I am writing tonight from Gatlinburg. I’m not sure when we’ll get the Internet up and running, so this may not be posted today!
I’m drinking a wine labeled “EVIL” (written upside down) which seems to fit the mood for our arrival here in Gatlinburg. It had its bumps.
The drive, for the most part, was pretty good. Jameson is proving to be a good traveler. Even better than his brother at times, because he doesn’t ask for candy or for movies (we have bowed to conventional parenting and bought a DVD player, but try to limit his watching to very select times). Jameson did take a while to settle in to his second nap, but he was gloriously happy when we were stuck in a traffic jam in the midst of pre-Gatlinburg American sludge. He was shrieking happily, which we responded back with more shrieks, which resulted in high-pitched giggles and even more shrieks. I leaned my seat way back (I was in front of him—not driving!) and held cheerios and raisins out for him (over my head—was at about his lap). He grabbed them eagerly, stuffed them in his mouth, dropping a few with every handful. I later cleaned about a couple of handfuls from his seat.
We had a nice lunch in downtown Lexington. We intended to go to a kids’ museum downtown that has reciprocity with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. Well, it didn’t exactly work out… the museum is closed on Monday. (note: I had asked Stefan to look up its hours… just in case… but he didn’t do it. I decided not to gloat, because there was a beautiful little park downtown with lots of fountains that we had a great lunch in). Jameson walked and walked and walked. He toddled, unsteadily, towards the big fountains, taking a few falls, until he nearly reached them and a parental unit picked him up (with kicking legs and very upset noises) and put him far away. Then, repeat process.
Oh, and Jameson tried to feed Stefan some of his lunch. Very cute.
Alex enjoyed the park too. He ran and ran and ran all around, jumping off of ledges and getting as close as possible to the fountains without getting too wet.
But… back to the traffic jam. And chintzy American entertainment. Why does anyone need entertainment like that (Elvis shows, bumper cars, bungee jumping, carnival rides) when you are in the midst of the Smokey Mountains?? Why did we decide to come here?? Okay, the answer to that is that Alex begged and begged and begged. He clearly remembers the cable-car and a certain ice cream store from our brief, curiosity-driven stop here two years ago. (note: Stefan and I just decided that we will not come back of our own free will, however we will make this trip as amazing as possible. Moreover, the next time we go to the mountains it will be to a more things that I/we like, such as natural food stores, yoga classes, etc, etc!).
So… after taking about 45 minutes to go 1 mile, we got through it and found our way to our condo outside of Gatlinburg. The kitchen leaves a little to be desired (tiny doesn’t begin to describe it) but the upper-level master suite with a vaulted ceiling, hot tub and a beautiful view more than makes up for it. Kudos to Stefan for finding this place. Jameson breaks out of various barriers I concoct while Stefan unloads the van, until we put a few suitcase in the hallway that he can’t get over. He loves climbing up the steps. (note: Stefan says the kitchen is perfect, for this place, as long as only one person is in it. Then he changed his mind and said it was “adequate”.)
Stefan takes off to get some groceries and mass-chaos breaks out. First, I have to feed the kids dinner. Mac and cheese. Goes over pretty well despite our lack of milk. Next, within the space of about 30 crazy minutes, all of these things happen, the order of which is insignificant, most because I can’t remember!
· Jameson learns he can put his head through the bars of the railing on the balcony, scaring his mother.
· I have Alex watch Jameson for a minute while I take my suitcase upstairs to unload it, and I bump my head (hard!) on a light fixture. I may have broken it (the fixture, not the head)
· In desperation to get away from the balcony, I take the boys upstairs. I indulge Jameson and let him climb up. He stops half-way and starts to pull on the hand-rail. When re-directing doesn’t work, I pick him up, while he is kicking and objecting, and take him upstairs. Thankfully, there is a door at the top of the stairs.
· Alex gets in trouble for jumping from the window sill to the bed and has to sit in time-out.
· Jameson sticks his hand in the toilet.
· While I try to unpack, Jameson learns how to turn on the faucets for the hot-tub. Now it is the only thing he wants to do on the upper level.
· While holding Jameson and trying to put dishes in the sink, Jameson bites me really hard. He doesn’t mean to bite (he’s teething) but I wasn’t expecting it, so I yelled really loud, scaring him—making him cry.
· I look at my watch 5 or 6 times waiting for Stefan to arrive.
