Thursdays weather report showed 44 degree weather in TN for Fri and Sat.But Friday we woke up to a downpour, looking at the map, it spread way up past NC, but being the intrepid souls we are, we figured it would pass by the time we got up there. SO, we drove into NC slipping and sliding on the snow that was falling!!
We checked the weather again, and it was not such a good idea to head into the mountains of TN. BUT, we saw that it WAS supposed to pass, and would clear up Friday night. So we took a hotel in Shelby. It had a pool!!! It was pretty neat, the kids were inside in the pool, and there was snow all over outside!
Saturday we went ahead and left for TN, but the snow was not cleared in Asheville. They had 13 inches I think. At one point we counted 72 cars on the side of the road in a 2 mile stretch ( SOOO glad we stayed in Shelby!!!)
The only place to eat was this Mcdonalds. It was about 12:30 and they said they would be opening the drive thru only in about 10 minutes. So, the kids all got out and had a snow-ball fight in the parking lot.
Jaren has great aim. Shelby was so not impressed.
Our google map said the best was to get from Shelby to Pigeon Forge was through Asheville, through Maggie Valley, then up 441. It was so neat, my family used to stay in Maggie Valley every fall and winter. This spot was where we always went sledding. It was right at the junction of the Blue Ridge Parkway.Jon and I also went there for our Honeymoon.
Our google map said the best was to get from Shelby to Pigeon Forge was through Asheville, through Maggie Valley, then up 441. It was so neat, my family used to stay in Maggie Valley every fall and winter. This spot was where we always went sledding. It was right at the junction of the Blue Ridge Parkway.Jon and I also went there for our Honeymoon.
Well, we had been going so slow due to the road conditions, and we got all the way to 441. It said it was about 40 milesPigeon Forge and they had just closed the road!! So we had to turn around and go back through Asheville, all the way to Johnson City TN. What was to be a 3 hour trip ended up taking about 8!!
This was a neat sight on the highway.
We stopped at Dennys for dinner. Now we have a "fun" game we play while waiting for our food. Its called "spin the knife". If the blade ends on you, you have to eat some concoction of whatever is on the table at the time. Salt, pepper, salt AND pepper, salt and splenda, pepper and equal, salt,pepper,equal,and splenda, add ketchup....you get the picture.
Poor Jade got hit so many times!!!
Jaren had his turn,
Justin tried to mask the disgust
and then it was the last spin. someone would get a mix of all of it PLUS some warm syrup. Jon was enjoying this way too much!!
I was really hoping it would land on him, he had not had to eat anything the whole game, BUT>>>
it was me instead. That warm syrup really made it disgusting!!
I took no pictures of the hotel. I was so mad, I had found a 'wonderful place' the brochures online were beautiful, it had an indoor pool, a 'deluxe' continental breakfast....
We stopped at Dennys for dinner. Now we have a "fun" game we play while waiting for our food. Its called "spin the knife". If the blade ends on you, you have to eat some concoction of whatever is on the table at the time. Salt, pepper, salt AND pepper, salt and splenda, pepper and equal, salt,pepper,equal,and splenda, add ketchup....you get the picture.
Poor Jade got hit so many times!!!
Jaren had his turn,
Justin tried to mask the disgust
and then it was the last spin. someone would get a mix of all of it PLUS some warm syrup. Jon was enjoying this way too much!!
I was really hoping it would land on him, he had not had to eat anything the whole game, BUT>>>
it was me instead. That warm syrup really made it disgusting!!
I took no pictures of the hotel. I was so mad, I had found a 'wonderful place' the brochures online were beautiful, it had an indoor pool, a 'deluxe' continental breakfast....
It was awful!! The rooms were *clean*. Thats all I can say. The pool held my 4 and no more, and had so much chlorine that after an hour the kids all had to get out. The 'deluxe' breakfast consisted of frootloops, raisinbran and little debbies, watery coffee and no sugar. The milk came out of some strange looking spout(NOT drinking that!!)... so we took that opportunity to get Krispy Kreme!!!
The next day was Sunday. We went to a local church. It was really neat. The Pastor emeritus is the father of a Missionary our church in Fl had supported when Jons Dad was pastoring. We were slightly over dressed though. ALL the men had on dress shirts, ties, suit jackets and overalls. No, it was NOT a special service. They just dress that way!! They have a wonderful bus ministry, love missionaries and soulwinning, have great standards...
The pastors son is doing well, they had been in the Marshall islands and came down with pinkeye. There is no treatment for it there and he and his wife both went almost completely blind from it. They were considering leaving the field and their sending church sent down 7 men who anointed them, and prayed and fasted for 7 days. They both now have 20/20 vision, which is better then what they had BEFORE the pinkeye!! Isnt God great???? They are currently in the states while she gets treatments for the intestinal parasites she picked over there.
After church we headed toward Cades Cove. True to the rest of the trip, we got a few miles away and the road was closed. The drive was beautiful though.
Jaren stopped to drink off a waterfall
Then he climbed out on some rocks
Justin was hamming it up
Shelby was NOT going to be left behind.
Jon joined in
Then we found a little park area. There was a sign that said there was a school up this road.
You know the stories your grandparents tell of walking a mile to school miles, through the snow, up hill both ways....this is the school!!
But we stopped to play on the way.
The school had this old cemetery. It was so beautiful.
The school had this old cemetery. It was so beautiful.
The kids are ready!!
Isnt it wonderful
We did eventually end up at Dollywood in the trip and had a great time.
The trip home was just as much fun. We left Sunday night, ended up with 3 flat tires... trailer tires that is, and the 3-4 hour trip took almost 10. The van was acting up, so instead of going to Atlanta, we had to go home. We did go on to Moms and Justin helped grill ribs.
1 comment:
That was hilarious. Sorry. But it was. The flamingo is so YOU to do your mom. And that must have been a good kiss because you had one foot up. ROFL
Yeah, the road was closed through Asheville. Brother Tim Brackeen had been at a conference near PF. On their way home they ended up having to stay in a hotel for a couple of days.
~Kristi
Post a Comment