Smoky Mountain Trip

In Cades Cove

Last Thursday we went to the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a quick (one-night) family trip.  I'm very thankful for the opportunity a trip provides to get out of our routine,  take a step back to analyze things we're doing or not doing and then resolve to make changes where we need to change.  Also, we got to spend time with Daddy away from his books and work!  Blessing 1 had a couple difficult times with car sickness on our trip with all the curvy mountain roads.  Poor guy--he ended up with his lunch all over him and his car seat with his first episode.  We rented a cute, cozy cabin up in the mountains, and besides having some fun family time just relaxing there, we also drove through the towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sieverville (definitely a tourist-trap and vacation area!), ate a meal at a farmhouse restaurant, and enjoyed the scenic drive through Cades Cove, a beautiful preserve known for its mountain wildlife.  We saw some deer up close, but no bears like we'd hoped to see!
 

Inside our cabin

It's upside-down!  WonderWorks--one of the many tourist attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN  We didn't go inside, but it's quite the eye-catching sight just driving by.