So we try something else… the kids are totally squirmy from being in the car all day. We go outside. There’s a nice grassy space with a similar view to our upper level. But… the pool is nearby and acts as a kid-magnet.
So… I figure Stefan can’t be too far away, and it is nearly bath time, so I take the kids for a super-quick trip to the pool. My plan (oh, the wonderful plan!) is for Stefan to help when we come back from the pool.
We walk up the big, long flight of stairs for a second time. Jameson wants to do it himself, but with splinter-filled wood I opt to carry the squirmy baby.
We swim. Alex is really getting good. Jameson loves being splashed by Alex. Again, the view can’t be beat.
I drag the kids away from the magnet. We get back down the steps and then up the steps to the condo. No Stefan. Apparently traffic is bad in Gatlinburg (go figure).
We elect to all take a bath together (note: when should one stop bathing with their children?). We fill it up deep, deep, deep so we can turn the jets on. A fun 5 minutes, but then craziness reigns as I try to get Jameson and I dry at the same time (reference Jameson’s new-found joy in turning on the faucets if loose in the master-bedroom).
How many other mothers have been in these crazy moments?
Naked baby jets across the room and turns on the faucets, annoying his brother who is still in the tub. I’m desperately trying to pull some clothes on. I pick up the baby, walk him to the other side of the room, and try again to dry off and get dressed. The baby speeds across the room, etc, etc.
So… then we move downstairs, locate some pajamas and diapers, Jameson is crying, I just want to hand him over to someone (anyone!) so I can comb my hair before it drips all over my shirt. Instead I get him dressed, make a bottle, settle in.
Then, yay, Stefan comes back! Food for grown-ups! Wine! Help with the kids! I can comb my hair!!
Now, hours later, the kids are asleep in the same room (after a short interval of Jameson screaming and Alex yelling “BE QUIET JAMESON”), our dinner has been eaten, the wine is good, the sun is set, and there’s a breeze and a chorus of insects. Maybe there is a reason we came on vacation, after all.
Stefan’s Version:
So the drive from Cincinnati to Lexington was uneventful. Only on minor Stau after crossing over the KY border. An accident, with a TV news crew dutifully on the scene. Less than a quarter mile slow-up.
Apparently, I was supposed to find out the hours of the Lexington Explorium last night. I did not or simply forgot. It looked cool, but was closed on Monday. Luckily the city’s “Triangle Park” does not close. The fountains are a great motivator for a new walker – Jameson. He walked most of the 10 meters from the lunch bench to the water with few falls along the way. He’s going to have a blast on the beach, where it won’t hurt to fall. For that matter, he’s so close to the ground that it probably doesn’t hurt that much when his hands hit the pavement.
Christine drove from Lexington to the TN border. We stopped at the tourist info stop to find out if the Knoxville Discovery Center was open. No info there, so we decided to skip it. Apparently, some time in KY, the low-fuel light came on. Alex remembered that it was called, “the Dummy Light” and asked if it was on. 20-miles of worrying about running out of gas, we stopped just after the “Stinking Creek” exit and refueled. But we could only get $50 worth of gas. It was enough to reach the full tank level. So, we’re good to go to our next stop in SC.
The road from Sevierville to G-burg reminded me of why we only come here infrequently. If I never make the trip again, I’ll be happy. Every chain restaurant was present. Every sort of US tourist trap was available, from cheesy dinosaurs, to mini-golf, to quick marriage places were available. Too bad we didn’t see a store that might offer an additional digital camera. We forgot to pick one up while in “civilization”.
Jameson continues to crack us up. He loved the drive with the back window open in the mini-van. Take note, Detroit. When it seemed as if he was on the verge of insanity, we sang. Once through Pigeon Forge, the natural beauty of the area came upon us and Alex became excited about the park. At the NPS/Sevierville COC info stop, he discovered a ranger hat that he “needs”. Once he attends a Jr. Ranger Course, he’ll get one, of course.
With the amazing view over the mountains away from the crowds, and shelter adequate for our needs, I’m glad that I found this place back in March. J-mo will need to be monitored at all times, though. He can fit his head through the balcony bars, or so I hear. He found the steps up to the master suite, but prefers to try to step up using the bars after crawling up eight steps. He even discovered how to exit from the abode while Alex and I brought in our gear. What a little stinker!
But supplies we needed, so an excursion to the Food City and Wine Store was in order for me.
G-burg was “so high school”. The sidewalks were filled with people. The streets were filled with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. The ride down from our aerie was scary enough with the winding, narrow roads. Now I had to contend with people crossing the street in proper pedestrian crossings where the vehicles have to yield to those on foot.
