Last weekend we traveled east to Pigeon Forge for a little family Christmas frolicking. We ate at the Apple Barn, walked the streets of Gatlinburg and diligently searched for Dolly at her famous amusement park. {sad to report, she was not found}
What we did find however was a handful of dollars in coin form.. Hubbs was super jazzed:
Baby Boy was digging the fresh mountain air:
We did a little dancing:
Some strolling:
Some horseback riding:
Some funnel cake hunting:
Some matching pj/storytime action:
On the way home we met up with Mim, Pappy and Uncle Matt to eat some birthday dinner for Mim's BIG 5-0!! Tuck got to meet his cousin Hunter for the first time. They were so fun to watch together!
Sunday, the 1st, we had a "day at Sea". We spent the day in the (windy) sunshine and attempting to play EXXXXXTREME putt-putt. I use the term EXXXXXTREME because you haven't played putt-putt until you have played it on the top of a cruise ship at full speed ahead. We had to hold ourselves up with our putters (when not in use) and keep our eyes on our golf balls because they would escape and disappear in a swift second....
After dinner that night we decided to check out the karaoke club.. Let me just say that there is NO entertainment better than Karaoke. I speak from experience on both sides of the fence. (Shout out to Spankies, and Karaoke Mondays) First up, we have Pablo. King of the Karaoke. Pablo was so excited to jump into his (single voice) rendition of "Summer Lovin" that he hustled the nice host through his pre-show interview. He was hilarious.. don't believe me.. watch the video. Make sure you enjoy the end when he gets, "riiiiiiipped at the seams"..
King of Karaoke
Those Summer Nights
Next up we got a little surprise from Tina Turner and the Ikettes. Stripes (the lady wearing stripes) sat at dinner with us through out the cruise and wasn't that talkative to begin with.. that was until we caught this performance and I asked her when her next would be at dinner the following evening. She giggled and opened right on up like a delicate rose. After that we were greeted with the musical stylings of North Carolina. No, I don't remember anyone's real names (except Pablo's). NC (we decided) was a mix of our friends Colt and Cody. (if you know either of them you have a fantastic visual right now) He was flashy and full of energy. He kept the crowd rockin.
Monday was our first port day in Jamaica. Have you ever been to Jamaica ?? Here's a hint.. ride the ship up to this distance, take pictures, ride the bobsleds if you can and get the heck out!!!! Jamaica is a pushy town.. you name it, they've got, and they want you to have it. BIG TIME.
Jamaican Harbor
I spy some tourists
Hiking our way up to the sky chairs. These took us to the top of Mystical Mountain.
Some views from the lift:
Then it was time to get out bobsled on. These are not actual trip photos, they are from google because I was holding on for dear life.
We did do a little shopping in Jamaica and I managed to score a Caribbean Hook Bracelet. I'm a master negotiator!
Folklore states, "the open end of the hook pointed up toward the heart, your love is taken... the open end of the hook worn down, away from your heart, your love is free"
(or a subtle sign that you are unattached or single).
And THIS is how we spent the rest of the trip. Wrapped in blankets or towels napping to keep from puking. And when I say "we", I mainly mean "me". Word to the preggs.. don't cruise in the first trimester. hahaha. Lesson Learned. One of the uppers of the cruise is unlimited food and soft serve ice cream. Always a plus side. And the Poppa Bear won BIG at some B-I-N-G-O !!
** Due to unfortunate weather conditions we were unable to dock in Grand Cayman. I was a sad sad girl. Mainly because I was looking forward to some solid ground, but also because I knew it would be prettier than Jamaica. Oh well, maybe next time...
This was our last night of the cruise when I started to finally adjust to the motion of the ocean.. just in time to get on a couple of jet planes !! Happy New Year Everybody!
Day 2 we found ourselves fueling up our bods with some Dunkin Doughnuts and then we headed back downtown.
We had decided that with my navigation skills and Hubbs' superb driving skills we could manage this feat ourselves today. We made it downtown, found an awesome parking spot and set about on foot on the wonderful town again.
Cute dog huh?
Hubbs thought he was real. Ha Ha
First stop was tickets for a carriage ride. Our pull team's names were Carter and Cash. It made me smile. Our tour guide Adam was excellent! We rolled through all of Downtown Charleston and got to see all of beautiful architecture.
Carter and Cash
Waiting for our carriage
Love this Orange Door
Husk Restaurant
The Most Famous Wedding Horse in Charleston
I spy a bride!
After our carriage ride we headed for the Open Air Market. I scored some sweet new scarves and a Christmas ornament to add to our "personal" tree upstairs. That made #3 for this year, we picked one up in Naples back in March on our Family Beach trip, and one at DollyWood on our Anniversary trip.
I wasn't as impressed with the Market as I thought I would be. This made Hubbs happy because we walked and shopped the whole thing in 30 minutes flat I think. It was teetering close to lunch so that was our next stop. Henry's was our destination. They informed us when we walked in that the rooftop seating was at capacity. Bummer. Luckily we found a table next to an open window that gave us a delightful view of Market Street.
The food was delish. When it arrived, I slid an empty plate to Drew(he had ordered chicken tenders and fries and I had spinach dip, we had agreed to share)
THIS is what I got..
Jerk. It was a great lunch. Once we finished we headed down to the Battery Area. We got to enjoy a multiple dolphin sighting as well. I thought someone had jumped the rail.. nope.. just a few dolphins hanging out having a big ole time.
Do you see the dolphin?? Right side.. halfway down.. I promise it's a dolphin
Rainbow Row
Once we had walked our feet off we headed back to the hotel. I was still in a shopping mood.. Hubbs was not. He needed a football fix and a nap, so I dropped him off and headed to the Tanger Outlets. Victory!!! I scored some sweet deals, all of which have made debuts this week. We celebrated Saturday night with Birthday Dinner at High Cotton. This place was INCREDIBLE. The food was delicious and dessert was to. die. for.
We attempted to walk off the meal afterwards and then called it a night. Sunday we headed across the bridge to Mt. Pleasant for a Farewell lunch at The Wreck.. it wasn't open. SAD DAY. We tried to go to the Boone Plantation.. didn't open until one. Bummer. I had gotten a HOT TIP that the Goodwill in Mt. Pleasant was a treasure hunt so we headed there.. I. Found. NOTHING. SUPER BUMMED.
All in all though it was a great trip!! Points to the Hubbs for the idea. Our trip home wasn't as smooth as the trip there. A charter bus had caught fire and closed traffic down to one lane for about a 10 mile stretch. We didn't see any injuries when we got up to the scene so hopefully no one was. Here's a pic the traffic and my frustrations...
Blaahhhhh
about 10 miles of traffic
And here's Hubbs.. sleeping away.. in his Princess seat.
I had been driving for about 5 and half hours when I realized Hubbs hadn't offered up at all. When we crossed back into TN we stopped for gas and he said, "Hey, want me to finish it up"... Uhhhh... yes please, my butt is numb... so I traded places and became the co-pilot. I adjusted the pillow, buckled in and immediately realized why Hubbs had been so quite.. IT WAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEAT EVER !!!!
After a little food, I was out like a light and we were back home before I knew it.
Charleston was a delightful place. Highly recommend to any and everyone. Happy Birthday to me! Thanks Hubbs for a most wonderful trip!! You're the best husband I ever had !!
