On Top of Old Smokey

Howdy, folks!  We have just returned from a wonderful week in the Smokey Mountains.  I am not yet fully unpacked, but I am blogging about our trip anyway.  Are my priorities just a wee bit out of step or what?

Ah, I guess I'm just excited to share some photos from our trip because it truly was fantastic.  Amazing hiking and really nice relaxing family moments.  The scenery wasn't half-bad either.  Although the foliage was not quite at its peak anymore, we were still able to enjoy plenty of splashes of orange, yellow and red all over the mountains as we drove and hiked around the area.  The views were truly breathtaking at times.

 

As most of you know, I went to college in the mountains of Tennessee at the University of the South.  As a result, much of the landscape felt very familiar.  Almost like home.  It was really special to share the beauty of this magical place with Fionny.  And Conor too, of course.

But I don't want to paint an inaccurate picture that our vacation in the Smokies was all rainbows and unicorns.  Of course, it wasn't.  As with any trip, there were highs and lows.  Conor and I like to review our best moments and worst moments on the last night of any trip we have taken.  Here is what we came up with for the Smokies.

Top 3 Worst Moments in the Smokies:

1) The time-share pitch.  Okay, so many of you have probably experienced something very similar.  You check into a resort, they mention that they will give you some gift certificates or access to other cool perks during your stay...so long as you and your family agree to attend their (always) "very brief" time-share pitch.  Conor and I have done this many, many times.  One time we even walked away with a time share, for the sake of Pete!  So we know the drill.  You act interested long enough to get the free stuff, and then you start the nay-saying.  Kind of shitty, I know, but it's how the game is played.

However, even for seasoned veterans of the time-share pitch model like ourselves, the Smokey Mountain time-share pitch took forever!  OMG.  They would not take "no" for an answer.  It was so annoying.  Especially considering that we had a bored two-year-old who was along for the ride.  They finally got the hint when Fionn started popping balloons from their festive display.  Sometimes it's helpful to have a rascally toddler by your side.  Haha.

Hey, who are you calling rascally?

 2) Downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  Okay, I'm sorry if I offend anyone who adores these two little towns in the Smokies, but...it has to be said.  They are cheesy as all get-out.  And not the cute kind of cheesy.  Well, Gatlinburg could perhaps pass as cute on its best day.  But Pigeon Forge? Oh my Lord.  It is like the Redneck Riviera.  I think it's easiest to sum it up by telling you that we counted at least three stores that specialized in selling products that are "AS SEEN ON TV."  As in infomercials, folks.  That's right.  A store just full of crap like PedEggs and Snuggies.  And there were multiple stores like this in Pigeon Forge.  Ick.  We got a good laugh out of the whole thing, but we can definitely avoid returning to either of these towns for the rest of our lives.

3) Fionn's whiny moments while hiking.  Overall, our kiddo was a real trooper during our three hikes.  He was curious, joyful, and energetic for the majority of the time.

Hmm...I think I have a vague recollection of seeing this white stuff before.

Until he wasn't.

It's amazing how a two-year-old has the ability to turn an incredibly relaxing, peaceful hike into something along the lines of a prison sentence.  I went from, "God, this is sooooo fantastic!  I feel so lucky to be alive" to "Oh my God, get me off of this trail right now!  Life sucks" in seconds flat. 

Mainly, it stemmed from Fionn wanting desperately to be Mr. Independent in a place where it was impossible for us to let him do so.  For many reasons.  Namedly, this one.

 

Yeah, so we weren't really willing to take a chance with our daredevil son on some parts of the hike.  Watching our son plummet to his death was not on our list of fun activities for the week.  As a result, Fionny had to get into the pack.  And he was not having it.   "I want waaaaaaaalk!" he cried consistently for at least 10 minutes at one juncture.  We finally agreed on a rule that Fionn was allowed to have snacks if he got into the pack.  This seemed to be agreeable to our little tow-headed devil.  It usually bought us about 15 minutes as he slowly savored each granola bar.  We went through a lot of granola bars, people.  In fact, if you look closely in this picture, you can see that he is gripping one of the oats n' honey variety in his right paw.

But enough about the annoying moments.  Let's get to the good stuff.

Best Moments in the Smokies:

1) Wonderful moments with Fionn while hiking.

Haha.  Okay, so I have to admit that it was pretty peaceful when he dozed off in the pack.  We were able to enjoy the sounds of nature a bit more without the background noise of our son singing "Happy Birthday" to his granola bar (don't ask).  But there were other wonderful moments when our son was actually conscious too.  I swear.

 

Watching him crunch through the leaves and scale the mountain (when there wasn't a huge cliff on the other side of him) brought so much joy to my heart.  I loved sharing these experiences with Fionny, and I look forward to so many more in the future.

2) Rock City.  Who'd have thunk it?  First, let me explain what Rock City is exactly.  Rock City is the most touristy of all tourist attractions. The website proclaims that it is "a marvel of nature, featuring massive ancient rock formations."  This is true.  What is also true is that they have hammed it up something fierce over the years.  Gnomes at every corner, a Fairyland Village carved into the rocks, "candy cane formations" around Christmastime.  They also love their Christmas lights.

I loved Rock City as a kid for obvious reasons.  However, Conor and I just weren't sure how it would impact us as adults.  And we definitely weren't sure what our kiddo would think about the whole thing.  But, as it turned out, it was awesome!  Fionn loved it, we loved it.  And Rock City has become one of my most precious family vacation memories.  Crazy.

Swinging bridge with a knockout view.

Now we were helped by the fact that the weather was overcast, and it had already rained earlier in the day.  I think the masses of people you usually find at Rock City were scared away due to the forecast.  So we basically had the whole place to ourselves.  It was actually amazingly peaceful and relaxing.  Like a glorified nature walk.  

With a few gnomes along the way, of course.

Before leaving, we had to do the obligatory tourist shot.  I mean, I'm pretty sure it's required.

Hmm...Guess we could have had someone else take the picture, huh?  Poor Conor -- always left out in the cold in pictures.

Oh, it was a great afternoon.  And Fionn even left with a little baggie of gemstones -- the very same kind that I scored during a Rock City visit as a child.  He is arranging them on the kitchen table as I write this blog.  Ah, the simple pleasures.

On the way to Rock City, we also had the pleasure of meeting my cousin, Beth, for lunch in Chattanooga.  It was fantastic to catch up with her, but I failed to take a picture.  Darn it.

3)  Hanging out at the cabin.  I promise I'll make this one brief.  Conor and I both agreed that some of our favorite moments occurred at our little resort cabin.  Hanging out by the fire (which was controlled by a knob, but whatevs), playing trucks on the balcony which overlooked the mountains, and watching Fionny ride his new bike around the cul-de-sac beside our place were all faves.

 

Fionn loves his new balance bike, and he's getting so fast!  The trip provided the perfect opportunity to brush up on his skills a bit.  And the background scenery wasn't too hard on the eyes for Mom and Dad.

If you can't tell, it was simply a wonderful trip.  Great family time, beautiful views.  What's not to like?  Of course, as always, we were thrilled to get home.  

In other news, I think I have successfully outgrown all my pants.  Awesome.  Maternity clothes, here I come.