Gatlinburg.
We left Saturday morning and made our way to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. What a beautiful drive this time of the year. Once we got to the Great Smoky Mountains, we hit some pretty serious traffic. No worries, it gave us time to stop and get some pictures.
We weren't really sure what was causing the slow down, but Autumn was getting kind of restless and started bouncing around the car.
Emelia was being Emelia and was kind of chill.
At first we thought it might be construction or a car accident that forced us in the same spot for about an hour.
Snoring.
Once we finally got moving again, we realized that the hour long traffic jam was
Over a BEAR! I guess someone scared the bear up the tree and it was hanging somewhat precariously over the highway. I realize, not a great picture of said bear, but we refused to be one of the jerks who stopped traffic to further endanger a bear. I am hoping that poor guy made it down without incident.
You just couldn't beat the views though.
We made it to our hotel about 7 pm (a bit later than we would have thought). Parked our car and decided to walk around town. It was very crowded here too. I guess a lot of people thought to take to the mountains for the weekend.
Our hotel.
Autumn taking time to smell the roses.
I think the girls thought it was really neat to stay on the river like that.
Emelia and Sean.
It got dark shortly after we started this little walk, but we had 45 minutes to kill before we would get seated at our restaurant, so we continued walking around. We ate an OK dinner, then headed back to our room to call it a night. The next morning we got up and headed out to one of my favorite places...
The Apple Barn. We had a great big breakfast, walked around the shops there and then headed to Ripley's Believe it or not Aquarium.
They had the river all decorated for Halloween and someone even tossed a great big pumpkin right into the river.
Harvester at the Harvest.
Inside the Aquarium, there were sharks.
Penguin peek holes.
Secret tubes.
Silly Autumn.
A LOT of fish! After the aquarium, we had to head out through an arcade. Millie came across a dance game
And started doing a
Very silly Millie dance.
Next was the mirror maze. This place totally freaked Autumn out. She cried the entire time we were in there. She kept leading the way and bumping into mirrors. I won't lie, I did too! If Sean hadn't been there, this place would have totally freaked me out. At one point I almost bumped into some other people in the maze because I thought they were a reflection!
We did some more walking and stopped over at
Ripley's Believe it or not museum. There is a part in this museum where you are supposed to make silly faces in front of a mirror except that you don't know it is a two way mirror. I've been here before, so I knew this already. Once we got to the part where you could see the other people making silly faces, we saw a young man walk up and PICK HIS NOSE! It was hilarious. I wish we could have stayed to see the look on his face when he realized he picked his nose at this mirror!!!
After Ripley's we headed to the sky tram and went up the mountain to find a little play park. Inside there was a
Carousel.
Which both girls loved!
Next on the menu was the chair lift. Sean and Autumn went together and Emelia and I went together. Emelia was a bad girl and tried to flip off the chair, but I held on!
Me and Emelia.
From the chair lift, you could see the Alpine slide.
Yes, we did that! Sean and Autumn raced Emelia and I. Of course, Sean won! I was scared to go fast. Emelia kept leaning out. She thought it was a blast though. She laughed almost the entire way down!
After we left the Alpine place, we rode the tram back down the mountain. I sent Sean after dinner and the girls and I headed to the room. It was about 730 pm now and within 10 minutes or so, the girls passed out! Too tired to even eat dinner! Sean and I enjoyed a meal just the two of us in peace and quiet!
Our last day in Gatlinburg ended with a visit:
To the Great Smoky Mountain National Park visitor center and a random Roww + Elephant picture. We needed to figure out which trail we wanted to hike.
A rare Jordan family picture!
I was suprised how many more trees had changed colors just from a Saturday to a Monday. It was beautiful though!
Emelia wanted to walk and not be carried, but she walks so slow and gets so distracted! So instead, she threw herself a little fit!
Doesn't it look like Halloween here?
We decided on Deep Creek Trail.
It was a bit windy, so Autumn decided she better put her coat on!
During our walk we came across some magic. A floating leaf (it's the yellow one!).
It's a great view right?
We got in the car, drove some more and stopped at another trail head.
Deep Creek trail (odd, that was the name of the other trail)- it had waterfalls!!!
Pretty trees.
Emelia is always touching or picking her nose!
Even if she is gross, she is still my little girl!
Anything sweeter than a dad holding his little girls' hand?
After a short walk, we got to see a waterfall.
I think Emelia was contemplating going swimming today.
Autumn asked to go swimming.
The serious thinker.
Autumn was throwing great big rocks into the river and watching the splash.
So peaceful.
Except these animals were around.
These animals too!
It was a really pretty trail.
This picture cracks me up. Why do they all have a grouch look on their faces?
The Sean smile.
Wait, I'm in a picture!!!!!!!!!!
The other waterfall.
So we had a great weekend. I do wish that we would have gone camping instead though. The weather was perfect for it! Gatlinburg was SO crowded! Hopefully we will be going camping soon! Hope you enjoyed our trip! Now to go clean and recover.
