Christmas Cruise Conclusion

Day five we were at Labadee, Royal Caribbean's other private destination. We have been to Coco Cay several times, but never Ladadee, which is on Haiti. We were curious to see the differences. We took some photos and walked around the island. For our first activity, we did a mountain coaster, which had amazing views, but was pretty short. Then, we hung out on the beach for a while. We hadn't brought our snorkel gear, which we regretted. We had lunch, which was good, but not as good as Coco Cay, then went to an Aqua Park. It cost extra but was super fun. Thomas wasn't feeling great, so he sat out, but the rest of us had an amazing time.  After that, we did some souvenir shopping. The people were really aggressive. I found one thing I liked and the man told me $40. I talked him down to $25 and gave him the cash. He then made me follow him to a different shop area (he had my money, but was still holding what I purchased) and asked what else I liked. I said it was all nice and he started wrapping up another item similar to the one I had picked out, then tried to hand me both. He said, "just give me $20." I politely declined and said I just wanted the one, Then he said, "just give me "$15", then, it was $10.

Finally, he said "just give me $5" and I said okay.  I wasn't trying to bargain with him, I really just wanted the one, but for $5 it was fine. We had a similar experience at a shop with little paintings. The man said it was $40 for the two the girls picked out, I said no thanks and he asked how much I wanted to pay. I said $20, $10 for each (they are small) and he laughed. So, we started to walk away. He yelled after us, saying "fine, $20." So, I handed him $20, and he took the money and said I owed him another $10. We were both holding the $20, so I tried to take it back, and told the girls to put back the pictures. But, he wouldn't let go of the money. I told him I didn't want them for $30 and tried again to take my $20 (he had a tight grip, but so did I, it was almost comical) and the girls had already put the pictures back. But, he relented and said he would take the $20, while shaking his head as if I had just ripped him off. In my younger years, I probably wouldn't have been as confident and able to stand up for what I wanted, but I was glad I was able to withstand the tactics. After that Thomas, Kara and Jack headed back to the ship and I sat in the waves with Luke for a while. Anna had a snack and stayed with us. Luke and I got very sandy and were covered in small rocks. But, we went back to the ship and by then the other three had showered, so it worked out perfectly. We had dinner and I don't remember what else we did. 

I wanted the fish one to hang in our pool area to remind me of our fun cruise. The palm tree was the "just give me $5" addition :)

Day six-our final day was a sea day. We had breakfast at the Windjammer. Luke and I played ping-pong and miniature golf, and then he went to the kids club. They had seafood on the buffet at lunchtime, including lobster and shrimp and clams. As a result, the place was slammed. I have never seen it that crowded. I feel like everyone on the ship was in line to get Lobster. Although, I know they weren't because Anna and Kara went to the main dining room with Marta and Elizabeth. The boys and I braved the Windjammer because we wanted to see a 1 o’clock aqua show. Similar to Columbus, the show didn’t really follow the written description until the last few minutes. But, it was better than the other aqua show and I’m glad we saw it. That afternoon the girls and I went to a magic revealed show where a magician showed the audience how to do some tricks. It was another event that was packed. There was not enough room for everyone and some people came and stood right in front of us, we and others politely asked them to move, and it turned into a bit of a thing. But, ultimately we were able to see what was going on. Meanwhile, Luke was back at the kids club, and Jack and Thomas were reading on the balconies and watching the ocean go by. Oh, I forgot that we did see dolphins swimming too. 

Dinner was in the main dining room, where we had to say goodbye to our amazing servers. They really were phenomenal. They made it seem like they were actually truly happy to be there. Thomas had told our Indian waiter that he enjoyed some Indian food on the lunch buffet a few days prior, and after that our waiter would bring him an Indian dish to try each night with dinner. We were sad to say goodbye to them and our amazing nightly dinners. The last night was lobster and it was really good. Generally the lobster I have had on cruises has been a bit rubbery, but it was great on this one. After dinner, the girls and I looked in the shops, and I debated whether I should get a fancy ring (I didn't). Then we went and packed and we ended the night with another ice show.

