The second part of our Gatlinburg trip was much like the first as far as sleeping in, lazing around, and enjoying the sights and fun attractions offered in the Smoky Mountains.  We didn't hike at all this trip.  Kristin is not the biggest fan of hiking and cold locations...I think she much prefers the beach.  Ha!  I'm sure many of you agree.  I, however, am dying to go on a family ski trip.  Maybe sometime sooner than later?  We'll see.  We took one afternoon to drive up the mountain for some photo opportunities.  I wonder whose request that was...  Ha!

My mountain baby and me!  On a COLD mountain day.

Lee and Kristin

After our little mountain drive, we traveled over to Pigeon Forge to another MUST for any and every Gatlinburg trip...Dixie Stampede!  Again, if you have gone to the Smokies and never taken the time to enjoy the wonderful Dixie Stampede, PLEASE do!  You will love it!  The food....incredible and unmatched!  The entertainment...A+!

So excited about going in!

Millie Janalee put on her new for real cowboy boots from PawPaw and Susu and was ready to giddy up to the sounds of the pre-show band!  She also LOVES watching the horses, riders, and entertainment during dinner.

Watching the band during the pre-show

For the first time ever, we sat on the North side.  We were still on the front row and had lots of room for Millie Janalee to stand and be passed around.  No dirt flew up on us this time, but one of the performers did jump up on the ledge in front of us for part of his dance and song.  That was fun!

Lee and Kristin ready to grub!

Let's see if I can give you a quick rundown of how this Dixie Stampede experience works.  The pre-show lasts about 45 minutes or so where you enjoy a little bluegrass band, sing along, and tap your toes.  It is such fun!  Then, we all move into the arena for the dinner show.  The menu includes a full little chicken, potato, pork, the most amazing soup, cheddar biscuit, corn on the cob, and finished off with apple pie.  I think I got that right.  It's our favorite meal always!  The horses and riders perform tricks and shows, there are live animals, and a lumberjack contest.  The lights and effects always make it so much fun!  I don't want to give everything away, but I DO want you to make a night of it on your next trip.  You won't be sorry.  After the show, you can walk down toward the arena floor to meet the cast and horses.  You can also see the horses in their stables outside as you leave.  Millie Janalee watched it all intently and followed those horses all over, and she loved seeing the fire too!

After our Dixie Stampede evening, we put on our pajamas back at the condo and caught up on American Idol.  Millie Janalee has her favorites I'm sure.  She was very into it...

"They are good, Mama!"

Our future performer in action

Thursday, we spent the day shopping at the outlet mall in Pigeon Forge and finished the day off at Apple Barn.  We love visiting the Apple Barn!  During the off season, you have to look up the hours, because they close early.  We managed to arrive 30 minutes before closing, so we could enjoy some apple cider and pick up some apple pies for Maw Maw. 

Millie Janalee's second trip to Apple Barn

Millie Janalee was a big hit everywhere we went.  Ha!  I think it was the cute little hat a sweet friend gave her.  We never took it off, because I'd hate to see that hat hair!  Ha!  It was quite cold, so she needed it anyway.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Apple Barn Farmhouse Grill, and Millie Janalee slept through the entire thing.  It's hard work being so cute and shopping so hard.  We did shop a good bit for little Miss Thing.  We have lots of 12 month clothes, but very few 9 months.  So, we fixed that problem.  She's certainly not neglected in the clothing department!  I'm sure you know that by now.

PawPaw and Millie Janalee

Friday, we decided to try something else new.  We visited the Titanic in Pigeon Forge.  We have driven past this huge ship many many times, but never considered spending the two hours touring the museum.  I'm so glad we did this time!  It was wonderful!  When you enter, you receive a boarding pass with your name, age, and what class passenger you are on the ship.  As you tour the artifacts (all original artifacts from the ship), you may see things about yourself or others in your group.  It is fascinating to see the pictures, hear the stories, and experience the sinking of the Titanic as if we were there.  It was also very interesting to see whether you survived or not and what happened to you afterward.  Millie Janalee was a little 5 year old girl in third class traveling with her nursemaid.  She survived!  And so did I!  Lee and Daddy did not survive.  Lee was one of the crew members, and we were able to see some of the letters he sent home talking about the ship.  Daddy was owner of Macy's.  He went down with the ship, and his wife refused to leave him.  So, she gave her life vest to their maid.  Mama was the most talked about passenger on the ship, which was fun to follow.  Ha!  The museum was set up like you are walking through the actual ship...grand staircase and all.

