The Adventures of Mom

I know nothing about country music, and aside from the crossover singers (ie Shania Twain), I don’t even like it! But here we were in Nashville, home of Country Music, where alot of the singers were discovered in dingy bars downtown.

Breakfast was an elaborate affair- made to order omelettes, pancakes, bacon, grits, the works- and my hazelnut coffee creamer on tap! (they must have known I was coming!) I think I managed atleast three coffees that morning for a jittery energetic start. We ate breakfast, and Paul, another one of Randal’s old Opryland friends came over, then we headed downtown to walk where Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and the rest of them walked the walk. Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville is chock a block with country memorabilia-, none that meant anything to me, except the dress that leopard dress that Dolly Parton wore- a size 0 by the looks of it- was she really that tiny? We stopped by BB Kings and checked out the life-sized horses attached to the ceiling at the Wild Horse Saloon (there was line dancing going on in there, which Sydney wanted to join!) Strapped back into her stroller, we continued on our tour, past Cadillac Ranch and up by the bars where the stars had been discovered. In a way, it reminded me of Soho in London, slow in the daytime, but Paul assured us the nightlife was when it all happened, but having kids, the nightlife was not on our agenda. After lunch in a pub- really! we loaded up and headed to the Parthenon.

I had read about the life-sized replica of the Greek Parthenon in Nashville from the hotel tour book. Randal said he had never heard of it, his friend from the day before had said it must be new-(It was built in the 1800’s!!!) Also it was in a park, and I decided the kids needed a run- Sydney was getting antsy. This Parthenon you could actually go inside- unlike the Greek one on the Acropolis, which has been under renovation forever- and I highly doubt anyone, aside from the renovators will ever be allowed to set foot in it again. Inside here- there is a huge gold statue of the warrior goddess Athena, and also some relics (from Athens-hmmm). We explored the inside, the kids clambered around the pillars and up the steps and then we took them down to the duck pond where Sydney chased the pigeons. It was hot, everyone was sweaty. We returned to the hotel to take a dip in the indoor pool. BRRRRR can you say CCCOLD?

After our swim, Randal and his friend had abandoned us for the bar by then, we ate dinner at Moe’s, a Turkish? burger joint nearby. Then we returned to the hotel, Randal to reminisce with his friends in the front room of our suite, and me watching cartoons with the kids in the bedroom- we all fell asleep!~

We hit the open road after a breakfast of eggs and cereal and more of that coffee with the hazelnut creamer… Our destination for today was Nashville, Tennessee, home to country music, but more importantly, where Randal worked and lived in a slice of life before I met him. My family had had a family reunion in Louden, Tennessee about six years back- it all centered around an ice cream shop, the happening-est place in Louden, and at the time, they had toured The Lost Sea Caverns in Sweetwater. As we had time, and it was on the slow road to Nashville, I suggested it- also, I just love caves. I explored area caves when I was little, did the big one in Perama, near Ioannina in Greece, as an adult, and wanted to add as many as possible to my list, and it was either Sweetwater or heading back to the cave in Siereville. We went to Sweetwater.

The Lost Sea could well be lost soon, we discovered, after paying our fee and taking the hour tour one mile down. It is a huge cave, once  inhabited by Indians & housing a bar during prohibition. There’s graffiti on the wall from the 1800’s- and unfortunately, also more recent. The paths were wide, switchbacks, the bridges over the dark chasms were worrisome. I carried Sydney all the way down, past the water fall and flowing stream and to the underwater lake, where boats took us out to see the blind fish. One of the ladies on the tour with us seemed highly upset at the stench of the lake and the lack of water, and our guide told us the Lost Sea linked to the Tennessee water table had dropped twenty feet  during the two year drought they were suffering. The stench came from the dying fish and the milky white water color from the limestone of the cave.

Something huge and white flipped over a rock, startling everyone. For an instant, I actually thought it was an albino seal, then we were told it was the trout. They had stocked the lake with trout in hopes of them finding an exit underwater, but the fish never did, and have become another curiosity to view in the cave, turning blind and white from lack of sun and greens- see kids- eat your greens and play outside or else you too may resemble a Lost Sea fish!