We had too many bags to self-carry, but were able to get the first time off the ship with bag assistance. I was nervous because the ship was so big (there were over 6000 people on board). But, it went really smoothly. We got off the ship around 7:20. It ended up only taking us about 10 minutes to walk off the ship, get our bags, get through customs and be in our car. We had a smooth drive home and pulled into our driveway by 1045 (not as great as Port Canaveral, but not bad). It was a good trip, although there was a little bit more fighting than with the girls than I expected. When I asked everyone their favorite part of the trip, they said:

 Anna: Labadee
Jack: Grease
Kara: the food
Luke: Labadee
Kori: the day at Labadee
Thomas: Grease and the Abyss

One of our family photos

Enjoying a daquiri and pina colada

Christmas Cruisin' (Days 1-4)

We have wanted to give a Christmas cruise a try. But, the prices are generally really high. However, this year the stars aligned and we were able to find a reasonably priced cruise that returned Christmas Eve, as we still wanted to be home on Christmas Day.  The best part was that it was actually cheaper to get three rooms instead of our usual two. Here are my notes from the cruise on Harmony of the Seas:

Day one, we left the house around 7:30. We stopped once to gas up and use the restroom and were at the port in Fort Lauderdale by 11. Check-in was a breeze and we walked on the ship by 1115, did the muster and had lunch in the Windjammer. Then, Luke and I played miniature golf. Jack played a little bit of basketball and the girls went exploring. Thomas registered Luke for the kids club. We all met up and did the Abyss, which was really cool. It has lights and plays sounds as you descend 10 stories on the dry slide. After that, we had shakes at Johnny Rockets and explored the ship a bit. Thomas, Luke and I tried out the waterslides, but it was surprisingly cold so we did not last very long. Dinner time is early, it started at five, but it took about two hours. It was nice and relaxing to have a leisurely dinner with Marta, Frank, Elizabeth, Travis and Travis' grandparents. After dinner, we walked around for a few minutes and signed waivers so the kids can use the gym. Then we went to the aqua show. The people were amazingly talented with diving, acrobatics, synchronized swimming, tight rope walking, etc. However, the show was a bit frenetic and honestly just kind of weird. There were a couple of acts, mainly two amazing acrobats on a slack line that performed in sync, that I really enjoyed, but I don’t think I would see it again. Jack and Luke actually left partway through to go back to the room. Everyone is tired and it has been a long day. But, I think our vacation is off to a good start! Oh, it is also really really really nice to have three rooms instead of two. I wish it was affordable on every cruise!

The girls matched for dinner night 1.

Day two, we were in Nassau. We went off the ship and checked out the Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle. We were back before lunch and Luke tried to do the water slides, but it was a little bit too cold and windy. We played superhero visual trivia and got 14 out of 15 clues correct, but supposedly someone got 15 out of 15. We are pretty sure they cheated. It was a dress your best night for dinner and we took a few pictures around the ship. We went to the ice-skating show, except Jack was too tired and called it an early night, and Luke opted to go to the kid’s club instead. The show received mediocre reviews from all of us. (talented cast, lousy material was a theme on the ship)

View from the top of Fort Fincastle. The construction is a new, huge U.S. Embassy.

600 slaves carved the stairs out of solid limestone in 1793-1794

The area was very lush and beautiful

Day three: It was a sea day. We had breakfast at Johnny Rockets with Marta, Elizabeth and Frank. We all enjoyed sitting outside on the Boardwalk. Later that morning, we did our white elephant gift exchange. The category was 'awkward and useless' and some people took it more to heart than others. Kara received arguably the worst gift, a can of air. Personally, I think Thomas received the best gift. But you can judge for yourself from the pictures. Luke got a cute little stuffed cat, and Anna got sea monkeys, which is what she brought and really wanted. We separated for lunch. Thomas and I went with the other adults to Chops for specialty dining. Anna and Kara ate by themselves in the main dining room, and Jack and Luke went to the Windjammer. Everyone was happy with their choices. The girls said their lunch was really good and they got a table by the window. 

That afternoon, we saw Grease, and it was so much better than it was on the Independence. Jack, Thomas and Kara actually saw it twice. They saw the 3 o’clock show while I stayed with Luke and they said it was so good that we should try and go to the 8 o’clock. So Anna and I did. They were right and it was amazing (we did feel like we had to have the obvious conversation about how flawed Danny and Sandy's actions/relationship was).  

