Gatlingburg 2005

I was about 4 months along with my first son, Joshua, when we stayed in Gatlinburg, TN. I've been through there many times, and shopped there many times, but I'd never stayed there until Sept 2005.

Although my feet and ankles were TOTALLY swollen, I still enjoyed our walk through Gatlinburg's big attraction. It's where you just find you a parking area, pay about $8, and walk to your heart's content.

Here are some of the sights!

This is one of the first places we stopped. My husband said it was his favorite trip out of ALL the ones we've taken. With me 4 months pregnant, I was ALWAYS hungry. I finally learned to eat 2 meals at one sitting! Because after 1, the baby ate it and left me HUNGRY again!! So we were eating about every hour or 2 and eating is something my hubby loves!! So it was perfect.

We also ate here! I had to watch out the places I went in and where they seated us. I didn't like to be around smoke. So they helped us hurry to get past it and we ate comfortably.

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain!

Each year for MANY years, we've gone to the mountains. Ever since I was a year old, my parents and I would go to the mountains. Maggie Valley and Cherokee, NC, that is... We'd go about 3 times a year. Then when I was about 19 yrs old, we went over the mountains to Pigeon Forge, TN. The previous picture and the one directly below is Maggie Valley.







Then when my husband and I were married, that's where we went on our honeymoon. I found out that when I was living with my parents and going to the mountains, he and his parents were going to those SAME mountains! At the SAME time!






I remember going up to Ghost Town on the chair lift when I was about 8 yrs old. It was hot! And at that time when you rode the chair lift, you went over a field of cows. Guess what I could smell halfway to the top of the mountain?! Yep.



They closed Ghost Town down several years ago, but thank goodness, they opened it up again! You can see below the area where the chair lift is and a roller coaster ride at the top of the mountain!









These were rustic cabin rentals! It's actually very pretty out there even tho, personally, I'm not ready to go rustic. But it WAS pretty. Very relaxing looking.








This is a famous hill going into the Maggie Valley/Cherokee area. There are many souvenier shops on this path. Some are closed now, but there are a couple still open. There is a point on this mountain where you see the best view of Maggie Valley.




My favorite place to eat is the Maggie Valley Restaurant! Last year, my toddler son had a ball flirting with the waitresses there! He was pretty much center of attention! Woowee!

I hope our sons will like the mountains when they get older!

Pictures at Charleston!

I don't claim to be an expert photographer. At ALL! I don't have Photoshop but might buy it one day. This blog consists of various photos of my "old town" and some of my favorite vacation spots! I may know the history of some of the photos or I may not. But I just want to share my love for the areas.

You may see pictures of historic Aiken, Graniteville, or parts of Maggie Valley, NC or Pigeon Forge, TN, or you just never know where. It could be a flower in someone's yard. Or some animal.

Actually, the pictures here are from our trip to Charleston, SC in May 2005. I'd just found out I was a few weeks pregnant with my first son when we went on this trip.

Rainbow Row!

The pineapple fountain!!

This is Zag, our shy tour guide to downtown historic Charleston! For some reason, Zag didn't seem to want his picture taken.

The gorgeous cobblestone entrance to the park that has the "pineapple" fountain!!

I'm not really a beach person. You won't find me lying out sunning, but I love to take pictures. It seems so peaceful there sometimes.

I'm more of a "mountain" person. But you'll see that later!