Last day on the road:
Everyone slept in late, except me. I surfed the net and got us all our free continental breakfast. When David and I began waking up reluctant little girls, I thought it was gonna be a crabby kind of day for a few little people. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad.
Once we all loaded up in the car, I began rationing activites to keep their minds busy. One of the things Jo-Ann gave the girls was a little activity called "Scratch & Stick". It's a little sheet of holographic stickers covered in a thin layer of paint. They scratch off the areas of sticker they want a hologram to show through and stick them on a scenery board. That activity kept their attention for over an hour. THANK YOU, Jo-Ann!
We stopped in Cordele, GA. for lunch at a Chinese buffet.I am not a big fan of Chinese food and buffet's in general just gross me out. I wasn't too excited about this place but our options were limited and it was more important to me that Miss Picky, Arianna, eat something besides vanilla wafers in the car. It turned out to be a decent place, very clean and chic. I even ate a little bit which is something I was not planning to do.
At the buffet, we took our time, ate our fill and hit the bathrooms. I drove the rest of the way to Tallahassee. This was the 1st time in days that I drove the bus. It did pretty well but I did notice about an hour out of Tallahassee that it was blowing smoke. If I drove slowly, it didn't blow smoke but If I drove anything above 55, it was a big blue smog machine. I looked around, only farmlands, at best. I wondered how far in this unshaded Georgia heat we'd have to walk before finding a gas station or shop. To get those negative thoughts out of my head, I instead started counting miles to home on David's phone's GPS.
We finally made it to Tallahassee around 6:30. Everyone cheered when we crossed the Georgia/Florida line. Aurora and Athena claimed they forgot what our house even looked like inside, we'd been away so long.
David took me to get my car from Kara's house. The girls got in the air conditioned van with me while David headed home. We picked up the cat from my sister, Katie's house and chatted a while. The cat didn't seem to even care that we'd come back for her. I think she really enjoyed her vacation away from us. We couldn't get the dog because our dog sitter had evening plans. We were not about to come all the way back into town after landing HOME. Molly would just have to wait til tomorrow.
Back at home, David was hard at work getting things back to normal. He'd set up the tent and chairs to dry out that had gotten wet a few days before. He brought things inside from the bus. We all worked together to ge the majority of our things put away. Then we played Mario Kart until way past bedtime. I must say, when I fianlly flopped into bed, it was such bliss. A family vacation is a time of discovery, bonding, even trying at times. Nothing makes you appreciate what you have at home except an extended vacation away from it. There's no place like home!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Enter the Sun
2nd to Last Day:
We left for Atlanta this morning, on our way back to the South. We have so enjoyed the weather up in these parts and I am not looking forward to the heat again. What I am excited about is sleeping in my own bed.
The girls were ready for the trip and even helped us pack up because I promised we'd sleep in a hotel in Atlanta and they could watch as much TV as they wanted. Last night's rain had cooled everything off but also made everything we packed wet and gross.
Arianna was excited to finally be heading home. Athena was ready for TV. Aurora was itching to get in the pool.
The drive was long and sky overcast but the kids were in high spirits. David kept hoping for rain but it never came. At least the sun wasn't blaring down. We stopped a lot because someone ALWAYS had to use the restroom. At one point, when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of Nowhere, GA., the car refused to start. David and I exchanged glances. My face said, "Here we go again. What do we do?" His face said, "Please don't freak out in front of the kids." Aurora searched my face for reasons to panic. After coughing, sputtering and making an all around dramatic fit about it, the bus started up, like nothing. We were back in business...for now.
We drove through the city and enjoyed watching the skyscrapers grow from the ground as we approached. All of a sudden, we were under them and couldn't crane our necks far enough to see the top. We went through a few tunnels, which is always a fun novelty. David pointed out the school where his grandfather attended and the girls were impressed. Athena decided that's where she wants to go to college because Granddaddy is a smart man.
We made it just south of Atlanta before the rush hour traffic started. When I say "rush hour", I mean 3:30. I am so glad we don't live in Atlanta! We ended up stopping about 6 miles north of our original destination because it was hot, hot, hot in the stand-still interstate traffic.
The hotel was reasonably priced and the staff nice but they obviously liked to cut corners to save money. For example, I expected a rush of A/C when we entered the room. The A/C in the hallway and the room was turned off and it felt icky! After about 45 minutes, we had that room cool enough that kids were asking for blankets. They turned on the TV and got in position. That dazed look they get on their face when watching TV is hilarious, "Rapture of the Deep" is what my step-father, Steve calls it. I think that's a perfect phrase for what I saw in the girls' eyes today.
David unloaded the car while I watched the kids. He and I took turns showering. After days of using low pressure, tepid water spitting public showers with dirty floors, a hot shower in a private bathroom is all one needs to bounce back. We ordered a pizza, called Judith's sister, Jo-Ann and suited up for the pool.
After eating, the kids played in the pool until we forced them to get out. Jo-Ann came and stayed til almost midnight. We talked, watched TV, and looked at pictures on her computer. David fixed Jo-Ann's computer and Jo-Ann gave the kids some little gifts she had for them. The gyroscopes were a huge success. I must say I love having 3 families. We are so fortunate to have so many loving people surrounding us. We have my family, David's family and Andrew's family. All 3 groups are incredibly important to my children and their quality of life just wouldn't be the same if these 3 groups didn't love all 3 of my children harmoniously. I am so thankful for such love.
When Jo-Ann left, we all collapsed into bed and slept hard! It was a good day but tomorrow will be even better. Home!
We left for Atlanta this morning, on our way back to the South. We have so enjoyed the weather up in these parts and I am not looking forward to the heat again. What I am excited about is sleeping in my own bed.
The girls were ready for the trip and even helped us pack up because I promised we'd sleep in a hotel in Atlanta and they could watch as much TV as they wanted. Last night's rain had cooled everything off but also made everything we packed wet and gross.
Arianna was excited to finally be heading home. Athena was ready for TV. Aurora was itching to get in the pool.