Mama, Millie Janalee, and Auntie Kristin

Millie Janalee had the best time!  Can't you tell

Millie Janalee didn't last long in her stroller.  She was fighting her nap so hard.  She wanted to be up and see it all like we did.  So I carried her the entire two hours.  This is when I realized just how heavy she has gotten.  Ha!  She was so interested in everything!  She even touched the real iceberg.  We enjoyed a low key dinner at Bubba Gump's in downtown Gatlinburg before retiring to our condo for the night.

Just a close-up of how happy she was!

"Ummmm, Mama.  I'd like to go back please.  No more pictures."

Kristin and Lee

We decided to spend our Saturday at Ober Gatlinburg.  We rode the tram up the mountain from downtown Gatlinburg.  I am scared of heights, but I love riding the tram.  Millie Janalee never took her eyes off our "Mountain Man" guide as he told us about our elevation and the things we were passing as we rode up the mountain.  It's ski season, so we were able to watch people skiing and tubing down the mountain once we got there.  It just made me want that ski trip more!  Since we weren't dressed for skiing, we found a table at the cafe overlooking the ice skating rink and ate lunch.  Then, Kristin, Lee, and Daddy decided to ice skate.

"What?!  I can't ice skate?!"

I ice skated last trip, and I was really wanting to stay with Millie Janalee this time to see her watch everyone.  She's so much fun at this age.  And hilarious!  To be honest, I think it was more fun watching Kristin, Lee, and Daddy get the hang of the whole ice skating thing.  I videoed and took pictures.  Unfortunately, I missed Daddy's big tumble.  I saw him crawling across the ice toward the rail, and by the time I stopped laughing long enough to grab my camera...I only caught the aftermath...

Millie Janalee watched the skaters intently!  She waved her arms and yelled out at them the whole time!  It was so funny.  She and Susu cheered for them when they skated close.  We moved her stroller up to the rail so she could see really well.  This is how she sat the whole time...

I'm sure she's getting the motions down for when it's her turn.

"I think I'll chew on the stroller since I can't skate."

"Wow!  I wanna skate like that one day."

Susu and Millie Janalee looking for PawPaw.

We saw many an ice skater tumble and smash their heads, knees, hips, and other body parts on the ice.  I'm thinking helmets might be a good investment for some.  Ha!  I also laughed as I watched our own ice skaters wobble, skid, and tumble themselves.  Luckily, I caught one of those on camera.  Every stage of the fall documented!

The couple collides...

Lee tries to recover...

Only he continues going down...

Down to his booty.

So, he tries to get up the only way he knows how...

Trying.  But maybe he needs a little help from his wife.

Yep.  A little help is what he needed.

Until they both nearly fall again!

They made it!

Susu, Millie Janalee, and I laughed and cheered during the ordeal!  We were happy to see it end without any injuries.  At least until the soreness kicked in that night and the next day.  Haha!

Yay!

Our professional-ly challenged skaters!

We enjoyed the rest of our last night walking around downtown Gatlinburg taking in the sights, buying fudge, and trying to grab some apple cider from the Donut Friar.  Alas, they closed early.  I may write the owner.  Ha!  The next morning, we woke up early to pack the cars and eat breakfast one last time at Pancake Pantry.

Millie Janalee couldn't contain her excitement as she thought about seeing her Daddy again!  She talked to him on the phone at our lunch stop in Chattanooga.  We enjoyed our trip so much!  We are so thankful for my parents for arranging the trip and literally treating us to everything! 

And it sure was nice to be home sweet home in our own beds!

Gatlinburg Trip Part 1

Last week, Millie Janalee and I joined most of my family for another Gatlinburg vacation.  In case you haven't noticed, Millie Janalee and I don't miss many opportunities for a road trip!  She's such a great traveler, and I always enjoy her company!

