We
had our third anniversary. It was great. Enjoy the photos.
Okay,
so I got a LQQK when a told Heather I was done with our Anniversary
blog post. Sigh....I tried.
Here
is goes! For our 3rd Wedding Anniversary we decided to
take a short escape to Gatlinburg, TN.
The
massive Smoky Mountain/Gatlinburg arson fire was still recent and we
thought we could help out by staying a few days.
The
night before we left it snowed. It was bitter cold, we thought maybe
we would have to wait for a different time. Heather had already
arranged to take off the days from work. So, we really had hopes
that we could still go away. The next day the sun came out and the
roads cleared. It reminded me of how the roads in Colorado, USA can
have five inches of snow and it would completely vanish the next day.
We
took scenic I-40 and enjoyed the scenery. The closer we got to
Gatlinburg the more evident the fire damage became to us. Signs,
wooden guardrails, and whole mountain sides were burned up. Upon
entering Gatlinburg, TN we had no idea what to expect. The main
strip was up and running like normal. Traffic seemed low for this
time of year. Just one block off the main street we found total
devastation. Homes burned to the foundation and many fire damaged
cars sitting in driveways to homes that were completely gone. Very
sad and heartbreaking since 14 men, woman, and children lost their
lives.
On a
side note: This summer we returned to the area and it looks like
some of the trees survived and partially grew green. The Forest
floor has been seeded with grass seed and its blindingly bright
green. I hope that keeps the mudslides to a minimum. Gatlinburg, TN
is booming like it never happened and it looks like mostly what was
impacted was housing for local workers. There is some rebuilding but
lets face it its going to be years for the area to fully recover.
Back
to our anniversary. We stayed at the Motel 6. I would refer anyone
wanting to stay in Gatlinburg to read the reviews online to any hotel
in the area and BELIEVE what you read. We had a great time except
for the hotel and the chain refused to even listen to what happened
to us. It was the only low point in the whole trip.
Our
3rd Anniversary dinner was at Texas Roadhouse. The steak
was excellent, the shrimp were tasty, and the loaded baked potatoes
were very yummy. Superb service... 4 shamrocks with a smile!
After
sleeping in and missing our FurBabies we went out to do some
shopping.
I am
not a fan of Christmas. Never have, never will thanks to some of my
family's behaviors. That said, my wife Heather is a Christmas
junkie. So is my Mother-in-Law Candy. So for around two months a
year, I have to deal with it. SIGH.
Did
you know Gatlinburg and the is home to SEVERAL HUGE Christmas stores?
Well yeah, they are. We got to visit ALL of them. The biggest and
best is the Incredible Christmas Place.
We
found Decor in all colors, shapes and sizes. Crazy themed stuff in
every shape and size you could imagine. It was a Christmas
kaleidoscope of décor. I got dizzy and disoriented after the fifth
hour in that store. I needed fresh air.... It was like Heaven for
Heather. I think she could spend a million dollars and still have
more to buy.
We
bought a personalized wedding ornament. We stayed so long they
threatened to lock us in for the night. Heather would have loved
that :-)
From
a distance, we could see the mountains covered in snow. Very pretty
and I think Heather said something about it being romantic but I was
busy looking at a boot store. We had to look inside!
We
encountered a woman in full green regalia in honor of St. Patrick’s
day. Had to snap a few discrete photos of her outfit!
Boots.
I love wearing them and wanted to see what was out there. Heather
found some boots that were up my alley. The oil rig was pretty cool.
The price seemed good but Heather found them online as discontinued
and cheaper. Sigh. Not today. I do miss the western wear places in
Wyoming and Colorado where its a bit better on selection and pricing.
We might have to find a few online...
We
also stopped at a favorite spot the Disney store where I tried on the
Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet and joined the Empire for a moment.
Heather found some sleep tee's and they were a great bargain!
We
also found a Harry and David, after looking at the stuff she
discovered some really yummy looking treats. Then we headed back to
the hotel to snack and get some rest.
From
a distance, we could see the mountains covered in snow. Very pretty
and I think Heather said something about it being romantic but I was
busy looking at a boot store. We had to look inside!
We
encountered a woman in full green regalia in honor of St. Patrick’s
day. Had to snap a few discrete photos of her outfit!
Boots.
I love wearing them and wanted to see what was out there. Heather
found some boots that were up my alley. The oil rig was pretty cool.
The price seemed good but Heather found them online as discontinued
and cheaper. Sigh. Not today. I do miss the western wear places in
Wyoming and Colorado where its a bit better on selection and pricing.
We might have to find a few online...
We
also stopped at a favorite spot the Disney store where I tried on the
Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet and joined the Empire for a moment.
Heather found some sleep tee's and they were a great bargain!
We
also found a Harry and David, after looking at the stuff she
discovered some really yummy looking treats. Then we headed back to
the hotel to snack and get some rest.
We
felt like chilling out the rest of our time so we ordered a pizza for
dinner and just relaxed.
Happy
3rd Anniversary Heather! I Love You, Sweetheart!