The drive was long and sky overcast but the kids were in high spirits. David kept hoping for rain but it never came. At least the sun wasn't blaring down. We stopped a lot because someone ALWAYS had to use the restroom. At one point, when we stopped at a gas station in the middle of Nowhere, GA., the car refused to start. David and I exchanged glances. My face said, "Here we go again. What do we do?" His face said, "Please don't freak out in front of the kids." Aurora searched my face for reasons to panic. After coughing, sputtering and making an all around dramatic fit about it, the bus started up, like nothing. We were back in business...for now.
We drove through the city and enjoyed watching the skyscrapers grow from the ground as we approached. All of a sudden, we were under them and couldn't crane our necks far enough to see the top. We went through a few tunnels, which is always a fun novelty. David pointed out the school where his grandfather attended and the girls were impressed. Athena decided that's where she wants to go to college because Granddaddy is a smart man.
We made it just south of Atlanta before the rush hour traffic started. When I say "rush hour", I mean 3:30. I am so glad we don't live in Atlanta! We ended up stopping about 6 miles north of our original destination because it was hot, hot, hot in the stand-still interstate traffic.
The hotel was reasonably priced and the staff nice but they obviously liked to cut corners to save money. For example, I expected a rush of A/C when we entered the room. The A/C in the hallway and the room was turned off and it felt icky! After about 45 minutes, we had that room cool enough that kids were asking for blankets. They turned on the TV and got in position. That dazed look they get on their face when watching TV is hilarious, "Rapture of the Deep" is what my step-father, Steve calls it. I think that's a perfect phrase for what I saw in the girls' eyes today.
David unloaded the car while I watched the kids. He and I took turns showering. After days of using low pressure, tepid water spitting public showers with dirty floors, a hot shower in a private bathroom is all one needs to bounce back. We ordered a pizza, called Judith's sister, Jo-Ann and suited up for the pool.
After eating, the kids played in the pool until we forced them to get out. Jo-Ann came and stayed til almost midnight. We talked, watched TV, and looked at pictures on her computer. David fixed Jo-Ann's computer and Jo-Ann gave the kids some little gifts she had for them. The gyroscopes were a huge success. I must say I love having 3 families. We are so fortunate to have so many loving people surrounding us. We have my family, David's family and Andrew's family. All 3 groups are incredibly important to my children and their quality of life just wouldn't be the same if these 3 groups didn't love all 3 of my children harmoniously. I am so thankful for such love.
When Jo-Ann left, we all collapsed into bed and slept hard! It was a good day but tomorrow will be even better. Home!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Hello Asheville
David's new phone finally came in. Hooray! After ages of waiting with no internet or GPS, we are finally back in the 21st century.
We met his friend, Sean, for lunch at this amazing Bar-B-Que place called 12 Bones. When we arrived, a line was forming out the door. Everyone ate til they couln't stuff another morsel down their throats except Arianna, who only ate my bread. We went to a place where Sean works calle Arcade. It's a restaurant and arcade during the day and a bar and arcade at night. He gave us some free tokens and access to free sodas and tea and we were in business. I had to force David and Aurora out of there. Aurora was really pretty good at pinball and Arianna just wanted to shoot things.
After Arcade, we went to a little splash-park fontain and let the girls play. I thought we'd be there all day but Aurora was being wierd and decided not to even go in. Athena told me some kid pushed her out of the way and was so offended by it, she didn't want to go back in. She's so sensitive, my baby. Arianna harped on Athena's comment but I know for a fact Arianna wouldn't have allowed some kid to push her like Athena will. She'd go down fighting. There were a lot of kids in the fountain, so we left, changed their clothes and walked around the downtown area.
It's a pretty little city with a lot of local art flair. In our wanderings, we went to an old Woolworht's store that still had an old fashioned fountain/ice cream shop intact. The rest of the place was set up for local artists to rent a booth and display their craft for purchase. We ate ice cream. When we finished, Aurora and David perused the local art set up within the store while I sat at the table with the little girls and played "Find the Spoon." It's funny what'll keep a kid's attention but usually it doesn't have to be an expensive toy, as long as your attention is involved. Aurora bought a couple little things. Athena saw litle card she wanted to buy but didn't have enough money. Rory was not about to loan her sister money, she's a frugal little gal. Each time that kid makes a purchase, she counts her money twice.
After strolling the downtown area, we headed to the car because Arianna was spent and it looked like rain. At the campground, we had dinner in the rain and turned in early.
Arianna was playing rough in bed, as she will do when she's not ready to sleep, and fell off the top bunk. Athena felt so bad because she was trying to move Arianna out of the way, and Ari fell. Luckily, she was alright but we were all pretty scared for a minute there. It took Athena longer to settle down than Arianna. Arianna got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and the big girls got to have Mommy rub their backs while Daddy snuggled Baby Sister.
Tomorrow, we begin our trek back home to Tallahassee. We figure we'll stop south of Atlanta for a little R&R at a hotel.
Today I Learned: The only reason Asheville is even on the map is because this was a resort town for the rich to play. The Biltmore is here, the largest house in the counrty. We didn't go because it's too pricey and walking around old houses is boring for kids. Back in the day, many famous people came here to vacation or stay for a season, especially if they suffered respiritory ailments. Asheville is a hub to the arts, from modern to folk art. I already knew that but I didn't know how much I'd like Asheville art. If I had the dough, I just might buy a lot of stuff here. Many restaurants here only serve local food. The local and slow food movement are embraced in Asheville.
We met his friend, Sean, for lunch at this amazing Bar-B-Que place called 12 Bones. When we arrived, a line was forming out the door. Everyone ate til they couln't stuff another morsel down their throats except Arianna, who only ate my bread. We went to a place where Sean works calle Arcade. It's a restaurant and arcade during the day and a bar and arcade at night. He gave us some free tokens and access to free sodas and tea and we were in business. I had to force David and Aurora out of there. Aurora was really pretty good at pinball and Arianna just wanted to shoot things.