The store parking lot was crowded. Cars fighting for parking spaces. We’ll have to make a trip tomorrow, Tuesday, for more wine, since Liquor stores in this state are closed on the 4th of July. Plus, I forgot to get half and half for Christine’s coffee in the morning. So that we don’t have to fight traffic and pedestrians again, we’ll stock up on other provisions as well.
Heading back to the chalet, I became misdirected. I have failed to obtain a detailed map of G-burg, with all of the side roads, especially ours on the mountain. Apparently, I was supposed to turn at stop-light number 5, at the corner of “No-Way Jose’s” restaurant. I do recall seeing it from the east side, not the west. The Ski-Mountain Road is nice and I needed to go a bit further into the National Park to gain access to the G-burg Bypass Road. I didn’t want to go too far and not be able to turn around. I finally did find my way back to the Campbell-Lead Road, which does have a way to get to the Ski Mountain Road. Perhaps we’ll follow that another day.
I love garbanzo beans and chow mien noodles on my salad. Bought a small bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey to celebrate our son’s birth day. Now I must get back to my book, which is entertaining, but not as funny as Terry Pratchett, Robert Aspirin, or Piers Anthony, for that matter.
Stop in Lexington, Kentucky:
3 July
(Stefan)
Today was rather low-key. Alex and I went grocery shopping at Food City. He survived ¾ of it without a fuss. It was when we got to the frozen food section did he decide that he was done. At least the store and G-burg are beginning to make sense to me.
Upon returning, both Christine and J-Mo were napping. So we hung out on the porch and admired the view. We discovered a nest of bright yellow and orange striped paper wasps. Later that afternoon, I saw one holding a green orb, perhaps a berry, in it’s mouth. I took a blurry photo of it, but the flash scared it away before I could refine my efforts. As it flew away, it hit my hand, causing me to drop the camera – a reminder to always use the strap.
It was decided that we had better get into the park so that Alex could earn his “Junior Ranger” badge. Sandwiches were made and snacks were packed. On the way, we stopped at the “Happy Hiker” to scout out the start point for the G-burg Volksmarch.
The Happy Hiker is a great store for hiking gear. Christine was in heaven. Alex browsed the hiking poles, none of which were his size. We did find one a the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the park. Obligingly, we indulged his desire so that we could walk the 10K tomorrow morning. What a great way to celebrate the birthday of our nation.
We were hoping to attend a ranger talk on bears, but discovered that took place at another location miles away. Really, we wanted to go hunting for salamanders, which we did. In the meantime, we had lunch and hiked the mile-long nature trail. That will eliminate a bit of our walk tomorrow. We simply need to get to Cataract Falls, perhaps purchasing a kid-sized ranger hat for kicks. Alex wants one.
J-Mo is walking like crazy. He really wants to go far. But he still has the balance thing to work out. Uneven pavement still gives him problems. Hopefully our excursion into the forest will imprint into his memory. I love listening to his happy gurgles as we pass trees, posts, and signs he can touch.
Returning back to the ranch, Alex and Christine went swimming, while J-Mo and I had a rest. At least I rested and finished book number one for the trip. J-Mo fussed for quite a while. Alex returned with a touch of diarrhea. Hopefully it will pass soon. Then we cooked chicken tikka masala from a jar, brought from home. J-Mo loved it and also enjoyed sampling red pepper strips. Alex tolerated the bit of spice. Not quite as good as Shalimar restaurant back home, but passable.
Neighbor kids are loud. Family from the south, speaking with a twang. Currently, at 9:45, they are up, perhaps waiting for the midnight parade through town. The “first” parade in the country celebrating the 4th. Fireworks over the city tomorrow. I have no desire to hang out in town, with the hoards of people. I’ll stick to our mountain-top aerie to watch what I can. If the show tomorrow is good, we might even have to wake up J-Mo for the excitement.
Hike #1, a one-mile nature trail:
4 July(Stefan)
In spite of the bit of traffic noise and some fussing from a tired boy, the Volksmarch was quite enjoyable. We ended up skipping the 1-mile nature trail loop, having done it yesterday. That’s the beauty of these Year-Round Events (YREs), they can be walked in sections. Alex received his Junior Ranger hat after hiking the 2 miles to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Now he simply needs to complete a few more activities before receiving his official badge.