Our boat ride ended and we began the arduous climb back up to the top. Sydney wanted me to carry her- I said no way- stretch those tiny legs (thinking she could wear herself out for the car ride to come)-but our three year old bats those eyes and stretches out her arms “I need you!” Randal ended up carrying her to the top. For the more adventurous and non-kid carrying, there IS  a more exciting tour you can sign up for that takes you crawling through tunnels- and you spend a night in the cave- though how do you know it’s actually a night? I wondered. You have to sign up in advance for the adventurous tour- but we needed to get back on the road.

We loaded up, stopping once for a BBQ lunch at a diner near I-75- wouldn’t you know, it was run by Floridians! Once again, the tale of leaving the rat race behind for a quieter, NICER life (hmm, and most people move to Florida, just for that reason- do they know they are driving the locals out?) On the road again- over bridges (saw deer), past a nuclear plant, rolling farm lands,  up a steep mountain and then back on to I-40 and into Nashville.

Ironically, our hotel (Embassy Suites) was right near the apartment where Randal had once lived. He showed us the old place- still the same and we braved the construction and unloaded at our hotel- a towering structure with an indoor courtyard complete with a bridge and running stream. The kids were enchanted.

Randal wanted to see his old haunt, Opryland Hotel, but we decided on dinner first and headed out to Opry Mills- a mall near the hotel. There was a Rain Forest Cafe on one end- I’ve been to the ones at Disney World and they’re good fun for the kids- and up until then, I had actually thought they were Disney owned (they aren’t). On the other end of the mall was the Aquarium- an underwater dining adventure (owned by the Rainforest Cafe people-Landry’s), where you could dine around an enormous aquarium with sharks and eels, stingrays and other just huge fish. We chose the Aquarium, and made a dash into the Old Navy store while we sat on the wait list, to buy Logan some shorts and Sydney a cheapee sundress as they were desperate for clean clothes.

Ate dinner of stuffed Rainbow Trout & shrimp- the kids love shrimp, as we watched the fish float by. The kids got excited every  time a shark hugged the glass- and the huge neon yellow eel would give them nightmares- it was so cool! One of Randal’s old friends from Opryland days met us during dinner and afterwards we all treked past the Grand Ole Opry, down a garden path and over to Opryland Hotel. It was a hike, but $12 parking at the hotel itself.

We entered into the courtyard, a southern swamp, complete with a boat-ride, that soon gave way to New Orleans street scene. I had been to the Gaylord Hotel in Orlando, but this was much bigger! The Old Hickory restaurant was in a plantation house in the courtyard, Randal had been a sous chef at the Old Hickory, but he said it had been somewhere else. There were walkways overhead where you could view a French outdoor cafe dining area, fairy lights strung to mimic stars. Secret waterfalls and grottoes were waiting to be discovered, and the kids favorite, was the water dancers - water jumping from volcanic rock to volcanic rock all set in a mist filled pond by the sushi restaurant. The hotel room balconies overlook the surreal courtyard- controlled weather year round!

We hiked back from the hotel to our car at the mall, tired, said good bye to Randal’s friend and headed back to the hotel to sleep.

I confess, when I heard of Dollywood, the only things that came to mind were lots of country music and rednecks. It sounded like Wallyworld of the National Lampoon Vacation movie- corny. When I bought the tickets at the AAA place (www.AAAclubsouth.com) I thought, okay, train ride for Logan, some roller-coasters for us at the cost of the Great Smokey Mountain Train  ride- a day for everyone. The cashier at the AAA office told me it was great, and people were so genuine (read- not jaded like in Florida). A few other people along our journey have said the same thing (friendly, genuine- NICE) So I wasn’t quite sure what we would be up against, but atleast the natives would be friendly.

We bought an umbrella stroller (I had forgotten ours) for Sydney at Walmart on the way back to Pigeon Forge , and the turn off from the main drag took us down a side road and another (not too well marked- Disney World this was not), and finally into the park. Inside the park, guitars and banjos were strumming- the early morning singers were out.

The first show/ride we were at (Yogi’s Wild Ride) Sydney was too small for, so my husband took the other kids, and I wandered around the shops with Sydney in the stroller. She fell in love with the Clifford toys- I found a small one at 3.99, which she clung to for the rest of the day and the remainder of the trip. We headed towards the railroad when they emerged from the simulator ride (telling me Logan was a hair too short and they had to sit in the non-action seats- I found out later he’s only 3/4 an inch below the 42 inch requirement for big kid rides.

