![]() ![]() The power was out for a total of 7.5 hours. Thank goodness for warm robes and a gas fireplace! I brushed my teeth and packed our stuff all by the light of a flashlight. Our cabin must have been 50 degrees by early morning. We went to bed that night wondering what this was going to mean for our ride home the next day ….and then in the middle of the night our power went out. At this point in the trip, the snow was still exciting. So we played in it and sat in our hot tub on our balcony while it fell. ![]() Had the weather forecast predicted this blizzard, we would have left a day or 2 earlier than planned just to ensure that we would be able to do the 12 hour drive but it legit just came out of NOWHERE. Felt like a such a bonus to have this happen while we were there…almost like 2 completely different trips in 1! It was POURING on us! At one point I wrote “MOM” in the snow and 2 minutes later it was all filled in. The snow just kept coming and coming! We played outside and it was honestly my favorite part of the entire trip. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Our loooooong and steep driveway Grill at our cabin Bear proof garbage cans at our cabin Paula Deen Store! Wherever I go, I find the Dunkin’… We ate outside! We hiked up mountains! We drove to Asheville and visited the Botanical Gardens! Gatlinburg Nature Trail Gatlinburg Nature Trail Reading with my girl. The first 6 days of our trip were spent in lovely weather. Either way it wasn’t my money to spend and it feels good to know it went to a wonderful cause □ It felt great to know that the $90 went to such a wonderful cause although I so wish the owner would have come back for it. My wonderful husband had the lovely idea to put it in one of the Cades Cove donation boxes and that’s exactly what we did (after already having donated our own money hours earlier). I was hesitant to turn it into the visitors center considering it was cash and anyone working could have taken it. I found $90 cash in the bathroom at Cades Cove! I waited and waited to see if anybody was going to come back to look for it but nobody did. Saw deer, immediately pulled over! So, so cool. When you see a random waterfall on the road as you are driving, you pull over! Gorgeous! Oh hi, deer. Wild turkeys just strolling along the road next to us. So much history there, we loved going into the log cabins and old churches. Two separate times deer came right up in front of our car! Such a fun way to spend an entire morning. We also loved driving (and walking) through Cades Cove. When you hike to the top of a mountain, you reward yourself with a snack. I cried! If you are ever in the area, this is absolutely a must do. Truly one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen. The long hike up was BEAUTIFUL but there aren’t even words to describe seeing the waterfall at the top. We went on a family hike each day and saw some absolutely gorgeous sights! Hiking to the top of Laurel Falls was definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip. At one point, I looked down from our master bedroom loft and found my daughter just peacefully reading a book. ![]() Jon and I snuck outside to enjoy a peaceful few minutes in the rain. My husband refused to get in this one (!) but the kids and I loved it, lol! Hanging on the refrigerator in our cabin! It had an indoor pool (!!!), 2 hot tubs, a pool table, a fireplace, 2 balconies, and a Christmas tree! It was gorgeous and it smelled absolutely divine. It was completely private and quite literally on top of a mountain. The beginning of our trip was peaceful, beautiful, and wonderful. Our 9 day trip can be broken down into 3 distinct categories: 1. Our family drove 12 hours (no airplane), stayed at a private log cabin (no hotel room), wiped down the entire cabin with Clorox wipes upon arrival, brought our own pillows, only ate outdoors at restaurants, didn’t do any tourist attractions, stayed away from all crowded areas, wore masks EVERYWHERE, etc. Traveling during a pandemic can be done as long as you have clear expectations of what you are willing and are not willing to do in terms of your safety comfort level. It first it was beautiful and magical…and then we got stuck on it during a blizzard! ![]() We rented a log cabin on the top of a mountain. My family of 4 spent 9 days in Gatlingburg, Tennessee. ![]()
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