Day Four: we had breakfast in the main dining room, which is so much more peaceful than the buffet. Afterward, we were going to go straight off the ship into Jamaica, but the line to disembark was insane. So we decided to wait it out a little bit in our cabins. After about an hour, things calmed down and we got off the ship and walked around the port area, reading the historical signs about Jamaica’s history and doing a little shopping. We were back on the ship for lunch and did not do much. I had a terrible headache, so I just laid in bed for a little while. Later that afternoon, we had a snack at mini bites and then did the abyss a couple of times. The kids got milkshakes at Johnny Rockets. The evening’s entertainment was the ship's headliner. The boys did not feel like going , but the girls and I went. It was a singer/dancer with the royal orchestra. I really enjoyed the show and think that Thomas and Jack would have loved it, so I am sorry they missed it, but they were worn out. It was different from our previous cruise entertainers who were primarily jugglers/comedians. This one sang songs, mostly from the 50s and 60s and the Harmony band played live along with him. He was a very engaging and well-seasoned performer.

The port in Falmouth was really nice. Next time, we will venture out and explore.

The Abyss was so fun, it had lights and sounds.

A Week in the LIfe--December Edition

Saturday--Luke was playing in a baseball tournament. His games were at 2 and 4, which was a nice change. The girls and I baked peppermint cupcakes in the morning. Thomas and Anna left around noon for the 2 o'clock game, which was about 45 minutes from our house (coach wants them there an hour early to warm up). Then, I took Jack to his basketball game, it was about 30 minutes away. Jack played good defense, but his team lost. By a lot. After his basketball game, we went to Luke's second baseball game. They also lost. But, they had won their first game. After the games, we had dinner at Wendy's. I am not sure what Kara did during her blissful afternoon home alone.

Sunday--more baseball. Thomas wasn't feeling well. His throat is covered in ulcers which make it impossible to eat. Or, at least very painful. Even drinking is hard. He finally went to the Minute Clinic, and they basically said there was nothing he can do except wait it out. They couldn't pinpoint the cause (actually they said it is probably from using a new toothbrush or toothpaste--neither of which he's using). After some Google research I think after 21 years together I finally infected him with my cold sore virus, which can manifest initially as throat ulcers. So, I took Luke to his games. They had to play the number one ranked team and they won! It was very exciting and moved them to the Championship game. Then, they completely fell apart. They were winning 5/4 until the 5th inning and then it was just error after error in the field. They ended up losing 19-5. It. was. brutal. Luke was the third batter in the final inning and I told the mom sitting next to me that I hoped they either scored at least 5 runs or the first three batters got out. One and two struck out. Then, it was Luke. I told her, I hope he makes a really good hit to the outfield, but they make a spectacular catch so this game will finally end. And guess what? That is exactly what happened! Who knew I was a soothsayer??? By now it was late and the kids were tired, but they did their team party. They had drawn names for Secret Santa and passed out gifts (Luke asked for Bad Guys books which is what he received) and had some treats. They took pictures with the second place trophy and everyone had fun.

Anna came with me. Jack went to a friend's birthday celebration. About 5 teenage boys met up at the movies and saw Black Panther. Then, they went to dinner at Red Robin. Thomas did the pick up and drop off for that. Jack had a lot of fun. Kara hung out at home. 

Our living room. I wanted more of the garland.

Monday--Everyone went to school and work. We had a Walmart grocery delivery, but there were a lot of items out of stock. Kara had to stay after for play auditions. She is the student director, so she was assisting in the process. Jack had to stay after for concert practice. Anna and I left to pick them up around 4:20 and went to Sam's Club. I needed to get Sun Chips for Luke's class party and wanted to get more garland. Sometimes, the drive to that area, which is less than 5 miles away, can take well over 30 minutes, but traffic was surprisingly light, so we also had time to go to Walmart and get bags for Anna's gifts to her friends and to look for the out of stock items (which were all in stock at this Walmart). Then, we still had some time, so we ran to the Publix next to the middle school and got pretzel rods for chocolate covered pretzels and cash for the pool guy. I was shocked at how much we accomplished in just an hour! We got Kara, then picked up Jack. Dinner was waiting for us when we got home. Then, some of us watched a Community Christmas episode. 

