1 year, 10 months and 16 days from today - A May 2016 PTR FINAL UPDATE 5/6/16

[ddstratton]

Mini Trip Report, Day 6, Part 3

We left for supper at 5:12. DD decided that she wanted to go to the Happy Days diner. We got there about 5:43.

This was a cute little restaurant! We were there early enough that it wasn'’t very busy. Our waiter was right on top of things, and we never had to wait for anything.

We had loaded fries to start off.

Apparently, I was making a mess with my fries, and needed a bib…

Mom S had a house salad.

DD had a grilled chicken salad.

I had the chopped steak with mashed potatoes.

DH had the turkey dinner.

Total for meal was $52.94 plus tip. Everything was really good. Except the dinner roll with my meal. It was rock solid hard.

Looks like DD is amazed at the amount of drinks we went through…

We really enjoyed our dinner here. We did not feel rushed, and just had a good time - talking, laughing and eating.

After dinner, we stopped in to Walmart and bought some food and household items. Total here was $92.94. Stopped for gas. $20.00 - $3.20/gallon – 6.232 gallons.

Driving through Pigeon Forge.

Driving back through Gatlinburg.

We went back to the cabin and just relaxed. I did start a load of laundry, though -– not exactly relaxing.

And for those keeping track - it was DD's ACTUAL birthday - and she had no birthday cake!! However, we did have some left-over cake from the day before as a bedtime snack.

 

[ddstratton]

OK, I screwed up. I missed posting a day!!! If you've been following along, please go to Missed Day to read the missing day.

 

[momabbate]

Hi Im Sandy, I love that you have started your PTR. I had one started for this Sept (2014) that got pushed back to 2015, now looks like it is 2016. I stopped my report due to I ran out of things to say and it was getting me depressed instead of exciteid. It is our 25 Anniversary trip also. I have a screwed up system on when our Anniversary is. I count the years by when we moved in together. This is when we started our lives together and soon had our first child. We got married two years later. So even though trip is moved two years it is still our 25. Anyways, I will follow along your trip report. I do need to catch up on two reports before I start reading. I was just excited to see your ptr and wanted to say hi. Oh our first trip was back in 08 with the whole family. I did take a mother daughter trip back in 2011. So I understand how it feels not to get to Disney a lot.

 

[ddstratton]

Hi Im Sandy, I love that you have started your PTR. I had one started for this Sept (2014) that got pushed back to 2015, now looks like it is 2016. I stopped my report due to I ran out of things to say and it was getting me depressed instead of exciteid. It is our 25 Anniversary trip also. I have a screwed up system on when our Anniversary is. I count the years by when we moved in together. This is when we started our lives together and soon had our first child. We got married two years later. So even though trip is moved two years it is still our 25. Anyways, I will follow along your trip report. I do need to catch up on two reports before I start reading. I was just excited to see your ptr and wanted to say hi. Oh our first trip was back in 08 with the whole family. I did take a mother daughter trip back in 2011. So I understand how it feels not to get to Disney a lot.

We had a couple of false starts with pre-trip reports also. We had planned originally on going back in 2012, but that just didn't happen.

Either way you look at it - it'll be your 25th!

 

[KatMark]

Darla, sorry I got behind.

I went back to the "missed" update. You can sure tell how excited DD was about the cabin in the pictures.

$100 a night for that? That is unbelievable. That's cheaper than most hotels and it is beautiful! DD had to be in all of her glory.

Happy Days Diner looks like a fun place to be. We have a similar diner with the jukebox, old pictures, etc., and it's a great local place.

 

[ddstratton]

Mini Trip Report, Day 7, Part 1

Wednesday, March 26, 2014. We got up and around by about 8:00. I made scrambled eggs and toast for DH and I. DD just had toast. Mom S had already had her cereal. We just vegged around the cabin for a while.

We left the cabin at 10:47. It was only 25 degrees!!! We drove into Pigeon Forge and stopped at several gift shops. We were originally looking for a heavy zip-up sweater for Mom S. Never did find what we were looking for. In the first gift shop, I bought DD a small rig for $6.56.

In one of the other gift shops, I bought a visor and a coconut candy for myself, and a sewing machine-shaped pencil sharpener for Mom S. Total here was $11.52.

We stopped at the Country Music USA outlet again, and they were open this time. DD bought a CD and a thumb pick here with her own money.

We stopped in to the Ernest Tubb Record Store #4. I bought DD a Jerry Reed CD that she did not have, and a shot glass for Mom S - $24.05. DD also bought a Roger Miller biography and a pick.

We went to Denny’'s for lunch. Mom S and DD both had chicken quesadillas, DH had the salmon and I had a philly cheesesteak. DH ordered an apple crisp that we shared for dessert. They brought apple pie instead and had to bring the right stuff. I must say that we were disappointed with this lunch. The food was OK, but the service wasn'’t. We waited and waited for everything -– drinks, meals, dessert…. And the place wasn’'t even busy! Lunch cost $50.73.

