On Tuesday we headed to the Ripley's Aquarium. We were up and out of our cabin by 8:45 that morning which is a record for us. We are usually not morning people, but things aren't as crowded in the morning. I love getting an early start on vacation.. the rest of the family would disagree. :)
Paige loved the "fishies".
This is my favorite part of the aquarium. I love walking through the tunnel and seeing the fish through the glass above.
The left is Ella just before starting kindergarten and on the right is Ella in fourth grade. She is growing up so fast!
The sting rays were my favorite.
This penguin reminded us of one of our dogs. He could not keep his eyes open!
After the aquarium, we walked to the sky lift. Gatlinburg is so pretty in the fall but it was definitely unseasonably warm. The leaves were just beginning to change color.
Adam and Ella rode the chair lift while Paige and I watched. I wanted to go again, but she was not having it.
We ate lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Gatlinburg, and then headed back to rest before our dinner show.
That night, we went to Dixie Stampede which is a dinner show. It was SO fun. We all enjoyed it. The food was really good (minus having to use your hands to eat), and the show was very entertaining. Paige was so engrossed she didn't eat a thing but was ready to eat at the end once they had cleared all the food.
They take your picture before the show, and I couldn't resist buying them. It was a good family memory!
The show included horses, ponies, bulls, pigs, and chickens. My favorite part was watching the piglets race.
Paige still talks about these "princesses". She loved this part.
The smile on her face says it all!
On our last day, we rented a Can Am open air type vehicle to drive through the Smokey Mountains National Park.
It was really fun but really LOUD! You couldn't even hear yourself think. Besides the noise, it was the perfect car to ride up those windy roads!
We pulled off quite a few times to enjoy the views. It was so pretty. The further up we went the colder it got, and the more fall like it was.
You would never know by looking at Paige, but it was so cold. We were not dressed for the occasion since it was hot in downtown Gatlinburg.
These views were incredible. I could have pulled over every few minutes to enjoy them!
Ella was the only one smart enough to bring a sweatshirt.
Enjoying the fresh air!!
We had a great trip. I wasn't sure what to expect from Gatlinburg since we hadn't been in almost five years, but we had a great time. It was nice a break from work, school..life in general! I can't wait for our next adventure!
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