Tuesday--More work and school. Kara had to stay after again for more auditions. It was a concert night for Jack. Tickets for the concert (which is all performing arts groups at the high school) went on sale on a Monday night. I went to get tickets on Wednesday afternoon and they were almost all sold out. There were only a few single tickets available. So, we bought one for the Thursday night performance. I felt bad, but I had no idea what a hot commodity the tickets would be. Jack's band is only playing one song, so I don't think he cares too much. Anyway, after school Jack went to the gym, Anna and Luke did homework. Then, around 5:15, I left to drop off Jack for the concert, and picked up Kara at 6, I was back home around 6:20. Thomas made dinner. We had Hamburger Helper. We saw it at the dollar store and it brought back childhood memories. None of our kids had ever heard of it and it was okay, if we have it again, I would try a different flavor. Anyway, Anna had a Teen Leader's club meeting, so she was gone by the time the rest of us got home. Luke chatted with a friend on Messenger Kids. We walked Anna home from her meeting and then Thomas went and got Jack when the show ended around 8:45. Normally, Luke would have baseball practice, but they ended the season and will resume in mid-January.

Wednesday--Thomas and I had to go to the office. Thomas went in around 6 and I stayed home and made sure the kids got up and off to school. Then, I went in. We had our office Christmas lunch. I had some meetings (via Zoom) and then came home. Kara stayed after school again for auditions, Thomas picked her up at 5. She came home saying she didn't feel great. I took Anna to her figure skating. We got home around 730 and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas. Thomas had originally planned on taking Luke to Ice at Gaylord. He got a free ticket from school, but then Thomas saw that a ticket and parking for him would be over $60, so we told Luke he could have another movie and hot chocolate night instead. We weren't completely opposed to the $60, but we know from past experiences about all the upselling they do and just didn't feel up to it.

Thursday--Kara woke up still not feeling great, but had a science test, so she insisted on going to school. Pre-Covid, I wouldn't have thought much about it. But now I feel guilty for letting her go. I tried to convince her to stay home, but she doesn't like to miss school, especially when she has a test. And, I don't think she has Covid or flu or anything like that. I think it is more likely that it's just a hard week catching up to her (lots of tests and then staying after every day).  Anyway, she went, got an A on her test and said she felt fine. We had bad weather all afternoon and I was super nervous about dismissal. The older kids got held in some of their classes, but they ended up releasing on time. Luke had his Christmas Party. He said it was okay, but they played Kids Bop Christmas music and he did not like it. Thomas and I went and got haircuts. After school, Jack went to the gym. We had an early dinner and Thomas went to Jack's concert. I took the other kids out for ice cream. Luke got a coupon for a free cone when school started. It was only valid on Thursdays and normally he has baseball practice, so he was excited to finally be able to go. It was good. Thomas said the concert was amazing. He could see why it was sold out and said it felt like he was at a professional performance. 

Friday--Thomas and I were off from work. It seemed like all the kids were doing was watching movies at school. So, we asked if they wanted to go to Volcano Bay. Anna and Luke said yes, Jack and Kara wanted to enjoy a laid-back day at school. However, then we realized the high temperature was only 65--too cold for Volcano Bay. So, everyone went to school. It was pajama day for Luke so he didn't really mind, but Anna was a bit bitter.  Thomas and I went shopping. We came home and wrapped presents and did tons of laundry. We also got an e-mail from Luke's school librarian--he gets to do Battle of the Books! The team is comprised of only 6 kids from the whole school (5 regular and 1 alternate), so we were pleasantly surprised that he was selected as a 3rd grader. He starts practices in January and the competition is March 21st. He is very excited.

After school, Thomas' former coworker (Joe) stopped by for a few minutes on his way to his mother's house. Thomas and Jack played basketball. We had dinner and then Thomas, Jack, Anna and I went on a bike ride throughout the neighborhood to look at lights. Jack and Anna abandoned us halfway through, but Thomas and I enjoyed being out. We also watched a Christmas movie--'Again?' on Disney+. It was like a Groundhog Day and I liked it, Thomas did not. It was our only day all week without any scheduled activities and it was so nice. I like that all our kids have activities they enjoy and I don't mind all the driving. But, it is so nice when we have a night with no where to be.

