Our Tennessee vacation—the finale

And to wrap it up…

                When thinking back on the past 8 vacation blog entries, I realized that in the grind of the what-we-did’s we missed some of the how we did it’s and some of the things we saw along the way that stuck the funny bone.  This last vacation blog to wrap it all up seemed appropriate. 

While we were in the planning stages of the trip, we began researching places to stay first.  No, we would not stay where we did again even if we had not purchased the vacation package.  I wasn’t real thrilled with it.  It was fine, but not the best for the money as we thought it was via our internet search.  We discovered that we were there very much off peak and that once there all places had vacancies and were running specials.  If we still wanted to stay in a cabin, cabin rental places were everywhere and all had big signs up … SPECIAL!  Motels, hotels, and resorts also had signs up with SPECIAL RATES! signs.  You really have your pick. 

We’re happier with what we have now.  It will definitely end up being our best choice.  We aren’t held to any particular week.  We don’t even have to go a week at a time.  We have the choice to go a day or two or three or whatever.  We don’t have to go to the same location.  If we decide on another destination, worldwide, it’s available to us.  If we stay outside of our group of resorts, we have the availability of booking at others the world over for under $200 a week at the very most.  And, we can share and gift our time.  If we can’t use our points or our 12 weeks a year, they don’t go wasted when you can share.  If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll hook you up.  Just called for one friend and they offered them 3 days and 3 nights to come tour, listen to the plan and enjoy the area.  And yes.  If you have a time share, you can trade it in somehow.  I don’t have a clue how that goes, but another couple there when we were did do that.

The last time we made a trip to Disney, we pre-booked our dinner show and special events.  We really enjoyed that because there was no worry about not being able to see what we wanted to see.  And we knew that by booking dinner shows, our special nights out were handled.

We decided to check things out and see if we could book here too.  Not knowing the area, we were a little at a loss knowing what to choose.  We knew we wanted the Dixie Stampede tickets but weren’t sure which others.  I spent some time researching and we ended up choosing four total.  I chose the murder mystery not on recommendations, but because we’d always wanted to go to one and never had.  Then I looked for comedy shows.  I found a deal on the Hatfield and McCoy web page.  Two shows for $60.   Most gave a discount if you booked online. 

We wanted to have handicap seating so instead of booking online we called.  We learned to always ask about discounts.  We had several available to us….AAA, AARP, Entertainment book, and military.  Every place had at least one.  When we mentioned the online discount, we found out the others were better.  So, my recommendation is to find where you want to go and call.  Talk to the ticket office directly and see what you can come up with. 

Unless you are bound to peak vacation times, I definitely recommend off peak visits.  Unless you have to have something booked before you go (as in going peak time) I recommend just going, arriving earlier in the day and exploring your options in person.  And as far as eating?  Well I definitely recommend eating.  Lol

There is a full menu of fall-back options.  You have about every chain restaurant between the three towns and then some.  I always try to seek out the local opinion when finding a place to eat.  Touristy places can be good, but if that’s where we’re going to go I still want the local flavors.  I want even our eating experiences to be memorable.  Ask.  Don’t sit and assume you’re picking something special.  Get the opinions of the people who actually live in the area.  Where go the locals, there go I.

                In this area, for a little something to bring home for a memory, I definitely recommend traveling the artist loop.  I feel that not only are we helping people one on one, but you can talk more and get to know the locals a little.  People are most interesting creatures.

                I couldn’t choose a best anything, but I will say the least favorite of our meals and our entertainment was the murder mystery.  I’m not sorry we went.  Not in the least.  I just feel the value was probably the lowest as was the entertainment in comparison.

                Now, Mama Sage cannot drive anywhere without finding something to make her laugh.  Let me just post a couple pictures that grabbed my funny bone. 

                A bumper sticker on the pickup in front of us at the toll booth.

                Taped to a trucker’s load.

 

                A pretty good invention.

             A sign. 

What did we miss that will be on our must-do list next trip?  Fanny Farkles.  It is pretty much arcade-ish, but they also have those foot long corn dogs.  We did lots of fun good meals and have a few more to try next trip, but we will probably who can resist a good ol’ corndog every once in a while?

I wanted to go to the Moonshine place just because.  No we aren’t drinkers, but it just seemed like it would be a lot of fun.  Maybe not.  Might be a total tourist trap.  I’ll let you know.  Lol

And we will definitely explore more local artists and crafters.  Especially the wood crafters.  We will search more local flare restaurants and we’ll look for sometimes missed, off the beaten trail everything.  We will also look for sometimes missed entertainment.  Don’t know when our next trip will be, but it will happen.

Our next trip might also be just to relax.  In that case, premade meal to take are on the menu, frozen in a cooler of just frozen foods.  The trip is only 8 hours down so properly packed, it will work.  I’ll find out if our accommodations have a crockpot and if not will take one.  Crockpot meals are the bomb. 

I will also concentrate on drinking more water.  We did drink quite a bit, but when I thought it over, probably not enough. 

And, I’ll take TWO fans, just because!  Lol  No.  Shouldn’t need to.  But if I was ever to stay in a cabin anywhere that wasn’t a part of our vacation package, I’d take at LEAST two!  Lol  The broken air was the lowpoint of this vacation.

And there you have it.  Our trip in 9 short blogs.  Oh.  They weren’t short?  Sorry ‘bout that. If you’re a regular reader, you know how I sort of get tap crazy when I’m at the keyboard.  Love ya!

I’m hoping that doing the vacation blogs Is my start back to regular blogging.  It has felt SO GOOD to be back in the swing!  I’ll post a link on my facebook page whenever I do blog.  Many of my followers are friends there or check in there.  If you’re a blogger member, I invite you to subscribe.

