SATURDAY, MAY 18

MILE 9

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

Some of my favorite family outings while living in East Tennessee have been day trips to the Smoky Mountains.  The trips were always mini-vacations away from the business of our lives in K-town.  I love the color of the leaves in the fall, the winding paths along the trails and the sound of the rushing creeks. When we first moved here, we enjoyed the Cades Cove area.  We eventually discovered Abrams Falls and Clingman's Dome.  There were always a few constants:  we always took a peanut butter and jelly picnic, we always skipped rocks, and we always ended up wet.  

Of course you can't think of the Smoky Mountains without thinking of Dollywood and Splash Country.  We enjoyed lots of visits to both parks each year!  As a fan of roller coasters, I prefer Dollywood (especially the Thunderhead).  Bill and the boys prefer Splash Country.  We had Drake on an intertube ride at age 2!

For the past nine years, in November I've taken a girls trip to the outlets in Pigeon Forge.  We never saw much of the mountains...but we shopped until we dropped, ate a little, and laughed a ton!

This mile was the most scenic along the race and full of unforgettable moments.