I saw bears!

On our way to Cade's Cove again tonight - briefly - we were of course just a minute too late to really *see* them well...they had obviously just crossed the road about 5 or 6 cars ahead of us......but we saw them !! A momma and two cubs that I could tell...happened too fast for me to even get the camera out and take a picture...but I saw them I saw them I saw them!! also saw some poop - does that count? Teehee.....the rest of the evening was not too pleasant as we make a note to ourselves to not stay into Labor day weekend next time we are here. oy man, I thought the boardwalk got packed! Packing things away....*see* you in Pa!

last day...

And I think we have worn them out.( And I didn't even get to write about the magic show we saw last night - levitation and swapping places with tigers and all. Pretty darn cool. )

No one has moved a muscle around here in hours...we came back from our morning adventure and no one wanted to do anything, even swim. I started to argue, and really really wanted to hit another trail, but they deserve a quiet afternoon. This has been one of the busiest vacations we have taken since Disney. I will say, next year will be a week at the beach again...much more relaxing going on there!

I love my family but spent 45 minutes today walking around alone, at the outlets while they used up the three free rounds of golf we won the other night. The time alone was lushious, only would have been improved slightly by a latte in my hand, but I enjoyed nonetheless. I adore my family, but this is the longest we have been together in a long long time, and I did not realize (well maybe I did a little) how much I miss my alone time. I used to hate being alone.

We went to a place called Rainforest Adventure Zoo this morning. An interesting little collection of animals, that at first I wasn't so certain about(I abhor small rinky dink places that do not seem capable of caring for their animals, like the "zoo" we visited in Wellsboro two years ago that had a brown bear in a 5 by 5 ft cage - pitiful) , but they are all about education, and preservation, most of their animals have been donated, and they breed and rehab - which I always love to support. we saw all sorts of things that even I don't have the energy to share...lemurs that played with us through the glass, colorful talking, dancing, swinging parrots, a serval and other things I have never seen that close up. And wayyyy more reptiles than I care to see in one day, I am not afraid of snakes, but seeing so many in one place at one time, does give one pause to go - ughewww...and shiver now and again....... the place even has a small display of it's own stock of anti-venom "just in case" - and in case you didn't know there are truly only a small number, and I think it is three, of snakes that are truly lethal to humans. Make you ill and wish you were dead, but not truly lethal. How comforting. This is a python, took some talking into on C's part, but of course K loved it and wants one. behind C is this photo is obviously my reaction to her suggestion of wanting one at home. I respect the slithering things in their own habitat, but they do not belong in my house, that I am certain! We also got to touch a porcupine,(George was huge!) tarantula, alligator, cockatoo, and geesh I forget what all else. Also some pretty wild iguana!
I could post many more ewww...shiver inspiring close ups of snakes...but will spare y'all!

We are off again this evening to cade's Cove to try to maybe catch sight one last time, of the elusive brown bear, possibly at dusk...then a nice lazy dinner and mini golf....on the road tomorrow.
Journalling here has been so much easier than writing (since I stink at that) and so much more fun! Why is it a photo inspires so many more words!? Think this is in kinship with the dreaded "sharing the vacation slides friends" when you have contiunously posted about your vacation for days on end!? But I guess since this is my blog, for me, and anyone else choses to read it, you read at your own risk huh??

Much better than DollyWood

Another gratuitous scenery shot. taken from the beginning of our horseback journey.

Across this field, into the mountains.

Pretty cool stuff. Lookie - I went too!

The guide dismounted and took a shot of each of us at the top of the trail, next to the original moonshine still. we also passed the original homestead from 1900. One room cabin barely the size of our kitchen and family room. 9 children in the original family owning the 500 acres we rode on - 11 people sleeping/cooking/eating in that space. The trail led us up into the mountain, and across quite a way. I can not believe the horses can get up and down some of those trails. they are so steep.

we spent two hours in this glorious wood.

Man - does he look good on a horse or what?

K ( on Crackle) was in heaven. C ( on Pancho), a bit nervous at first - his first ride, but he caught on quick and now wants his own. Wish it was possible.

Some silly miniature golf later...will post about that later...and seems we will get to go again since three us, starting with C. won a free game.

