Wilderness at the Smokies

This is how exciting traveling on car rides with two 16 year olds is................................

Finding time to get away has been a little difficult this summer. Between visits with family/friends, sports camps and High School sports, the summer stays busy. This past weekend we decided we would go try a new Hotel/Water park that opened in Sevierville, TN. Both KK & Chelsea were allowed to bring a friend. We hit the road early on Friday morning and upon arrival were a little disappointed. Now, don't get me wrong, when it is all said and done it will be one of the best places around, but for now it's a little "little". The water park they brag so much about is really not much of a water park, but a pool, a kiddie area with lots of fun water squirters and 2 water slides all jammed into this teeny-weeny tiny area. It is open from 10-7, and with only about 50 chaise lounges around the area, seats are hard to find. If you are not there at 10:00, you can forget about having a seat for the whole day. And, even if you brought your own, there is no place to set it up, or lay out a towel for that matter. Still, day 1 was fun as it was all new, but I did think, "Oh no, what will we do for the rest of the weekend?"



We went out that night, ate dinner at Olive Garden and headed for the strip of Pigeon Forge. KK & Kristen went on the SLEDGEHAMMER (below) it's of those rides that goes WAY UP HIGH and rocks back and forth. It was moving so fast this was the best picture I could get. Then Tay wanted to go on the basic same thing but the one that spins and goes all the way around, its about a mile high! OK, that may be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Chelsea and I didn't think her own head could handle it, and everyone else was frightened, so I volunteered myself to go. Lucky for me at the last minute Katrina said she would accompany Ta- on the ride. She had so much fun, she wanted to go again, but at $30 a ride, that dream was squished.

The next day, was pretty much the same thing. Pool all day, and then on to the Nascar Park for putt putt golf & go carts. Its hard to entertain 16 year olds, that is all I can say.

The final morning we got up, went to Gatlinburg and gave the girls choices. Chelsea, Tay & Kris all wanted to go the aquarium, and KK wanted to walk the strip. So we split up; they went to the Ripleys Aquarium and we walked. Chels took some good pictures there.