The Acker family had made their summer plans to travel from their home in Indianapolis to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to join in a family reunion from July 8-14. Realizing that the city was a mid-point between their family in Indiana and Bill and I in South Carolina, they invited us to join them for a few days prior to the influx of 40-plus Acker family members. Of course we were thrilled and made our Jack Daniels plans to occur before meeting them. So, what did we do for three days? If you’ve ever been to Gatlinburg, you would agree that the activities are plentiful and you would never run out of activities for all…
- First of all, Bill had yet to meet Riggs, so that in itself was a high point. All of the time spent with Abigail, Soren, and Riggs was precious – we even enjoyed Kelsey and Ed!
- Miniature golf – I always thought that Myrtle Beach was the putt-putt capital of the world, but Gatlinburg runs a close second!
- Craftsmen Fair – Ed and Soren stumbled upon this annual event in the Gatlinburg Convention Center where over 200 craftspeople spend 9 days exhibiting their handmade items.
- The pool at the hotel – Before suitcases landed on the floor, the kids were ready to hit the indoor pool, complete with water slide!
- Dolly’s Stampede – This dinner and horse show was certainly one of the highlights. Produced by Dolly Parton, we witnessed amazing stunts by beautiful horses and various other animals, while enjoying a delicious dinner, all the while participating in a North vs. South contest!
- “Chill” time in the hotel – Abigail is never without a book in her hand and it was delightful to sit and read with her. We had brought Soren a book entitled, “Weird But True Facts” so of course we all learned a lot during our time together!
- Cocktail time with my daughter – How often does a mother of three have the opportunity to escape with her own mother for a cocktail? Thanks to a very understanding and helpful husband, we were able to enjoy music in the hotel lounge while sipping a drink. Of course it wasn’t long before Abigail and Soren found us, and Soren experienced his first Shirley Temple!
- Trolley Ride – The hotel was way up on the mountain overlooking the Smokies and a trolley would take us down into town – an experience in itself!
Of course there is much, much more to do and we’re sure that the Ackers are having the opportunity to do many more things during the family reunion…Pirate Voyage, Wax Museum, Grand Prix racing, Wonder Works, Titanic Museum, Hillbilly Putt-Putt, Dollywood…the list goes on and on!
Feeling so blessed to have spent time with family!
thervdreamlife 