It Was the Best of Times & the Worst, But It Was the Best Trip Evah!

[kid-at-heart]

I guess I will have to write about our trip to the Smokies!

It was alot of work, but I really enjoy doing it. It takes planning so that know which pots to take & the utensils. Most of my cooking things are antiques.
The pool party may have been something done in Sept.

Smokies, smokies, smokies. Yes, I am another one who would like to hear about your Smokies trip.

 

[jenseib]

I am probably one of those "public" people who ask dumb questions! LOL! I am amazed at the work that they did back then and am thankful I don't have to!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Well, I just got back from our trip to Gatlinburg. It was a very relaxing trip & the leaves were in full color in the lower elevations.

After our late afternoon arrival we stopped for dinner at Bubba Gump's. This was a first for us at this restaurant. I ordered the the Shrimp Heaven & it lived up to it's name! Bob ordered the Coconut Shrimp & a beer. I too, had an adult beverage, Mama's Blue Hawaiian. I can't get the pictures from my phone because I don't know how to do it. It's an Iphone & I got it about 3 weeks ago.

As I said the views were beautiful.

The evening was spent walking around the town. We bought candy at the Smoky Mountain Candy store. They have the best chocolate.

We spent the days driving through the park & admiring the views. The nights were spent shopping & dining out! Gotta love that!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

We didn't take lots of photos of Gatlinburg as we have been going there since 1967!

More mountain views.

We drove over to Cherokee & spent time at the farmstead that is there.

This is a favorite spot for us to visit. Most of Cherokee is pretty tacky, but in a good sort of way.

 

[MEK]

Your trip to Gaitlinburg sounds wonderful. I would love to go back there in the fall. The trees and the mountains look so beautiful. I am dying to try a Bubba Gumps!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

This is one of the arms that had to be given up to make the Smoky Mountain National Park. It is on the Roaring Fork Nature Trail.

Bob pretending to deface a sign. The sign said Bob Was Here, then went on to say not to deface any of the buildings,etc. as this spoils everthing. So we had to have fun with it. No disrespect intended!

This is a small waterfall on a trail at the ranger station. A very nice trail, but one had to be on the lookout for bears!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Another view on the trail. It was so nice, but I wasn't kidding about the bears. It seems that they are showing up all over the place. One was on this trail the day after we were there. A few days before our visit a bear had broken into one of the candy stores in downtown Gatlinburg & helped himself to candy. The workers found him sitting on the counter eating candy!! We didn't see any bears this trip, just turkeys & deer.

We were there for three nights & the weather was warm & sunny until our last day. It rained for our trip home. One last view.

At an old mill I'm peering out at Bob, we do this all the time. We take a picture of the other taking a picture.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Your trip to Gaitlinburg sounds wonderful. I would love to go back there in the fall. The trees and the mountains look so beautiful. I am dying to try a Bubba Gumps!

Bubba's was very good, we were seated on a balcony over the street. A great place to people watch. We went there because of Karin & Tom's reviews. Also, we found a Krispy Kreme shop & bought fresh hot KK's! They were like eating glazed air, so good!

You would love it there in the fall. It can be pretty crowded, that's why we go in the middle of the week. It was just what we needed after all of the busy days we had been having since Sept.

 

[Busymom85]

I'm enjoying your review so far. How fun to take your grandkids.

 

[dizneeat]

Bubba's was very good, we were seated on a balcony over the street. A great place to people watch. We went there because of Karin & Tom's reviews. Also, we found a Krispy Kreme shop & bought fresh hot KK's! They were like eating glazed air, so good!

I am glad you liked it ...... and I need to remember (and maybe steal ) the glazed air description!

I love seeing photos of your trip, what beautiful scenery and all those beautiful buildings! But BEARS ....... I mean they are cute but outside a ZOO!!!!??????????? Scary thought for an Austrian!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I am glad you liked it ...... and I need to remember (and maybe steal ) the glazed air description!

I love seeing photos of your trip, what beautiful scenery and all those beautiful buildings! But BEARS ....... I mean they are cute but outside a ZOO!!!!??????????? Scary thought for an Austrian!

Steal away! I'd eaten KK's before, but to get them just out of the oven was undescribable! I love glazed donuts, but hate it when the glaze has melted. The donuts are wet & soggy when that happens.

I was very nervous thinking about the bears being that close. The population has really gotten out of hand. The bears used to be back up in the mountains & rarely seen. Not anymore, they are coming into town!

