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!