And on to the day….laundry day….ugh!

~~Mama Sage

Our Tennessee Vacation – part 1

Travel  day…

                Our drive down to Tennessee was pretty much uneventful.  The weather was good, the traffic was nothing to write home about.  Nothing out of the ordinary for the beginning of a fun filled week.  We didn't make many stops since we had food with us.

I actually was able to make the drive pretty easily.  The shot in the knee (cortisone) that the doctor gave me on Wednesday helped get me tuned up for an 8+ hour ride in the van.  We were packed tight, but left my seat with a bit off room behind it thinking I may need to tilt back and stretch out.  Nope.  Didn’t need to.  The knee didn’t act up at all.

When we got down to the area, we decided we should probably stop at the Welcome Center and pick up some information on things to do.  We had four shows booked, but wanted to be sure to sneak in some other fun things too.

While at the center, we set up to do one of those tour-schpeels about a new resort they are starting.    We thought, why not?  The hundred bucks we were getting to do it would buy the souvenirs we planned to get the kids.  We would be heading to the resort, just up the street, on Sunday.  Sounded good to me!

Next stop, the cabin.  We drove the main drag through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and the Gatlinburg.  On our way twisting and turning and twisting and turning, we wondered would we ever get up there AND were we getting into bear country?  We were.  But we never saw even one. 

We finally made it to the cabin.  Not exactly what we thought we were going to, but it looked okay from afar.  Cliff got out of the car and fought his way though some killer spiderwebs to get to the key’s lock box.  Cool.  The combination worked.  We have a key!  Then CRAP! The key broke off in the lock!  NOW what?? 

I got out the information on the cabin and Cliff called the emergency number.  It was Friday evening and any office would have been unattended.  They answered and after a few minutes decided to send out a locksmith.  Well GOOD!  Shouldn’t have been much to think about!  They suggested we “run back into town to get a bite to eat.”  It was 8PM.  This area doesn’t really do 8PM.  They close up early in these here parts.

Down, down, down the twisty, winding roads.  Into Gatlinburg.  There seemed to be a couple places to eat, but maybe not.  Looked like everyone was pretty much heading back to their motels and cabins.  Okie dokie well Pigeon Forge seemed like a town a little more with it.  Through the mountains and on to Pigeon Forge.

We drove around a little bit and ended up stopping at a place called Old Mill area.  The main restaurant seemed super busy.  No dice.  We were tired!  Instead we went to the Old Mill Potteryhouse Café and Grille.  What a good choice!  The menu was a good one and the food was reasonable.  I loved the decorating.  Might be the pottery lover in me.  I wish I had felt more like exploring and that we’d gotten there a little sooner.  The restaurant was about to close as were the other little shops around. 

We both ordered the Old Mill Chopped Steak.  It was a nice 10 oz. piece of meat topped with onions and mushrooms, served with mashed potatoes and cinnamon apples.  Mmm. 

             

            What a surprise we got too!  We were sitting and trying to relax a bit when this man came up and asked if we were the people in the grey mini-van.  Why yes.  We were.  “Did you know all the doors are wide open?”  Huh?  Wha what?  We had EVERYthing in that van.  Computers, cameras, all our belongings, our ECV carts.  Whoa boy.  Cliff got up and went out and sure enough, while he was sitting, keys in his pocket, he somehow hit the buttons and opened up the doors!  He closed it up and thanks to the couple who were sitting with their ice cream on the bench next to it, no one got in and took anything.

               

                I had hoped to shop for a little piece of pottery but it was late, we were tired, and the sidewalks were rolled up by the time we were done eating.  I put it on our possibilities list for our spare moments.  Didn’t happen.  But, now that I’m home and able to get on the computer, I see the prices were a bit out of my league anyhow.

               

                Time to head back to the cabin.  Boy these mountain roads were a little trickier in the dark!  But we made it.  After what we’d experienced so far, I told Cliff to check it out before I even started to get out of the van.  He opened the door and the inside seemed very nice. 

                When you walked into the cabin, you entered into the kitchen.  Nice big kitchen too.  It had all the kitchen things anyone should need for a Smoky Mountain getaway.  The table’s top came off and it was a bumper pool table.  Never did use it, but we had it.  The living area was just beyond the kitchen.  The area was split about even.  There was a fireplace, a TV on DirecTV and a leather couch (sofabed) and chair.  So far so good. 

The other side of the room had a door that opened to the porch.  On your left when you went out the door was the hot tub.  Not new, in fact the cover was pretty crappy and shed, but it would do the trick.  To the right was a porch swing, two wood rockers and three white stacking chairs.  This whole porch was surrounded by the woods and couldn’t be seen from the roads.  Privacy.

Back inside, we checked out the bedroom.  VERY big bedroom with kingsize bed, TV on a little corner shelf up high, dresser and two side tables.  The little lamps didn’t work very good, but oh well.  The Jacuzzi was very big and in an alcove off the bedroom.  There was a little cabinet there that had the sheets in it for the sofabed.  The bathroom wasn’t anything special.  Tub, sink, toilet.  And one and a half rolls of toilet paper.  Better go get extra.  We were staying a week.

Our only issue was it was warm inside.  And the windows didn’t have screens.  If there had been screens we could have opened up and cooled the place off.  We turned the thermostat down and figured we’d get cool.  Didn’t happen.  The thing froze up and continued to freeze up all…week…long!  UGH it got to nearly 100!

We unloaded, plugged our carts in, then hit the hot tub.  Nice.  Wow I wish we had one at home.

If you’re curious and want to check out the cabin more, it’s called Together Always and will be found in the cabin rental websites.  I just did a google check and it comes up if you type in Together Always cabin Gatlinburg.