Fall Break GetAway: Part 2

Welcome back to YNN blog. I'm in the middle of sharing the stories and pictures of my Fall Break get away to the Smoky Mountains with my wife and the younger half of our family.

This 2nd in my post series shares the experience of visiting a Gatlinburg attraction that made national news earlier in the year. Its a long one and I hope you enjoy it.  

On the morning of the first Sunday in October, my wife and I awoke to this view of the sun rising over the Smokies from the veranda outside our condo in the Whispering Pines resort in Pigeon Forge, TN. 

This was the 2nd day of our trip. By mid morning it was decided that our group was going to go conquer one of the most unique things the Smokies has to offer "The Skybridge" in Gatlinburg. 

If you haven't heard of this attraction it's the longest suspension bridge in North America. It's at the top of Crockett Mountain and the latest addition to Sky Lift park. Which is accessible from the Gatlinburg Parkway via chair lift. 

The bridge has been on my "to do" list since it opened this past May. Unfortunately both the chair lift and the bridge are also on my wife's "no way" list. 

This meant that I would meet Brandi, James, the grandkids and the rest of their gang on the Parkway and my wife would enjoy a few nice relaxing hours at our condo. She needed a chance to relax for a while anyway. She's had a very busy couple of months. 

Route 321 from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg, known as "The Spur" is one of my favorite stretches to drive, anywhere. 

There are hairpin turns and at times it seems like you are in a remote area of the mountains instead of the main artery between the two towns. 

Due to slow bumper to bumper traffic as soon as I got into Gatlinburg, what should have been a 20 minute trip turned into 45. But I did eventually meet up with my family at 765 Parkway. 

Soon we were on the yellow chair on our way to Sky Lift Park.  

I was in a chair with Brandi. Aria was in the one in front of us with James. At first, she was really scared about the ride didn't want to go. But James promised her she could ride with him. For the first half of the ride up, she was basically clinging to her daddy. Eventually, she relaxed and seemed to enjoy the experience.  

Gabriel rode with his Aunt Misty. 

Brandi's grandmother and niece, Lexi, rode with each other as well. 

The views on the way up were wonderful. 

But they only hinted at what we would see once we got to Sky Lift Park. 

There are 3 levels for you to enjoy the views. The first has a 2 story welcome center which can be accessed from either of the first 2 levels. It has a souvenir store and refreshment counter.

There is a covered area with seating to sit and enjoy the view. There's also a section of amphitheater type seating cascading down the side of the hill allowing you to sit and enjoy the view of downtown Gatlinburg and the mountains in the background.

There's plenty of places to sit and enjoy the views on all 3 levels. 

While I did take quite a few pictures, what I shot doesn't give you a complete picture of what it's like. Here's a link to a website that does. Sky Lift Park Pictures

From the middle level you could see your goal and decide whether or not you are going to continue on your quest. This view helps you make that decision. 

From the top level the view of the mountains was even better. 

Once we were on the 3rd level it was time to take on the big challenge. The walk across the Sky Bridge. 

Because I walk slow under normal circumstances and planned on taking my time to take pictures, I was the last of our group to head out onto the bridge. 

The views from the bridge are amazing.

As you will see in the pictures, with it being a Sunday, the park was pretty busy, especially on the bridge. There was a park employee standing in the middle of it to answer any questions, assist anyone needing help, and make sure traffic kept moving. 

There was a breeze on the bridge was but it wasn't that much. But it did it's best to make the structure sway; a lot more than I thought it would. I had to hang onto the rail to keep my balance. This made it a bit difficult to take pictures. 

At the middle of the bridge were 4 clear glass panels. 

Now the ground is only 150 feet below the clear panels but the idea that you are in the middle of a 700 foot span looking out at views like this. 

messes with you mind a little bit. But after a bit of hesitation...

...I walked across. 

When I made to the other side I looked back at what I had just done. 

Aria was proud of what she had done as well. 

I had her make a video to tell her Nana what she had done. I sent it to Paula in a text. 

Here's me and my gang on the other side of the bridge.  

The portion of the park that was on the far side of the bridge had a refreshment stand and places to sit and enjoy the views. 

Soon, James and Gabriel along with the rest of our group headed back. 

I stayed to take some pictures and make a video. I shot videos throughout my time on the mountain. I will be editing them together and posting them on my You Tube channel later on. I will share a link when I do. 

Here's the view I just couldn't seem to get enough of. 

I lingered a little longer than I thought I would and soon realized that my family might be worried about me. So I headed back. 

This time across I stopped in the middle to take some pictures. I figured that I was a bit used to the sway and could stand in the middle with no problem. But that was not to be. 

Now due to my drop foot issue on my left side, at times, I have balance issues when standing level ground. Trying to keep upright and take pictures on a gently swaying suspension bridge was nearly impossible. It reminded me a lot of the "shaky bridge" I used to walk on as a kid in the Bushkill Park fun house. 

I tried to balance myself to get the pics and videos I wanted but I didn't want to risk falling flat on my face in the middle of the bridge. I gave up and just held onto the railing and enjoyed the view.  