On our first full day in Gatlinburg, we celebrated Millie Janalee's seventh month of life with a yummy breakfast at Pancake Pantry in downtown Gatlinburg.  If you have ever gone to Gatlinburg and not eaten at Pancake Pantry at least once...if not multiple times...I cannot even know you!  Unless, of course, you promise to eat there on your next visit.  There is no comparison to the Pancake Pantry in Nashville.  That is what I call the "faux Pancake Pantry."  The real Pancake Pantry is and always has been in Gatlinburg, where it originated.  One of our waitresses (because we ate there three times) had been there for 10 years...and that makes her one of the "new girls."  I love that!  If you ever need suggestions on what to order, we can probably help you out.  I get the Silver Dollar Pancakes or the Swiss Chocolate Chip Pancakes.  My mom loves the Peach Delight.  My sister always orders some healthier version of a pancake...which she swears is delicious.  My dad and Russ rarely order the same thing twice, so they are obviously not very picky.  As a child, our favorite was Bears in the Snow...pancakes shaped like teddy bears covered in powdered sugar with buttons made out of M&Ms.  We later learned only children can order those.  My sister was mildly devastated.  All that to say...it's one of our favorites and a MUST for every Gatlinburg trip.

"Let me get this straight.  You eat THAT, and I eat oatmeal and carrots?"

After our first breakfast/lunch at Pancake Pantry, we strolled the downtown Gatlinburg area.  Millie Janalee and I decided to give Russ a scare since he wasn't with us.  We took pictures on the display Sky Lift seat acting like I was taking her up the mountain.  This is something we both have talked about and it scares us to death to think about taking a child up the sky lift with no harness or strap!

"The sky lift goes HOW high?!"

Russ was not amused.  His text said, "If y'all go on that thing, you better hold on TIGHT to her.  I don't like this."  When I told him that she loved hanging over the rail by her arms, he replied "Not funny."  Poor Daddy!  Out of the loop and out of control.  Haha!  I informed him that she did not ride the sky lift and he followed up with, "Whew! #overprotectivedaddy"  Bless it!

"I'm brave.  Let's GO!"

The rest of our day was spent leisurely browsing the shops and enjoying the mountain air and music!  PawPaw and Millie Janalee enjoyed some grandfather/granddaughter time in the rocker listening to "pickin' and grinnin'" while the rest of us shopped around.  There's just not much as relaxing as a real mountain rocking chair and bluegrass music.  We all joined them after awhile and enjoyed some music ourselves.

We ate supper at The Peddler, another spot we like to frequent while in Gatlinburg.  We enjoyed steaks, salads, potatoes, and yummy desserts before heading back to the condo.  Our schedule during this vacation was much like our schedule has been on our past mountain vacations.  Relaxed.  Late mornings.  Early evenings.  Lots of lounging and family time.  Lots of eating.  Lots of memories...some we'd rather forget I'm sure.  Ha!  As is always the case with this family.  By the way, I've had people ask where we stay when we come to the Smoky Mountains.  We've stayed several different places over the years.  We've been going up there since we were little.  The last two times we stayed in Tree Tops Resort...once in a stand-alone unit and this time in a condo building...both with balconies.  Russ and I stayed in a hotel downtown when we went.  It was within walking distance to everything except the mountains.  Great for late night apple cider runs or downtown walks.  It was Hilton Garden Inn.  Several years ago, we stayed at Park Place condominiums...also near downtown.  All have been great, cozy, and affordable.

Our second day in Gatlinburg, we decided to try something new.  As many times as we have vacationed in the mountains, we have never gone to the aquarium.  We usually spend lots of time actually up in the mountains driving around, hiking, or taking pictures.  We always had the mindset that we could go to an aquarium anywhere.  But, I must say, it was delightful!  And so fun with Millie Janalee!  I hate Russ couldn't experience it with us.  It's actually a perfect rainy day activity if you want to make that note.

Lee and Kristin

The story behind the aquarium stems from Lee's obsession with fish as a child.  He had a full out aquarium and fish.  He LOVED fish.  And still does I noticed.  Maybe they should invest in an aquarium since Kristin is allergic to all other animals.  He was like a kid in a candy shop looking up close at all the fishies. 

Mama and Millie Janalee

I had full intention of strolling Millie Janalee through the aquarium with the notion that she could care less unless there were bright lights or something.  And she was content to do the same.  But, I couldn't help myself.  Soon after we started walking through the aquarium, I couldn't wait to get Millie Janalee close to the tanks and see her reaction to the fishies.  She LOVED it! 

