Driving through Cumberland Gap kept bringing me to an old country song...
Upon arriving in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we stayed at the Park Vista hotel which sits high above the city with beautiful views and a twisty private drive.
There are breakfast restaurants everywhere in Tennessee - I guess that makes it a perfect tourist town. We spent a day doing some activities that we typically save just for fun vacation times!
At Hillbilly Golf, we rode the rail car 300 feet up the side of the mountain and played 18 holes of mini golf among the outhouses, old wagons and other hillbilly obstacles, not to mention the height and vegetation.
Then we rode golf carts and rides! Ryan wasn't too interested...
That night we attended the Dixie Stampede. What a neat show of horse riding stunts, music and patriotic pride! It was fun to participate in the show with a meal that had no utensils! Lots of delicious food (like a Cornish hen) with only our hands.
The next day we rented a Jeep, took the top off and cruised through the Great Smoky Mountains. We all thought it would be a lot of fun but the guy in the driver's seat was most excited!
We drove Cades Cove Loop and saw a lot of neat buildings that were once occupied as homes, churches and school inside the Smoky Mountain property.
We have family friends by the last name of Whitehead and there were many deceased in this particular cemetery by that last name.
We hiked several trails, had a picnic in the mountains and saw the cascades at the Greater Smoky Mountain Institute. We found some water to wade in and had fun dipping our toes, too.
Care free Jeep cruisin' is a great vacation idea!
