Oh My We're High on Spring Break

WARNING: not for the acrophobic. Our Spring Break cabin totally lived up to its title "Ooooh My". I knew when we traveled almost 10 minutes completely UP-hill (tires and brakes a smokin'), our view was going to be breathtaking.

And, sure enough, it was.

This was the view from our main floor. Um, can you say AWESOME or what?

With all the turns and sharp curves straight uphill and the fact that the cabin was right on the side of a mountain, some of you might be saying "or what"--weak stomach and all.

This was the great room deck. Gorgeous. The perfect place for a Scrabble game with my man.

This is the view from the upper floor balcony which had TWO master suites--one for us and one for our vacation buddies, my sister and Paul.

I got to look at this every morning when I woke up. God's beauty at its best.

This was the view directly down from our floor.

The kids spent lots of time on the bottom floor of our cabin which had a private theater, pool table and of course, the HOT TUB. This cabin could've held at least another family of two. It was almost TOO much cabin for nine people, but we very much enjoyed the space and our time together.

Sweet Miles in the bubbly hot tub...

and completely wiped out snuggling up with his daddy.

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Our spring vacation to Pigeon Forge was packed with fun-filled days ahead. We made our reservations from Sunday afternoon-Thursday. For those of you who aren't familiar with the area, that's the perfect amount of time for a place like this. There is LOTS to do, but it can become quite costly.

Day One: My sister is the perfect travel companion. She is also a cook and had brought some groceries for us to survive on that first night (thankfully). I had brought lots of junk food but nothing with sustenance. Since our cabin was WAY OFF the beaten path, trips to town simply weren't convenient. Shannon had brought an apt supply of food for our first night. We had pigs in an blanket, chips and kool-aid. BUT, by the next morning (Monday), we were ready for a hearty breakfast and to make a grocery trip for cold stuff.

Day Two: We went to FLAPJACKS for breakfast. My brother in law Paul can usually snag some of the best family pics. for us--LOVE THIS ONE.

The kids getting excited about their meal.

We're full of FLAP-jacks and ready to take on our first adventure.

MagiQuest was the first stop on our tour of the day. Karson and Isaac had SO MUCH FUN here last year, I assumed it would be the same this year. WRONG. Last year there were lots of workers in MagiQuest to help guide and assist you. This year, not so much. After getting their wands recharged and sending them on their way, I thought it would be simple to pick up where we left off last year. NOPE. Frustration set in within seconds into our game. Karson was on the verge of a nervous breakdown because she couldn't figure things out. Isaac was fine, but we couldn't understand what quests he still needed to complete. And, the clock was TICKING (you only have an hour from start to finish). I decided to go back to the front desk, and we opted to go through the tutorial along with the other newbies. Matt and Miles were happy as clams playing mini-golf.

The game, overall, was a BUST for us. The kids (and I) stayed confused. There was NO ONE there to help guide us. It stunk! It was a crummy way to begin the day. We'll definitely be avoiding that place for some time.

After MagiQuest, we made a stop at Walmart to pick up groceries. The kids had brought their wallets and did a little toy shopping.

There's nothing a LEGO won't solve. Isaac grinning ear to ear with his purchase.

Matt and Paul spent the rest of the afternoon golfing in Sevierville. We took the kids and groceries back to the cabin. We made spaghetti for dinner and had snagged a couple of movies at Redbox for us to enjoy.

Day Three: This was our day in Gatlinburg. Paul and Shannon and their kids decided to go hiking that morning at Laurel Falls and packed a picnic lunch. My family hung out at the cabin, and I went to the Tanger Outlets for some shopping. That afternoon, we headed for Gatlinburg to meet up with the Mags.

Our first stop was Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Karson was super excited about this visit. She got a Ripley's book from the school book fair, and we have looked up world records and such online. I was in TOTAL SHOCK that Miles WAS FREE at this venue. I can't tell you how many places we've gone in this area where he has cost as much as his brother and sister. My mouth dropped when they said "free". Awesome!

Lots to see at the ol' museum.

You can pick a nose =).

Look at the largest chewing gun wrapper collection.

Rub the Buddha made out of shredded money for luck.

And lots of other fun sights to see.

After Ripley's, our our mouths were watering for some delicious candies and treats for the Ol' Smoky Mountain Candy Kitchen. We did our dessert FIRST and dinner SECOND.

After sugaring up, we headed up the road to one of my favorite restaurants called The Best Italian. However, after eating there SO MANY times, I think we will probably try something new in the future. Dick's Last Resort certainly looked entertaining.

After dinner, we went to the new 5D Shoot 'em Up Cinema with our wild cowboys and indians. This was A LOT of fun, and I highly recommend it.

I purchased this photo for $2 afterwards and can bring it back in the future and only pay $5 per person to play again. Pretty cool. And, considering I am highly organized, I feel confident of this task =).

We capped off the evening with a round of mini-golf at the blacklight Circus Golf.

Clowning around is so much fun!

Day Four: we had a lazy morning at the cabin. Paul and Shannon decided to take their kids to Wonderworks which is a lot of fun. We took the kids there last year but really weren't wanting to go again. However, Karson REALLY did so she tagged along with them. We decided to hang around the cabin for bit. Matt had a migraine and wasn't feeling well.

Once Matt started feeling better, we headed into Pigeon Forge and made a stop at the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride.

Two excited boaters ready for our prehistoric adventure.

Afterwards we headed over to The Apple Barn and Cider Mill. I've heard people talk about this place but have never been. I wanted to visit.

This place reminds me of Jackson's Orchard. There's lots of home-made goodies, jams, drinks, butters, breads, mixes, desserts, novelties, etc. The boys weren't to interested in it, but I liked shopping through all the aisles.

Paul and Shannon met us here for dinner at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. This was the last stop of our vacation. We grabbed some movies before heading back up the mountain and called it a week. We traveled back home this morning and made it home safely by afternoon. It was a memorable trip. We're fortunate to live so close to the beach and the mountains. Love our visits to both of these places.