We headed for the railroad via the market place, where huge woks sat over burners with Philly beef, peppers, onions and mushroom sauteing, sausage, peppers and onions in another- my mouth was watering already. The train was packed full, so we dived into the funfair carnival area. One of the workers told us to hit those rides first, as they got crowded in the afternoon. I took Logan and Sierra on the swings- metal swings hung by chains that flew around and made me so nervous, I didn’t believe I’d make a rollercoaster. Then Randal took Logan and Sierra on the scrambler- poor Sydney, who was dying to ride a pig (those were her words- though goodness knows where they came from), had yet to have a ride, so after, we went over to the kiddie section, where the three kids (Sierra squeezed) rode ducks in a circle and flying honey bees- lo and behold, there were also flying pigs! They weren’t running though, so she never did get to ride a pig! I took the kids on the Veggie Tales roller coaster- they loved it! And then we managed to squeeze a train ride aboard  a 69 year old steam engine (we even saw them shoveling the coal into the engine!) around the mountain. Afterwards we hit Miss Lilly’s for a country fried steak/chicken, beans and cornbread lunch. Miss Lilly entertained us with songs an tossing bread rolls to the kids who yelled “cockadoddle doo!” The kids loved it.

My husband was the first to decide it time to hit the rollercosters.Dollywood has gotten it right when setting up their coasters. They placed a wet&dry kiddie area near the rollercoasters, thus enabling all ages to enjoy themselves, so while Randal took Sierra on the Mystery Mine, I watch the kids as they crawled up and around a playground of slides, walls and wooden forts, and when I went with Sierra on Thunderhead,  the wooden one (my favorite), Randal let Logan and Sydney roll down the water slope (yes, really) okay, so I wasn’t too happy about the kids rolling in the water- read yet another change of clothes, but I did get some roller coasters under my belt, and yes, I have missed the thrill- the heart racing, the screaming at the top of your lungs… wait a minute, that’s how I am when Sydney is about to perform some high jump antics at home!

The rollercoasters had 15 min wait times posted, but were five in reality, which went quickly, as Sierra noted “everyone is talking to us!” Friendly Tennessee! The longest ride we went on was the rapids ride 45 min wait- which did seem to breeze through as well, and even Sydney could go on that one- She and Sierra got washed over by a huge wave near the end (ut oh- more clothing changes!)  We drove vintage cars on a track, ate icecream and strawberries, watched the iron monger, and the copper turner work their magic, saw eagles up close, played with magnetic toys at the kid fest area and left the park at eight, weary and with sore feet. (check times and events at www.dollywood.com ) We could have spent another day there easily, as there were so many shows and rides that we hadn’t touched on- and lots of food- ham and beans anyone?

As we drove back to Knoxville, a storm broke overhead- thunder shook the mountains, and lightening struck all around- our last show on a perfect day.

Another breakfast of pancakes, then pack the car and head off into the Smokey Mountains. Our final destination today is Knoxville. Tennessee, but we have the whole day to get there. Like the road into Franklin, the road out (441) dips and curves, winding around mountains and sending us into valleys. We reach the tiny town of Dillsboro around 10- too early for lunch. The Great Smokey Mountain Railway stops in this town at 1pm. It’s a 4 hour ride to Bryson City (stop over to check out their museum) and back, through the Smokies. I know Logan would have loved the trip (from Bryson City they offer more excursions www.gsmr.com), as would Randal and I, but I didn’t think our overtly energetic girls would have sat still that long- esp. Sydney, and at $40 an adult ticket (I really did mull this over as Logan was determined to ride the rails, one way or another), we decided to leave the Smokey Mountain Railroad for another year.