After Arcade, we went to a little splash-park fontain and let the girls play. I thought we'd be there all day but Aurora was being wierd and decided not to even go in. Athena told me some kid pushed her out of the way and was so offended by it, she didn't want to go back in. She's so sensitive, my baby. Arianna harped on Athena's comment but I know for a fact Arianna wouldn't have allowed some kid to push her like Athena will. She'd go down fighting. There were a lot of kids in the fountain, so we left, changed their clothes and walked around the downtown area.
It's a pretty little city with a lot of local art flair. In our wanderings, we went to an old Woolworht's store that still had an old fashioned fountain/ice cream shop intact. The rest of the place was set up for local artists to rent a booth and display their craft for purchase. We ate ice cream. When we finished, Aurora and David perused the local art set up within the store while I sat at the table with the little girls and played "Find the Spoon." It's funny what'll keep a kid's attention but usually it doesn't have to be an expensive toy, as long as your attention is involved. Aurora bought a couple little things. Athena saw litle card she wanted to buy but didn't have enough money. Rory was not about to loan her sister money, she's a frugal little gal. Each time that kid makes a purchase, she counts her money twice.
After strolling the downtown area, we headed to the car because Arianna was spent and it looked like rain. At the campground, we had dinner in the rain and turned in early.
Arianna was playing rough in bed, as she will do when she's not ready to sleep, and fell off the top bunk. Athena felt so bad because she was trying to move Arianna out of the way, and Ari fell. Luckily, she was alright but we were all pretty scared for a minute there. It took Athena longer to settle down than Arianna. Arianna got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy and the big girls got to have Mommy rub their backs while Daddy snuggled Baby Sister.
Tomorrow, we begin our trek back home to Tallahassee. We figure we'll stop south of Atlanta for a little R&R at a hotel.
Today I Learned: The only reason Asheville is even on the map is because this was a resort town for the rich to play. The Biltmore is here, the largest house in the counrty. We didn't go because it's too pricey and walking around old houses is boring for kids. Back in the day, many famous people came here to vacation or stay for a season, especially if they suffered respiritory ailments. Asheville is a hub to the arts, from modern to folk art. I already knew that but I didn't know how much I'd like Asheville art. If I had the dough, I just might buy a lot of stuff here. Many restaurants here only serve local food. The local and slow food movement are embraced in Asheville.
Down the Mountain
We awoke early and got everything packed up. By 8:30, we were on our way to Asheville, NC. I did something disgusting this morning too. I was so desperate for coffee that I got it out of a machine at the campground. They didn't even have milk or creamer to add, they had "whitener". What the heck is whitener?
You see, I am back on my on-again, off-again relationship with caffeine, full throttle, baby! David's grandfather gave me a can of instant for use on the trip, which has been a blessing but I couldn't find where I put the darned thing. You'd think finding things in a tiny camper would be easy since there's not much in there to start with. That's in fact, completely opposite because we are continually losing things on this trip, it's pathetic. Long story short, I got my coffee for whatever it's worth.
We went north-ish to the Sugarland Visitor Center. We needed directions and thought this would be a good place to get them. Since David's phone went kaput in Natchez and we returned the GPS in Nashville, we've had to use maps. It really, really, stinks using maps. It's like, "Hey, you turn left at route 101. " A few minutes later, "Um, I think that was 101 back there." Then you pull off to look at the map again and argue about whether it really was. You turn around only to find it was 101 NORTH when you needed SOUTH. It's just a lot of wasted time and energy! I shouldn't complain, at least we had the forethought to even get maps from AAA before leaving.
Once at the Visitor Center, we toured the museum and checked out the gift shop. Aurora got a Smoky Mts. guide, Athena got a book all about yucky stuff in the Smokies, and Arianna was plumb out of money but asked her moneybags, Athena, for some little plastic bugs in a tube. David advised against it because she won't have money left when she wants something in say, Ashville. Athena bought it anyways, what a sweetheart. Then they attended a Junior Ranger program about using a compass. It was fun and informative for the big girls but way out of Ari's league. I am glad they finally got to attend one of the Junior Ranger Programs though. They have booklets too and once the booklet is complete, they get a Junior Ranger badge but we just weren't staying long enough for that to happen. Next time. We got our directions to go through the park and it was a breathtaking site along the way.
We pulled off once to look at the scenery but when we got back into the bus, she wouldn't start. I imagined us broken down on this mountain in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service all night long. My heart started to pound in my chest. Somehow, he got it started and we were off again...but no more roadside pull-offs for us, no matter how beautiful it was! Then his brakes started making this funny noise and I couldn't even look out the window anymore. All I thought about was Maxine's story about the brake fluid burning out as they coasted down the mountain.
I was disappointed when we entered the Cherokee Nation. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't what we saw: motels, bars, Mexican restaurants, tourist trapping mini malls selling moccasins and gourds, and a casino in the works. They had their own local government and their own alphabet whick looks like a cross between ancient Greek and Arabic. We did't stop because we were scared of breaking down. Because we're using maps, we took a long, out of the way road to get to the interstate but at least we go there.
When we got to Asheville, we stopped for food at a lovely Mexican place. The food was good and cheap, the bathrooms were clean and the service was excellent. The bus luckily started up just fine, maybe the mountain driving just made it testy. We checked in at the campground and it began raining like crazy. I decided it was time to wash clothes because we were wearing our last clean set of everything.
The kids liked the laundromat and the few arcade games there kept them from climbing all over the laundry carts. I liked that you can wash a quad load. We washed, dried and folded everything. Clean laundry makes me happy.
We returned to the campsite and fell asleep. Tomorrow we meet up with David's friend, Sean and discover Asheville.
Things I learned: Wild hogs are an invasive species to Smoky Mountains Park. For many years, they have been trying to trap and remove hogs from the park because they rototill everything in their path in their quest for roots. There is a fungus called Devil Horn that grows from nub to 3 inch horn in a matter of hours. It smells like rotting flesh and the flies love it. Slime molds are unique in the sense that they move like animals and reproduce like fungi. They kinda move like a mini version of "The Blob".
