Hits & Misses

It's Tuesday and back to the Daily Grind of day to day life - but it was awfully nice to have four days of doing nothing and just exploring the countryside in Tennessee (and a wee bit of Virginia). We made a short stop in Bristol (I'm not sure if we were in the Virginia or Tennessee portion) on Friday morning to get breakfast at the Blackbird Bakery - where my reserves crumbled and I had a Chocolate Covered Cream filled Donut... and a Cherry Filled Donut for breakfast! *sigh*

That was 100% the most sugar I've had in a long time - it made my heart race just a little bit, ha-ha! We arrived in Pigeon Forge around lunch time and stopped in at Huck Finn's Catfish Cabin for a quick lunch... and it was the first time I've had fried chicken in months! I was hitting all the high points where food was concerned - donuts, fried food - yes please! 

Please note that there were signs all over Gatlinburg that looked like the one below - which was absolutely laughable because there were people everywhere and not a single person was worried about practicing social distancing. 

We planned to drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and hike to Grotto Falls... and we were able to do one of those things but not the other. It started to pour right about the time we got to the trail-head for Grotto Falls and since it was absolutely pouring, we decided a 2+ mile hike wasn't a great idea in the downpour. Of course - twenty minutes later - the rain was completely gone. However, you make the most of a situation... so we found plenty of other sights and sounds along the Trail.

 

 

 

We stayed at Margaritaville - which is a very beach-y location for the middle of the mountains - but it was also a really nice hotel! It tickled me a little bit that there were palm trees, boats and parrots everywhere... but it also smelled very beach-y and the music was good, ha-ha!

 

We had dinner at a restaurant in downtown Gatlinburg called Best Italian; my Aunt recommended it and the food was divine! The drinks were also delicious, ha-ha! After dinner we made our way through the crowds of people to Anakeesta and rode the chair lifts up to the top of the mountainside. I am not great with heights - so I was pretty pleased with myself just riding in the chair lift like a champ!

 

Anakeesta is still a fairly new spot in Gatlinburg but I really love it! It is just like a little town on the top of the mountain with shops, a restaurant (and another being built), a garden and all kinds of outdoor activities. I really enjoy going up to Anakeesta and this time they had added some new things - like a ropes course and a tower called the Anavista Tower - which had some really incredible views!

 

 

They also have these things called Treeigloos - they were pretty neat to check out! Honestly, the whole place is so very fascinating to me and I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. I went through some of the ropes course and walked along a tight rope and enjoyed watching the sun begin to set before cruising back down the mountain...

 

It was a good way to start the weekend - easily one of the better Friday(s) that I've had in a while!