Spring break 2017 day 4

This day started with eating the donuts we got from the shop in Gatlinburg--even at a day old, they were pretty good.  We then checked out of the hotel and headed up near Sevierville, to a petting zoo that also offers pony rides.  You were very excited for both. as was daddy (and mommy).  It was really great!  We got to see lots of different animals, some that even I had never seen before.  Nearly all of them ate right out of our hands and you seemed to like going in the pens with the goats and fallow deer best.  After the zoo part, we did the pony ride.  Dad lead the pony while you rode and you loved it, no surprise.
We had a snack lunch in the car after we got checked in at our last hotel, the LaQuinta Inn of Knoxville East.  Since the weather was still decent (it was cloudy and warm), we visited Frozen Head State Park, about an hour northwest of here.  We did a lovely hike along the creek that lead to 2 falls.  It was a great hike except there were tons of gnats constantly bugging us.  Not as big of a problem when we were walking along, but any time that we were still was a moment they used to surround us.  There were tons of black moths with spotted wings and some butterflies, too.  The only wildlife we saw this time was a little garter snake.  You complained about how long it was on the way up, then tried to go too fast on the way down (you were excited for playground time) and fell, scraping your arm and a little on your forehead.  We hope and pray that you have learned from the experience.  You held your arm out straight because you were worried that it would hurt to bend it the rest of the trail back.
We did stop at the playground (after mommy bandaged you up) for a few minutes--you weren't so sure this was going to be a good idea, yet quickly forgot about your arm pain after a sweet girl came right up and greeted you as soon as you stepped onto the play area :)
After this, we returned to Knoxville and had pizza at Sergeant Pepperoni's.  It was just average pizza, nothing special.  Following this, we continued back to the hotel, where we went swimming for a bit in the less than warm and not as clear as the St. Louis hotel pool.  All in all, it was a great day and I hope tomorrow will be just as lovely :)

Spring break 2017, day 2

This morning started with a phone call from your room to mommy and daddy's, asking to come over and get your phone.  After this, we all got ready, packed up, said goodbye to grandma, and were on the road to head to the cave.  Our first stop was at a Casey's for a bit of gas and some donuts.  Daddy accidentally let you get a donut with filling--you did not approve at all and ended up eating the rest of one of his glazed donuts.
The weather was rainy for a while, then clear and actually quite warm in the car at times.  Our second stop was in Owensville at a city park for a quick potty break, picnic lunch, and time for you to play at the playground.  It seems we got on the road just in time, as it turned stormy again right after this.  I had the windshield wipers going as fast as possible and you told me to turn them on faster lol.  Luckily, we drove out of the storm after only a few minutes and had clear travel the rest of the way to the cave.
We arrived at Lost River Cave just in time to make the 3pm tour.  We had to walk a short path to join the tour, which started minutes after we arrived.  Our guide was very nice, led us down the hill and told us history about the place before we entered the cave area.  You found this part to be a bit too long, asking me why he (the guide) was still talking at one point lol.  Again, our timing was great--just after we got to the overhang of the cave entrance, the rain showers started back up again.  The tour was really cool--it was a boat ride in the cave, lasting maybe 15-20 minutes.  We got to see a couple of very small bats, feel the cold water at the side of the boat, and see back past the dam area before turning around and heading back out the way we came in.  It was raining lightly as we walked back up to the gift shop, then turned into a thunderstorm as we shopped.  We waited it out for a few minutes in the shop, taking our time to look around. We picked up a shot glass for Nana Linda and you chose a little crystal mining kit as your souvenir.
Back in the car, it was a wet drive all the rest of the way to the hotel here in Cookeville, TN.  We went to Chili's for dinner, despite your grumbling that you wanted to go elsewhere.  You were a bit of a pain when we first arrived, but then finally came to your senses and decided to get a kids meal.  Mommy and daddy had wings that were probably the hottest (spicy level) we've ever had in our lives.  We then returned to the hotel, ready to hit the pool.  You and mommy went down to check it out first.  I turned on the hot tub and watched as you tiptoed onto the first step of the pool a few feet away, telling me that it was too cold (I checked--it was indeed on the cold side).  We were the only ones in there and quicky figured out why: the chlorine/chemical level in the air was so high it was stinging our eyes.  Within minutes, you started coughing from it as well and we bailed.  Daddy was surprised to see us back so quickly until we explained why.
You wrote your journal, we watched TV, and are now about to head to bed.  It's been a great day again, hoping the to continue the trend tomorrow!  love you, little traveler.

Spring break trip 2017, day 1

It's finally spring break for mommy, so I decided we should travel and have some family fun time!  Technically yesterday was day 1--we went to Grandma Judy's to stay the night, which isn't a new thing, so I figured we'd start counting from today.  Today we traveled from Grandma's to St. Louis, to stay the night at the Lumière Place (HoteLumière). Uncle Kevin was with us, as we were first meeting up with Nana Linda so that she could take him to her place for a long visit.  We shopped in Costco with her, then grabbed some pizza there for lunch before heading over by ourselves (you, mommy, daddy, and Grandma Judy (Silly Buddy had to go away to work)) to the hotel to check in.  We tried to go to the zoo after check-in, but even at one hour until closing, it was too busy to even get parked, so we opted to go to Lone Elk Park in West County instead.  It's a drive-thru park that has elk, bison, deer, turkeys, and other animals roaming about.  We were lucky enough to see one elk (yep, a lone elk!), quite a few bison, and two deer.

We then returned to the hotel so that we could hit the pool--you were quite excited for this.  We bought you some goggles just the other day so that you could try getting used to putting your face in the water.  You love playing in the pool, but you're not comfortable with water on your face/eyes (even in the shower, this bothers you).  You did well today for a first try with goggles--you put your face in a few times, just for a couple of seconds.

After the pool, we cleaned up and went out to dinner at Grandma Judy's favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse.  You ate very well here--had some rolls with the cinnamon butter, most of a caesar salad, and a few fries.  We then returned to the hotel and hung out with Grandma until bedtime.  You are sleeping in her room so we can all have our own beds tonight :)  I think we are off to a great start and hope it only gets better as we go along!