Date Night and Other Happenings

Friday night Thomas and I had our second annual date night at the Orlando Informer Meetup. It was our anniversary (19 years!) but we hadn't spent much time together all week. I had to go into the office for 3 days in a row. And, of course, we had all the kids activities. Tuesday and Thursday were baseball nights. We also had Kara's theater showcase on Tuesday (she killed it!). Wednesday was Anna's ice skating. So, we didn't really see each other much. That made it especially nice to spend the evening together. The Meetup is a separately ticketed event at Universal. They rent out the park and all the food is included and the rides are almost all walk-ons. It is really fun. The event started when the park closed at 7, but we got there around 4. We didn't want to waste time during the event waiting for Hagrid's, so we did that first. The lines throughout the park were really short, so even though Hagrid's had a posted wait of 120 minutes, we thought that was probably over-inflated. And, as we entered the line, it was really short. We estimated 45 minutes. But, then there was a delay and they were taking trains off the track and we ended up waiting for about 2 hours. So, by the time we left the line, it was almost park closing. I had a bit of a headache, so I went to a food stand for a cup of water. Even though the park wasn't closed, the worker saw my bracelet and said they had started the free food for the evening. This was way more exciting then it should have been! I got a bottle of water, Thomas got a soda and we shared some chips. We sat until the park officially closed, then walked right on Kong. Then, we walked on Spiderman, then Doctor Doom. We played free games in the arcade and realized it was about 8, when the restaurants opened. 

And so the eating began! I had an amazing dinner at Terrace Falls. Thomas got some chili fries and rice and beans. We ate and then rode Velocicoaster and the Trolley in the Sky before walking over to the other park. There, we walked on Minions and Mummy, then got more food (buffalo chicken mac and cheese was especially delicious). Then, we rode Gringotts, followed by hot butterbeer and pumpkin juice, then MiB, Twirl n Hurl, and ET. By now, it was around 1130, so an hour until park closing. We decided to walk back to the other park and get some Cinnabon to give the kids in the morning and play in the arcade. The arcade was a little crowded, so we didn't last long. We left around midnight. We did everything we wanted to, except maybe the Hogwart's Express, that never quite worked out. And, we ate almost everything we wanted to. I was planning on trying the Taco Truck, but I was just way too full. It was amazing to walk around a pretty empty theme park and ride whatever we wanted with no wait. Hagrid's did have a wait all night around 45 minutes, but that was the only ride and since we had done it earlier, we didn't need to waste the time.

Gringotts was empty! Just us and the Goblins.

I was so full, but I had to get a hot butterbeer. And, while I was there I decided to try pumpkin juice (delicious!) This was my, "I really shouldn't be doing this" face.

Riding the Twirl and Hurl, our only ride picture.

The Christmas lights throughout the park were so pretty.

Saturday the Lakeland Tigers had their annual sale. The website said 30-50% off, so we weren't expecting too much. The last time we went, the entire store was 50% off. We got there and nothing was marked as on sale. We asked the guy at the counter who said that everything outside was $5 and everything inside was 30% off. We walked outside expecting to see a table of old t-shirts, but there was tons and tons of stuff. We got several hats, polo shirts, t-shirts, and visors. It was amazing! We ended up spending $120 dollars, but got so much stuff--22 items in all (there are 6 of us after all)!  We are definitely ready for Spring Training! My only regret is we didn't get even more :)

After that, we met my sister's family at Carols in the Park in Winter Haven. It was crowded and hard for our big group to walk around together, so we only stayed for about 45 minutes. Then, it was lunch at Popeye's (Jack's pick) and we headed home. Oh! I forgot to mention, we let Jack drive to Lakeland. He did a good job. I-4 is no joke, even at 8 on a Saturday morning! We got home, hung out for a bit, then went to Jack's basketball game. The other team was ahead the entire game and then our team tied it up in the 4th quarter. They ended up losing, but it was definitely exciting. We got takeout from Tijuana Flats and then watched Christmas Vacation. It was a busy, busy day. 

While most of us spent Saturday doing all of that, Kara was at the Thespians competition. Her monologue and ensemble both received superior ratings and both were chosen to advance to the state competition. She is very excited!

Thanksgiving and Trip Conclusion

Thursday was Thanksgiving! We made reservations over a month ago to the Applewood Farmhouse Grill for a 5:15 dining time. We started the day with waffles and left the house around 9:30 to give the Alpine Mountain Coaster another try. They opened at 10 and already had a small crowd waiting. But, nothing like it is in the evening. We all rode and thought it was really fun. Luke was a little bitter, because he is tall enough to do the Goat one on his own (54") but not the Alpine (56"). He remarked afterward that the Goat one was way faster. Thomas pulled me aside and remarked that he used the brakes a few times, but not to tell Luke. :)

From there we ran to Kroger to get some picnic food. The kids were sick of turkey sandwiches, so we let them choose something different. But, guess what Anna and Luke got? Turkey sandwich lunchables. <sigh> Next, we went to a large park. Kayce and I walked the trail, Thomas and Anna went for a run, Jack played basketball, and Trevor got stuck watching the three little boys on the playgrounds. We stayed there for about 3 hours, and I think everyone could have stayed longer, but we wanted to have time to rest and change before dinner. 

