ROAD TRIP!
Nothing screams “summer” louder than a family road trip. This year, we loaded up two cars. One car was filled with my family, the other car was packed with our cousins, the Carlson family. We left the house at 5 am Saturday morning, heading south for Tennessee.
Driving Down
Our first day consisted of driving, driving, driving, a stop at the Milwaukee Zoo (to stretch our legs), then more driving.
Brand new baby giraffe! 
We had to endure a rainstorm during our zoo visit
We spent the night in a hotel somewhere in the midwest (when you’re not the one driving, you don’t really care where you are), but we were back on the road again bright and early Sunday morning. After many hours of driving, we stopped at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky.
Samples of Bourbon and Bourbon Balls
And then of course there was more driving.
Finally Made It
We pulled into our rented cabin early Sunday evening. My cousin Tina found our cabin through Cabins of the Smoky Mountains. We were quite surprised when the GPS took us up a series of switchbacks to what felt like the very tippy top of a mountain. But this view was completely worth the entire drive:
We spent our evening relaxing, eating Domino’s pizza, and swimming on the top of the world.
The view from the pool
(insert heart eyes emoji)
Our cabin (insert heart emoji)
Hiking and Adventures
Clingman’s Dome:
On our first full day in the Smokies, we woke up early to get to Clingman’s Dome before the ‘smoke’ rolled in. We were treated to an amazing view from the highest point in Tennessee.
Immediately after we set out on the trail for Andrew’s Bald:
The “scenic view” wasn’t so scenic…
It was a similar view to the one you get when you look out an airplane window on a cloudy day. Oh well! It was still a great hike.
We ate yet another picnic lunch. But this time, we forgot to pack the bread!
After our failed picnic lunch, we headed into Gatlinburg for a late second lunch at No Way Jose’s.
And we ended our day with an easy hike up to Laurel Falls:
On day two we did a little impromptu rock climbing, explored Gatlinburg, ate at the Pancake Pantry and enjoyed some Mad Dog’s ice cream.
Dollywood
Day three was spent at Dollywood. As a bit of a theme park fanatic, I can say Dollywood was AHHmazing. I highly recommend.
first ride of the day: the parking tram 
Riding the train 
Getting ready for the log flume 
My favorite coaster in the park 
More Hiking and Adventures
On day four we explored Cades Cove, hiked to Abrams Falls, and ate some delicious BBQ at a local joint. We also enjoyed some Rita’s for dessert.
ANOTHER picnic lunch 
And on our fifth and final day in the Smokies we hiked to Grotto Falls, lounged by the pool, and ate dinner at The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge.
Got stuck hiking behind a bunch of llamas 
Grotto Falls: the only falls you can stand behind in the park 
Our cabin is somewhere on that mountain 
We were SO full after this meal 
After a our final southern meal and one more sleep in our cabin, it was time to say goodbye to these gorgeous sunrises and head home.
Finding Joy in the Journey
The theme of this trip was truly “Find Joy in the Journey.” We were constantly making wrong turns, un-researched decisions, and feeling a bit lost (even when we were on the right road). While this was very frustrating, I found that each mistake led us to a new view or a beautiful sight or some sort of historical marker. We just had to remember to look out our window instead of keeping our eyes on the GPS. Road trips are fun and exciting and scary and frustrating, but in each of those frustrating moments we must remember that we are on a journey and there is joy to be found in every second. You never know where you will find that next little charm of life. I found plenty new charms on my road trip through the Great Smoky Mountains.
Need a reminder to find joy in the journey? You can get this ring at hannahmyers.origamiowl.com. Or contact me and we can put together a locket that tells your unique story.
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