From Dillsboro, we headed to Cherokee, in search of a waterfall that a couple at breakfast had told us about. Mingu falls. The streets were lined with the ticky tacky tourist shops- I really wanted to stop and look (okay and buy) as I know nothing about Cherokee Indians, but my husband is very practical in nature and doesn’t believe in shopping for anything other than food and basic necessities (hey are fishing poles basic necessities?). Well, we got lost, and a local turned us around and in the end we had entered the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

We stopped by the visitor’s center to get our bearings, stretch our legs and pee at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and took a walk around the historic mountain farm museum, a group of old wood buildings- farmhouse, outhouse, barn, meat-house, etc, and growing garden- complete with chickens and pigs. It was a fantastic way to stretch weary limbs (and free!!). The kids loved it, especially when following the path past the pigs we came upon a lovely river walk.

With much begging and pleading (mainly on my part) I convinced my husband to let the kids take off their shoes and wade in the stony river bed (I did too!!!). I have always wanted to wade in a cold river with the rocks and fish (check another dream off the list, Sal!)  My husband told me the kids would get wet. Heck, we had fun, and yes, Sydney managed to sit down in the water and somehow Logan got soaked. Sierra was the only dry child -good thing, as I was running short on clothes for everyone without a laundry in sight. Well, dried off, & continued our walk, then headed back to change the kids and look for Mingus Falls (which at the time, we were mistakenly told it was Mingus Mill) just a short drive down the road.

Over the bridge and up the hill to Mingus Mill we hiked at our next stop. The Mill itself was a working grist mill- milling corn into flour- my husband bought a bag for his mom and we followed the water run for a ways after touring the mill. Sydney managed to get stuck in the mud when we met another family who told us we had well passed the waterfall. My husband dipped Sydney in the water to wash her feet and we headed back- no waterfall today! He had wanted to swing into Asheville to see some friends and we searched for the Blue Ridge Parkway, but as the road climbed higher and higher, clinging to the mountainside, we realised we must have missed it.

We picnicked on the last of our luncheon meat and nachos at the top of the Great Smokey Mountains- mountain views as far as the eye could see. Our next stop was the Newfoundland Gap- the top of the mountains and also where the Appalachian Trail crossed. It was packed (public toilets & a place to let the kids scamper). The kids climbed, I took pictures and then we started up the real Appalachian Trail (I had always wanted to walk the trail- until I climbed a mountain in Santorini, Greece with my sister, Sandy, sans backpack. She had informed me that the AT was like that and  I decided without a sherpa, there was no way I could climb mountains like that with a loaded backpack)

Sierra took off in a sprint up the trail. “Let’s go to the end!” She tossed over her shoulder. “Where does it end?”

“On a mountaintop in Maine,” I answered. (Katadin, I believe)

We decided we weren’t equipped enough to follow the trail THAT far, so we headed back to the truck and started our ear popping descent from the mountains, going through mountain tunnels (”I got my wish!” Logan cried, “I wanted to go through a mountain tunnel (like Thomas the Tank Engine)” past babbling brooks, one small waterfall (okay we DID see one!) and finally into Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Seeing Gatlinburg was like being on I-Drive in Orlando, except in the mountains. It was a carnival of people, ticky tacky tourist shops and attractions. I wanted to turn around and head back into the mountains. We drove through Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge, another I-Drive disaster, except without the mountain backdrop. We still had a couple of hours to kill before heading up to Knoxville and our hotel (yes, a Hampton Inn). We stopped for an icecream and then ventured into the Nascar Speedway Experience.

 The Nascar Speedway was free to persons to walk through. You had to pay for most everything else. We started on a walking tour. I think my husband wanted to drive a go-cart. I know Sierra did, but her driving ability was in question. Sydney and Logan were way too short (and young). The outside speedway tracks (various sizes & carnival rides) were too hot in the sun  and 94 degree weather, so we ventured back inside the air-conditioned building. The kids played on the indoor playground (free) and Randal disappeared into the maze of games- men are always attracted to those flashing lights and loud sounds. We all ended up playing games in the end and walked away with cheap plastic prizes. We were ready for Knoxville.

It was an hours drive from Pigeon Forge, where Dollywood was (we would be coming back there tomorrow) through Siereville up to I-40 (and the mother of all Pro-Bass Shops at the exit-which I proudly say my husband managed to look away from and keep going, even though I know his truck has some homing device for those stores- so the feat was a difficult one). A short distance up I-40 was our exit, Knoxville East, and the hotel, clearly visible from the road.