You see, I am back on my on-again, off-again relationship with caffeine, full throttle, baby! David's grandfather gave me a can of instant for use on the trip, which has been a blessing but I couldn't find where I put the darned thing. You'd think finding things in a tiny camper would be easy since there's not much in there to start with. That's in fact, completely opposite because we are continually losing things on this trip, it's pathetic. Long story short, I got my coffee for whatever it's worth.
We went north-ish to the Sugarland Visitor Center. We needed directions and thought this would be a good place to get them. Since David's phone went kaput in Natchez and we returned the GPS in Nashville, we've had to use maps. It really, really, stinks using maps. It's like, "Hey, you turn left at route 101. " A few minutes later, "Um, I think that was 101 back there." Then you pull off to look at the map again and argue about whether it really was. You turn around only to find it was 101 NORTH when you needed SOUTH. It's just a lot of wasted time and energy! I shouldn't complain, at least we had the forethought to even get maps from AAA before leaving.
Once at the Visitor Center, we toured the museum and checked out the gift shop. Aurora got a Smoky Mts. guide, Athena got a book all about yucky stuff in the Smokies, and Arianna was plumb out of money but asked her moneybags, Athena, for some little plastic bugs in a tube. David advised against it because she won't have money left when she wants something in say, Ashville. Athena bought it anyways, what a sweetheart. Then they attended a Junior Ranger program about using a compass. It was fun and informative for the big girls but way out of Ari's league. I am glad they finally got to attend one of the Junior Ranger Programs though. They have booklets too and once the booklet is complete, they get a Junior Ranger badge but we just weren't staying long enough for that to happen. Next time. We got our directions to go through the park and it was a breathtaking site along the way.
We pulled off once to look at the scenery but when we got back into the bus, she wouldn't start. I imagined us broken down on this mountain in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone service all night long. My heart started to pound in my chest. Somehow, he got it started and we were off again...but no more roadside pull-offs for us, no matter how beautiful it was! Then his brakes started making this funny noise and I couldn't even look out the window anymore. All I thought about was Maxine's story about the brake fluid burning out as they coasted down the mountain.
I was disappointed when we entered the Cherokee Nation. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't what we saw: motels, bars, Mexican restaurants, tourist trapping mini malls selling moccasins and gourds, and a casino in the works. They had their own local government and their own alphabet whick looks like a cross between ancient Greek and Arabic. We did't stop because we were scared of breaking down. Because we're using maps, we took a long, out of the way road to get to the interstate but at least we go there.
When we got to Asheville, we stopped for food at a lovely Mexican place. The food was good and cheap, the bathrooms were clean and the service was excellent. The bus luckily started up just fine, maybe the mountain driving just made it testy. We checked in at the campground and it began raining like crazy. I decided it was time to wash clothes because we were wearing our last clean set of everything.
The kids liked the laundromat and the few arcade games there kept them from climbing all over the laundry carts. I liked that you can wash a quad load. We washed, dried and folded everything. Clean laundry makes me happy.
We returned to the campsite and fell asleep. Tomorrow we meet up with David's friend, Sean and discover Asheville.
Things I learned: Wild hogs are an invasive species to Smoky Mountains Park. For many years, they have been trying to trap and remove hogs from the park because they rototill everything in their path in their quest for roots. There is a fungus called Devil Horn that grows from nub to 3 inch horn in a matter of hours. It smells like rotting flesh and the flies love it. Slime molds are unique in the sense that they move like animals and reproduce like fungi. They kinda move like a mini version of "The Blob".
Thursday, June 23, 2011
On Top of Old Smoky
Today we woke up rather late but, hey, we're on vacation! It rained last night and everything got wet but that made for a nice, cool morning. By the way, that creek behind our campsite is so awesome, better than cartoons or video games! Yepper, the girls played in there again.
We headed to Cades Cove for bike riding fun. it's the only place in the park besides campgrounds people are allowed to ride bikes but we sure saw several bike riders on the mountain roads. I wouldn't do it, motorists don't get along well with bicyclists and more importantly, tourist drivers are dangerous. The guy at the bike rental place had trouble fixing up Arainna's training wheels. We were there in the shop for quite a while and he never got it quite right. He said Ari and Feni were too young for the bike loop and we'd have to stay in the Cades Cove campground to ride bikes. He was right too! One time around the loop was more than enough for us, thank you. The 2 little ones had trouble getting up the hills, even though they were fairly small. Arianna is just too small to push uphill but I blame Athena's bike. As she'd push uphill, it'd skid under her. David and I barely had time to ride our bikes due to pushing those little ladies around. Aurora, on the other hand, zipped around all of us, impatiently waiting for her pokey family to catch up.
Then it happened. Arianna had an accident. She was so cautious going downhill. Just as she'd get to a decent downhill pace, she'd brake. This happened every 2-4 feet. I tried to show her how to slowly coast by putting on the brakes slightly. It didn't work. She began accelerating towards a tree and freaked. She took her feet off the pedals, coasted quickly off the road and crashed. Luckily, the injuries were minor but there was a brief moment that I felt completely helpless, watching my child and unable to help her from where I was standing. That is truly the worst feeling for a parent. After that, we were all ready to be done. Ice cream and souvenirs helped gloss over Ari's accident.
David wanted to get gas but we had to leave the park to do it. He decided to make a detour onto Cades Cove Scenic Loop. Little did we know, this scenic loop is 9 miles long, one way and full of rubbernecking people. In fact, some people even stopped in the middle of the road, with a line of cars behind them to get out, look at the scenery and take pictures. It is a scenic drive and many beautiful images of meadows with bear and deer set against a mountain background and pioneer homes, churches and a grist mill. Aurora was in absolute pioneer heaven when we parked and toured an old log cabin farm. The wood planks were so roughly cut as if someone had hand-sawed them and made me really appreciate how convenient everything in the modern home is now. No wonder homes were so small back then, each step was so painstaking. These mountain folk had one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen out their front door, I tell ya. After returning to the car, we got caught up in a stand-still traffic jam for what seemed like ages. I got out to see what was going on to find some people decided not to use a designated pull-off but were STOPPED in the middle of the road, no one behind them could pass. I walked up to their car and asked them to move. They were nice enough about it and quick to move but seemed oblivious they were holding up traffic. After forever, we made it out of the loop. It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, it was just loooong!
