Rocky Top, you'll always be...a great vacation to me!! 2014 (Pt.1)

We just returned from our family vacation to Tennessee and it was a blast!! This year, we had zero barfing episodes and zero flat tires! Can you say, "VICTORY??" :) We left Georgia on a very rainy, ugly Tuesday after Learning Grove. The rain came down in sheets and torrents. Crossing the Smoky Mountain National Parkway with so much rain was really cool seeing the rushing, rapid water on the mountain. The water looked alive! We had never seen true rapids until that drive over the mountain. It was quite impressive and a little bit scary!

my cute man enjoying his coffee

Me

We arrived in our favorite little hotel on Tuesday evening, checked in and went to get some yummy, brick-oven pizza at Big Daddy's for supper. The restaurant had an arcade AND good pizza, and we all enjoyed it! The next morning, we enjoyed our free continental breakfast and then the kids had their picture made with the "lobby bird". This bird lives there and he's certainly fun to look at! This is the look that our 8 year old son thinks is funny to do in pictures. We told him that he looks like a bratty 3 year old, but he says he thinks it's funny to pretend to be mad. (I wonder what he'll think in 15 years when we pull it out and show it to his future family??!!)

First night swim:

One of the kid's favorite things to do is swim! We love that this hotel has a heated, indoor swimming pool! We all swam in it every night!  

Next stop: NASCAR Fun Park

Trent was a racecar beast!

Rach was a cautious driver!

Nick and Trent were brave enough to try the big racecars!

Rach, Brad, Nick and Trent loved this spinning ride

We had fun watching Nick and Brad drive a fast racecar!

Nick took Brad on a fast ride too!

Rach LOVES putt putt!!!

Nick took Trent in a fast racecar too!

Trent and I raced around a track together and he "smoked" me!!

After a full day of putt putt, racing cars, fun amusement rides and tokens at the arcade, we said "goodbye" to NASCAR!!

...To Be Continued