Taking off the Training Wheels

When we got Rob's schedule for the month of October, we realized he had a week off in the beginning of October.  This would be the perfect opportunity to take one more trip in the RV, so we decided to head to Gatlinburg for 3 nights and enjoy some Fall weather.  

There would be a lot of firsts for this trip.  The first time taking the RV to a campground we had never visited before.  The first time we would be camping just the four of us.  The first time driving the RV through the mountains.  And our first visit to Dollywood!

The drive down was uneventful, with enough sticker books and books on tape our kids are great travelers. I was apprehensive about our RV resort, Bear Cove RV Resort.  We did a fair amount of research but I'm always afraid we will show up and it will be totally different than I expected.  It turned out to be a great place, easy to get in and out of the site, quiet when it needed to be.  The site was a nice paved slab which was almost completely level.

The only problem we encountered were the mosquitos.  Since it has been such a warm (and wet) Fall, they were still out in droves.  We used bug spray, tiki torches, an electronic mosquito deterrent and burned sage in a few places.  All these things together kept them away, but the first few minutes we were out each night was a feeding frenzy!

This trip was short, so we kept it low key and stayed around the campsite the first night.  The next morning, Rob left to get our rental car.  This was another first for this trip, we rented a car from Enterprise.  When we decided to get an RV and not a travel trailer, we knew we would have to tow our car or rent one.  Paul, our RV consultant, recommended we rent at first while Rob gets used to driving the RV.  

So Enterprise picked up Rob and took him to the rental agency.  He came back with the car about 40 minutes later and we were all set to explore Gatlinburg.  Full disclosure, we've been to Gatlinburg a handful of times, so we knew what we wanted to do.  Ober Gatlinburg!  If you've never been, it's a pretty good time.  You take a gondola up a mountain with gorgeous views, then there is a small shopping/entertainment center with an ice rink and a few rides including a mountain coaster.  Oh yeah, in the winter it's a ski resort, but we've never been skiing there.  

The kids were all about the observation window which showed the wheels and pulleys that take the cars up the mountain.

No fear in these two! They loved it.

In case you were wondering, three year olds are not good at skee ball.

Ryan is wondering who ate the last of the pretzel.

Whoohoo! Cars that go around and around.

We took the gondola back down the mountain and returned to the camper for the evening.  There was plenty for them to do; collect sticks and leaves and throw them in the fire, dig in the dirt, eat marshmallows. One surprising thing my kids love about the camper is laying in bed and falling asleep.  Their bunks each have a window and they have no problem if we leave them in there to fall asleep alone while we sit at the camp fire.  The kids will lay and watch us out the window, or just look at the moon.  

Another first that I mentioned was our first trip to Dollywood.  We have never been, but it was definitely on my radar.  I've read reviews and it sounded right up our alley, with great theming, good rides, and a family friendly atmosphere.  And kids under 4 are free, so this, the last month that they were 3, was the perfect time to go! 

Day three started out chilly, but the weather was supposed to warm up, making it a perfect theme park day. I'm going to tell this section of the trip with pictures and captions.  Enjoy!

Giant cinnamon roll, just as good as the Main Street Bakery's used to be. And Rob needed a cappuccino. If you read my blog, you may notice a theme.

The entrance to the park was full of these funny pumpkin statues. To a girl who loves Disney at Halloween, these were such a treat!

I love amusement parks that let you drive "old time" cars. Let me tell you, these at Dollywood blow the ones at Disney out of the water! They are in a part of the park that is themed to be a street in the 50's. So all the cars fit into that era. Once you get out onto a certain part of the course the radio in the car turns on and you hear music from that time. Best part, the cars are electric, so no fumes or loud engines! Why hasn't the Tomorrowland Speedway done that yet?

Face painting! You may notice her wrist band. There was a measuring station at the front of the park. You got your kids measured once and their wrist band was color coded to the rides they were tall enough for. The park map is also color coded. Our kids fell into the gray height, so when we looked at a ride on the map if it was gray we could ride it without stopping again to be measured. What a great system!

Ryan chose to get a Buzz Lightyear type rocket. But the guy painted it right by his mouth, so it didn't last long.

Another amazing feature at Dollywood was all the demonstrations they have to show you what life was like in the mountains when Dolly was a girl. Here, Rob is explaining to the kids how sorghum is made. After watching the demo, you can get a sample or buy some to take home.

Up next, a spin on mommy's favorite, the carousel. I love that they love to ride it too.

After the carousel, we risked our lives riding the Ferris wheel. From the look on these faces, it was a hit!

If you glance at this picture, what you see is a smiling mom, riding with her towhead son on a clear and beautiful fall day. The true story is that I am terrified of Ferris wheels and my son wanted to touch everything and know how everything worked and the car kept rocking. The whole time I was faking that I was enjoying myself so Ryan wouldn't get scared.

We loved Dollywood. The best part we all agreed, was the 20 minute ride on the real steam train. While you are riding they tell you the history of the locomotor, which was used in Alaska during the gold rush, then for something in WW2. The kids loved it too, because you are riding past scenery and they have a little mountain camp you can see. But why, when I look back, do I only have this picture of Anne and Ryan riding the train and looking peeved?

Eagle at the sanctuary. They must have had 20 bald eagles. Very cool.

When you get on the parking tram they tell you to make sure you check out the cinnamon bread. Then they tell you when you buy your tickets. Then they tell you on the train. So, we had to try the bread, which totally lived up to the hype.

Panning for gold. Usually, I'm very cheap and hate to do things like pay $20 for a bag of dirt to see if we have any gems. But Rob pointed out that the kids got in free AND we got a military discount on our tickets. And he was right, the kids had a blast and found some pyrite plus a lot of other rocks.

Back at the campsite.

That was our trip to Gatlinburg. It was quick and beautiful.  I think next year we will stay at Bear Cove again, but maybe for a day or two more.  One more day and we could have played Hillbilly Golf and had an Old Tyme Photo taken.

The beautiful campground on our last morning.

Riding home, listening to a book on tape, Kentucky style.