Cade's Cove

*sigh*

sorry to say this is the only bear we saw today. Drove around that #$%^& cove for two hours.It rained again all morning. Didn't catch even the possibility of a glimpse. Oh well...one more shot at hiking Saturday. Horse back riding in the mountain tomorrow. *Everyone* we have talked to has seen them. My problem is I want it too much, had I come saying I didnt' care we probably would have seen them everywhere! I refuse to do to the gift shop and pay to see 5 caged bears being abused for the sake of tourism thing. Hate that with a passion. Much better mood for the kids though.
we hit cade's Cove today- which is an 11 mile driving loop through a cove in the mountains. gorgeous even in the rain. There are still a lot of 1900 buildings in the cove. Pretty cool. Saw lots of deer, even a fawn that I would have a photo of if my dh knew how to stop when I told him to.
but we can see deer and turkey all the time at home. Although I have never seen an 8 point buck at reach out and touch distance before. That was pretty cool.

K's version of heaven.

This is as close as we have been to the base of the mountains looking up. Even more amazing from down here, than looking out over the vistas.everytime I think they couldn't be more beautiful, we round another corner and see a new view.

"How did anyone live there?" is what the kids had to say. "What did they do all day?"

I am feeling rather my age, when I lecture the kids about appreciating what they are seeing since they will most likely not return for a very long time, if ever. I better stop acting my age!

Laurel Falls deux....

Just in case I forget where I am I remind myself daily by looking at this....today the view was covered with fog. each picture I have taken has been from a different vantage point and vista. I will however never remember which and what mountains are which. I really honestly have decided that living here may not be cool after all....I would never want to become numb to this and start taking it for granted. Although I would love to live close enough to hike weekly. J. and K. messing around. I got J in one of my shots, and then playing around asked him to do the Cap'n Morgan pose. To which my pop-culture ignorant husband said, who? And did understand after I explained, but could not hold the position, so K helped him out.


This is at the trail head....we did hike up 300 feet in elevation in just 1.3 miles. It was steep...teh drop offs to our left were incredible. while I am not afraid I did keep my doppick footed 11 year old to the inside of the trail!

Then this one, made my heart skip a beat! Not in fear - in excitement! Maybe today! Maybe today!

Did I get your attention? Notice - no bear photos...my near misses when it comes to bear sitings are going to be legendary int hese parts. Once again, missed it by mere minutes! min-utes I tell you!! as we were coming back down the trail, a gentleman passing the other way told us he was just taking photos of a bear that was around the next bend.....literally not 100 feet further down the path for us! But of course, by the time we got there, he had disappeared into the woods. *sigh*


So I will just comfort myself with these pictures.....

This is the top half of the falls...there is a foot bridge across the middle of the falls...

My little climber giving a very panicky lady near us heart failure. Believe me these rocks were not slippery in the least and mostly large and flat. He made it up to that large flat rock half way up in the falls picture.

This is the bottom half of the falls. The actual trail does not actually go here. We found a small side trail that we had to clinb down to get to it....again freaking out the panicky lady. Good thing she didn't see me standing with my children with our toes on the "Danger" sign at the adge of the rock at the top. I KNOW I took a picture of our feet but it is not on the camera....if you are level headed and careful there is no danger. they are there for all of the idiots of the world that think they can climb down the fall.

And here we are at the bottom.

The kids had a blast climing around. Thought it was really cool. Tremendous attitude change in K. this hike, and in general. No longer premenstral and not one bug bothered her this trip apparently.

Once again, I am sitting here listening to day four of RAIN...it did hold off for us yesterday until the afternoon, so we got the hike in. Today we are supposed to head to Cade's Cove - where THREE groups of people I saw yesterday say they saw the bears...also has soem tremendous views of the mountains, for the base, real and true. The cove is a flat area literally amid the mountains where families lived 100's of years ago. The forecast for Th, Fr, and Sat was "clear and sunny" - ha! I am trying to remain optomistic, and make the best of it...but we are out of indoor things to do. The cove is 30 min away, so I am hoping by the time we get there things will have stopped raining. we have never in 13 years of vacationing had this much rain. Tenn. has been near drought conditions all summer, and we arrive and mother nature decides to remedy the situation. We did comfort ourselves by checking the Myrtle Beach weather and it is raining there too.

Off to pack our picnic lunch and start to rouse the troops.

As ordered, a picture with me in it. (looking very bedraggled with my humidity stringy hair, and shorts that are to big)

No fits today!

And if I have anything to do with it, my kids will never suffer from Nature Defecit Disorder. No matter hwo many times I drag them kicking and screaming up a trail.

Laurel falls Video...

testing...testing....made it back just ahead of the rain.....going to try to post a video of the falls from today. Back later to add pictures.....

Rain rain go away...

But we'll still go out and play.

C. "under water" in the Puffer fish tank.....doesn't it look like that one in front of him is smiling for the camera?

so glad we already cancelled rafting today. As much as I want to do it, and knowing you get wet anyway...the idea of getting pelted with rain all daywhile trying to see where we are going on a raft on very turbulent water considering the rain all night, was not where I wanted to be today and since we cancelled already sat, we didn't lose anymore....