Cataract Falls was nice. The trail really is easy, with 4x4 sides and crushed gravel interior. Apparently, the park does not want old people to get lost in the woods so close to the visitor center. The route also passes by some of the staff housing along the West Prong Little Pigeon River.
About a half-mile from the end in G-burg, we stopped for quire a while at a wide, sandy spot on the river. Both boys enjoyed splashing in the water. J-Mo required an outfit change. Alex stripped down to his underwear. The benefits of being a five-year old boy are amazing.
The Whole Earth, hippy grocery store was closed for the 4th. Our bread supply is dangerously low. How else will we be able to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Apparently in an effort to ration our jelly supply to make it last the entire trip, jelly was not put on our trail sandwiches this morning. (Christine’s edit: I didn’t know that jelly was required! I like peanut-butter-only sandwiches) After walking an hour to Cataract Falls, anticipating a fully flavored, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It only took one bite for me to realize that jelly was not included. How disappointing. Not wanting to complain much more, the peanut butter was somewhat lacking as well. (it was not, I piled it on!) Two slices of bread would have sufficed. I do appreciate the effort Christine went through in concocting the trail snacks. Yet the chocolate-caramel brownie “Luna” bar was good substitute for the missing jelly. The trail bar was what I was really in the mood for anyway, but the perishable sandwich made it out first.
(Christine)
Stefan has been chiding me because he is “blogging” more than me. Sleep and yoga are just a little more important.
I feel good. Between early morning yoga, toting Jameson around, hiking long distances two days in a row, going swimming, and general parenthood, I have had a workout!
The Volksmarch was nice. We did about 5 miles. The first two floated by in no time. Our most frequent conversation revolved around trying to restrict Alex’s visits off the trail to the river to throw rocks. Then Alex got his “ranger hat,” which he was totally thrilled with. He looked so adorable hiking around with his walking stick and ranger hat.
Jameson is very indulgent with us. We are wrecking his carefully established routine and nap-times. But he happily rides along in the pack, even taking a nap when necessary.
(yesterday when Alex and Stefan were participating in a Ranger program on salamanders, Jameson and I hiked up a trail together and he quickly settled into a nap while I hiked. It was great to hike at a “grown-up” pace (no stops for Alex, not that I mind most of the time, but it is nice to just hike fast…))
To continue in praise of Jameson, he makes happy chirps when we step outside (yay, we’re going somewhere!), when we stop the car and open his door (yay, we’re somewhere new!), when we walk into a new place, when we walk into the pool area, even when we go upstairs! I guess it is one of the big things that makes the bother of dealing with his little needs worthwhile… seeing the pure joy he experiences from everyday things.
I am glad to see that the boys can survive a five mile hike. Now, I’m about to pull out the day-hike map of the Smokey’s and plan tomorrow’s hike. I think I could do this for a week or two. Get up early, do some yoga as the sun rises over the mountains. Get the family up and out the door. Go hiking with plenty of stops for snacks, bottles, diapers, rock-throwing and stream-dipping. Come back, eat a late lunch. Nap. Swim. Relax and eat a wonderful dinner. Admire the view. Get the kids in bed. Read books. Repeat.
Speaking of dinner, Stefan made an amazing one tonight. Steak with spinach and crab topping (copied from Bonefish Grille) and beans and rice topped with guacamole. But this wasn’t just any beans and rice… he pulled out his tackle kit of spices and flavors and made a phenomenally delicious concoction. Jameson loved it. Alex stuck with his baked beans.
Sadly, we only have one full day left. So I’m trying to decide… a hike with water? A hike with a view? A loop hike? A hike on the Appalachian Trail? Time to go decide.
(back to Stefan)
Woke up Alex just in time to see the g-burg fireworks show. I’m impressed with the advances made in pyrotechnology. I don’t remember as many purples and color-changing fireworks as when I was a teenager watching the shows at the Ann Arbor Airport. I certainly don’t remember any of the shows seen at age five held a Buhr Park. What were they thinking back then? Gallup and Huron Hills Golf Course would have been a better venue! I should plant the bug into Cheryl’s ear.
Anyway…the show started exactly at 10pm and lasted exactly 20 minutes. We could see the show from our balcony. Next time I come to Gatlinburg on the 4th of July and stay at the Highland Condos, I’ll be sure to bring a saw in case I want to remove a few trees so we can see the ‘works. We are actually at a higher altitude than most of the show. Kind of an unusual perspective. No idea how many people saw them from below.
