TN Trip. Day 4-5

Day four we went to the Ripley's Aquarium. It was so fun and full of interesting sea life we went through it twice. Then we headed off to another game of mini golf. This time the Man won. Apparently I am not gifted in the arts of mini golf. We spent the rest of the day shopping, eating, and becoming completly confused in a mirror maze.

Day five we packed up and left town, but not before stopping at Krispy Kreme for fresh made donuts.  In order to break up the monotony of the 8 hour drive home, we stopped at a huge antique store. This shop was so unique. It had the most random selection of items including a real electric chair.  No joke!

 On the side of it was a framed newspaper announcing the last person to be executed in the chair. It was quite frightening and gave you a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. My knees feel quite weak just posting this.

After a few more hours of driving we stopped at Luray Caverns in Luray, VA. The kid and I have been here before but this was the first time the man has ever been in a "commercial" cave. I think he was pretty impressed.

We are home and have fallen back into our regular schedules. It was really nice getting away. Just the three of us.

TN Trip. Day 3

We woke early on day three so we could explore the Smoky Mountains. We drove a loop called Cades Cove which is 6,800 acres with a road that meanders around open fields, wildlife, and original log structures from the pioneers.

We then hiked 2.5 miles on Abram's trail.

 Which led us to Abram's Falls.

Then hiked the 2.5 miles back.

Our tired feet and revived souls headed back to town for a well deserved dinner.

Tennessee Trip. Day 2

After arriving at our destination (Gatlinburg, TN) we checked into our hotel and immediately started planning the day. I have to admit, the area was much more touristy than we had imagined. Apparently we arrived towards the end of thier peak season. Everyone comes during the fall to see the mountains in full color. Had I done my homework, we probably would have booked our stay a week later. Se la vie.

 Our first adventure stop was WonderWorks. I tried a climbing wall for the first time and made it all the way to the top. The kid wasn't so fond of it and only tested out the first few feet. Stepping out of my comfort zone felt pretty invigorating.

WonderWorks has lots of simulation experiences, science experiments, and optical illusions. It was a pretty fun place to start our adventures.

Afterwards we played a competative game of miniature golf. The kid won. Apparently he's been hiding this skill from us. It was back to the hotel to plan the next days adventures and to explore all the cheesy shops. If you are ever in need of a good samurai sword, Gatlinburg has a wide selection to choose from.