Gatlinburg is Fun

For years we have gone to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to relax and rest.  In the last twenty years the landscape has changed so much.  Businesses come and go.  The boundries for Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg used to be distinctly separated.  Now the towns touch edges so that the entire area is looked on as one continuous tourist area.

So when we stayed over after Jean left for Chattanooga, we decided to experience a few things we had not done in recent visits to the area.  We traveled to a high vantage point to see the Gatlinburg area from afar.

These photos show how beautiful the Smoky Mountains are from a distance.

In the evening we planned to see a show.  In the past we have gone to many of the plays offered and have always found them quality entertainment for the dollars spent.  The shows also come and go, so it is best to see one that catches your eye because another show may be playing there when you get back into the area.  We decided to go to the Country Tonite venue.

The show was fun.  We even had a chance after the performance to get a few pictures with the cast and crew.  That is always fun, especialy for Walter.  You know, he never meets a stranger.  I am a little more reserved and sometimes I miss out on a great experience just because I am a little too shy.



Walter and Several Performers

Me and the Talented Band

Walter even got to go on stage for a little routine.  He is not shy to contribute to the fun of an evening.  The lady who brought him onto the stage was replaced by a man while Walter was not paying attention.  "She/He" was rubbing Walter's head.  All the time Walter thought it was the woman!  When he realized what had happened to him, he ran around the stage until he could flee to his seat.  Ha! Ha!

The next day, rather than drive into Gatlinburg and struggle with the parking, the fees and all the walking, we decided to park our car and take the shuttle into Gatlinburg.  For a small $1.50 we could spend the entire day sight seeing and taking in the small stores and venues without the stress of going back to the car to pay any additional parking fees needed because time had run out.  We could wander back and forth to any or all of the shops and be free of any distractions.

Ready for Our Trip into Town

We thought the prior evening was over and forgotten but we were wrong.  During this leisurely visit we found out several people who had been at the theatre were also in the town.  We were recognized and spoken to by quite a few fellow attendees.

In fact we were taking photos outside a tourist spot when a couple asked if we would like them to take our picure together.  They announced that they had seen Walter's "run" last night.  He is now "Famous"! What could we do but pose for them?  They also took the following photo of us.



Outside Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler

This establishment smelled strongly of sour mash.  Wow!  We were tired of walking so we took advantage of the rocking chairs that were set up for tourists.  A nice band was playing mountain sounds, so we stayed for a bit, resting and listening.

The Bluegrass Band had a Great Sound

When we had relaxed sufficiently, we resumed out trip down the strip.  For years, we had talked about going into Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.  Well this was the day we decided to just do it!  We saw Jesse James items of interest and all kinds of prison documents, shanks, and exhibits.  The museum had so many odd and strange items that it boggled our minds.  Everything was guarded so no pictures were allowed.

There was one area where pictures were encouraged.  We couldn't resist taking a picture of each of us on the world's largest chair.

Now we thought this was funny.  Reminds me of a Lily Tomlin routine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocBO0fr1Ui4&NR=1&feature=endscreen

After having all this fun we decided to have some supper.  My favorite Mexican restaurant is Jose's.  So off we went to get to the table before it got too crowded.

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of the two of us.  Notice the happy smiles that we both have. We had shared a wonderful day together in a relaxed way.  Our 25th year together started out with a home run. God is good!