I’ve been wondering about the history of this town and region. I’m sure that it was a backwoods, rural place until the Smoky Mountains National Park was formed in 1934. Soon, thereafter, the tourist economy blossomed. What was the first hotel here? What was the first tourist trap to spring up? When did the Ripley franchise move in? Who actually owns the land and buildings? Where is the infrastructure located: power station, sanitation, and landfill?
Do they recycle here? Not at the highlands nor at the national park. The dumpster here is wood-enclosed on all sides and the top. Plus a heavy-duty wire to lock the actual dumpster. Apparently, there are really bears out here. I’m sure that raccoons would probably not warrant the trash security. Plus at Sugarlands, it did not take long before a retiree swept up J-Mo’s peanut butter cracker crumbs. Was it cleanliness in mind or was it a preventive measure to ward off the local large wildlife?
Today, I have a strong odor of wasp/hornet poison at the condos. I wonder what effect that will have on my future health? Why not just smash the nests with a small shovel? Moving slowly, one could trap the nests and move them to a euthanization chamber away from me and my family? I’ve forgotten how to do calculus! This may be due to lack of practice over the years or it may be due to inhaled toxins meant to kill insects. We’ll never know.
As to tomorrow’s adventure, I wonder where we shall go? Will we revisit our previous adventure to Grotto Falls along the motor way? Or will we venture to a new part of the park? I’m still looking for the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area Pavilion on the maps. A Junior Ranger program starts there at 10am involving “Crawling and Splashing”. Apparently visitors are supposed to ask for these locations. Too bad our phone line does not fit into the phone here denying us access to the Internets.
Hike #2, a 5 mile section of a Volksmarch route:
The swallowtail butterflies were unusual, in that they enjoyed eating horse manure. On the fresher droppings, a dozen or so butterflies would be feasting, proboscises sunk deeply into the dookie. Yuck.
After warning Alex to use caution and go slowly when climbing rocks along the river, Christine decided to slip on some wet moss and hit her chin on a rock as an example of what not to do. Luckily, she didn’t drop several feet over the edge into to the river and instead, landed in a side puddle. At future stops, Alex was much more humble in his acrobatic feats.
J-Mo discovered a cut grape vine hanging over the trail. He enjoyed swinging it pendulum style. He also enjoyed his usual attempts at touching trees and rocks. Moss was fun to touch.
At the end point of our trek, Alex certainly earned his Junior Ranger Badge after spotting a large slimy salamander come out from it’s den to catch an insect for lunch. Way to go Big A! That was so cool. Reminds me of the lizard I saw gobble up a dragonfly in the Grand Canyon when I was 17.
We’ve been having issues with the settings of our digital camera. A lot of great shots were lost due to blurry images. Battery life is becoming an issue. After three years, it is probably time to invest in a new one or two. I need something that will allow me to capture bugs up-close without thinking about what I’m doing. I’ll have to try Mike’s digital Canon Rebel, since we already have lenses for our 35mm one.
After a few hours nap, we headed down to G-burg, via the aerial tramway. J-Mo was rather mellow about it, but did seem to enjoy both the descent and ascent, which was not crowded at all. The tram operator noted that in the high tourist season, about 100K people stay in the G-burg area. I believe it.
We hiked through town to the Great Smoky Mountains Trout Restaurant, but decided to eat at “No Way Jose’s.” Alex discovered that he liked the cornmeal that came with my entrée. J-Mo enjoyed a few tomatoes from the salsa.
Returning back to Zirnaja, Alex and Christine went for a swim. J-Mo needed to walk and walk around the condo with me. He was playing with the sunscreen bottle, managed to get the top off, spill several splotches, and may have even consumed a bit of it. Hopefully it won’t affect him negatively. Both Christine and I are at fault. We now know better. These learning experiences can be scary.
We are mostly packed and ready to head to SC for the next stop on our trip. We’ll certainly stop to pick up Alex’s Junior Ranger Badge in the morning. Hopefully traffic won’t be too bad through the park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Speaking of traffic, why do people insist on speeding through the park? Why do drivers seem to enjoy riding each other’s tail? On the way out of the park, I must have pulled over a half-dozen times to let other vehicles pass. Why don’t slower drivers do this more often? There are frequent pull-off spots and very few passing lanes.
The insecticide smell is much less prevalent today. I must check on my colony of hornet/wasps to see how they are getting on in their life cycle. Plus I see a couple of other bugs that look unfamiliar. Time for some photos and a night of rest.
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