On Friday, we kicked off the weekend by saddling up our car with all the necessities and hitting the road for the grueling 4 hour drive into the mountains. Because we left a bit late and hit traffic heading up the mountain, we didn't arrive at the campsite until after 11:00 p.m. So as soon as we loaded everything into the RV we hit the sack. Even Jasmine didn't put up much of a struggle when we put her in her bed.
Saturday morning we woke up early and enjoyed a yummy breakfast and tried to figure out how to spend the day. The great thing about Gatlinburg is it has something for everyone. The possibilities are endless.
We started off our adventure by heading the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Aquarium. This was the Bean's first trip to an Aquarium so she was beyond excited. As soon as we crossed the threshold into the aquarium, she was off like an adorable little rocket. Weaving in between people and pressing her nose against the glass and excitedly shouting "fishy! fishy."
I've never been a huge fans of Aquariums, but this one was amazing. I definitely foresee future trips to their other locations. Especially once Jasmine gets a bit older and doesn't try to jack another kids stroller (yes, she totally did--climbed right on in and refused to budge)
Next we headed to the Ole Smoky Distillery where we learned all about Moonshine. We also took advantage of the free moonshine tasting and tried out some of their best sellers including: Lemonade, Blueberry and Apple Pie (my favorite). The children, of course, did not partake in these festivities, but they had plenty fun chilling outside in rocking chairs and listening to live music.
I'll admit, everything I learned about Moonshine comes from Moonshiners (hey, don't judge) so it was neat to actually see the process in person. Ole Smoky Distillery was basically like the grown-up version of the Coca-Cola Factory. Tons.Of. Fun.
Finally we decided to tack on one last adventure (a personal favorite of mine). The WonderWorks Museum This was my second time at the location in Gatlinburg and about my fifth time overall and it was just as fun the fifth time around as the first. The Bean and her cousins had such a blast. It was amazing to watch their little faces light up every time they discovered something new.
They played every game and rode every ride. Twice. And so did we.
Basically this weekend was one of the best we've had in a while. James got the chance to spend time with his dad and brother. I got to spend time chatting it up with my awesome sister-in-law and mother-in-law, and most importantly, we all got the chance to close our eyes and listen to the sound of all six children giggling, playing and laughing while we enjoyed being in each others company.
So what did you guys do for Memorial Day? As always, feel free to link up your recaps in the comment section below.
Until next time,