We returned Saturday from seven days on the mountain just above Gatlinburg, TN. While we were there, we had no Internet access. This was an incredible blessing. I had not realized how much of my time is eaten up with e-mails and reading news, blogs, etc. Not that these things are not worthwhile, just that I sometimes struggle with balancing. I have, since we returned, set a goal of limiting myself to checking my e-mail in the evenings. Any Yahoo boards I belong to have been set to send me the daily digest instead of every e-mail. And my e-mail notifier on my phone is turned off. It has become kind of peaceful allowing the computer to be secondary...
I had thought we would have Internet access and planned to work on one long post all week that would say what we did that day, what was fun, etc. But again, it worked out so well because I now realize that an itemized list of my week would have been no fun and a little bit unoriginal. So, here are a few of my favorite things from the week and a few pictures to share.
First, my list of what I loved:
-Being on the mountain above the busy city and waking up to sunset over the Smoky Mountains every morning.
-Getting my toes wet in the freezing cold creek.
-Red, orange, yellow and green leaves deepening all week long, changing every day in the crisp air.
-Riding a REAL rollercoaster with my son, an exhilarating and scary experience all in one (Mom road with him on his first one -- I went along for the second and he hated both!).
-Seeing a chipmunk eating an acorn on a huge rock in the forest.
-The sunken stone fireplace and the warm fire in it.
-Parents who want to play with and enjoy their grandchildren.
-Hearing my son play his guitar all week and even compose his first song, complete with chords written above the words.
-Watching my daughter learn about nature and trek long trails with barely a complaint.
-Rain on the tin roof that kept me up all night but in my memory sounds beautiful.
-Strong coffee.
-The new Nantahala Outdoor Center.
-The view from Clingman's Dome.
-Finishing biking through Cade's Cove and promising myself that if I ever do it again it will be when it is "bikes only".
And now, here are a few pics of the week:
*Sigh* We hated to leave that view behind, but we plan to go back again... someday... 
5 comments:
Katie, glad y'all had a good time! The pics make the trip look wonderful. We have vacationed there (never that many days at a time) several times since my sister lives close, and it is beautiful and fun.
Did you really bike The Cove? Good for you!
Thanks for the memories you brought back to me of mine being little.
Tell the kids hey!
Okay, I have a new goal ... bike Cade's Cove! Sounds like so much fun! We are heading to Pigeon Forge in a little over a month and you have made me even more ready to go! We are supposed to have internet access and I'm planning to take the laptop, but I've already been thinking about whether or not I should.
I'm glad y'all made it back safely and had a great time ... hopefully you are feeling a little less stressed now!
By the way, check your e-mail soon, I am sending you something!
'Rie, yes we biked The Cove. We took the last cut through, making it 9 miles instead of 11. From March through September, they have bikes only on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and I SO wish we had had this. It was really hard because you would go down a hill and gather speed then have to stop halfway up a crazy steep hill because of all the cars. We ended up having to walk our bikes up a few hills because of this. I want to go back in a few years and do the whole thing when it's bikes only. Carter was such a trooper and biked every bit of the way. Addie rode in the child seat on the back of Daniel's bike so the poor man had an even harder trek than the rest of us. It was fun though.
Jennifer, see above. I DO NOT recommend biking The Cove when there are cars on the road!
I'm so glad you had a great trip! I was thinking about you and looking forward to seeing the recap. Your take on no-internet was enlightening. It can definitely control the day, can't it? :) The new goals you've set sound really good. And, I loved seeing the pics! It sounds like a great vacation and who can't use a good fall break?! I'm looking forward to catching up with you soon.
Grace
Glad you all had a great time. I LOVE TN in the fall!
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