Instead:::::cue Jaws theme song:::;

Picture taken from the underwater tunnel..pretty cool...although they looked MUCH bigger when you looked down from the surface. Missed this dive show. Darn it.

We went to the aquarium, then did some shopping in town.

Just a few from today, and I am going to try my hand at adding video...

Sea Dragon...a cousin of the sea horse

Spider crabs....these legs were Loooooonnnggggg.....

Coral reef diver feeding the gorgeous fish....lettuce...plain and simple. The fish went mad for it.

I would seem really cool right now if I could tag this picture with the name of the sea turtle from Finding Nemo, but name finding is not a strong suit of mine, and the Nemo know-it-alls are in bed! Duuude....this guy was pretty cool. Drat - video wouldn't load. I keep forgetting my camera takes some pretty decent video..so certainly going to take advantage of it tomorrow. Hitting Laurel falls...I believe the book said highest on the park. Easiest walk though, big tourist attraction. I prefer the road less travelled, but I was out-voted! Comedy routine tomorrow night. Should be good. :)

Wonder Works

There is wayyyy too much to show today.

This is a place called the Wonder Works. The outside of the building looks like it is upside down. Inside it looks upside down as well - and cracked and they play groans and creaks...pretty cool.....it is upside down clear down to the FedEx pick up box on the porch and the telephone pole. Inside I can only give comparisons....there are a ton of science/physics based interactive displays....a hurricane chamber, earthquake similator, down to bubbles and the sort, K even laid on a real bed of nails....almost Franklin Institute-ish in a way.Pretty neat.

This is the lobby. That is the "floor" up there, and the stairs were even upside down. This blur is K. and J. on a bike of sorts. The harder you pedalled the faster you went until you went ALL THE WAY AROUND. Yes - my non- adventurous girl got on it with Daddy. Then, after saying "Oh shit" everytime it went around, disembarked with a huge smile on her face swearing that she was never doing anything of the sort again. Neither of them would touch the rollercoaster simulator and J and I wouldn't wait for it when we went back and there was a long line.

Rock Wall......

We came back to the condo for lunch and returned to the Wonder works in the afternoon. While we were here, we ventured down to the creek. C. got a slingshot yesterday and had been hurling rocks, and now marshmallows into the creek for the last day. then bread for the fish. Poor ground hogs have been enduring nearly getting pelted with marshmallows to receive their little treats. He noticed the fish were hitting on the marshmallows so we went down to the creek to get a closer look. The bear shot is one of the fountains here on the property. Ended the day with a trip to the local winery, all wine made right there on the premise - muscadine wine is my new best friend. I am told it is a grape that only grows here in the south - by the very informative wine tasting lady. she also filled us in on some things we have to see here - she said the Cade's Cove tour was the garunteed way to see bear,s o I am taking her word for it. Planning that for Wed or Thurs. She also told us of a rainforest exhibit that has come pretty cool animals and birds.

Ben and Jerry's Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz a little while ago. (Did you know B&J came out with a "pint kozy" - A neoprene cover for those of us, not me certaily, who enjoy our B&J ice cream straight from the carton! )

Wine in my glass now.

*sigh*

Met this little dude in the parking lot of the winery. Big un he was.

And THIS is going to be my new screen saver. It is a picture I took of a piece of art up on the wall at the Wonder Works. It just cracked me up.

Grotto Falls

I don't think I could ever get tired of this view. Pictures can not capture the expanse and the color of these mountains.

I had to giggle at K. though as we were coming up the mountain road (part of a car trail that winds up the mountain and around in a loop. If you are not a hiker it is a great way to see the woods and historical sites without hiking.) - the motor trail takes is to the trail head. As I commented how beautiful the woods were, K said - "but they are much prettier to look at far away, here it just looks like a bunch of trees " - and I guess in a way, once in the forest things pretty much look the same when you are 14. What amazes me is the amount of old growth in these woods. HUGE and I mean huge, trees. took this shot in one of the openings in the trees as we were driving up.Stopped along the trail to play around a bit here and there. This was right before K's major meltdown. I mean major. The likes of which I have never seen before. Screaming and crying about not wanting to be there, all because there were a few bugs flying around her head. anyone watching would have thought she had never been in the woods before,a nd we hike all the time! It turned into Ihateyouwhydidyoumakeuscomeonthistrip

youneveraskedmemyopinionaboutvacationIamnevertakingmykidshiking

she sobbed halfway up the mountain. But once we got up there, and saw the reward...

