Family Trip To Mountains
It's been a crazy, busy summer but this week we didn't have many sessions at the studio so decided to take a couple of days and take the family on a road trip. We left on Wednesday and headed to Gatlinburg, TN. The main reason for going was to take the kids back to school shopping for clothes. However anytime we go on road trips they end up being so much fun and full of adventure.
We arrived in Gatlinburg about 11:30am, ate lunch, then headed down towards the main strip. Alex has been wanting to go walk the new Sky Bridge so I thankfully ordered our tickets online. We had planned on going right after we ate lunch however plans do change. The Sky lift was not running and come to find out it was hit by lightning the day before so it was under repair.
We decided to walk around to kill some time. I love Gatlinburg! It brings me back to my childhood when we would come every year with my Grandparents. It reminds me of the beach (all those surf shops) but in the mountains. Great place to "people watch". I'm always surprised that nothing has changed in that little town; even the people! To give you an example, we walked by the convention center and the main attractions was a "Big Foot" convention. Phillip looked at it and said, "Wow, really?!?!"
About an hour later, the Sky lift was operating again so we got in line to head up the mountain. This was the first time Phillip has rode a sky lift and he was scared. But soon he relaxed and enjoyed the ride. So the Sky Bridge is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America and the views are amazing. I wasn't too keen on crossing this swinging bridge but I wanted to make sure the kids experienced it. My last experience with a swinging bridge was Grandfather Mountain when I was around 11/12 years old. It didn't go too well and I froze halfway across. So needless to say, I was a bit scared when I placed my foot on this Sky Bridge.
As we were moving down to the center of the bridge, Phillip and Ally both nervously took one step at a time. I was so proud of both of them (and myself) for not freezing or screaming. We knew what was coming up next. Right in the middle of the bridge is a section that is made of clear glass. Yep, clear glass ya'll! Alex was the first one to cross it and in "Alex fashion" he danced and jumped across it making the entire bridge sway back and forth. The rest of us looked in complete horror but couldn't help but laugh at him. Then it was our turn! I crept across barely looking down. It was a bit un-nerving! Then we completed the bridge over to the lookout point. The views were just gorgeous.
We stayed at the lookout for a couple of minutes then headed back across the bridge. Yes, folks! You have to walk across it again then ride the sky lift back down the mountain. So if you are scared of heights then you might not want to do this particular attraction. But it was so much fun!!!!
We planned to go back at night. We thought it would be neat to see the view during the day and at night. Your tickets are for all day which means you can go up as many times as you want in a single day.
After the adventure on the Sky Bridge, we checked into our hotel to relax and play in the pool for the rest of the afternoon before dinner. We absolutely love the Park Vista Hotel. It's owned by Double Tree by Hilton and is a circular hotel set in the middle of mountains. You can see the hotel from the main road in Gatlinburg. My favorite part is when they hand over those warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in. Yummy!!
Our kids' favorite part of the hotel is their swimming pool. It really is an awesome swimming area. It's like a tree house with artificial trees. There are two pool areas (one deep and the other shallow). The main pool (deep one) has a twisted slide that is built into a tree. So much fun!!! The shallow pool also has a small slide; great for small children.The kids spent a couple of hours in the pool just sliding down that slide and having a blast while Alex and I laid next to the pool. I was so tired that I fell asleep while the kids played. They could have swam all night but of course we had to eat!
After playing a little bit, we dried up, dressed, and headed back to the main road for dinner. Alex was in the mood for Mexican (we love our Mexican food). We ate way too much but it was yummy food! We walked around to kill some time because it wasn't quite dark enough for the Sky Bridge.
It was finally time to go back up that mountain. I've never been on a Sky lift when it's dark. It was so cool! The bridge was all lit up which made for a totally different experience. The kids had so much fun and was a lot braver this go round. They even posed on the clear glass section. Made for some cute shots!!
We ended our trip in Pigeon Forge shopping till we dropped (quite literally). We was able to get both kids their clothes for school, their book bags, and shoes. Plus made a pitstop to the Disney Store. Ever since we saw Toy Story 4, the kids have been wanting to go get new Toy Story Toys. So, we ended up bring home a new Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and Forky. Before purchasing these toys, Alex caught Phillip in the floor playing with Woody and Buzz. It was so cute and brought back memories of when he was 2-3 year old. He maybe heading to middle school next month, but he will always be my Buddy Boy who loves his Toy Story! Sweet Memories!
It was a quick trip up the mountains but we had a blast spending good, quality time with each other. It's always an adventure with our little family!
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