 

[MEK]

Bubba's sounds great. And I missed your last update since you posted 1 minute after me. I am shocked that a bear actually broke into a candy store. That must have been a sight!

 

[Beth D]

Hello Buckeye Sister! I finally made it over here.

I finally am caught up with your TR! I love your photos of the reenactments. You look so different! Do you ever go to Yankee Peddler? We love to shop at that show!

Your granddaughters are too cute! Did you get to see any of the shows at AK? The Lion King show is phenomenal! So much like the Broadway play!

I also love the pics of the Smokies! We went there when i was really little. I remember Mom and Dad taking me and my brother in our pick-up truck that had a cap on top. We would open the window to the back, and crawl back in the bed and nap on blankets! No child safety seats or seat belts going up and down those mountain roads, and we turned out OK!

Did you visit the reservation?

 

[Wicket's Mom]

OMG Beth, we did the same thing with our boys in the mid 80's. We had a S10 pickup with a shell on it. The boys loved riding back there on a mat with pillows, blankets, etc.. We would be arrested for that today! No harm came to them & they had fun, but at least it was in the fall. Not hot nor cold.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Hello Buckeye Sister! I finally made it over here.

I finally am caught up with your TR! I love your photos of the reenactments. You look so different! Do you ever go to Yankee Peddler? We love to shop at that show!

Your granddaughters are too cute! Did you get to see any of the shows at AK? The Lion King show is phenomenal! So much like the Broadway play!

I also love the pics of the Smokies! We went there when i was really little. I remember Mom and Dad taking me and my brother in our pick-up truck that had a cap on top. We would open the window to the back, and crawl back in the bed and nap on blankets! No child safety seats or seat belts going up and down those mountain roads, and we turned out OK!

Did you visit the reservation?

We drove to Cherokee, so yes we did visit the reservation.

Glad to have you join in my TR.

We didn't get to do many shows, my DIL was a stern taskmaster. She cracked that whip a lot! LOL We didn't miss many rides.

I haven't been to the Yankee Peddler, but have heard of it.

Those reenactor clothes really do change one's appearance. We all laugh at how we don't recognize each other in our "civies".

 

[Wicket's Mom]

We had an ADR for 5:00 at Chef Mickey's, so after the pool party it was back to our rooms to get ready. We took the bus to the MK, then rode the Monorail to the Contemporary. We arrived early & the lobby of the restaurant was filling up. I checked in, recieved our beeper & we waited close to the front desk. I noticed that people were starting to line up. We got in the line & were close to the front. The beeper went off & we were the second party shown to a table.

Our drink orders were taken, then we went up to the buffet. This was what I had chosen. I'm one of those people who hate to load up a plate. I figure that I can go back, so why pile everything together!

The next thing to show up was my drink, a Key Lime Martini. It was pure pleasure in a glass. Made for a calm Chef Mickey experience.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

The Characters started to arrive.

First up, Donald!
Next up

The Girls were more thrilled than I thought they'd be.

Everyone's favorite pup! He signs on his nose!

Pluto with the GDs

The big cheese himself!

This was our anniversary gift, there were candles on the top.

I can't find my pictures of Goofy. He was so funny, he signed his name in Emily's book by placing the book on her head. After he left our table, he went to the next one to repeat the drill. The funny thing was, he came back with the other child's book & put it on Emily's head! He did that several times. She was so thrilled to be singled out like that! It was really special for her.

The food was surprisingly good! I think that the thing to do was to get that first seating. Everything was clean & presented very nicely. When we left, Bob made a remark about feeling sorry for the next group of people. The buffet was getty messy by that time. He would like to eat there again. It was one of his favorites. The only thing is, he doesn't want to be bother by the "stuffed animals". MEN!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

They did the napkin waving, but it wasn't as entergetic as I thought it would be. We still had fun clapping & waving with the characters. Over all it was far better than I was anticipating. I would go again, but only for the first seating.

After dinner we made our way from the Contempory by way of the Monorail to the MK for a night of fun!

Up next our night at MK & Wishes.

 

[MEK]

Your grand daughters are so cute and they both look so happy and excited. Who doesn't love Chef Mickey?

And that Key Lime Martini????? YUMMY! I bet that was good!

 

[jenseib]

Looks like a fun time a Chef Mickeys. We ate there for breakfast oncve...and it was just OK. Since then I haven't hurried to try and get it though I do look and it's always booked.