Two More Weeks at Pigeon Forge

As our first trip back on the road, we just wrapped up two more weeks in the Pigeon Forge area...we really do love everything there!  Unfortunately Aaron spent our first week getting over a cold, and then it rained for several days in a row, so we didn't get to do as many things as we had hoped (since all the things we want to do in Pigeon Forge are outside!).  So this just means we'll have to swing back through again in the spring :-).

We changed things up this trip and stayed in Sevierville instead of down in Pigeon Forge.  After all the nickel and diming of the place we stayed last time, this new campground was only slightly more expensive than the Passport America location we found before, and the thought of not having to drive the RV through the chaos of the Parkway area appealed to us.  We stayed at Ripplin Waters RV Park and got a site right on the river.  So, the pros: the sites here were slightly more spacious, the campground had nice facilities (bathhouse, laundry, playground, pool, and predictably staffed office/camp store), we had a river view, the management was great (no nickel and diming! also a thank you note after we left), and we did achieve the goal of not driving into the madness of Pigeon Forge with the RV.  The cons: it was far away from everything, and it just changed management and the rates are going WAY up compared to what we paid.  Now, obviously being far away from everything goes hand in hand with not driving through everything...but it bothered us more than we expected.  When we were 10 minutes from most things we wanted to do, we thought nothing of just hopping over somewhere for 30-60 minutes.  But at 30 minutes to Dollywood and an hour or so to the closest point on the Great Smoky Mountains...unless we were looking at a minimum of a half day somewhere we just couldn't get motivated to go.  So, I give a big thumbs up to the campground in terms of pleasantness of stay, but we probably won't be back because we really missed being in the middle of everything.

Our campsite at the back of the campground

A view of Pigeon River and the Smoky Mountains from the
back of the campground

The one unique thing we did this time was go see the Dolly Parton statue in downtown Sevierville - not much to it, but it was something I'd been wanting to see.

Dolly Parton statue in front of the courthouse in Sevierville

So the rest of the photos will be of Dollywood!  They were setting up for the Great Pumpkin Luminights festival when we arrived, and it started the last weekend we were there.  My parents came to explore the area with us on that Friday.  I was most impressed that they both did the Dropline and my mom rode a real roller coaster with us!  

Axe in the stump? (vs. sword in the stone)

Cool pumpkin/squash tree

They had a display of large pumpkins - this was the largest

Moonshine tasting with my dad at 
Ole Smoky Moonshine at the Island

With my parents outside the Pirates Voyage dinner show

With my parents at the main pumpkin tree at Dollywood

One of my favorite light displays at the festival - the strings 
change color as the display plays music

It was a fun and relaxing two weeks, and now we're going to head down south for the winter.  We'll be stopping at a couple new spots on the way down, stay tuned!

Back on the Road Again!

Well, it's been quite a while, and I thought I'd post a little something as we head back out on the road.  The remainder of the summer was a bit hectic as we stayed with my parents as my sister came and went with her family.  She moved to St. Augustine, FL over the summer, and this involved lots of stays with my parents as they were between houses for the summer.

After our last trip we came back to my parents' house where my parents were taking care of their grandchildren while my sister and her husband wrapped up their house sale in DC.  They joined their kids in Blacksburg shortly after we arrived and stayed for a while.  We taught the kids about emptying the RV's tanks!

Aaron helped his sister move to Richmond, VA for a few days while I visited extended family in Ohio.  I hadn't been to Ohio in a while and it was especially great to spend some time with my great uncle.  Unfortunately I didn't manage to take any photos!!

We spent the 4th of July with my sister at her in-laws' lake house on Lake Canandaigua, one of the finger lakes in New York.  We drove the car and left the RV at the farm since we had somewhere to stay.

Aaron watching fireworks with our nephews and niece

We took a long way back via Ohio to see several sights we'd been interested in - still in the car.  We checked another national park off our list - Cuyahoga Valley - the most interesting feature of which was the 'Ledges' hike, where sheer cliff walls put out cool air like air conditioning.  We stopped by Cedar Point so Aaron could experience several record breaking roller coasters, and then drove down to visit the Neil Armstrong Museum and the National Museum of the US Air Force - the latter houses the only remaining Valkyrie, which Aaron desperately wanted to see.

Part of the Ledges hike

Cedar Point!

This is the Gemini capsule that Neil Armstrong barely 
survived after one of the thrusters misfired

The Valkyrie - look closely, Aaron is standing underneath with
arms extended

Right after we got back from Ohio we drove the car for an overnight trip to Dollywood to see their summer festival drone show before it ended.  The show was absolutely incredible.

One of the many formations the drones made

Right after we got back from Dollywood, my sister & her family returned to Blacksburg so we stayed put to visit and help with the kids.  We were crazy enough to volunteer to babysit the four kids at the end of their stay for several days so my sister & her husband could get the new house set up in St. Augustine.  We had a good (and exhausting!) time.  

With my sister, her kids, and my aunt at Dixie Caverns

After returning the kids to their parents, I was thrilled to spend some time with my aunt's brand new golden retriever puppy before we took a quick trip to St. Louis to visit some friends there.  

With my aunt and her 8 week old puppy!

With our friends at Grant's Farm in St. Louis

To wrap up our summer, we took our first cruise since the pandemic started on the Carnival Magic.  Due to CDC regulations and last minute regulation changes in The Bahamas, the passenger count was only 1800 out of a possible 4500, and we thoroughly enjoyed our space.  Unfortunately a handful of COVID-positive crew members caused our shore excursion to be canceled in the Dominican Republic, but aside from that (which, honestly, we figured was a distinct possibility in the middle of the pandemic, so it wasn't too surprising nor upsetting), everything was awesome.

On the top deck of the ship, overlooking the water slides
and ropes course

All dressed up for formal night!  We made the masks in the 
craft activity that day and didn't actually wear them outside the cabin

Drinks and shade on a beach in Bimini!

We spent the week after the cruise helping my sister with the kids while my brother-in-law was away on a business trip, then dashed back to get the RV ready to get back on the road.  Time to travel in the RV again!  I'll start regularly posting our adventures again now that we're back in the RV, but figured one non-RV post was warranted given that I've been silent for a few months!