I fully expected her to take a nap while we were there too, but she would not think of it.  There was too much to see, and it was too fun!  She talked to and waved at every tank, fish, coral, and diver.  Completely infatuated with each tank and fish.  Again, I'm sure she's soaking it all in just adding to that little noggin full of knowledge.  I wonder if she will be a fish enthusiast like her Uncie Lee.

Mama and Millie Janalee looking at the bright fish tank

She just talked and talked and waved and waved at these fish!

Trying to catch the bright colored fish

So many fish, and such a little girl!

Up close and personal

At one point in the aquarium, you are led to a moving sidewalk type thing that takes you through a tunnel in a HUGE shark tank!  There were sharks and other fish swimming beside and above us.  I'm terrified of sharks and seeing them up close like that was a bit freaky, but Millie Janalee wasn't scared at all!  Ha! PawPaw held her up close to the sharks and their mouths and pointed to them all as they passed by.

"PawPaw, are you trying to feed me to the sharks?"

"Whoa!  Look at those teeth!"

"Ummm...PawPaw.  I'm not sure about this."

Susu jubilantly finding out the schedule for dives in each big tank.  Ha!

At the end of the tunnel through the shark tank, you are led to a super fun kid zone where kids are allowed to pet sting rays and enjoy all kinds of hands-on fun!  Who says the kid zone is just for kids?!  Now that Millie Janalee is here, I have an excuse.  But, Uncie Lee and Auntie Kristin don't.  Ha!  Not that this family has ever needed an excuse for something fun.

Mama and Millie Janalee inside the fish tank!  Swimming with the fishies!

"I think I can...grab it!  Hold on, Mama, it's right there."

It was a tight squeeze for Auntie Kristin and Uncie Lee!

Fishie faces!

After we finished swimming with the fishies in our tiny little kid spaces, we kept playing around in the kid zone.  Uncie Lee told Millie Janalee all about the fish and what kind he had as a kid.  She was very into it.  Just as she always is when someone is talking to her about anything.

"Uncie Lee, which fish did you have?"

"Oooooh!  Those are pretty ones!"

Susu did what she does best.  Finds something quite interesting and goofy to do.  I hope Millie Janalee has her same zest for the goofy.  I'm thinking she already does!  Ha!

"I'm ready for my dive, Susu!"

We soon found a diver feeding the fish in one of the big tanks, so we stopped to watch her and listen to the lady talking.  Well, I didn't really listen.  I was more concerned about getting up close so Millie Janalee could wave to the diver.  And, of course, get a picture.  You know that's always on my mind.

"Hello!"

The rest of our aquarium experience was packed full of grandparent fun and lots of serious ocean creatures.  Like make me want to stay on land creatures.  I've never seen jellyfish that huge...

They're everywhere!

"Susu, will we see those at the beach?"

Or crabs this gigantic...

"So, do people eat those crab legs, PawPaw?"

Millie Janalee explored every fish tank she saw...until those little eyelids just couldn't hang anymore.  We fell asleep at the stingray exhibit.  Such a trooper!  The only thing she missed was the penguin exhibit.

"You sure you won't drop me in there?"

Shaking hands with a ginormous stingray

While I got Millie Janalee settled into a nice nap nest in her stroller, Kristin and Lee continued their exploration through the aquarium.  Lee may have been teaching Kristin all about the fish and telling her the names of all his.  Who knows!

When I got Millie Janalee all snuggled in, we continued on as well.  When we turned the corner, we found Kristin and Lee.  In the exhibit with the penguins.  Actually they were in the middle of watching two penguins making out I think.  Ha!  Which brought us to the whole discussion on how penguins mate for life.  So sweet.

It was a wonderful visit to the aquarium!  Well worth the price of admission...especially since Millie Janalee was free.  Ha!  We finished our evening with dinner at Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge.  This may be Kristin's favorite restaurant.  And, I will agree, it is delicious!  Home-cooked food with generous portions and sides served family style.  Located right by the historic old mill.  Millie Janalee put on her usual comedy show during dinner.

Her head slowly lowered over time until it was time to pull out Barney on my iPhone.  She probably could have taken a nap at any minute.  But, she would never want to miss out on anything.  Ha!

Part one of our Gatlinburg vacation was perfectly fun and relaxing!  A great beginning to a great week!