Mountain Magic: Our 2012 Vacation

Last month we had an amazing trip to Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge for a family vacation.  Jim and I went with the kids, my in-laws, my sister, and her fiance, and we rented a big cabin in the mountains for five days of non-stop fun and adventure.

We have never had a real family vacation before, but last Christmas, Dave Ramsey gave all of his employees money to be used for a vacation in 2012, as well as two extra vacation days.  Since I was pregnant for the first part of the year and then had a newborn for a while, we thought that an October trip would be the perfect time to go.

And it was.  It was perfect.

The weather was stunningly beautiful!   I recently had a friend say, "Of all of the Melissas I know, I think Fall Melissa is the happiest."  I don't think I have a split personality, but I would definitely agree that I am the happiest in October.  :-)  Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year, especially when I am in the mountains with my family and the trees are at their peak and the weather is textbook perfect and I get to see my kids laugh and play and try new things.  (Yes, my joy is worthy of a run-on sentence.)

On the first day we left early in the morning and drove straight there, stopping at Ripley's Aquarium before heading to the cabin.  Gatlinburg, though a tourist town, was ridiculously charming with all of the fall color.

The kids had an awesome time at the aquarium.  I am not a huge aquarium person myself, but it really is a great aquarium.  I enjoyed myself thoroughly just watching my kids have so much fun!

After we left the aquarium, we headed to find our cabin.  When we finally located it, we walked in the door, and the view straight to the back looks like this!

The kids had a blast running around and checking out every room including their room with bunk beds and their own bathroom!  Between that, the theater room, and a pool table, Brennan was in heaven!

On day 2 we went hiking.  We decided to go check out Laurel Falls, and it was the perfect hike for our family.  It was by no means a leisurely stroll, and although I could have handled more without kids, it was as long and hard as we dared let it be with three little ones.  They had a ball.

I wore Seth the whole way up while everyone else took turns with Brennan and Cora.  On the way down, Cora got "sleepy" and I carried her the whole. way. down.  :-)

I enjoyed the hike tremendously, and if we had been able to spend another few days in town, I would have gone on another one without the kids.

We had planned to spend the third day fishing, but we weren't sure about getting separate licenses and trying to find a place to fish.  Jenny and Kenny had suggested a place they saw advertised with a stocked pond because it did not require a license, and we thought it sounded like a good idea.  We had no idea what a good idea it would turn out to be!  This place was fantastic!!  We spent the whole day there, and it was positively glorious.

For the first hour or so, we fished.

After that, Jim, Jenny, and I went on an hour-long horseback ride up a mountain while the kids stayed behind and "mined for gems" (sifted a pre-purchased bag of stuff), played on a playground, enjoyed the lake, and even played in a stream.  It was like a slice of heaven on earth.  It was beautiful, it was tranquil, it was quiet, and it was back-to-basics fun.  I would highly recommend Big Rock Dude Ranch at Ponderosa if you are looking for a quiet, beautiful escape in the middle of Pigeon Forge.

Our last day was spent at Dollywood.  I was looking forward to riding some roller coasters, but I did not dream that I would have so much fun!!  Dollywood is the best family amusement park I have ever been to (well, besides Disney, obviously).  First of all, it is so, so pretty, nestled in the middle of the mountains.  Plus, there is something for every age!  The kids started out in the children's rides, and both kids really gained courage with each ride.  By the end of the day, Brennan had gone on almost every ride in the park, including upside down roller coasters!!!!!  My little boy, who is so afraid of everything new, was so excited, so confident, and so willing to try new things, it actually brought tears to my eyes.  It was one of my proudest moments.  I never wanted the day to end.

On the last morning, Jenny and I stopped on the way out of town to purchase cowboy boots.  There was a store that had a "buy 1 pair, get 2 pairs free" sign, so we split the cost of two pairs and got Cora a pair as a bonus.  I have always wanted cowboy boots!

The trip wasn't without its share of meltdowns (mostly due to overstimulation, exhaustion, and adjustment to life in a different place), but for a trip with three small children, it was truly perfect.  I sent Dave a thank-you note, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart.  Of all of the Christmas presents he could have given to our family this year, this one will stay with us the longest.  It was very special.

