I am hard pressed to beat the post my son, Eric provided on his fantastic trip to New Zealand. I am anxiously awaiting part 2 when he talks about the southern island. However, knowing the pace at which Eric accomplishes things, I figured I’d fill you in on what the old folks have been up to in the meantime.
Adult playroom 
Living room 
Back deck with hot tub
We rented an absolutely grand cabin in Sevierville, Tennessee for our Spring Break trip. Conveniently located to Dollywood and the Pigeon Forge activities as well as Gatlinburg this cabin was up a twisty, turny death-defying road (not unlike my own road) and was sort of suspended off the side of a mountain. This seems to be the norm in this area as all the resort area cabins are precariously perched along the ridges of the hills. This affords picturesque views but made my son, Steve, extremely nervous.
Initially, we were told the cabin had no internet access so we were prepared with books and games to while away any inclement weather or evening hours. To our surprise, when we arrived there were instructions on how to use the wifi and Damian, who obviously never gave up hope, was prepared with his X-Box and immediately converted the downstairs game room. In addition to the huge flat screen equipped with Direct TV there was a full size billiards table, a ping pong table, air hockey and foosball. When we weren’t out and about these amenities provided much fun and entertainment. Of course, I spoke a lot of trash as I beat all the kids in ping pong only to be defeated by Steve, who commented: “I can’t let my 90 year old mother beat me.” Brat.
The mornings dawned chilly but clear and the days warmed up to provide the perfect climate for our outdoor activities. After a hearty breakfast we would venture forth to explore the area.
Downtown Gatlingburg 
Catching the trolley. 
Like kids in a candy store. 
Dan with his hot sauce. 
Running into the Easter bunny
Our first stop was the Visitor’s Center. We were able to park free here all day and for $2 each we were able to obtain an all-day pass for the trolley system. The trolley lines are distinguished by colors and they will take you anywhere you desire to go all the way from The Great Smoky National Park to Dollywood. It is a great way to get around and not have to worry about finding a place to park. Kim, the kids and I strolled the main drag in Gatlinburg while Don & Steve did a few whiskey and moonshine tastings. We people watched and strolled in and out of shops. Dan even scored a free bottle of hot sauce when he went into the store and yelled out some slogan they were advertising for their sauces. The weather was perfect for this low cost activity and when we had enough we hopped back onto the trolley to retrieve our cars and headed back to the cabin for dinner.
Evening activities with the kids.
Steve had been busy at home preparing for our trip by brewing and bottling up 2 cases of his craft beer. Every 50 ft in town there is a distillery so spirits were also readily available. Thanks to the well stocked kitchen and outdoor grill Don was able to keep everyone well fed.
One of the things high on my list of must dos was a visit to Great Smoky National Park. We set off but discovered that due to some of the areas being closed, parking for the trails I wanted to access was a nightmare! Cars were all over the narrow, winding road as people were parking on any available pavement. It kept us from the trails I planned to hike but we were able to find an alternative. I would not describe Steve, Dan and Zac as ‘outdoorsy’ (they run from bugs and are very hesitant when not on smooth pavement) but I think they enjoyed the experience.
Chance encounter with a waterfall. 
Selecting a hiking stick became a competition. Of course, Steve won. 
My guys.
We had last visited this area about 10 years ago. The last time Steve was here he was about 8 years old. Needless to say, he was surprised at how built up the area has become and how much family-friendly entertainment opportunities there were.
The kids experience a 5 & 10. 
Gorgeous butterfly tree in Parrot Mountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge.
But of course the highlight of the trip was our day at Dollywood!
If you have never visited this amusement park you should definitely put it on your list. Although they were just getting started up for the season so shows were limited and their water park and new section were not yet open there was still plenty to do and see. The kids loved the roller coasters which were plentiful and I think we all agreed that our favorite was the Lightning Rod. This is a wooden coaster that is unique in 2 ways: First, it launches you up the incline instead of having the traditional chain pull and second, it is the world’s fastest wooden coaster with a peak speed of 73 mph. Steve’s family are thrill ride enthusiasts and Dollywood has plenty to satisfy even Dan, who although the smallest is the craziest of the bunch when it comes to rides. We spent the gorgeous day riding everything, including water rides and even got to take in a very entertaining show. The musical shows are top notch and not to be missed. We brought lunch in a cooler that we stashed in the car and took a quick break for some sandwiches. I understand that there are many top notch food items at Dollywood but when you are feeding the mongol hordes it is economically more friendly to tote in your own. The park closed at 7 p.m. since it’s not regular season yet but we were satisfied with our time there.
The water was cold!
Overlook
When we returned to the cabin, Nana needed a little tonic to steady her frazzled nerves after a day defying death with my grandsons.
The day of departure we were able to arrange a reunion with some old friends who are now Tennessee retirees. While discussing their early retirement and our ever evolving plans for retirement they extolled us as the the virtues of putting Tennessee on our radar. Don assumed that the proximity to distilleries was a leading factor and was surprised that this did not figure into our friends decision to make the Knoxville area their home.
The long drive home gave us plenty of opportunity for research and discussion and we decided to come back to Tennessee a couple of weeks later and explore for ourselves.
Found a desirable neighborhood. 
Explorers 
Found the grocery store.
It was settled! Tennessee here we come! After locating the perfect neighborhood that satisfied our needs we were able to quickly close on what is now known as Rancho Russo of East Tennessee!
Y’all come by and see us now, y’hear!
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