We were on the outskirts of town, but it was a new hotel- indoor pool, and we were heading back into the Pigeon Forge throng anyway. Dropped our bags off and went next door to eat dinner at Outback steakhouse. Back at the hotel later, the kids had time for a swim. The water was way too cold for me (don’t they heat these pools? What happens in winter- ice skating?)

Tucked in bed, we all fall asleep with the promise of a train ride (for Logan) and some roller-coaster fun for us older kids.

Awoke early to a thick mist that reminded me of London fog and the promise of a dreary English day, then I remembered we were in the Smokey Mountains- it was the famous smoke. Ate a microwaved breakfast of pancakes (Logan was in 7th heaven). Have never nuked prepacked pancakes before, so that was weird, but as it was free- hey pour on the syrup! Then we dressed (er-I learned the hard way to have the smaller monkeys eat in their pjs as they were messing up their day’s clothes with breakfast) we dressed in our oldest clothes (the kid’s clothes would end up getting tossed out, the mud was so ingrained!) and donned our ugliest sneakers (I have still yet to try and wash those babies!) and hit the winding road through and Beyond Franklin.

Up and down hills, over creeks and towards our destination- Sheffield Mine, we drove. It was a Travel Channel recommendation- Sandy had written about it as well, and they claimed to have good sized rubies & sapphires, so we decided it was a good place to start. At 9 in the morning, there were people already gathered (opened at 10). Once you drove in there, there was barely room to get out (glad we didn’t have an RV!) There were lots of newbies, like us, some with pick axes, magnifying glasses, our own brood carried bright plastic sand buckets that looked out of place on a wild mountainside. I came to the conclusion that none of us really knew what we were up against. They opened the gates and we flooded down into the small valley like a herd of cattle. Milk anyone?

Okay, I confess, when I hear the word “mine”, I think of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and really assumed we would go into a tunnel and chip off gems and rocks from the walls like the dwarfs. Hah! The mine here was the side of a mountain they bulldozed off and set aside in buckets for us to sift through along something called a flume- a trough of muddy running water.  They herded us into their shop for a brief lecture on what we were supposed to be looking for and how to do it, but I was so busy stopping Sydney from shoplifting all of their pretty display rocks into her plastic bucket that I did not hear a thing, and next thing I knew, we were herded out again to a spot with a metal screen box along the flume. $10 is the adult admission fee, which buys you two buckets of the mountainside to sieve through ($8 for kids and they get two smaller rainbow buckets filled with dirt and cool rocks & crystals & arrowheads- not from the mountainside, but they are guaranteed to come out with treasures) after the initial admission, it’s $5 for 2  adult mountain dirt buckets & $6 for 2 kids treasure buckets.

Did I say Sydney is three? She lasted a bucket and a half, playing in the mud, finding stones, then off she flew- down to visit goodness knows whom. I chased her down, Sierra chased her down, Randal chased her down. I bribed her with cheetos and coke bought from the store and she sat for fifteen minutes (mental note- bring kiddie snacks next time or hire a nanny). In the end, Sierra eventually gave up, as did Logan and the three of them rolled down the hillside with a couple of other kids while we finished off our bucket sifting. I had not a clue what I was looking for- it all looked like rock and dirt to me. Even after one of the workers showed me how to do it quickly, I was still lost, and sorely wished I had gotten myself a “Rainbow Bucket.” There were two rubies found by people when we were there, and when we gave up around 12.30, there was a wait list for flume spaces- so get there early!!! We got directions from Sheffield mine from the hotel, but they have a website as well- www.sheffieldmine.com

We loaded up our buckets- well the kids buckets of treasures and headed down the road towards Franklin. This time we stopped at Mason’s Mine, right on the main road and ate a picnic lunch in the back of the truck of turkey sandwiches and nacho chips. Then we hiked down the little path to the wooden flume. The sky was darkening and thunder rumbled in the distance.  Once again, no dwarfs’ mine! This mine was dirt taken from the mountainside and brought down to the accessible flume. You could either purchase the enriched buckets of treasure for sure finds, or take your chance with the pure mountainside. My husband paid $15 to dig his own dirt for the day.