I must add that if you are the "average" person and generally have good balance you should have no problem standing alone in the middle of the bridge. 

Back on the other side of the bridge, Brandi took this shot of me on my return trip. That's me in the red circle. 

When I finally made it back to the other side I found my family in the welcome center eating a snack. I had a drink and a soft pretzel. 

I pressed a couple of pennies for souvenirs.  

Soon it was time to climb back on the chair lift and head back down. 

This time I rode by myself with Brandi's grandmother in front of me. 

James rode down with both of his children. 

The views of Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains on the way down was the one final treats this excursion had to offer. 

 After our time at the Sky Bridge Brandi's sister, Misty, and her family had to leave for home.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with James & Brandi, the kids, and Margaret (aka "Grandma"). 

We ate lunch at the Old Mill restaurant. I think it was the first time we have ever had anything other than breakfast there.The food was good and our server who had a polish accent, was gave us wonderful service. 

After lunch, we then headed back to The Island to explore it a little more. 

Aria was excited about getting a 2nd ride on the shuttle. She said it was her favorite part of the trip so far. 

Once we got off the shuttle we ended up going in 3 different directions.

James and Aria went to the arcade to play games. Brandi kept her Grandma company in the chairs by the water fountain. My wife and I found ourselves walking around with our grandson, Gabriel. 

On the way to "go potty" he noticed the a frog ride that he wanted to go on. We bought him and his sister a ride bracelet so they could have fun.

Here's a link to the video of him on his first ride. Its on my You Tube channel.  
Gabriel Rides A Frog

As you can see he really loved it. But he also loved the other rides. He was tall enough to go on them but had to have an adult escort. 

These were kiddie rides and a little small for his Papa to go with him. So when his mama joined us, she was his "plus 1". 

I have videos of them having fun. I will put them up on my You Tube channel later. 

The next couple of rides he went on I was able to go with him. The first was a special moment that I will always remember. We rode the big Ferris wheel. Here's the video link of part of our ride. 
Papa & Gabriel Ride The Wheel

By the time we got off The Wheel, Aria had come joined us and go on rides. The only one she wanted to get on was the carousel. 

We were lucky enough to be able to ride twice. The first time, the kids rode on the horses. 

The 2nd ride we sat they sat in a clam shell carriage and I stood on the side. 
Here's a video of some of our ride. 

One of my wife's favorite pictures from the whole trip is this one. It shows the kids in the shell. Look close, on the left you'll see me peeking from the side. 

After the carousel rides, we rejoined Brandi, James and Margaret by the fountains. We watched the top of the hour dancing fountain light show then boarded the shuttle to leave. 

We said "good night" to our grandchildren in the parking lot as they headed back to their cabin. 

On the way back to our condo, Paula and I stopped at one of my favorite frozen dessert place, Rita's Italian Ice. 

The Pigeon Forge store, next to the office of Pink Jeep Tours on the Parkway opened in late spring. 

I got my favorite flavor, root beer. Paula got sugar free cherry. 

We took it back to our condo and enjoyed it as we watched the lights of the parkway on from our veranda. 

And that's how we ended our 2nd day in the Smokies for Fall Break. 

The next day, our kids would be heading home midday. We would spend the first half of Monday with them. We would have the rest of the day and half of Tuesday to enjoy the Smokies on our own. Details on all that in post #3 in my Fall Break Getaway series. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I will see you again next time. 

  

Fall Break Get Away-Part 1

Now that I've got all my baggage from the baseball season checked and put away, its time to tell you about how my wife and I spent our Fall vacation. This year we experienced a familiar place in a different way. 

On Saturday October 5, Paula and I headed south toward east Tennessee. We were spending 3 days in our favorite get away place, the Smoky Mountains. 

This would be our 11th trip since 2010 and 13th over all. Most of those visits have been by ourselves. We did spend a weekend there in 2013 with our friends, Mark & Patty. 

For the first time since our son and daughter in law's wedding we would be with family members. What would make this even more special is that it was a celebration of James & Brandi's 10th anniversary and our grand kids would be with us.

Also, along for the weekend was Brandi's sister, Misty and her family along with their grandmother, Margaret. 

 They decided that they would stay in a cabin at the Preserve Resort where they got married a decade ago. I thought it was a great idea to take their kids back to where their family started.

This picture of the 4 of them at their cabin will be a family memory for years to come. 

The resort is in the foothills above Wears Valley and is a bit of a drive up steep and curvy roads but has some wonderful views. 

Paula and I stayed at Whispering Pines, the condo resort just off the parkway in Pigeon Forge that has become our home away from home in the Smokies. 

We like the convenience of its location and the view from our balcony isn't bad either. 

Those staying in the cabin had arrived on Thursday night and had already had a busy day Friday. They went to the aquarium in Gatlinburg, played mini-golf.  

The day we arrived was James' 31st birthday. That afternoon, at their cabin, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. I apologize for being so off key. 

Brandi's sister made him a peach cobbler as a birthday cake. James loved it. 

