Tennessee - A 3 Part Miniseries (1)

We loaded up the minivan and took the kids down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a five day vacation with my family. Gatlinburg is an interesting place. It's like one part Dolly Parton, one part state fair, one part "as seen on TV" and seven parts gorgeous -- all wrapped inside a pancake. Gatlinburg itself is like the Daytona Beach of the Appalachian Mountains and probably isn't for everyone, but the Great Smoky Mountains are something everyone should see at least once. (As a matter of fact, Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in America.)

I took some 400+ pictures. Threw out half of those. And then whittled it down to some post worthy shots. I'm breaking them up into three posts. As always, you can click on the image to view the larger Flickr image (and to see more images that didn't make the cut).



Part 1 - Cabin Life

We rented a cabin from Jackson Mountain Homes. It was located just outside of Gatlinburg, high up in the mountains, with a gorgeous view. The cabin was clean, comfortable and well laid out for our large group. There were five kids aged 4 and under with us and they all loved the accommodations. There was a huge dining table for our breakfasts of bacon, sausage and whatever else you can fry in bacon grease. I still miss your cooking, Kip.

Corey earned her keep with plenty of time spent distracting the kids.



Of course, the kids think Corey is way cooler than their own parents.



Though I'm thinking she doesn't really know the rules of Sorry!



This is right after the part where you have to take a shot of Jägermeister.



Four of the five kiddos on the trip.



View from the main room.



View from our bedroom.



"If I had some teeth I could chew my way outta here."



A Lego addict.



"Lay off me, I'm starving!"



Truman's refrain the whole trip: "I got togo to Tennesseeee."



Relaxin' at the crib.



"Don't think for a minute that I'm not the toughest one of all."



Say cheese!