Tanner Life

Mountains Trip
Saturday

We woke up Saturday morning, MY BIRTHDAY, to over cast skies. Thankfully no rain most of the day, just yucky looking. We walked up the street to the FlapJack Pancake House and it was fantastic. You know it's an "off" travel time when you walk into any pancake house up there without a wait, strange! We couldn't figure out if everyone was scared of gas issues or they're waiting until October when the leaves were fully changed. After my REESE'S PANCAKES THAT WERE COVERED IN PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLE AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE.... we were off!!



There are 7 of these FlapJack's in the area, we ate at one downtown. Then there are tons of other Pancake Houses, everywhere!




We walked around downtown for awhile, hitting our favorite little shops. I bought the coolest stuff to "make snow" in the world. I can't explain it, but can not wait until our snow unit to share with my kids. It's this "stuff" that you mix with water and it expands into fluffy snow and feels wet and cold!! It's wild!! People use it for decorating and such, great find!!


Andy hates when I make him pose places like this, how can I resist?




Rock Candy, yummy....... Pure sugar, yep!!!



We came back and hopped in the car to drive to the Sugarland Visitor Center. It's the official visitor center for the National Park. I haven't been able to go to the TOP of the mountain in the national park in years now, my car sickness just wont allow me to go that far on those curvy roads. I feel terrible b/c Andy's never been up there and I have tons of times when I was younger. Eventually I'm gonna send him off with my Mom & Dad on a trip and let them head up there. Anyway.. I love the movie they show about the park, just a 20ish minute of fantastic footage of the park and animals in different seasons, but it wasn't showing.

They were having a HUGE alumni thing for the CCC "Civilian Conservation Core" that helped establish the National Park years ago. There were pictures and things out everywhere, special speakers and TONS of old alumni. Pretty neat, but it had things really jammed up.

We headed off onto one of the little 1 mile walks to the "Cataract Falls", I didn't remember doing this one before and when we got there, it was a dribble. Very disappointing. The water flow off the mountain is low anyway, but this low? Wow, we were fooled. It was a nice little walk out there and back though.

Signs of Fall on our walk, the first red leaf!



Cataract Falls (dribble)


We returned to Gatlinburg and walked downtown again to take our annual ride up the mountain on the chair lift. I've been riding this since I was a little bitty girl with my family, it's a tradition now for Andy & I. This years picture fills up the last spot in my 9 picture frame in our hall. It's fun to look back over the years. (Amy, I have some nutty ones of us too!)


Looking up, up, up.....


Just us, one more ride!!





We had forgotten that the Aquarium was having a "shark" race down the creek. You could pay $10 to support a charity and purchase your own plastic shark with a number, the first one across the finish line won a F-150 (lease for a year) and a Jet Ski. As we went up the chair lift and over the creek, we saw them getting ready to dump them at the starting line.

THEN... on our ride back down, we saw the horror that was "the great shark race". Turns out the river is so far down, there is no big current and thousands and thousands of plastic sharks were stuck everywhere!! There were oodles of teenagers from the Aquarium out in the water with nets trying to scoop them up. They had a huge job ahead of them, they were EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!



We came back to the hotel for hanging out by the creek and then getting ready for the "Dixie Stampede". If you've never been before, it's so hard to explain the right way. It's a dinner show, it's "southern" in theme and it's pricey. It's so much fun and exactly what I wanted for my birthday. Andy & I have been 3 times before, then I've been tons with my parents years ago. (Amy, you went with us once, right?!) There is now a location in Orlando, Branson and Myrtle Beach too. If you're ever able to go, do it!!

You sit side by side in a HUGE horse arena. It's like a giant booth all the way around. There are rows of these booths, all levels from top to bottom. The show is southern in theme. There is comedy, dancing, singing, ostrich racing, pig chasing, horse riding, wagon racing and a beautiful patriotic tribute. All the while you are served a great meal, the food is some of my favorite anywhere up there!!!!! You get a chicken (yes, an entire cornish hen), corn on the cob, the BEST creamy vegetable soup EVER, herb roasted potato (Andy wanted to tip Herb) slice of grilled pork, flaky apple turnover and all without utensils of course! :) It is such a great time and exactly what I wanted for my birthday!! It's $38 now per person, but we feel well worth it. (We do get a $6 military discount)

In our seat ready for it to begin!



Not a good picture, not mine. You aren't suppose to take pics in there, so Andy wouldn't let me. I borrowed this one to show you the seating sort of.

There are tons of other shows up there and if you're going, you have to check one out. They are part of the quirky southern charm. The Black Bear Jamboree is our other favorite dinner show combined, check it out sometime!!!

Let me back track to say that the pre-show is fun too. You get there 45 minutes early and go into the saloon to watch a great moutain, country, hillbilly, band. "Mountain Ruckus". They are fantastic with music and comedy, fun times. You can get all sorts of non alcoholic funny drinks and popcorn or peanuts. I have a video here of part of the gospel set they do.

(Turn your volume up!)

Click HERE


After that we headed back to our hotel. We walked the 1/2 block to catch the tram and headed up the mountain in the dark! It's neat to take the 10 minute ride up there anytime of the day or night, neat ride. We didn't get to see much and the entire area up at Ober Gatlinburg was closing by the time we arrived. (Bear habitat, ski resort, chair lift, sled ride, games, jumpies, shops, ice skating, etc..) So we walked around and caught the next tram back.

It was a great day and although the weather wasn't all we'd hoped for...I had a great birthday!
(until we watched the last 1/2 of the UGA game, but I wont even go into detail....even with me wearing my brand new "essential black out t shirt" maybe I outta put that thing in the back of the closet now?! )