When we finally made it to the gas station, a lady thanked me for asking the "parkers" to move it. She said her family thought they were gonna run out of gas right there in the Cades Cove Loop. When we returned to the campsite, David dropped me off to prepare dinner and get things ready to leave for tomorrow while they went to swim in Little River. I welcomed the time to myself and they had a blast. Upon returnning, we ate dinner and s'mores and my favorite, burnt marshmallows.
At bedtime, Arianna was sad because she wanted to sleep with her new skunk that Athena helped her buy. The problem is that when you bring stuffed animals to the creek, they get wet. It's not comfortable for your sisters when you want to sleep with a wet skunk. Rory and Feni worked to make her soaked skunk a comfortable outdoor bed while David sang her a song. Everyone fell asleep happy.
Things I Learned: When the Great Smoky Mountains became a national park, there were approximately 5,000 people living here. There's a Cherokee Nation southeast of the park. They made some sort of pact with the white settlers that they'd move as long as they had their own corner of space where white people woouldn't bother them. The Cherokee Nation is still very much alive today in the same location. Due to this, the Cherokees and the white settlers lived peacefully alongside each other. The Cherokees did not march in the Trail of Tears either; in fact, they challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. I am pretty sure they lost but they didn't have to leave North Carolina. Our campsite, Elkmont, used to be a logging site. When the park was established, Elkmont was barren. It took a lot of effort from individuals, groups, school children, the Tennessee and North Carolina government to raise enough money to purchase all the land that now makes up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although much of the park was destroyed due to commercial logging, over 35% of the forests in the park remain virgin. Some of the oldest, undisturbed forests along the east coast lie within the park. There was some sort of sticky timeshare resort within the park that took the national government over 50 years to fully own. The ever important tree, Hemlock, is dying due to disease. The death of this tree has spurred an unfortunate chain of events that will be irreversible if something isn't done to stop this disease from spreading. For one thing, some low growing flora that rely on the heating and cooling temperatures the Hemlocks provide are unable to survive without "protection" from the Hemlocks. Also, the ecosystem of the rivers or streams near which the Hemlock grows may be changing. It turns out the nitrate levels change when trees are wiped out, as does the acidity of the water. This goes to show how everything in the ecosystem is connected and one simple incident can cause a domino effect, completely altering an ecosystem forever.
We headed to Cades Cove for bike riding fun. it's the only place in the park besides campgrounds people are allowed to ride bikes but we sure saw several bike riders on the mountain roads. I wouldn't do it, motorists don't get along well with bicyclists and more importantly, tourist drivers are dangerous. The guy at the bike rental place had trouble fixing up Arainna's training wheels. We were there in the shop for quite a while and he never got it quite right. He said Ari and Feni were too young for the bike loop and we'd have to stay in the Cades Cove campground to ride bikes. He was right too! One time around the loop was more than enough for us, thank you. The 2 little ones had trouble getting up the hills, even though they were fairly small. Arianna is just too small to push uphill but I blame Athena's bike. As she'd push uphill, it'd skid under her. David and I barely had time to ride our bikes due to pushing those little ladies around. Aurora, on the other hand, zipped around all of us, impatiently waiting for her pokey family to catch up.
Then it happened. Arianna had an accident. She was so cautious going downhill. Just as she'd get to a decent downhill pace, she'd brake. This happened every 2-4 feet. I tried to show her how to slowly coast by putting on the brakes slightly. It didn't work. She began accelerating towards a tree and freaked. She took her feet off the pedals, coasted quickly off the road and crashed. Luckily, the injuries were minor but there was a brief moment that I felt completely helpless, watching my child and unable to help her from where I was standing. That is truly the worst feeling for a parent. After that, we were all ready to be done. Ice cream and souvenirs helped gloss over Ari's accident.
David wanted to get gas but we had to leave the park to do it. He decided to make a detour onto Cades Cove Scenic Loop. Little did we know, this scenic loop is 9 miles long, one way and full of rubbernecking people. In fact, some people even stopped in the middle of the road, with a line of cars behind them to get out, look at the scenery and take pictures. It is a scenic drive and many beautiful images of meadows with bear and deer set against a mountain background and pioneer homes, churches and a grist mill. Aurora was in absolute pioneer heaven when we parked and toured an old log cabin farm. The wood planks were so roughly cut as if someone had hand-sawed them and made me really appreciate how convenient everything in the modern home is now. No wonder homes were so small back then, each step was so painstaking. These mountain folk had one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen out their front door, I tell ya. After returning to the car, we got caught up in a stand-still traffic jam for what seemed like ages. I got out to see what was going on to find some people decided not to use a designated pull-off but were STOPPED in the middle of the road, no one behind them could pass. I walked up to their car and asked them to move. They were nice enough about it and quick to move but seemed oblivious they were holding up traffic. After forever, we made it out of the loop. It was beautiful and I am glad we did it, it was just loooong!
When we finally made it to the gas station, a lady thanked me for asking the "parkers" to move it. She said her family thought they were gonna run out of gas right there in the Cades Cove Loop. When we returned to the campsite, David dropped me off to prepare dinner and get things ready to leave for tomorrow while they went to swim in Little River. I welcomed the time to myself and they had a blast. Upon returnning, we ate dinner and s'mores and my favorite, burnt marshmallows.
At bedtime, Arianna was sad because she wanted to sleep with her new skunk that Athena helped her buy. The problem is that when you bring stuffed animals to the creek, they get wet. It's not comfortable for your sisters when you want to sleep with a wet skunk. Rory and Feni worked to make her soaked skunk a comfortable outdoor bed while David sang her a song. Everyone fell asleep happy.
