Lil Cowboy

That's a funny, 88-year-old, kinda racist cowboy country singer...
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This is Our Country

Nothin' like an evenin' at the Opry! After a whirlwind tour through the artificial winds of the Opryland Resort, we're headed inside to see the real deal. This is where country music was born...
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Thursday: The Lost Day in the Smokies

So I skpped a review of Thursday's adventures because I was so excited about visiting the orginal KFC. Here's a recap of our final day in Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains.


We took a hike up to Laurel Falls. They called the three-mile hike easy, but we added some difficulty by walking in our treadless Pumas. Keep in mind that it poured all night so we had quite a slippery trail. If only there was some kind of warning that this trail could be dangerous, we might have made a smarter decision...

ANGER! ANGER! ANGER!


Ooh, watery.

And speaking of water, we barely avoided the heavy rains again. We escaped into Parton's Deli for an hour to wait out the storm and grab some tasty sam-iches...
But once the storm cleared, we found time for go-carting NASCAR-style...


And finished off the night with some Hillbilly mini golf. (Their words, not mine)...

We actually took a tram up into the mountains to access the course. Pretty elaborate, but the actual course was pretty standard. I can't recall who won the match....let's just call it a draw, ok?

Kickin' It With The Colonel

A couple of good lookin' guys who love fried chicken.
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The Colonel!

That's right, I'm blogging from my Blackberry now. On the way to see Colonel Sanders first restaurant in Corbin, KY. Mmm, fried chicken at 10:30 am.
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Hurray for Dollywood!

Pigeon Forge has so much to offer. Dollywood, go-cart tracks, motels, pancake houses, mini golf, magic shows, pancake houses, and pancake cabins. My birthday only involved the first item up for bid. Dollywood is a magical place that combines the best of amusement park fun with country music and Jesus love.



Those who know me may be aware that I don't love roller coasters. But I took the occasion of my 28th birthday as an opportunity to grow. So I joined Michael on a wild ride called Thunderhead. It's a rickety old wooden coaster that shook us side to side. It's amazing how much your body can move in those restraints. But I really enjoyed the speed. Next challenge: upside down coasters. Michael rode this one, but I passed this time.

And then we finished the night off right, East Tennessee-style. AKA, dinner with lots of butter and salt at Bullfish. (Yes, that's a fish in a bull's mouth outside the restaurant. Pretty literal).


And have you ever heard of wine-based hard liquor? Yeah, apparently I couldn't order a mixed drink because the restaurant only offered "wine-based" rum, vodka, and tequila. It was confusing.


You can't beat the tab at the late night (1o:30pm) watering hole behind the restaurant. Good night, birthday.

Happy Birthday, Roanoke Style

I always dreamed of waking up in the Rodeway Inn in Roanoke, Virginia on my 28th birthday. Today, my dream has become a reality and I'm ready to hit the road again. It's day two of my cross-a-couple-o-states road trip with Michael. Check out Michael's blog for a running diary of the week and the subsequent four weeks of his cross-country travels. Today, we drive to Pigeon Forge - home of Dollywood. It will be glorious!