Great Smokies, originally uploaded by cheryl.
Last week Mommy and Daddy snuck away for a few days or R & R. It was our first vacation in two years, even if it was only four days! That’s what having three boys in school and two working parents will do for you. Grammy and Pappy were nice enough to treat us to a few days away while Grammy was off from work and while the boys were on fall break.
On Monday morning, we got the kids off to school and then started packing the truck. Grammy came over that afternoon about lunch to pick up car seats and car rider tags for the afternoon school pick-ups. She also got instruction lists – mostly school details for Monday and Tuesday – and the emergency medical release forms and insurance cards for all three boys. And then we were off …
Our favorite vacation spot – because it’s relatively close and we have some lodging connections – is the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We got there Monday night and stayed until Thursday afternoon (I did have to come back to work on Thursday night, after all).
Our first day was mostly spent traveling and getting settled in. We got to our rental cabin (a nice treat thanks to a builder buddy of Josh’s), put our things away, and tried out the hot tub. Then it was back to town for dinner at one of our favorite places in the Smokies – Calhoun’s – steak, mashed potatoes and the best white chicken chili ever. We also picked up some groceries to get us through the next few days.
Day two was a day in the mountains. We slept in, packed our day bag and our cooler, and headed to the national park. We hiked the Chimney Tops trail head that day – a 4-mile round trip hike to one of the highest points in the Smokies. You get to scale a large rock face to actually get to the top – a part some people skip. I might have been one of them, but Josh insisted the view was worth it. It’s funny how having children changes your perspective. I always climbed to the top as a kid, would never have dreamed of NOT climbing it. This time, I could have passed and been fine. But I will give it to Josh, the view was amazing once I did a little rock climbing to the top.
We ended day two with another dip in the hot tub and then back to town for dinner – this time a favorite chain restaurant – Johnny Carino’s. My new favorite meal to fix at home is something called Chicken Scallopini – and the original recipe comes from this restaurant. I order it, and of course, loved it. It was nice to enjoy it without having to put all the effort in to actually make it.
Day three was another day in the mountains. We slept in a little, but did set our alarm this time. We had set our sights on one of our usual trails – Alum Cave Bluffs. It’s only about 5 miles round trip, and it’s a huge rock overhang about halfway up the mountains. It also is a stopping point on a longer trail – one that leads all the way up to Mount LeConte – which is the highest point in the Smokies. There’s also a primitive lodge on top where you can, for a fee and once you make your reservations years in advance, spend the night. We weren’t going to be doing that, but we thought it might be nice to see a different trail for a change. It’s another 2 or so miles – pretty much straight up – to get there.
You see, my family has been going to the Smokies since I was a little kid. I’ve hiked all the major trails at least 15 or 20 times in my lifetime. Abrams Falls, check. Laurel Falls, check. Alum Cave Bluffs, check. Chimney Tops, check.
But Mount LeConte, no check. It’s a little over 5 miles one way. It’s also considered a relatively difficult hike in terms of elevation and trail quality. There were places where the trail was maybe a foot-and-a-half wide with a really, really long, steep drop off the side. There were safety cables, but there was also water and snow that could have easily turned to ice. It had it’s moments, let me tell you. Especially for people not used to hiking every day.
We packed a lunch (meaning we picked up Subway the night before) and we packed plenty of Gatorade. We had some snacks and the camera, and we made a day of it. We started at 11 that morning and didn’t make it back to our truck until almost 7 that night. We also hiked just over 12 miles – most of it straight up – in a single day.
We made it to Alum Cave Bluffs about 1 o’clock, enjoyed a little break and lunch under the arch, then headed on up. We made it to the lodge area around 4 that afternoon, then spent another hour or two hiking on two different trails from the lodge – a short few tenths of a mile to the Cliff View trail and another one just over a mile long to Myrtle Point. The views were amazing, and it was totally worth it.
It was also exhausting. And it hurt to walk the next day. And the day after that. But we have some amazing pictures to show for it. And we can also say that we’ve now been to the highest point in the Smokies!
That night we stopped in to visit with Grandma and Grandpa at their condo. They brought three of the grandkids – Connor plus cousins Austin and Kyndal – down for a few days of fall break. We met up with them at the condo swimming pool, got a much-needed hug from the oldest son, and then headed out for a very late dinner – breakfast actually – at the IHOP.
Our last day was uneventful. We slept in, packed up and then headed into town for a few last minute stops. We made the required visit to the local candy maker’s shop – dark chocolate raspberry jellies and made-right-there taffy. We also picked up some fudge for our babysitters back home. We did a little outlet shopping. Next was lunch with the family, and then watching the kids race around the go-cart tracks for a little while before heading back home.
It was nice to sneak away, but it was time to head back to reality. Two little boys were waiting at home for Mommy and Daddy. Work on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for Mommy. Connor will come home this afternoon. And then the work and school week starts all over again …