Things I Learned: When the Great Smoky Mountains became a national park, there were approximately 5,000 people living here. There's a Cherokee Nation southeast of the park. They made some sort of pact with the white settlers that they'd move as long as they had their own corner of space where white people woouldn't bother them. The Cherokee Nation is still very much alive today in the same location. Due to this, the Cherokees and the white settlers lived peacefully alongside each other. The Cherokees did not march in the Trail of Tears either; in fact, they challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. I am pretty sure they lost but they didn't have to leave North Carolina. Our campsite, Elkmont, used to be a logging site. When the park was established, Elkmont was barren. It took a lot of effort from individuals, groups, school children, the Tennessee and North Carolina government to raise enough money to purchase all the land that now makes up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although much of the park was destroyed due to commercial logging, over 35% of the forests in the park remain virgin. Some of the oldest, undisturbed forests along the east coast lie within the park. There was some sort of sticky timeshare resort within the park that took the national government over 50 years to fully own. The ever important tree, Hemlock, is dying due to disease. The death of this tree has spurred an unfortunate chain of events that will be irreversible if something isn't done to stop this disease from spreading. For one thing, some low growing flora that rely on the heating and cooling temperatures the Hemlocks provide are unable to survive without "protection" from the Hemlocks. Also, the ecosystem of the rivers or streams near which the Hemlock grows may be changing. It turns out the nitrate levels change when trees are wiped out, as does the acidity of the water. This goes to show how everything in the ecosystem is connected and one simple incident can cause a domino effect, completely altering an ecosystem forever.
On the Road Again
Arianna woke up exclaiming, "I love the Smoky Mountains!" She knew we were headed that way and was excited for it. Our original intention was to wake early and swim in the lake before heading out. Everyone got suited up and we rushed to the water in order to beat the incoming storm. Just as we got to the beach, BAM! Thunder. Swimming was out.
I told the girls they could instead play on the playground until I saw lightening or it began to rain. That lasted less than 5 minutes. All of a sudden, lightening, thunder and immediate downpour. The girls were disappointed I wouldn't allow them to weather the storm in a playground tunnel. Instead we took showers, it's just not the same.
We stopped at a McDonald's to orient ourselve, gel plans and hook onto the free wi-fi for directions. We returned the rental car -and the much-used GPS- and we were on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains! The roads from Nashville to the Smokies just got more beautiful. Everything is green and lush. It's hard to describe the humbling yet majestic sense one gets from mountain country. There is a blue mist everywhere, hence the name Smoky Mountains. There are cabins seemingly clinging to steep inclines and vegetation growing out of pure rock. How awesome it is to be in the mountains.
Here in the mountains, bodies of water freely flow in just about every valley. The rivers race over rocks and green grows everywhere. As we came into the park, I started to get motion sickness from all the winding roads. There were sharp, hairpin curves overlooking straight drops. No guard rail needed. If you're gonna fall, you're gonna fall. No need wasting precious guard rails on your outta control self.
I wasn't sure about the bus at times. When old Bluie had to climb steep roads, she coughed and sputtered. Dave pulled over at times to allow people to pass because Bluie accelerated so slowly.
There was a huge elephant in the bus that David and I decided not to bring up for fear of jinxing ourselves. The roads were unmarked. His odometer is non-functioning; so, we were not exactly sure how far we'd driven and our scheduled turns were basically guesswork. By some act of God, we made it to the campground without missing a single turn. I still cannot believe it!
On the way, we rode alongside Litte River. There were people in bathing suits playing on the rocks, water rushing around them. When Aurora and Athena saw that, they just had to try it. Boy, were they in luck! A thinner, shallower, less active version of that river, more like a creek, ran right through the back yard of our campsite. It was absolutely picturesque, better than any postcard! We have got to come back!
All 3 kids immediately got in, splashing and playing until we finally made them put on jammies. We ate watermelon and s'mores, set up camp and just enjoyed each other's company. David rinsed out some clothes in the stream and hung them out to dry. I doubt they'll dry because the air is so heavy with humidity, you can see the mist in the air.
As we wound down for bed, a storm was abrewin' in the distance. Arianna & Athena were scared of the thunder but not too scared to sleep in the tent. They played themselves to sleep while David poked around the fire outside the tent til long after everyone had fallen asleep.
The plan is to explore the area tomorrow. I want to go on a family bike ride but we'll see how it goes. Happy Father's Day!
What I Learned: Nashville airport doesn't make people continually circle the terminal when picking up arriving flights passengers. They have a parking area set up for people waiting for passengers to arrive and you can temporarily park there as long as your trunk's open. That's so much less annoying than driving around in circles. Thanks Nashville! When FDR signed papers for the Smoky Mountains to become a national park, there was not much wildlife left in the area due completely to hunting, trapping and logging. When mountain people say "hollow" they pronounce it "holler".If an area is called Hickory Hollow, they say, "Hick'ry Holler". Funny thing too cuz there are lots o' hollers round here.
I told the girls they could instead play on the playground until I saw lightening or it began to rain. That lasted less than 5 minutes. All of a sudden, lightening, thunder and immediate downpour. The girls were disappointed I wouldn't allow them to weather the storm in a playground tunnel. Instead we took showers, it's just not the same.
We stopped at a McDonald's to orient ourselve, gel plans and hook onto the free wi-fi for directions. We returned the rental car -and the much-used GPS- and we were on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains! The roads from Nashville to the Smokies just got more beautiful. Everything is green and lush. It's hard to describe the humbling yet majestic sense one gets from mountain country. There is a blue mist everywhere, hence the name Smoky Mountains. There are cabins seemingly clinging to steep inclines and vegetation growing out of pure rock. How awesome it is to be in the mountains.
Here in the mountains, bodies of water freely flow in just about every valley. The rivers race over rocks and green grows everywhere. As we came into the park, I started to get motion sickness from all the winding roads. There were sharp, hairpin curves overlooking straight drops. No guard rail needed. If you're gonna fall, you're gonna fall. No need wasting precious guard rails on your outta control self.
I wasn't sure about the bus at times. When old Bluie had to climb steep roads, she coughed and sputtered. Dave pulled over at times to allow people to pass because Bluie accelerated so slowly.