The Jordan's.
PS Again- Sean sort of smiling. I bet he tries to irradicate this photo!
We weren't really sure what was causing the slow down, but Autumn was getting kind of restless and started bouncing around the car.
Emelia was being Emelia and was kind of chill.
At first we thought it might be construction or a car accident that forced us in the same spot for about an hour.
Snoring.
Once we finally got moving again, we realized that the hour long traffic jam was
Over a BEAR! I guess someone scared the bear up the tree and it was hanging somewhat precariously over the highway. I realize, not a great picture of said bear, but we refused to be one of the jerks who stopped traffic to further endanger a bear. I am hoping that poor guy made it down without incident.
You just couldn't beat the views though.
We made it to our hotel about 7 pm (a bit later than we would have thought). Parked our car and decided to walk around town. It was very crowded here too. I guess a lot of people thought to take to the mountains for the weekend.
Our hotel.
Autumn taking time to smell the roses.
I think the girls thought it was really neat to stay on the river like that.
Emelia and Sean.
It got dark shortly after we started this little walk, but we had 45 minutes to kill before we would get seated at our restaurant, so we continued walking around. We ate an OK dinner, then headed back to our room to call it a night. The next morning we got up and headed out to one of my favorite places...
The Apple Barn. We had a great big breakfast, walked around the shops there and then headed to Ripley's Believe it or not Aquarium.
They had the river all decorated for Halloween and someone even tossed a great big pumpkin right into the river.
Harvester at the Harvest.
Inside the Aquarium, there were sharks.
Penguin peek holes.
Secret tubes.
Silly Autumn.
A LOT of fish! After the aquarium, we had to head out through an arcade. Millie came across a dance game
And started doing a
Very silly Millie dance.
Next was the mirror maze. This place totally freaked Autumn out. She cried the entire time we were in there. She kept leading the way and bumping into mirrors. I won't lie, I did too! If Sean hadn't been there, this place would have totally freaked me out. At one point I almost bumped into some other people in the maze because I thought they were a reflection!
We did some more walking and stopped over at
Ripley's Believe it or not museum. There is a part in this museum where you are supposed to make silly faces in front of a mirror except that you don't know it is a two way mirror. I've been here before, so I knew this already. Once we got to the part where you could see the other people making silly faces, we saw a young man walk up and PICK HIS NOSE! It was hilarious. I wish we could have stayed to see the look on his face when he realized he picked his nose at this mirror!!!
After Ripley's we headed to the sky tram and went up the mountain to find a little play park. Inside there was a
Carousel.
Which both girls loved!
Next on the menu was the chair lift. Sean and Autumn went together and Emelia and I went together. Emelia was a bad girl and tried to flip off the chair, but I held on!
Me and Emelia.
From the chair lift, you could see the Alpine slide.
Yes, we did that! Sean and Autumn raced Emelia and I. Of course, Sean won! I was scared to go fast. Emelia kept leaning out. She thought it was a blast though. She laughed almost the entire way down!
After we left the Alpine place, we rode the tram back down the mountain. I sent Sean after dinner and the girls and I headed to the room. It was about 730 pm now and within 10 minutes or so, the girls passed out! Too tired to even eat dinner! Sean and I enjoyed a meal just the two of us in peace and quiet!
Our last day in Gatlinburg ended with a visit:
To the Great Smoky Mountain National Park visitor center and a random Roww + Elephant picture. We needed to figure out which trail we wanted to hike.
A rare Jordan family picture!
I was suprised how many more trees had changed colors just from a Saturday to a Monday. It was beautiful though!
Emelia wanted to walk and not be carried, but she walks so slow and gets so distracted! So instead, she threw herself a little fit!
Doesn't it look like Halloween here?
We decided on Deep Creek Trail.
It was a bit windy, so Autumn decided she better put her coat on!
During our walk we came across some magic. A floating leaf (it's the yellow one!).
It's a great view right?
We got in the car, drove some more and stopped at another trail head.
Deep Creek trail (odd, that was the name of the other trail)- it had waterfalls!!!
Pretty trees.
Emelia is always touching or picking her nose!
Even if she is gross, she is still my little girl!
Anything sweeter than a dad holding his little girls' hand?
After a short walk, we got to see a waterfall.
I think Emelia was contemplating going swimming today.
Autumn asked to go swimming.
The serious thinker.
Autumn was throwing great big rocks into the river and watching the splash.
So peaceful.
Except these animals were around.
These animals too!
It was a really pretty trail.
This picture cracks me up. Why do they all have a grouch look on their faces?
The Sean smile.
Wait, I'm in a picture!!!!!!!!!!
The other waterfall.
So we had a great weekend. I do wish that we would have gone camping instead though. The weather was perfect for it! Gatlinburg was SO crowded! Hopefully we will be going camping soon! Hope you enjoyed our trip! Now to go clean and recover.
The Jordan's.
PS Again- Sean sort of smiling. I bet he tries to irradicate this photo!
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