September 5-13, 2019 – Escaping the wrath of Hurricane Dorian we left town a day early going to the cabin so we didn’t have to drive in nasty weather the next day. Thank goodness we made that decision. From what we heard (neighbors) it wasn’t pretty. Kind of tame compared to what it could’ve been but still wouldn’t have been fun to drive through. The first couple (DE and Sarah) was coming in Saturday evening so we had a day or so to take care of some meetings and maintenance things before our fun started.

Saturday evening we had a simple dinner and enjoyed catching up. The guys left early for the golf course and Sarah and I started filling that big old table up with crafting supplies. It was the first day of football so that was also woven into the day. When the guys returned we ordered some wings from a local place, and tossed some meatballs in the Instant Pot. All too soon the day was coming to an end and we had an early morning planned so we hit the sack early.

Monday morning came quickly. We were in the car and headed out by 6:45 am heading to Cades Cove. It’s about an hour drive and the best chances of seeing animals is early in the morning – or at least that’s the theory. Even if you don’t see animals though, it’s just a beautiful place in the park. And it did not disappoint this morning. The sky was simply amazing and we were treated to views with low lying fog that adds so much to the landscape. We met the Mayor of Cades Cove and his wife Shirley on bikes – they were a hoot! We stopped to take so many pictures of the scenery – it was addicting. Around every bend was a different viewpoint. Of course we are constantly looking for bears as well. Those expectations were met in full force. We saw 9 bears while we were there. Nine!! On September 9! Of course there were deer and turkey and all the usual Cades Cove residents as well but the bear is usually the most exciting. Seeing a mama bear with her three cubs was so exciting! Between stopping to take scenery pictures and animal pictures we managed to kill most of the morning before calling it a day. But we left feeling like we hit the mother load.

On the way to Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome we pulled off into the Metcalf Picnic area for lunch. It was a quiet and beautiful spot. With full bellies and ready to tackle the next thing we drove over to Newfound Gap for a look. It wasn’t as hazy as it is some days so the mountains gave us beautiful layers and rich colors. It’s always one of our favorite stops when we come to the Smokies.

From there we went to Clingmans Dome. Yet another incredible place to see gorgeous views. But quite a little hike up to the top. It’s not the incline that gets a lot of people, it’s the thin air that makes it hard to breath. But we took our time and inched our way to the top. Sooooo worth it. Since it was a clear day we could see for miles. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take nearly as long to get back down. Imagine that.

By now it’s mid afternoon and we were debating on whether or not we had time to drive into Cherokee to see if we could catch the elk that supposedly hang around the Visitor’s Center. Since we were only about 30 minutes away the vote was “Yes!” Sure enough, right as we approached the Visitor’s Center we could see several elk in a field up ahead – right by the road. Orange cones and cars lined the roadside for easy viewing. These guys were only about two years old (according to what we were told) but man were they huge! It was hot so they were getting ready to head into the forest just a few minutes after we arrived. Our timing was perfect! Obviously, they’re used to humans and, I kid you not, they actually stopped at the road to make sure cars weren’t coming before they crossed it. It was crazy! We actually caught one of them looking both ways before crossing. What a neat thing to witness!

It was a good hour drive back into Gatlinburg and our lunch was about gone. We decided on Calhoun’s for dinner and it didn’t not disappoint. Bob and I got their salmon dinner (mmmmm), Sarah ordered Burnt Ends Wrapped in Bacon and DE got the sausage and ribs dinner. Everything was really good! Back at the cabin we were all pooped – we had made a full day of it!

Tuesday morning the guys met John and Cindy at the golf course and Cindy drove to the cabin. Us gals crafted during the day while the guys golfed. Chef DE fixed us a delicious dinner and then we played Yahtzee until bed. It’s amazing how much fun one can have with a few dice sitting around a table with friends. We love our game nights.

Wednesday was our last day of crafting while the guys played golf again. But we all got cleaned up for our night out going to the Murder Mystery Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge. I gotta say, it was kind of hokey but it was fun. Dinner was good old comfort food and the laughs were plentiful. DE was chosen to be one of the extras to be in the show. He was a major hit! He practiced his part and executed it to a tee! Even had people come up to him afterwards and tell him how much they enjoyed it. (That boy is multi talented!) I’m happy to say there were several at our table (the whole “9” thing continued – we were at table #9) solved the murder correctly. And that’s all I can say about that. After all, we took an oath before we left. For real.

Thursday morning us girls had a pottery class at Fowler’s Clay Works with Hunter as our teacher. We had such a fabulous time back in May we wanted to do it again. Cindy and Sarah made bowls while my clay insisted on becoming a tool mug for my craft room. Hunter is so patient and such a wonderful teacher. This may become a tradition every time we’re in town. Can’t wait to get our finished products! On the way out Mike (Fowler) showed us some of his inventory and I can’t wait for the new products to hit the shelf! It’s so exciting!! I’ll be back to pick up more Fowler masterpieces in November!

We did a little shopping after our class before grabbing a yummy lunch at the Local Attraction Gastropub. We had eaten at that location before and it was okay but nothing to write home about. But it was now under new management and a new name. We were not disappointed. We each got something different and were all happy with our choices. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be back.

It was around 2pm by the time we got back to the cabin and too later to start crafting so we started gathering stuff up for packing. So sad. But we had plans for dinner and the evening. After Chef Cindy prepared our mouth watering dinner of shrimp and pasta we all piled into the car and drove into downtown Gatlinburg to walk the new Sky Bridge. It was just completed earlier this year and has gotten rave reviews. At $19-$23 a pop it’s not a cheap thrill but something we figured we needed to do at least once. It was magnificent! The views are amazing. This bridge is the longest (680′) pedestrian suspension bridge in North America. You don’t really get a sunset because the sun goes down behind the mountain but it’s still a spectacular setting. As we were heading down I happened to get a glimpse of the moon rising behind the mountain and remembered the next night was a full moon, so tonight was going to be awesome as well. We hung around and took image after image watching that big ball rise in the sky. It was awesome!! Pictures don’t do it justice, but the experience will never fade.

The perfect end to a perfect evening would be … ice cream!! Mayfield was recommended and a short walk from the sky lift – perfect! We had filled yet another day!

All too soon, our week here together was about over. It. Went. So. Fast! Crazy how fast time flies when you’re with loved ones having fun. Laughter was in abundance, friendships were cemented even more and lifetime memories were made. I love you guys! Until next time …