What a way to kick off the 2012 vacation season...Allyson and Adaya made their way up from Orlando to join Jessica and I in Gatlinburg for the weekend. Who knew taking 2 days off from work would feel so good.
Last year the four of us went down to Savannah, so I wondered how much this trip would feel like a "vacation". Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. We rented a cute little cabin and had one heck of a relaxing, yet wacky time.
Allyson and Adaya flew in Thursday afternoon. Their flight was delayed by a few minutes. We're pretty sure it had something to do with that silly solar flare. Kidding....but once I scooped them up for the airport, we headed over to Jessica's to load up the car and grab some lunch before we began our adventure.
After we unloaded our car full of stuff at the cabin, we headed back down the mountain for a little tourist shopping. Before I forget, I must give Jessica kudos for navigating those tricky mountain roads.
Ole Smoky Mountain Moonshine Distillery was our first stop. They have moonshine tasting. I wasn't a fan of the pre-made Apple Pie Moonshine. I like Jason's Apple Jack better. I think the dude behind the counter was getting mad because I kept calling it Apple Jack. I hear there's a strawberry shine coming out soon. I love strawberries...this could get interesting.
After the shine tasting and shopping, we walked to the next shop, Bootleggers Homemade Wine. They were playing Kenny Chesney's "Back Where I Come From" on repeat. It was a sign. I'm not a big wine drinker, but the ones they had to offer were pretty good. We ended up with a bottle of blackberry wine. I also ended up with an orange and white shirt that said "High Class My Ass" on the back. Hello, Neyland Stadium!
I really wanted the shirt that said "Put the South in your Mouth", but that one didn't come in orange. Maybe it will soon.
When we travel, we like to dine at local establishments. If it's one of a kind, the more we like it. I found a menu for the Park Grill Steakhouse while checking out at Ole Smoky Moonshine. It was starting to rain, so we drove over after all of our taste testing. I opted for the Moonshine Chicken garlic mashed potatoes. Both were delicious. This was the first of many meals we would all enjoy.
More of the adventure in coming posts...until then, enjoy the picture show...
Cheers!
the beginning of NASCAR
the bear hunt begins
No comments:
Post a Comment