Fall Creek Falls

I love the outdoors, and I love transitional seasons.  There is something incredibly comforting about fresh air and trees.  You've probably heard me say it before, but I don't know how I lived for eight years in concrete city, with a near absence of trees.  It isn't enough to have a well-placed tree or two in my yard.  I need lots of trees - forests, really, with canopies of leaves and colors and light filtering through in sunny patches. And I need access to forests and hills and streams in order to stay healthy.  Maybe it is the fact that I was born in western New York and went to college in PA.  Maybe it is the fact that I was a camp counselor for years.  Maybe it's just the way God made me.  Whatever the reason, I need nature.

Last Saturday, three friends and I escaped to nature at Fall Creek Falls State Park.  Oh my word.  That is seriously one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life.  The minute I got home, I wanted to go back.  I kept trying to think of excuses to justify the 2.5 hour drive with my kids very soon.  The fact of the matter is, our lives are busy and our weekends are full until the weather gets cold, and in the spring we will welcome another baby.  But as soon as I can get back there, I will.

I spent thirteen hours away from my family last Saturday, and five of those hours were spent on the road.  It was totally worth it.  I came back refreshed, revitalized, and recharged, and I was a better wife and mother, at least for a little while.

I am so thankful that God is creative and loves us enough to give us beautiful things that money can't buy.

Lakeview at Fontana

Jim and I just got back from a glorious weekend in the North Carolina Smokies.  I am refreshed and recharged, and I only wish I could have stayed longer!  I really think I'd like to go back with some girlfriends for some R & R sometime. (Any takers?)

The place to which we escaped is a little place called Lakeview at Fontana that was featured as a Living Social Getaway.  It is described as "rustic chic" which is a perfect explanation.  Think of it as camping for the person who hates camping.

We didn't get a suite, but I would definitely spring for one next time.  Our queen room was just big enough for a queen-sized bed and there wasn't much counter space or anyplace to sit down and relax comfortably.  It was also super old.  It was only a place where we slept and showered, and it was not a room we would hang out in, strictly because of space.  However, it was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the shower was hot, it did have a little charm, and it didn't really matter to me that I couldn't hang out in it because this is what awaited us outside our door:

Each morning I spent hours with my reading material, my own pot of french press coffee, and a stunning view.  The first morning I sat out there for about three hours by myself while Jim slept in.  It was glorious.

The second morning I only had about an hour and a half out there because we had to go get our hot stone massages.  Did I mention this place has a spa?  :-)

Each morning there was a delicious European-style breakfast, and it was hard not to go back for second (or third) cream puffs.

I couldn't bring myself to stay indoors for breakfast, but had it been raining, the cafe would have beckoned me.  It was soooo charming.

On Saturday, when I finally decided to pull myself away from the deck, we decided to go into Bryson City to pick up some sandwiches for a hike.  We headed to a nearby area popular for tubing and hiking.  We saw a few beautiful waterfalls...

... and we persevered past the masses of people walking with giant tubes to an area that was restricted to tubers.  From that point on, we didn't see another soul for hours.  We found this charming little area where we enjoyed our sandwiches...

... and then we felt a few drops of rain.  We decided to take a different way back to our car, which was not the wisest decision.  It was a straight uphill mountain hike on narrow, switchback trails, and it started to pour.  We were in the middle of nowhere in a rainstorm, miles from our car, I was getting blisters on my ankles, and I was dizzy from the twists and turns and having to focus on my feet.  At one point I just stood still in the rain and said to Jim, "What in the heck are we doing?!?!"  We both just laughed.  It was refreshing, ridiculous, and a little romantic.

When we got back to the resort, we were filthy, wring-out-your-clothes wet, and my ankles were really ripped up.  But I was thankful for an awesome memory.  We got cleaned up and went to an awesome coffee shop / wine cafe in Bryson City for crepes and wi-fi (we didn't have internet, a television, and I had no cell phone signal while we were there!).  We did a little window shopping, stopped and got ice cream, went back to the resort, and read until we were ready for bed.  It was an awesome day.

This was exactly the kind of weekend we both needed.  We needed to unplug, unwind, and take life slowly.  We needed to be quiet, enjoy simple pleasures, and laugh.  Usually I'm a get-up-and-go kind of vacation girl, and I am not a beach person because I can't stand lying still for so long, but this was our own version of a beach trip.

I'm so thankful to my in-laws for allowing us to have this weekend.  We couldn't have afforded to pay for it all by ourselves, and we needed it.  Plus, my mother-in-law happily watched the kids while we were away, so I was able to rest easy.  That was a huge gift, too.  Thanks, Sharon and Jim!

I have a much healthier view of life right now, and I am excited that one week from today we will know the name of Brennan's kindergarten teacher!

Here's to celebrating eleven wonderful years of marriage!