Pigeon Forge, Great Smokey Mountain Railroad, Bryson City North Carolina

Fall Break was spent exploring the area surrounding the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Last time we drove through the area, on our way to South Carolina, I swore I’d return to the mountains with the family and see it. Now that we could get down here together, we ended up having a terrific time. This was also our third vacation for the year, something I didn’t realize until I booked it! I feel blessed we were able to get away together and experience it. I am glad it worked out as leading up to the trip I was corresponding with the owner of the rental property about the possibility of cancelling the trip. Evidently a power outage had disrupted the water pumps for the cabin and we would not be able to go. Things worked at the last minute though and we were on our way!

Day 1

Our first day was a travel day. We had a few snafus in the AM so we ended up leaving a little later than I’d hoped but not too late. We arrived at our first stop, KnifeWorks, about an hour and a half later than I anticipated. I adjusted our plan a little, cutting out a few other shopping stops so we could arrive at the cabin with some daylight, but that didn’t take away from the day. At KnifeWorks Ted purchased a new knife and I got a Leatherman. We then ate lunch at B-51, which is a Peruvian style restaurant. I was really curious about it and the food was really good. Then to  Uncle Lem’s Outdoor Store, which is a nice outdoor spot, then a snack at Krispee Kreme before we went into the mountains. The drive through the park was nice, with the leaves changing colors at the higher elevations. We were rewarded at the end of our drive with the sight of elk and we stopped for some pictures.

We arrived at the cabin and drove up the steep road to get to it, which was an adventure in itself.

Day 2

Day at the cabin with my boys, no screens, just us. We played some games, did some projects, and hiked up a mountain trail at the property. The house was beautiful and the view from the porch was absolutely incredible. I chose Bryson City because it was close to the railroad and I really wanted to be away from the craziness of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. I think we’ll stay here again. The only downside was I became violently ill overnight and ended up puking and shitting my brains out. I have no idea what happened, if it was food poisoning or something else. I was the only one to get sick and it’s the sickest I’ve been in many years. I ended up losing about six pounds on this trip I should add because of it.

Day 3

I woke up feeling absolutely terrible. Our plan was to ride the  Great Smokey Mountain Railroad in Bryson City. I was really wrestling with whether to go or not. The tickets were non-refundable and I hadn’t slept at all the night before. The boys were upset when Leslie told them we may not go, so I sucked it up and we hauled ass back down the mountain and got onto the train at the last minute. We then rode the train and I had some coffee. When we got to the half-way point I was not feeling it and ended up puking again at the turn-around at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. I told Leslie I couldn’t get back on the train, so she rode back with the boys and came and got me a few hours later with the car. We cancelled our trip driving the portion of the Blue Ride Mountain Parkway around the southern part of GSMNP and went back to the cabin. I did not eat the entire day.

Day 4

I woke up feeling a little better and I did end up eating a little. We left the cabin and went back along the same route through the mountains and through Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. The boys want to come back here at some point and explore. We stopped at the outlet mall in Sevieville and shopped everything there. We stopped for lunch but service seemed slow and we were getting late so we decided to head back home. I had some Wendy’s, my first meal in a day and a half, and we drove home. We made good time and I started feeling a little better.