There was a huge elephant in the bus that David and I decided not to bring up for fear of jinxing ourselves. The roads were unmarked. His odometer is non-functioning; so, we were not exactly sure how far we'd driven and our scheduled turns were basically guesswork. By some act of God, we made it to the campground without missing a single turn. I still cannot believe it!
On the way, we rode alongside Litte River. There were people in bathing suits playing on the rocks, water rushing around them. When Aurora and Athena saw that, they just had to try it. Boy, were they in luck! A thinner, shallower, less active version of that river, more like a creek, ran right through the back yard of our campsite. It was absolutely picturesque, better than any postcard! We have got to come back!
All 3 kids immediately got in, splashing and playing until we finally made them put on jammies. We ate watermelon and s'mores, set up camp and just enjoyed each other's company. David rinsed out some clothes in the stream and hung them out to dry. I doubt they'll dry because the air is so heavy with humidity, you can see the mist in the air.
As we wound down for bed, a storm was abrewin' in the distance. Arianna & Athena were scared of the thunder but not too scared to sleep in the tent. They played themselves to sleep while David poked around the fire outside the tent til long after everyone had fallen asleep.
The plan is to explore the area tomorrow. I want to go on a family bike ride but we'll see how it goes. Happy Father's Day!
What I Learned: Nashville airport doesn't make people continually circle the terminal when picking up arriving flights passengers. They have a parking area set up for people waiting for passengers to arrive and you can temporarily park there as long as your trunk's open. That's so much less annoying than driving around in circles. Thanks Nashville! When FDR signed papers for the Smoky Mountains to become a national park, there was not much wildlife left in the area due completely to hunting, trapping and logging. When mountain people say "hollow" they pronounce it "holler".If an area is called Hickory Hollow, they say, "Hick'ry Holler". Funny thing too cuz there are lots o' hollers round here.
Music City
Here we are in Lovely Nashville. Did you know the terrain here is kinda mountainous? It's beautiful and everything just keeps getting greener! I could live here; well, after I leave Gulfport. Maybe I could divide my time. Yeah. We got all situated to go after taking hot showers and entered the city.
I think, by far, today was the most enjoyable for everyone. Even though it rained, we were all in good spirits. I honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the weather here is not comparable to a sauna. I am so glad I didn't give up and decide to go home. We started with the Verizon store because David had been promised a new phone in Nashville by Memphis Verizon stores. Unfortunately, someone was sorely confused along the way because he is still without a phone. No worries because we have new hope that upon entering Asheville, NC, he will have that phone. Let's not dwell on the negative though. It was a good day, lemme tell you about it.
We started with the Parthenon. Yeah, there is really a Parthenon here in Nashville. It's a complete replica housed inside a beautiful park that we didn't spend much time exploring due to the rain. The bottom floor of the Parthenon is an art museum and an informational tour on how the Parthenon came to be in Nashville and so forth. The top floor is the main attraction. The goddess Athena stands over 60 ft tall. She's guilded in gold and ivory and has lovely detail painted all over. Surrounding Athena are replicas of statues recovered from the ruins at the site of the Acropolyse, on which the Parthenon is situated. Athena (our daughter) was so excited to visit because it's a temple dedicated to ATHENA. Aurora was excited because she's a Greek Mythology buff. Arianna was excited because she was gonna see the lady after which her sister was named. We stayed for a long time until everyone had their fill. Then we hit the gift shop until David made us leave. Outside, we climbed the steps to the doors. This place is not a cheap tourist trap. This place is really cool and replicated with class. I am so glad we went.
After that we went to a restaurant that David's cousin Sandy, who lives in Nashville, told us we had to visit if we liked Italian food. She was right. It was excellent but a bit out of our price range. Our 1st tip should have been the valet parking sign. Our 2nd indication should have been when they asked us if we had reservations. Getting a table at this place without a reservation on Father's Day is hard to do, good thing we showed up early. When we left, the place was packing them in with people. Fortunately, the kids were well behaved. In fact, we even got a few compliments on how awesome they were. After we rolled our overstuffed selves outta there, we headed to the Gaylord Opry Resort, another place David's cousin Sandy advised us to check out.
She said it'd be a fun indoor activity for the kids, with it being so rainy. David and I didn't think this strange because we were big fans of chillin' for free at Disney resorts when we lived in Orlando. Disney has beautiful, well manicured, impressive resorts but they paled in comparison to the Gaylord Opry!
Upon entering, Aurora complained that visiting a hotel when you're not planning to stay is cheap and lame. She quickly changed her mind. The hotel itself looks to be a series of older brick buildings adjoined with open courtyards. Each room has an adorable little iron-framed balcony with a decorative iron table and chairs set upon the porch. There are white french doors leading to the balcony and that's as far as I could see without being a blatant Peeping Tom. I am sure the rooms were nice!
The Gaylord hotel has recently installed a glass ceiling above each courtyard, completely shutting in all open air areas. There are beautiful little rivers and streams along sidewalks, lined with tropical plants and lovely flowers. There are quaint bridges, waterfalls, gazebos, a riverboat, cute shops, and an array of restaurants and cafes. Along sidewalks and boardwalks, there are occasional benches inviting guests and visitors to stop and stay a while. Stay a while is something that can easily be done with acres of space set inside 3 conservatory-like settings. It's so big, we got lost, even with maps to guide our way! There is also what looks to be a fun indoor pool but we never made it that far! Would it be wrong to get divorced just so we can re-marry here?
The girls had a blast just running around, splashing in the water, and discovering their surroundings. Athena proclaimed that she wanted to live there forever. She was also extremely disappointed we couldn't stay for the night. My AAA travel book said the rates ranged from $199 to $400 per night. We definitely weren't staying there! After HOURS of wandering around the resort, we left for the campsite. The night ended with playing, s'mores and stories. Everyone fell asleep happy and comfortable.
