A little girls trip +Graham to the mountains.

At the beginning of the month, my mom, sister, the kids, and I all decided to take a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Andrew and my dad were both going to the Derby with my in-laws in Louisville as a yearly tradition, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a girls trip {+Graham man} to somewhere we hadn't been before. After doing a little browsing online, and flip-flopping back and forth between Gatlinburg and Tennessee, we finally settled on Gatlinburg.

My next dilemma was whether we would get a cabin, a condo, or a hotel. All had it's perks, all had its downfalls. Inevitably though, I went with the cabin because after talking to others who have made the trip themselves, it was the consensus by all that when you visit Gatlinburg you MUST stay in a cabin. And I have to agree. When  you visit Gatlinburg, please do stay in a cabin.

The drive was around 6.5 hours, but with the two stops that we made, it ended up being approximately 7 hours. I did all the driving mainly because I knew I was carrying the most precious cargo and although I know my mom and sister are great drivers, I would be a nervous wreck the whole way through just worrying about it. Plus, I really don't mind it and find it to be quite peaceful actually.


Not to mention, it was beautiful and never left you bored.

We were able to check in early when we arrived which was great because we arrived a couple hours prior to planned, and it was nice to be able to put all our luggage away, get cleaned up, and lounge for a little bit. The bedroom downstairs had a large Jacuzzi tub that the kids were dying to get in, so water was turned on, bathing suits put on, and splashing away. And the big kids were also excited about their fun tub outside too... the hot tub.

One thing I learned about Gatlinburg is that it's like a "standard" for all of the cabins to have hot tubs. A hot tub that has the most beautiful views out there. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get in, seeing as how I was pregnant, but because ours barely got hot, it was just right. Actually, it was just right for the kids as well who saw it as their opportunity for a "pool." I think we went into the hot tub about 3-4 times a day. And a little part of me was almost convinced that we needed one back home.

Just a little part.

We spent all weekend just shopping around the downtown area, which was beautiful {and fun} all at the same time. I think the overall theme was to get you high on sugar because there were ice cream shops, fudge shops, and candy shops on every corner that you looked. Hey, I'm not complaining.

We also had the opportunity to go to the aquarium, which was something everyone raved about, and definitely was fun and exciting for the kids. We loved it {minus the sharks that the kids feared}. I have to say though that for 3 adults and 2 children, spending $100 was a little over-priced. We only spent an hour in the aquarium, and I think if the kids had never been to an aquarium it would have been well worth the price, but since the kids had already been to 2 different ones, it wasn't quite as exciting for them. Or us. But I can also understand that to keep the aquarium going, they have to have ticket prices be that high so I guess it supports all the animals if you look at it that way.

Probably the most fun the kids had was going to the arcades. Which I think is funny and sweet at the same time because that was definitely my favorite thing to do as a kid. Playing those silly games where you have to follow the light and hit the button right on time, or the fishing games, or even driving the cars. And then going to pick out your cheap plastic toy with the precious tickets that you worked so hard to get.

The wonderful thing about Gatlinburg is that there is SO much to do. I cannot wait when the kids are bigger and we can go rafting, we can go on the sky tran, we can go hiking, and so much more. Not only when the kids get bigger, but also when I'm not pregnant.

If it's just a drive away, I would definitely recommend going. Three days is perfect, and probably 4 would be ideal if you plan on doing lots of activities.

The best part of all though was just sitting around the table with my mom and sister, listening to music, and laughing hysterically at the kids dance moves. Relaxing in the hot tub and breathing in the fresh air. Wondering if the bears were going to come out and play. And scaring the crap out of my mom every time we had to drive up the big "hill" to get to our cabin.

Being together was the best part. Simple as that.