The grand kids were all excited about staying in the cabin. As soon as we walked in the door, they showed us all around. 

They also were excited because they were dressed up to go to the new Pirates Voyage show that night. 

 "Pirate Voyage" replaced Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Adventure show in spring of this year.  The building is out in front of "The Island" resort area. 

This was the first time Paula and I would see the show in the Smokies. We had experienced it in May 2018 while in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

We had been to a show in this building in September 2017 when we saw Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountains Adventure show. 

As with all shows in the area the first thing we did when we entered the venue was pose for pictures. 

Then we sat on benches in the lobby waiting to be let into the show room. 

Since they were already dressed like pirates, the kids wanted to get their faces painted to really look the part. 

They looked great and it really made them feel like pirates. I did my best to act surprised when the showed me their new looks. 

The show room for the Pigeon Forge version of Pirate Voyage was a lot smaller than Myrtle Beach. But that was because it had to be fit into a pre-existing venue. 

James and Brandi got us some amazing seats for this show. If you look at the picture below, our seats are circled in red. 

There were the best seats we have ever had for a dinner show anywhere.
Here's the gang as we got ready to enjoy the show. 

Here's a publicity shot of what was on the menu we were served throughout the show: creamy vegetable soup, fried chicken, pork chop, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, biscuit with butter and a peach turnover for dessert.  

The food was all very good. Much better than I expected it to be. I got rather full quickly and didn't eat a lot. In fact I had leftovers to bring home with me.  

At this point I must point out that for me this night was not about seeing one show, but 3. They were all happening around me all at the same time. One was called "Pirates Voyage".  

While being in the front row made for plenty of action taking place right in our faces throughout the show; the coolest moment for our gang came at the very beginning. 

A beautiful red parrot flew out of the backstage area to our right, circled the theater and came back to his trainer who stood right in front of us, 

while there he did some tricks for us. 

 The show had lots of pirate action and a search, of course, for treasure.

It was the blue crew vs. red crew (we we were part of the red crew) in a series of competitions and acrobatic and skills exhibitions throughout the show. This included: sword play, rope climbing tricks, diving stunts, juggling and animal acts (dogs and seals). 

There were subplots involving a secret romance and a Davy Jones animatronic rising from underneath the water. 

The storyline and action in the show main show was pretty much the same as it was in Myrtle Beach. 

It was entertaining and I liked looking for things that I didn't notice the last time I saw it. 

The second show I was watching was the coordinated effort and hard work it took for all the servers to feed a room full of hundreds of people at the same time. 

I paid particular attention to how hard our server, Misty, worked. Not only do the servers have to take care of getting the dinner served in a timely manner and keeping the drinks filled for their section (up to 30 people in 3 rows) but they also participated as flag carriers and sing in the show. 

As someone who really likes to look at the unnoticed elements that help makes an entertaining production, I enjoyed watching this "2nd show". 

Another one of the unnoticed cast members was a guy who set up props for or cleaned up after every act that happened in front of us. His duties included setting out swords, squeegeeing water off the sides of the stage, and even cleaning up a "present" the seals left behind. 

On our way out of the show I made sure I told the guy that I noticed and appreciated the part he played in the production.   

The third show I enjoyed will be the one that's a memory I will cherish for a long long time. It was watching my grandchildren's fascination with their experience. 

Both of them were enthralled and amazed by all that went on around them.  

I got such joy at watching them that at times I found myself oblivious to what was happening on stage. 

Between waving her flag and cheering, I think Aria spent the majority of the show on her feet. 

Gabriel also participated by holding up his sword and gun as his way of taking part in the show.  

Even after we left the show room they were still excited about what they had just seen. 

James then took them to the gift shop where they looked around for a souvenir. 

That's when they discovered the treasure chest of colored stones. I got this candid shot. The little marauders trying to "steal" a little booty for themselves. Of course, they were told that wasn't allowed. 

After we got out of the Pirates theater, we all decided to go to The Island so the kids could see the dancing fountains.    

We parked in the big parking lot and took the shuttle to resort area. Aria rode with us in our car. James, Brandi, Gabriel and Margaret joined us in theirs. 

While waiting at the tram stop I took this sweet picture of Aria & her Nana. 

 As we sat and watched the dancing fountains I took this close up of me and my favorite girl. 

The fountain show we watched featured the song "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey and a country song. I had never heard the country song before so I don't know what it was. I didn't manage to get any video of the fountains. But I did shoot some of my 2nd favorite Island icon. 

I was still excited about the fun we had at Pirate's Voyage. Although we still had another 2 days together with them, I told James, that this first day had already made the trip for me. 

After about 45 minutes at The Island we all decided to call it a night. 

Paula and I headed back to our condo and the Conner family went to their cabin. 

Plans for the next day weren't certain but it would turn out to be yet another memorable day. 

There you have the first day of our Fall Break getaway. Come back next time and I will share with you what we did on day 2 of our time in the Smokies. 

I'd give you a hint but I'd rather keep you in suspension. Have a great weekend everyone.