Vacation {Take One} - Gatlinburg, TN

I finally uploaded all of my vacation pics.  It has taken quite a while to sort through and after discovering I have over 600 pictures (that's right) I decided the best way to post these would be to break them up into locations since we toured a bit rather than staying put in one place for the entire time.  Also, since there are so many, I did zero editing.  These are all straight out of the camera and only a fraction of what I took.  Sorry, no time to post them all.

First stop, Gatlinburg, TN.  I think Mike and I both really enjoyed taking the kids to Gatlinburg, a place that we had gone in previous years.  We arrived late Thursday evening so by the time we got into our room and got everyone settled it was off to bed with the kids so no pictures (shocking, I know).  But we awoke to a gorgeous morning in the mountains and packed up and took a walk down the main drag.  We were immediately greeted by the locals.

Of course, we had to take in a little putt putt golf.  Keegan's first time and he loved it.

Presley did a lot of dancing behind the golfers.  Mike and I were convinced that they played the same music they had when we were in high school.  Pretty groovy.

It was a lot of a walking for Keegan.  He had to sit often and take a rest.  

More sitting but at least the two munchkins are together for a photo opp.

PLEASE, can we have some candy???

Mike explains to Keegan where we're heading to next.  The Aquarium!

The hazards of eating a snow cone.

Presley got acquainted with the penguins.  This little guy had to come home with us.  

Presley was completely enthralled with the conveyer belt that ran through the tunnel.  

I thought this picture was just too incredible to not include.  

Finally!  Candy!

Then a sugar crash.  Check out the mess around her mouth.  Sneaky little thing chewed off the wrapper to her sucker and was going to town.  We had no idea.

The mountains are still just as beautiful as ever.

And it wouldn't officially be a trip to Gatlinburg if you didn't ride the go carts....

... and the bumper boats.

Since Presley is too young for the go carts and the bumper boats, we tried to find something that she could also do and enjoy.  We ran across this Jurassic ride and thought Keegan would love it because of the dinosaurs.  So we asked about age limits and if it would be too scary for Presley.  We were told it should be fine and this picture pretty much says it all:

Keegan spent most of the ride huddled up next to me with his ears covered and Presley pretty much whimpered and coward in Mike's arms the whole time.  It was dark.  It was loud and it was way too scary for my two young children.  I look at this picture now and can't help but to laugh.  We've traumatized both our kids for the rest of their lives.  

We then headed out to dinner and it was fantastic!  It lifted everyone's spirits after the whole dinosaur incident.  After dinner, we walked around some more and let the kids do a bit of roaming.  

Mike somehow talked Keegan into walking through the icy cold creek.  That water was FREEZING!

And just so you know, I was actually there on this vacation.  Great pic, right?!  

The day ended with the kids taking a nice, warm bubble bath in the jacuzzi that was in our room.  

And that wraps up Take One of our family vacation.  Take Two coming soon!