Sydney did not even pay attention to this flume- she was more distracted by the big swampy muck at the end of it, formed by all the running water. I sat down, one wary eye on my daughter, who started digging in the dirt, and surprise, I was actually finding stuff! Very small pieces of sapphire and more commonly, Rhodesylite. This was cool! Unfortunately, it did not last long, as Sydney decided to try for the big mud puddle, and I ended up carrying her back to the truck, her face red as she screamed, legs and arms flailing in temper. I strapped her into her seat and five minutes later she was sound asleep. With the windows open, we had a cool breeze. The storm had passed by to wash the town of Franklin down. I concentrated on sketching the flume while she slept, and Randal and the kids continued their treasure hunting.

Sydney awoke two hours later (what a napper!) as the kids trekked back to the car- covered head to toe in deep brown mud. (Logan had decided to roll in it! I believe Sierra must have followed suit) Randal had his bag of treasures, as did the two kids,  and the flume was shutting down for the day (4:30), so we headed back to the hotel for a good scrub down, changed clothes and ended up eating in a steak house downtown that resembled an old Quincy’s or Ryan’s Buffet. The local men’s barbershop quartet was practicing which gave us dinner and a show. The kids loved it.  Back to the hotel for an early night.

Woke up early in the morning and took Sierra for breakfast in the hotel lobby. Plenty to choose from- oatmeal, grits, cereals, fruit, danish, and all included in the price of the room. Randal and the kids joined us by the time I hit my second coffee. I’m not a fan of coffee, but those hazelnut creamers really add some flavor, and after a restless night, I knew I would need it.

Before we had left Florida, I hit the local AAA office for something called the Chattanooga Combo ticket. It was tickets to three attractions in the area for a reduced price (I had found it on their website under attractions). As I knew nothing about Chattanooga, it seemed like a good place to start. The night before I learned, via lady at the pool, that there was an amusement park in Chattanooga (not like Disney World or Universal, she had quickly added- more like a carnival, country fair), also there was the Chattanooga Aquarium downtown (the kids and I love our Tampa Bay Aquarium, but Randal stated no Zoos, no Aquariums, and as he was giving up fishing for a week, we had to give up things as well). We saw the Chattanooga Choo Choo (the signs actually do say that!) but did not stop for it, because after we were dressed and the truck was packed, we headed straight for Rock City, the first ticket on our Chattanooga Combo.

There are signs everywhere, esp on roofs emblazoned with SEE ROCK CITY (we would see more heading south on I-75 from Nashville later) It looked s0- well tacky, but the drive to the rock gardens on the mountain top afforded us views of the city and states around with lots of ear popping (Sydney learned to chew gum without swallowing it by then). We were pleasantly surprised at the stone paths that led us through crevices, down into caves, past waterfalls and over stone bridges. The view of 7 states at one time was okay, but the waterfall was amazing, as was the swinging bridge. Did I mention the eerie fairy tale caverns? Little Red Riding Hood among may others came to life in scenes from fairy tales set up in a cave (the children were enchanted). I’ll quote Sierra. “This is the best day of my life!”

Seeing Rock City took about 2 hours- we stopped for drippy fudge and lemonade before we left. The we headed for the Incline railway- a mile long mountainside train ride. Take note- it is metered parking at the top and free parking at the bottom. We did not know this and paid at the top. Another ear popping trip down the mountainside on the worlds’ steepest train track- the train was actually more like a trolley (Logan was a bit disappointed) We stayed on the train for the ride back up, after seeing the crowd waiting for the return trip, and knowing that the meter was running. We moved to the front seats for the ride up- the windows were open and I held onto Sydney and Logan- the track seemed steeper on the way back up. Ate sandwiches in the back of the truck and headed to destination 3, Ruby Falls.

I think Ruby Falls would have been better early in the morning, because to line to see the waterfall in the cave was like Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World, and the kids were fed up waiting by the time we reached the elevator that would take us down into the cave. Our guide (no wandering off allowed) was a pale college aged kid who looked bored and did not want to be there. He did inform us that 175 people are allowed in the cave at a time and from all the times we had to stop and let other groups by, they were at maximum limit. The falls at the end were show cased with light and music- and yes, they were worth all the human traffic jams we had gone through. It was a tight cave, narrow paths and the reward at the end- uptop  was a playground for the kids- new and child friendly with places for parents to sit and rest while the kids ran wild. Though next time, I would go early, like, uh, 8am.

