Excuse my absence, I was having too much fun in the mountains with my friends and family. Allen, Zack and I drove down to Gatlinburg, TN on Friday to meet up with my parents and some of our family friends. The cabin was absolutely gorgeous, and I wish I had gotten better pictures of everything, but I was too busy being immersed in everything to take pictures. I love photography and taking pictures for having memories to look back on, but sometimes you can end up being in the background and not actively involved in what's going on around you. That's why the second half of the pictures are taken with a cell phone.
Saturday we went to Dollywood, and it was our first time going. We got there pretty early so the lines were not as long as they were by the afternoon, so if you are going to go, I recommend going early or later in the afternoon. Lucky me, I got to see an outdoor show where they introduced a bunch of owls. Now I'm trying to convince myself that I can't have a small screech owl. The best ride there was definitely the Wild Eagle. The line was a 45 minute wait, which is great if you've ever been to theme parks, and it went by quickly. Like I said, we were there early and the line was not as long as it was mid-afternoon (My parents skipped it, because they said it was a 2 hour wait). There was a 3 story drop in the beginning, and it went straight into a loop, and I'm so glad I had not eaten yet, because my food would have been confused as to where to go. It was a 2 minute and 20 second adrenaline rush, and I would do it again and again. Later that night we ate at a place called Alamo (Zack thought it said Namo and we still haven't stopped picking on him for it). It was the best food I'd ever had at a restaurant. Everything I tried was amazing: the vegetables, the steak, the stuffed shrimp, the chicken, the rolls, even the mints they give you after the meal. I HIGHLY recommend it. It is a little pricey so be prepared (the entrees were about $15.99 to $25.99), but the meals are big enough to share, and it's seriously so good it's worth it.
On Sunday Allen, Zach and I decided to check out downtown Gatlinburg before we headed back towards Nashville, and went into all the different shops and walked down to the river. The shops were so neat and had cool vintage signs and arcade games that tell you how good of a kisser you are and what kind of lover you are (only 25 cents! whatta deal!). We also stopped by this record shop that had really funny signs up to stop people from stealing like that lady killer one above. I definitely prefer natural scenery and hiking, but cheap touristy attractions can be fun too, and Gatlinburg made it feel somewhat quaint with the big pots of colorful flowers, buildings with different architectural styles, and the different local businesses that make their own merchandise (we got to see a guy cutting out different wood art right in the shop). The river was also nice and beautiful and had a good many number of ducks who were really friendly until they figured out we didn't have any food (the devils!).
The weather was perfect, I got a great bit of sun and vitamin D, I got to spend some time with my family and friends, and for this I am so very thankful and I feel impeccable. How was your weekend?
Till next time,
Jess