After lunch, we drove into Gatlinburg. We parked in the garage behind the aquarium. We had a nice tour of the aquarium. It was busy, but not horribly so. I bought DD a Ripley'’s book - $10.96.

After the aquarium, we walked up the strip.

We went to the Ripley’'s Believe It Or Not and toured through. Again. I think we've been in here on every trip to Gatlinburg. DD loves these places.

Due to picture limitation, we’re stopping here for now….

 

[ddstratton]

Darla, sorry I got behind.

I went back to the "missed" update. You can sure tell how excited DD was about the cabin in the pictures.

$100 a night for that? That is unbelievable. That's cheaper than most hotels and it is beautiful! DD had to be in all of her glory.

Happy Days Diner looks like a fun place to be. We have a similar diner with the jukebox, old pictures, etc., and it's a great local place.

That cabin could not be beat. You can hardly get a decent hotel room for that price, and we had two full bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, two bathrooms, private hot tub... I'd do it again in a heartbeat, even with that wicked horrible road to get there! DD just loved it. We all did, really, but she was over-the-top thrilled.

We were originally going to go to Mel's Diner (themed after the old Alice TV show), but DD wanted to go to Happy Days instead. We really had a good time there, and the food was great.

 

[KatMark]

STOP DARLA! I finally get caught up and you sneak in another update.

Sounds like a fun touring/shopping day. I didn't know they had an aquarium in the Smokies. Is that relatively new?

I've noticed that about Denny's. The service alway seems to be slow...whether busy or not, morning or evening.

I can't remember the last time we went into a Ripley's Believe It or Not. There used to be one in Orlando I thought.

 

[ddstratton]

The aquarium we go to is in Gatlinburg, and is the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokeys. It's been there for quite a while... I know we went to it on our first visit to the area in 2006... It is a great aquarium - lots of exhibits and a wonderful tunnel under the aquarium where the fish and sharks swim over your head. We go back every trip. We've also been to the Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach. Also good, but I prefer the on in Gatlinburg.

And yes, there's a Ripley's Believe It Or Not in Orlando. We went to that one during our first trip to Disney in 2008. We've also visited the one in St Augustine. There are plans to visit the one in Key West, that will be mentioned later in this pre-trip report...

 

[ddstratton]

Mini Trip Report, Day 7, Part 2

When we last left off, we had just toured the Ripley’'s Believe It Or Not museum. After that was the Stars Cars Museum.

The main reason for stopping in here was that they have one of the Trans Ams that was used in the Smokey and the Bandit movies. DD is obsessed with Jerry Reed, who was in the movies. It'’s actually a neat little museum. They have quite a selection of vehicles, some from movies and some from celebrities. $46.89 entry, $10.96 for a Smokey and the Bandit rig in the gift shop, and $19.70 for two 5 x 7 pictures of DD in the Trans Am.

Batmobile

General Lee

“The” Trans Am. The photographer told us that this particular vehicle was actually used in the movie (they have documentation there for that), and was originally part of Burt Reynolds’' private collection. They had originally leased it from him, but eventually purchased it out-right for the museum.

Beverly Hillbillies

Jeep from MASH

Ghostbusters

Back to the Future

One of Dolly Parton'’s cars

One of Elvis Presley'’s cars

Back to the Trans Am

After we finally managed to peel DD away from the Trans Am, we checked out the Old Smokey Moonshine Holler. However, one jar of moonshine was $25. Yikes!! Decided to pass on that.

We stopped in Walgreen's and got three waters, a mt dew and some French vanilla creamer. $12.45. DD bought another toy rig in one of the shops on the way back to the car. We ended up paying $5.75 for the parking lot. Stopped at a gas station and bought some brake fluid $3.61, as the brake light had come on once. Not happy with that, going down that hill!! We hit the drive thru at KFC for supper -– a bucket of chicken, extra crispy, with mac & cheese, mashed potatoes & gravy, cole slaw, and biscuits. $27.74.

Apparently, I never took any pictures of the food -– just the building.

We were back at the cabin around 8:00. We had some supper and watched tv and just enjoyed the cabin. DD had fun playing with her new rigs --– 15 years old and still not too old to play with toy trucks.

And that'’ll do it for another day of this little mini trip report.

 

[MEK]

Cool pictures!

What a fun day, but 25 degrees that morning? Yikes.

The aquarium and Ripley's look like a lot of fun! Sounds like there are a ton of stores to visit in the area.

Great update!

 

[ddstratton]

Thanks! There are TONS of shops in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area.

 

[KatMark]

I'm making one more go round of all my threads before we leave town tomorrow.

Love the photos with all the cars (my husband would be loving the Beverly Hillbillies and Mash exhibits).

Funny that your DD was playing with her rigs...at 15. But she could be doing worse things so all is good.

My youngest son and daughter-in-law LOVE KFC!

 

[ddstratton]

Mini Trip Report, Day 8, Part 1

Thursday, March 27, 2014. I got up and showered around 8:00. I made bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Warmed up left over biscuits from KFC.

