The kids were just beginning to complain about riding when we hit the foothills. They got SO excited they were amazed. Tyler had been to the mountains when he was young but he did not remember it. The others had never been. They pulled out the cameras as soon as they saw hills!
We arrived around 5:00 . By the time we checked in it was beginning to get dark so from our room this was the first view we got.
First View
The decor was perfect for the mountains.
This is from our balcony.
In the condo
This is where we stayed.... It was high on a hill...Very Nice!
These are going to be totally out of order but here we go...This was Wednesday it was rainy so we went to Wonder Works..(aka the Upside down house) It was awesome!
Wonder works is an interactive play / learning experience is the best way I know to explain it. So worth the money!
Tyler in the bubble area.
Cade dancing. There was a picture on the floor...which was flat cement but when you stepped on it....it would ripple like water where ever you stepped!
Scott flying a plane
This was to teach you about pulleys....the more pulleys the easier to pull yourself up but it also takes more pulls with more pulleys...less pulleys the harder
playing air hockey ..no air no puk no anything it was touch sensitive and the puk was apicture in the table you slid with just your touch
Cade was a bit grumpy that day so we were going to launch him into space...JK
Everyone except Cade had to try the bed of nails
On to the Art Exhibits ..even the art was interactive
Scott and Tyler went for a longer hike while the little ones and I stayed behind at the room and went to a Brownie Sundae Party. These are pics from their hike.
Tyler once again hugging a tree (to show how big it was)
They hiked a total of 5.4 miles up to Rainbow Falls. This was on the way up.Mostly ice!
Rainbow Falls
The higher you go the colder it is! Tyler was thrilled to see snow!
This is what the bridges on the hike looked like!
Homeschool Lesson...Identify the poop..so they took a picture and when Tyler got home he came to the conclusion it was from a fox.(Yuk)
Not sure why this grew this way.
Tyler trying to climb a mountainside
Frozen sap
on the way up
This is a broken part of a water system that was on a great path that we hiked ...this had to be the best hike we had!!!
roadside
On our best hike Cade was in a karate mood and was trying to beat up Scott
This was the beginning of our best hike...This has inspired us to read the Little House on the Prairie book series
More of the best hike
more of the best hike....we met NO one on this path it was awesome!
On our first day we went into downtown Gatlinburg....the kids hated it. Except for the duck!
They thought the odd things were neat but they whined to leave..we stayed maybe an hour
We just do not have commercialized kids!
This was in Cherokee NC which FYI is completely deserted in the winter! But that is where we discovered Mingo Falls which was awesome!
ok back to Gatlinburg (oops misplaced pic)
We then headed to Cherokee NC the drive was beautiful
Now this kind of stuff is more their style. At the TN/NC border
As I said before the higher you get the colder it gets. The kids counted down watching the thermometer in the car as we climbed the mountain. As we got up further it began to be ice hanging on the sides of the mountain right beside the road. It was cool! (literally)
The view riding down the road