This is Grotto falls, one of the smaller falls in the mountain. Only 1.5 miles up to it. The only one though that you can walk behind, so that is the one the kids picked (see I did give them options!)

And once I said it was ok to get wet - all was right with the world.
Love this picture.
And no temper tantrums on the way down. I slipped into conversation on the way down how sometimes the rewards in life, and the pretty things require some work to get to (although the trail was not challenging at all!)
On the way down we stopped at a 1930's circa "homestead" - amazed the kids that 12 people lived in a wood house basically the size of our living room. Pretty cool if you ask me.
So today and tomorrow are supposed to be rainy, so we saved indoor activities. Horseback riding and another trip to another fall is going to have to wait til the end of the week. I begrudgingly cancelled out rafting trip. I was the only one truly interested, the kids are afraid and with J's neck hurting again I didn't want to take a chance. I am pretty sad about it, but hey, life goes on. we may do a zip line tour, so that will boost my spirits.

Ober Gatlinburg

We took the tram (not as scary as I expected - although C had to be talked through it) ....and then the ski lifts (again C had to be talked through it but by the time we did it again, he was a pro) These took us all the way to the top. The tram took us half way up the moutain to the "lodge" - restaurants, gift shops, carnival rides. The ski lifts take you all the way up.- at the top it is gorgeous. as a any parent of teen/tween age kids, I so wish they could truly appreciate what they were seeing. At their age I hadn't been farther away from home than a few hours west in Pa to see family. But hopefully they will remember when they are older. We kept hearing, "I miss the beach" a few times yesterday but it is getting less. we parked and rode the trolley most of the day which made the day a bit longer with waiting, and riding, but much cheaper than parking and much less frustrating than finding parking. we went up to the artist section of Gatlinburg and K got to see a few professionals throwing pottery. She was tickled with that.

The most exciting part of yesterday was coming *this close* to seeing bears! When we were just getting on the ski lift to head up the second leg of the mountain yesterday, the crew announced that the alpine slide (this really cool tobaggan ride that comes down the moutnain - C and I did it - fun fun!) anyway I digress....they announced that this ride was closed temporarily. Why ? There was a momma bear and three cubs trapsing around up there. We missed it by minutes literally! By the time we got up there, they had chased them into the woods and were shooting firecrackers to scare them off farther. SO close! we could have paid $4 a person to peer over the side of a concrete "natural habitat" and look at some at the lodge, but there was no way I was supporting that venture. We could see them from the tram...and that was no "natural" habitat.

everyone is starting to stir - so I better end......I headed out this morning for a walk along the "river walk" here at the condo. Apparently I learned this morning, a lot of the "amenitites" are still under construction....the canoes I was looking forward to are grounded....we forgot C's fishing rod...going to pick up a cheapy today...so things have been "not as we expected" a tad...but it is still wonderful and I am all for teaching my children to make the most of it. Yesterday was a busy day. today we are hiking to one of the falls in the park. Was going to pick the one that we can walk behind but it is one of the smallest...so I may chose the tallest instead! oh my family will just love me!

We're here!

We arrived safely yesterday and right on time! This is important to the hubby.

Everyone has decided it "isn't the beach" - but is nice so far.

Jim of course had his laptop online before I even had the suitcases unpacked. So - who am I to not use the valuable service? the condo is very nice. Smaller than the one we stay in Myrtle, but there are only four of us, not 8. It is extremely homey. More like staying at someone's home. Real quilts on the beds, decorative touchs throughout, I am shocked they don't walk away, bears and baskets. The owner has fall decorations around, and even a few scarecrows.The creek is right behind the condo and the kids have charmed a pair of ground hogs living in the bank with apple crisp oatmeal bites.

Pigeon Forge is extremely busy....stores etc every where. We are off the main road but real close. I am in heaven as there is a coffee shop on our back road here. There is also a nice restaurant, creamery and candy store in the apple orchard down the road. the only problem last night was not being able to find a pizza shop anywhere! We wound up at a not so great one but is was 8:30 and we were hungry! I guess there aren't too many jersey italians coming down here to sling dough!

So today we are off to "Ober Gatlinburg"....a tram ride (you know the kind like the bad guys are always fighting someone and hanging off of in those suspense movies? - this scares me more than rafting!) This will take us halfway up the mountain....there is lots to do and see, then a ski lift can take us farther. we are also going to do a dry bobsled run down the mountain! Woohoo! the views are supposed to be gorgeous, and Marlene - bears! The locals here told us pretty much if we go down to Gatlinberg we will see a bear on one of the trails. There are driving trails,a nd we are hiking probably tomorrow.

Will most likely try to load some pictures again tonight. Going to use this as my travel journal. Much faster than hand writting!