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Spring Break Part 2


(Read Spring Break Part 1 Here)

The next morning, we woke up and left Joel and Ashley's and got back on the road. We thankfully had a nice day driving with no car trouble and were able to enjoy the drive and the scenery. Also our funny kids, because they can say really funny thing sometimes. 

For this trip, I was so crazy busy leading up to the trip planning trips for other people, that I let Kyle take the reigns for the planning on our trip. He found us a great deal on a cabin on the mountain and it was darling! It had a hot tub, loft with TV and Nintendo, 3 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, grill, family room, games, etc.... It was great! 


For dinner that night we went into Pigeon Forge and at at the Smoky Mountain Brewery. It was kind of a long wait, but we let the kids run around outside while we waited and the food did not disappoint. It was delicious!





After dinner, we made a quick grocery run and then we came back to the cabin. While there was an entire loft upstairs, no one wanted to sleep upstairs without the others, so they all piled into one bed together. (This lasted much longer than I anticipated when Archer came and got in bed with Kyle and I in the middle of the night).


We woke up the next morning and fixed cinnamon rolls at the cabin for breakfast and let the kids play on the Nintendo upstairs. We got dressed and headed to the Smokey Mountains National Park. We started at the Visitor's Center there because we wanted to look at some maps and see what was around there that we could hike that was easy for the kids but would give us some fresh air and see some things we wouldn't see in Mobile. 



We decided to hike the trail the starts right off the visitors center. We took our time and with great delight I discovered that most of my children are sign readers. As no surprise to most of us, Laura Kate was the most excited to read every sign about every plant. Archer just kind of frolicked along behind all of us. Shepherd looked for the coolest rocks and vines and Fischer wanted me to take a picture of him next to every piece of nature. 

After the nature trail we took an adjoining trail to see Cataract Falls, a small waterfall located nearby. I loved this whole experience with my family!










When we left we took the scenic route home. Not necessarily by choice but because every road looks the same (face palm). We ended up swinging through a drive through and eating a late lunch back at the cabin. We rested that afternoon and went out to the newer development in Pigeon Forge called "The Island". There are some unique shops and restaurants. But very busy and very touristy. All that being said we actually ended up eating at Cheddars. Ha! Everywhere had a long wait and we all were craving something different and we knew we could all get what we wanted there. We all went to bed with full tummies and happy hearts. 

The next morning we went into downtown Gatlinburg for a little browsing and breakfast. We ate at the famous Pancake Pantry, and yall, I cannot tell you how amazing it was. My mouth waters just thinking about this breakfast. It was so amazing. 

We headed back home shortly after breakfast and had an uneventful trip home. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get away for a few days to explore and see some different scenery. We each thoroughly enjoyed our time in the mountains and can't wait to go back!

After we were home, we finished out our Spring Break week with a crawfish boil with some of our friends! 







1 comment

  1. We love visiting the Smokey Mountains, but always stay on the other side of them (North Carolina) where it is definitely quieter and not so touristy. Of course, that means we bring all of our food to cook at the cabin itself, but that probably wouldn't be as much fun for you or the kids. Glad you had a wonderful spring break!
    Blessings!

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