What I Learned: As the South is known as the Bible Belt, Nashville is known as the Belt Buckle. There are definitely a lot of churches here but Nashville is also the biggest publisher/printer of Bibles in the world. Nashville's Parthenon was originally a plaster structure meant to be temporary. After 25 years, much longer than anyone anticipated it standing, Music City decided to make it a permanent building. Lots of money and careful planning was dumped into building the new structure. The Nashville's Parthenon houses the world's largest pair of brass doors and they are surprisingly easy to push open/closed. Most of the sculptures that come from the Acropolypse in Athens are on display not in Greece but the United Kingdom. In the 1600's after the Parthenon was destroyed, the pieces lay in disarray all over the Acropolypse. The Brits asked the Greek government if they could have the partially demolished statues from the site. Greece didn't see the broken statues as a valuable part of their history until this past century. Now they have museums with empty sections that are empty with the intention of buying back their art. Good luck! Nike, the goddess of victory is Athena's right hand woman. There are several Athenas that visit the Nashville Parthenon each year. She's not the only Athena in the USA. Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home is on the Nashville outskirts. He's apparently still a very celebrated man 'round these here parts. Many country stars today performed at the Grand Ole Opry before they were ever famous. Many famous counrty singers are from the east Tennessee area.
I think, by far, today was the most enjoyable for everyone. Even though it rained, we were all in good spirits. I honestly believe it has to do with the fact that the weather here is not comparable to a sauna. I am so glad I didn't give up and decide to go home. We started with the Verizon store because David had been promised a new phone in Nashville by Memphis Verizon stores. Unfortunately, someone was sorely confused along the way because he is still without a phone. No worries because we have new hope that upon entering Asheville, NC, he will have that phone. Let's not dwell on the negative though. It was a good day, lemme tell you about it.
We started with the Parthenon. Yeah, there is really a Parthenon here in Nashville. It's a complete replica housed inside a beautiful park that we didn't spend much time exploring due to the rain. The bottom floor of the Parthenon is an art museum and an informational tour on how the Parthenon came to be in Nashville and so forth. The top floor is the main attraction. The goddess Athena stands over 60 ft tall. She's guilded in gold and ivory and has lovely detail painted all over. Surrounding Athena are replicas of statues recovered from the ruins at the site of the Acropolyse, on which the Parthenon is situated. Athena (our daughter) was so excited to visit because it's a temple dedicated to ATHENA. Aurora was excited because she's a Greek Mythology buff. Arianna was excited because she was gonna see the lady after which her sister was named. We stayed for a long time until everyone had their fill. Then we hit the gift shop until David made us leave. Outside, we climbed the steps to the doors. This place is not a cheap tourist trap. This place is really cool and replicated with class. I am so glad we went.
After that we went to a restaurant that David's cousin Sandy, who lives in Nashville, told us we had to visit if we liked Italian food. She was right. It was excellent but a bit out of our price range. Our 1st tip should have been the valet parking sign. Our 2nd indication should have been when they asked us if we had reservations. Getting a table at this place without a reservation on Father's Day is hard to do, good thing we showed up early. When we left, the place was packing them in with people. Fortunately, the kids were well behaved. In fact, we even got a few compliments on how awesome they were. After we rolled our overstuffed selves outta there, we headed to the Gaylord Opry Resort, another place David's cousin Sandy advised us to check out.
She said it'd be a fun indoor activity for the kids, with it being so rainy. David and I didn't think this strange because we were big fans of chillin' for free at Disney resorts when we lived in Orlando. Disney has beautiful, well manicured, impressive resorts but they paled in comparison to the Gaylord Opry!
Upon entering, Aurora complained that visiting a hotel when you're not planning to stay is cheap and lame. She quickly changed her mind. The hotel itself looks to be a series of older brick buildings adjoined with open courtyards. Each room has an adorable little iron-framed balcony with a decorative iron table and chairs set upon the porch. There are white french doors leading to the balcony and that's as far as I could see without being a blatant Peeping Tom. I am sure the rooms were nice!
The Gaylord hotel has recently installed a glass ceiling above each courtyard, completely shutting in all open air areas. There are beautiful little rivers and streams along sidewalks, lined with tropical plants and lovely flowers. There are quaint bridges, waterfalls, gazebos, a riverboat, cute shops, and an array of restaurants and cafes. Along sidewalks and boardwalks, there are occasional benches inviting guests and visitors to stop and stay a while. Stay a while is something that can easily be done with acres of space set inside 3 conservatory-like settings. It's so big, we got lost, even with maps to guide our way! There is also what looks to be a fun indoor pool but we never made it that far! Would it be wrong to get divorced just so we can re-marry here?
The girls had a blast just running around, splashing in the water, and discovering their surroundings. Athena proclaimed that she wanted to live there forever. She was also extremely disappointed we couldn't stay for the night. My AAA travel book said the rates ranged from $199 to $400 per night. We definitely weren't staying there! After HOURS of wandering around the resort, we left for the campsite. The night ended with playing, s'mores and stories. Everyone fell asleep happy and comfortable.
What I Learned: As the South is known as the Bible Belt, Nashville is known as the Belt Buckle. There are definitely a lot of churches here but Nashville is also the biggest publisher/printer of Bibles in the world. Nashville's Parthenon was originally a plaster structure meant to be temporary. After 25 years, much longer than anyone anticipated it standing, Music City decided to make it a permanent building. Lots of money and careful planning was dumped into building the new structure. The Nashville's Parthenon houses the world's largest pair of brass doors and they are surprisingly easy to push open/closed. Most of the sculptures that come from the Acropolypse in Athens are on display not in Greece but the United Kingdom. In the 1600's after the Parthenon was destroyed, the pieces lay in disarray all over the Acropolypse. The Brits asked the Greek government if they could have the partially demolished statues from the site. Greece didn't see the broken statues as a valuable part of their history until this past century. Now they have museums with empty sections that are empty with the intention of buying back their art. Good luck! Nike, the goddess of victory is Athena's right hand woman. There are several Athenas that visit the Nashville Parthenon each year. She's not the only Athena in the USA. Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home is on the Nashville outskirts. He's apparently still a very celebrated man 'round these here parts. Many country stars today performed at the Grand Ole Opry before they were ever famous. Many famous counrty singers are from the east Tennessee area.
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