On the way to the cabin, we decided to stop and do the goat coaster one more time, for comparison sake. We had to drive right by the Alpine, which had a really long line. But, no one was waiting for the Goat one. I think it is is because Alpine advertises so heavily and offers a Groupon. The Groupon was why I was so invested, I had bought the ticket before we visited and didn't want to waste my money by not using it. We all decided that the Alpine felt a little longer, the goat felt a little faster and was a bit more comfortable, but that they were relatively equivalent. If all things were equal (mainly wait times) I think most of us would choose the Alpine, but they are close. The mountain coasters are definitely expensive. We got a good deal on the Groupon, less than $10/person, but the Goat one cost our family $88! Counting Kara and Luke's Thursday ride, we spent around $200 on that thing! Yikes!!! I probably shouldn't have done that math.

We rested and changed at the cabin and then went to our dinner. When we drove up and saw the crowd waiting I was afraid our wait would be super long (it was reservation only, so everyone waiting had a reservation), but they called us back at 5:20. We started the meal with their signature apple fritters and apple butter (amazing!) then vegetable soup and then the traditional Thanksgiving foods. Well, most of them, Anna was sad that macaroni and cheese was missing, which I don't always make, but she was hoping for. We enjoyed a leisurely, well-paced meal and everyone enjoyed it. I was thankful they had kids pricing, because all Luke ate was a piece of ham, a piece of turkey and a whole bunch of rolls. I think everyone else got their money's worth.

Waiting outside the very cute Farmhouse Grill

Dinner is served!

On Black Friday, we went out to breakfast and then did some local shopping followed by another trip to the Relic Room. We spent way too much money, but did get some really cool old things. Then, we came back to the cabin and packed and hung out. We had a hodge podge of what was left in the refrigerator for dinner and had an early night. It was hard for people to say goodbye. My boys especially love the Wills boys.

We left the cabin at 3am on Saturday morning, because we were dreading the Atlanta traffic. The early time did the trick and we made it home in an easy 10 hours. One really funny thing happened about an hour from home. We had been searching for a Montana plate the whole trip. We only needed two for our license plate game: South Dakota and Montana. We saw SD on the drive up and kept an eye for Montana. We saw all the rare plates: Hawaii, Alaska, South Dakota, etc. It was frustrating not to be able to check them off. So, I was commenting to Thomas about how we would never get Montana and how annoying it was that we were missing out on all these other "rare" plates. Then, there it was! Literally as we were talking about it, it appeared. Thomas and I started yelling, "Montana, Montana, MONTANA!!!!" We scared all the kids,. And, we checked it off and started another round.

People's favorites from the trip (not counting spending time with the Wills, which is, of course, the obvious answer):

Thomas and Kara: Thanksgiving Day (Thomas gave an honorable mention to the cabin's wood burning fireplace)

Luke: Foxfire

Jack: Relic Room

Anna: Tuckaleechee Caverns

Kori: the lights at Dollywood

Tuckaleechee Caverns and Horseback Riding

On Wednesday, we started the day with a visit to Tuckaleechee Caverns. The tour lasted about 90 minutes and was really interesting.  Its boasts the largest underground waterfall in the United States and the largest cavern room. It was less commercial then the only other cavern I've been too (Luray), but that added to its charm. At one point, they talked about the water being 99.9% pure and invited us to try it. All of us thought the caverns were amazing.

Thomas was doing a Kara pose ;)

It is hard to convey scale, but these two 'obelisks' are over 20 feet tall!

The chandelier in the "great room"

Trying the pure water (it actually did taste better than most water)

Couldn't quite capture it, but here is the waterfall

Luke standing in front of the bottom of the waterfall

After the caverns we had a picnic and then Thomas, Jack, Anna and I went horseback riding. We enjoyed the ride, we did 90 minutes, and most of it was through the mountains, which was pretty, but did not have the big views we have had on our other rides. Luke and Kara didn't want to go and neither did Kolten or Bennett. They went and did the mountain coaster again.

After horseback riding, we stopped for some groceries and went back to the cabin. We had dinner at the cabin and enjoyed another peaceful night in. Kayce, Kara and I went in the hot tub, which was not quite as fun when it wasn't cold. Our first night, it was something like 20 degrees. Wednesday night, it was around 50. I keep looking for bears, but haven't see any yet. 

