Thursday’s Thoughts: The Vacation Edition

Roaring Forks, Gatlinburg (Fall, 2016)

Last week, Ole Boy and I trekked to the Great Smoky Mountains!  We spent a couple of nights in North Carolina, and the rest of the week in Tennessee.  It is one of my favorite place to be…though we are giving thought to going somewhere different next year for our fall vacation.  Any suggestions?

Gatlinburg Bypass Overlook (Fall, 2016)

Have you ever heard of EmiSunshine?  We stopped in Sweetwater, TN for a night and went to her “concert.”  It was an auction house, where, I understand, she got her start when she was around 8 years old.  She is now the ripe old age of 12.  She has been on the Grand Ole Opry 13 times, sang with Loretta Lynn in Branson, and other TV appearances, such as the Today show.  It was a fun night. She caterwauls at times, but overall, she’s pretty talented, singing, and playing the ukulele and guitar.  She and her mother write a lot her of her music. She also sings bluegrass and old country songs.  She yodels pretty well, too.

Places to eat play a big part of my planning for a vacation.  Don’t judge. Some people going to the Great Smokies ask my advice about where to eat…and where to stay…they know I am in the know (at least that’s what I tell them).  We stayed at Jack Huff’s, which is very conveniently located near the Parkway in Gatlinburg.  We can walk the strip at night, shopping and listening to live music. It’s uphill all the way to the other side, but going back to the room is all downhill.  I prefer downhill…both ways...but it never works out that way for some reason.  It was also conveniently (by car, not foot) located to the Little House of Pancakes that served the best waffle I may have ever eaten.  Breakfast there beat out The Old Mill, and that is saying a lot!

Great Smoky Mountains (Fall, 2016)

Diet-wise, don’t ask!  Healthy eating and vacations are not good matches.  Let’s just say fudge and waffles won out those last few days.

We ate at my favorite barbecue place, Bennett’s, and we also ate at Joe’s Crab Shack in Pigeon Forge. Somehow that can of Bumblebee “premium” crab meat I had for lunch yesterday didn’t quite measure up…nowhere near up…to Joe’s.  If you are recoiling just thinking about it, be very, very glad you didn’t taste it.  With a little salt and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” zero calorie spray, I managed to eat about half of it. 

:::shudder:::

(Involuntary response from thinking about the canned crab.

It was as bad as it sounds!  (My dogs didn't mind the taste one bit.)

Great Smoky Mountains (Fall, 2016)

I had lost 11 pounds before we left…I am now at 13 pounds gone. Low carb. I know you’re wondering, especially after I admitted to fudge and waffles.  One day maybe food won’t be such an obsession/passion of mine. For now it is, so I am already looking forward to Thanksgiving…top three reasons to love Thanksgiving:

♥Family.

♥Food.

♥It kicks off the Christmas Season.

Image from Pixabay.com

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GSM National Park Near Cosby (Fall, 2016)