Home again, home again, jiggity jog

Ahhhh, what a week!!

I totally wanted to blog every day so I wouldn't forget all of the fun we had on vacation, but here we are, back home, and no blog posts to see. Well, not exactly. Aly posted while we were there. So let's see if I can remember all of the things we did.

We left early, but not as early as planned. It was a little before 7 am. We hadn't gotten to the highway yet when Aly barfed. Poor thing. We gave her Dramamine so she slept for most of the rest of the trip. We stopped several times to walk the doggies. They were so excited to go bye-bye. We got to the cabin around 3 pm and it was all that we expected and more. Click the "more" for a whole 'nother post about the cabin.

I can't remember everything we did in order, but let me tell you eating and shopping seemed to happen every day, without fail. Here are some of the places that were the most memorable (you can find most of these places at Discover the Smokies).

SHOPPING
Baskets & More: In the Arts and Crafts (A&C) community, so we drove past it several times before stopping in. Much better than I expected, and had beautiful handmade baskets. I bought three for the living room.
Book Warehouse: Not a Christian Bookstore, but they usually do have some great deals on Christian and secular books. I got a bible study and a scrapbooking tote (reg $25 for $10!)
Bumbershoot Books: (Pigeon Forge) Our favorite bookstore. Everything is half off the lowest tag price, and the entire second floor is $1!! We used to get the kids homeschool workbooks here, but this time it was some chapter books. Mike gets some good religion books here too. This is where I bought the complete set of Little House books last time.
The Buckboard: A favorite place for years. Mike got some lotion like we bought for Nana last time; Aly found a leather change purse; Zak got the coolest magnet stone things.
New Hope Thrift Store: (A&C) Just a little "junk" shop, but Mike found a great suit coat for $8.
Personalized Wood Gifts: by P Graham Dunn. AMAZING laser cut Amish wood crafts. We bought a beautiful clock for the living room and we'll be saving up for a wall hanging.
Village Vendor: The VERY LAST shop we visited, and the one that had my Quarry Critters! I got some turtles, a snail, some cats, bears and a picture frame with a walrus on it.

ATTRACTIONS
Color Me Mine: Aly and I painted our own pottery. I didn't think I'd enjoy it but it was really fun and the items turned out beautifully. I checked and there is a studio in Fairfax too!
Fort Fun: Laser tag, mini golf, arcade and black light mini golf. The kids had fun here and the "unlimited golf pass" really is unlimited for your entire stay in Gatlinburg.
World of Illusions: A few cool exhibits but seriously, don't waste your $8.
Wax Museum: One of the newest attractions in Gatlinburg. We liked it but many of the figures did not resemble the star. We did take photos, but with a disposable camera, so you'll have to wait till we get them developed and scanned. What was cool is that there were no gates and you were encouraged to interact with the figures (without touching, of course). I posed with the Men in Black, danced with Austin Powers and cozied up to Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery. Mike joined "V" in his prison cell and Zak blocked Michael Jordan on the basketball court. Aly kicked booty with Charlie's Angels.

FOOD
Alamo Steakhouse: Mike and I stopped here for lunch. Good luck getting into the parking lot --It was hard to find the entrance :), but the sandwiches were good, as were the fries. Definitely not a Mexican restaurant as I expected.
Aunt Mahalia's Candies: Freshly made taffy, chocolates, caramel apples and every other candy you can think of. Mmmmmm. We spent like $40 in here.
Bear Creek Grill: Pricey, and the service was not so great. Mike had a 24 oz steak. He didn't each much the rest of the week. We did have a table overlooking the river.
The Brass Lantern: We were sorry to see that this restaurant had closed. I heard others passing by the doors expressing the same.
The Cheese Cupboard: Discovered on our honeymoon, the Hofbrauhaus Restaurant is located above the Cheese Shop and serves deli sandwiches with the best cheeses, spicy mustard, relish and horseradish sauce.
Corky's Barbeque: Mike and Zak went here while Aly and I hung out in the cabin. They had great service and Zak nearly ate a whole pig.
Famous Fries: After Mike and I at at the Cheese Shop for lunch, we had to feed the kids. Great fries and chicken sandwiches, but there was a bit of a wait, and no place to sit inside because they were so busy.
Fanny Farkles: Snausages! MMMM, so good with peppers and onions. Aly loves the foot long corn dogs.
The Fudge Shoppe: There are lots of fudge shops on the Parkway, but we always shop here for ours. Buy three slices and the fourth is free!
Legends by Max: We didn't eat there on this trip, but it is a great Italian restaurant. Ask to sit by the fireplace in the winter, or at the open windows in the summer, to watch the crowds pass by.
Ogle's Brick Oven Pizza: Several previous guests indicated that they had great pizza here. I ordered a calzone that was nothing special and Aly had some pizza. It was worth it to stay in and watch tv.
Pancake Pantry: Another honeymoon discovery. Mike always gets the Pecan Pancakes and I'm partial to the omelets. Time your visit here, because the line often stretches down the street for an hour.