Tennessee Days 2 & 3

On Monday, we went to Foxfire Mountain. We hiked to a waterfall, walked on America's longest swinging bridge, had a picnic by the river and tossed around the football.  A great time was had by all!

Kara on the long suspended bridge

They also had some fun little bridges that the kids (and I!) loved crossing. This is Luke running across one that crossed the big bridge.

We did a short waterfall hike

then had a picnic followed by football in the field

After Foxfire, we went to the Relic Room, which boasts "the largest diversity of authentic history for sale in North America." They had coins, fossils, war memorabilia, and other collectibles. Everyone picked out some fun souvenirs. Luke was thrilled to get a piece of a meteorite. Kara got bullets from the northern and southern armies from the civil war and an old coin, Jack and Thomas also got coins, and Anna got a grab bag, which had a disappointing mix. 

We had dinner back at the cabin and then went to a mountain coaster. Our plan was to go back to the one we did in May, but the wait was over an hour. So, we went down the street and did "Goats on the Roof". The wait was only about 10 minutes. It was all lit up and super fun. After the coaster we fed the goats, then came back to the cabin for dessert. 

Coaster in the background

On Tuesday, we went back to Dollywood. But, it was even more crowded then Sunday. The kids really wanted to ride Lightening Rod. We got in line 30 minutes before the park officially opened. The ride opened on time, but the kids still had to wait 90 minutes (well, 120 if you count the pre-opening line). Actually, only Kara waited. The other three all quit at some point until only she was left. Anna and Luke joined us around the 30 minute mark. Then, Jack quit about 30 minutes after that. But, it was fine, Thomas and I sat in the diner across from the ride and we shared snacks, including the famous cinnamon bread. Jack and Luke went off to ride Wild Eagle, which had a much more reasonable wait. All the kids rode something. Then, it got too insane to stay any longer--there were crazy lines for everything, including to use the bathrooms! And, I really like Dollywood, but my biggest complaint is their inability to accurately determine wait times. Every line our family waited in took approximately twice as long as the posted wait time. Once it became hard to move we decided to throw in the towel. We went out to a very late lunch outside the park. Then, we hung out at the cabin the rest of the day. The Wills lasted longer than we did, but we all joined up for dinner and enjoyed a relaxing evening at "home," including toasting smores by the fire. 

The top picture is a line for the ladies room, the bottom is for hot dogs. By the time we left, Kayce said the cinnamon bread line was 200 people deep.

 

Tennessee Thanksgiving, Day 1

Back in January, we made plans with the Wills to spend Thanksgiving week together. We found an amazing cabin located near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and booked it. The countdown began! On Saturday, the vacation finally started. We left our house at 5am and arrived at the cabin around 420pm. The drive was not bad, we hit a lot of traffic around Atlanta, but overall, it was a good drive. We brought food, so we avoided making any long stops. The best thing on the drive took place in Florida around Gainesville. We saw the most amazing rainbow. It was a full rainbow that went over the highway. Oddly, there was no rain. Eventually, we did drive through a few sprinkles, but the rainbow was unexpected and lovely.

I couldn't capture the whole thing, but it was a full rainbow. At one point, it looked like we would drive right under it. And, you can see a fainter double rainbow.

Kayce had arrived before us and did some grocery shopping. We had tacos for dinner, the same as when we visited North Carolina together last year. A new tradition begins! The cabin is nice. It is has three levels and enough beds for everyone. There is an amazing mountain view and a great hottub. Kayce and I went in the hot tub (it was around 20 degrees out, but the hot tub was a toasty 102) and caught up on all of each others news. It was nice to hear the updates on my old neighborhood. I still miss it!

Sunday, we went to Dollywood. It was crowded. Really crowded. And, it was also cold. Really cold. Nothing like our experience in May. One funny thing was a candle shop that had a sign saying, "come in, it's hot inside". When we visited in May, we went in the shop because of the sign saying, "come in, it's cold inside." Many of the bigger rides couldn't operate because of the temperatures. But, when the sun went down, the lights were amazing. Really amazing. We have been to Christmas events at many parks (Six Flags, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Busch Gardens Tampa, Sea World, Disney and Universal) and these were the best. They were everywhere and so well done. I think we even forgot about being cold. 

Same spot where we posed under the Spring umbrellas