinburg. It had been raining, so when we got there, the Alpine slide wasn’t open yet. We decided to go ahead and get the activity bracelet, and took the ski lift all the way up to the top of Mount Harrison.

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    Forth July 4th Trip 2013::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 3}

    Chalet ~ Day 1 ~ Day 2 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5 The next day of trip we rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn. Wolfed down some waffles and quiche and hit the road towards Cades Cove. Cades Cove is a very popular attraction, which is about 35 miles from Gatlinburg. This isolated valley was the settling place for 100s of settlers in the 1800’s. It’s preserved homesteads, beautiful mountain views, and abundant wildlife are reasons why 2 million visitors come every year. John Oliver’s Cabin

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    Forth July 4th Trip 2013::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 2}

    Chalet ~ Day 1 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5 On the 4th of July, we slept in a bit, which was much needed since stayed up till nearly 2am the night before. We enjoyed waffles for breakfast, while discussing the plans for the day. We loaded up the car and went to Laurel Falls for a little hike. Before heading out on the trail, we noticed a sign that said “No Pets Allowed.” This was not a good start, since we had brought Daisy along for the adventure. Grandpa said he’d sit back with her, since…

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    Gatlinburg, TN Trip {Day 1}

    Forth July 4th Trip 2013::Gatlinburg, TN {Day 1} Chalet ~ Day 2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5 Wednesday we got up pretty early so we could head up to Gatlinburg for the weekend. The trip there it monsooned for a good 2 hours, making the trip exhausting and stressful. Luckily the rain lightened up and we could relax a bit and make up some time. When we got to Townsend, TN, we started looking for a place to eat lunch. We stopped at the Black Bear Cafe. We enjoyed a quick lunch (cheeseburger, grilled cheese, grilled…

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    Gatlinburg Chalet

    Our 4th Annual 4th of July Trip {the Chalet} Day 1 ~ Day 2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5This year for the 4th of July, we went further away from home to visit Gatlinburg, TN. Rob and I have fond memories of this place and it has become a place that our kids love as well. We rented a chalet up on top of Ski mountain. It was a nice, roomy place except for the kitchen and dining room. The decor is a bit outdated for those that are concerned about that. We didn’t mind. We…

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    Gatlinburg {Spring Break 2008}

    We enjoyed a short trip to Gatlinburg. We stayed at the Edgewater Hotel. We spent a time in Ober Gatlinburg, at the Ripley’s Believe It Not Museum, and way above the city in the Space Needle. See more pics here.