We hit the road 64 out of Chattanooga- a winding road that led us past trains, creeks, and the Ocoee River, where groups were pulling their boats in or out for a spot of white water rafting. Kids played on the rust colored rocks around Centennial Park, fisherman fly-fished, and others just sat, enjoying the view. The kids fell asleep as the road began to climb higher and higher, finally leaving the river behind and bringing the Smokey Mountains into view. More ear popping-lots of gum chewing as we drove down steep roads with runaway truck warnings.

We reached Franklin, North Carolina (another Hampton Inn) at 7, unloaded and dashed off to Fat Buddies BBQ under my sister’s recommendation. The walls were Nascar decorated, and the place was packed. Logan tucked into the ribs, Sydney into my coleslaw. Randal was dying for a beer, but noted for a Friday night, none of the other patrons were drinking anything stronger than sweet tea, so he passed. We hit the sack by ten, eager to get an early start for the next day of treasure hunting.

We took our first official family vacation this past week in North Carolina, Georgia & Tennessee-a whole seven days (we have never managed above four before, and those always involved some foodie business) Though saying that, my dear husband was still on the look out for authentic Tennessee BBQ and picked up some Smokey Mountain cooking tips and products along the way, ah, some habits are hard to break!!! We took this trip with plans of getting Logan his first real train ride and also hunting for sapphires and rubys- we got much more.

I did not have the luxury of typing into a journal each night, as others do, as after five baths (myself being the last), it was lights out time by the time I towel dried my hair. I did manage a few scribbled notes in one of the kids’ notebooks, though I have yet to find them in the unpacking, but I shall try to be worthy of our trip by penning it journal style. Please keep in mind we were traveling with a 9 year old, a newly 5 year old and a newly 3 year old- this was the ultimate in child testing! (Not to mention testing parental limits!)

DAY ONE

The five of us left around 10ish with the truck (Yes, pickup!!) loaded. My husband had installed a wooden crate with a lock in the back with for our bags (very red necky) and a cooler stocked with water, luncheon meat and ice. Before we even left town, I realised Sydney had forgotten her favorite luvey, Minnie Mouse (she didn’t until lunchtime). She was extremely accepting of it, which threw me (is my baby growing up?) We drove straight through to the Georgia border.

We ate a picnic lunch at the Georgia Welcome Center Rest Area and continued on through the construction zones heading north on I-75. The sand and scrub of Florida soon gave away to rich orange Georgia clay. The kids were not as bored as I thought they would be. I’m proud to say I fought against the DVD player that my husband thought we should get for them (Too expensive & mind- numbing was my argument). My parents carted 4 kids back and forth from Florida to New Jersey each year. We didn’t have tv in cars then! I stocked up on paper & crayons, colorful pipe cleaners (to build stuff with), a new book for each child(Cifford, Curious George & the Magic Tree House), WonderColors for each kid (Sydney tends to draw on herself and others with markers, so the wondercolors were great), toys from home, a few more books from home, and snacks- lots of snacks. Okay, maybe a DVD would have taken up less space and made less mess, but the kids used their imaginations!

We drove through the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, which was the highlight for the kids, especially when we went through the lighted tunnels. Sydney kept saying “Wow!” Sierra talked about it for the rest of the day, and the traffic wasn’t too bad.

The remainder of our stops that day were for toilet breaks at gas stations. Georgia State Lottery was at $126 million, so we had to buy a ticket-didn’t win, or else I would be writing this from my new lear jet on the way to Paris…ahhh, next time!  The roads rose into mountains. I haven’t seen mountains in 6 years, and it was a first for the kids- so thus the ear popping was about to begin! We reached our hotel, a Hampton Inn, in Chatanooga, Tennessee at 5:41 that evening. Let the kids have a swim in the pool to release their pent up energy. The water was c-ccold. Met a woman and her son at the pool. They were originally from Flordia but had moved up to northern Tennessee because, well- it was nicer (would notice this remark often in the week to come).

Dried the raisins off, ate dinner at nearby Logan’s Roadhouse and hit the sack at 9.30. Everyone was deeply asleep when dear husband’s phone rang at 10:45. Made a mental note to switch off his cell phone at bedtime as I tossed and turned for the rest of the night.