Usually an annual occurrence, we recently packed up the van, and headed out of town. We have not been to the mountains in several years, so decided it was time to visit Ol' Smoky. This year, we invited my Mom for the first time. We also agreed to spend a little more, and upgrade to a condo. This proved to be a wise decision, as the washer/dryer made Cindy happy, and the kids loved the indoor water park.
One of our first treks was to Cades Cove. The off season proved to be one of the best times to go, as the traffic was very light, and we did not feel rushed. Here are a few pictures...
Always fun, but expensive, Dollywood did not let us down. We started out in the 1950's section, where us older kids enjoyed helping the FBI chase down a moonshiner. Our next stop included John and Elizabeth in a run around the local race track in vintage era cars. On our way, we paused for pictures with a Southern Bell, and the Dolly Imagination Station Train.
Moving on to the Fair, we played a few carnival games, rode the Veggie Tales roller coaster, and few other rides for the twins. A 5 mile trip through the mountains on one of the authentic coal powered trains provided a nice break from all the walking.
Mark, Caitlin, Pop, and I broke off from the others to visit the Blazing Fury roller coaster, and the newest coaster, The Mystery Mine. Cindy, Mom, Jane, and the twins decided to hit a few shops. No trip to Dollywood is complete without getting a fresh funnel cake, so we all reconvened in the middle of the park to partake.
Our last excursion was to the Rainforest Adventure Animal Park. There was a show where we got to pet a live porcupine, macaw, alligator, and hold a tarantula and boa constrictor. The small petting zoo out back was fun for the kids.
Six days of fun must have been more than we could handle, as we packed up and headed home. I'm still asking myself why we made that decision.