Rather than share the king-size bed with her grandmother, DD decided to sleep on the couch. Not sure why she slept in the CORNER of the couch, though.

DD got up and took a shower around 10:00. Well, maybe she had a little help getting up…

We packed up a picnic and left the cabin at 10:47. We drove out to Cade's Cove. We stopped at the picnic area at 11:54. We took some pictures and had our picnic lunch. The picnic area was not very busy at all, unlike our stop in June 2013. For that stop –- there was literally not one single parking spot open. People were circling the place, looking for someone to leave. The moral of that story –- June is much busier than March!!!!

As you can see, it was still a little chilly. That’s why Mom S is wrapped in a blanket. The sun felt nice, but the breeze was cold.

DH and DD selfie

After eating, we drove through the Cade's Cove loop. We only got out at the Methodist Church and the Welcome Center/Grist Mill area. It was fairly busy, with no parking places at some of the sites. We bought Mom S a bear for her shelf - $5.45.

Pointing to a Wagon Wheel (reference to a song by one of her favorite bands -– Old Crow Medicine Show -– also done by Darius Rucker)

Stopping here due to picture limits…

 

[ddstratton]

I'm making one more go round of all my threads before we leave town tomorrow.

Love the photos with all the cars (my husband would be loving the Beverly Hillbillies and Mash exhibits).

Funny that your DD was playing with her rigs...at 15. But she could be doing worse things so all is good.

My youngest son and daughter-in-law LOVE KFC!

Enjoy your trip!! She could be doing SO MANY worse things! It just tickled me that she was playing with them.

KFC is a favorite around here. But we don't have one near us! The closest one is about 45 minutes away, so it's another "holiday" place for us usually.

 

[Granfan]

love:

Just wanted to thank you for all your beautiful pictures, sharing so many interesting details, and making it possible for others to enjoy your family's trip.
I love it so much!!

 

[KatMark]

My son has a sofa like that in their family room; I don't know how they sleep on it to begin with, but to sleep in the center of it like your daughter makes my back ache just looking at it.

It looks like a nice day for a picnic, despite a slight chill in the air (at least the sun was out).

 

[ddstratton]

love:

Just wanted to thank you for all your beautiful pictures, sharing so many interesting details, and making it possible for others to enjoy your family's trip.
I love it so much!!

You are very welcome! I love reliving our trips, so this is fun for me!

My son has a sofa like that in their family room; I don't know how they sleep on it to begin with, but to sleep in the center of it like your daughter makes my back ache just looking at it.

It looks like a nice day for a picnic, despite a slight chill in the air (at least the sun was out).

I have no idea how she slept there, but she said it was comfortable. It was a great day for a picnic - just a chill in the breeze.

 

[ddstratton]

Mini Trip Report, Day 8, Part 2

We left off walking around the Welcome Center/Grist Mill area in Cade’'s Cove. DD had gone down a trail by herself while the rest of us looked around a barn area. DH saw her coming back, but she didn'’t see him. The next three pictures show the sequence of him popping out from behind a tree to scare her.

Love this sign we saw while driving through Cade'’s Cove.

On the drive back to Gatlinburg….

We drove back to Gatlinburg and parked in a lot on the strip. $8.00 for parking. Went into a gift shop next to the parking lot. I bought a zip up sweater for me, a button-up sweater for Mom S, and a t-shirt and hat for DD. $77.77 here. She loved the hat -– it had the Firebird on it.

We went down to the Guiness Records museum and toured through. I had purchased our tickets for the Aquarium, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and the Guiness museum ahead of time, as a package bundle. This basically made the Guiness museum free. It was a nice little museum, but I can see where little kids would get bored easily, as there is a lot of reading….

DH and DD both tried their luck at the strength tester. You basically punched the padded bench as hard as you could, and it would tell you how many concrete blocks you just broke.

DD went first. She broke 1 block.

The DH went. He broke 4.

Leaving this museum was a little confusing, as it did not put you out on the same street you entered. It put you out on the back side of the block, and you had to walk back around the outside of the building to get back on the Strip.

After this, we went to Bubba Gumps' for supper.

I had $75 worth of gift cards, as rewards through MyPoints. The meal came to $102.90 plus tip. DD had the Jambalaya, Mom S had a hamburger and fries, DH had the salmon and veggie skillet and I had fish and chips. We had onion strings for a starter. DH ordered strawberry shortcake and I ordered Key Lime Pie for dessert. The food was pretty good, overall. The Jambalaya was kind of spicy, but they did warn us beforehand. In the gift shop, I bought a t-shirt for me and one for DD - $38.94.

We walked back to the car and went back to the cabin. DD and I got in the hot tub for a little while, then we just relaxed in the cabin for the night.

 

[mickeystoontown]

How the heck did I miss this in your signature? I'm telling you, girl, I'm oblivious to soooo much around me. I'm going back to read now.