Blogtrot your way to Tennessee!

When Cara and MEP had the idea of a Blogtrotting vacation post, I jumped right on it.  I knew exactly which vacation spot I would post about, too...

I've been going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, since I was eighteen years old.  We have gone with Joe's parents almost every year since our first wedding anniversary back in 1997, and it is the kids' FAVORITE place ever.  In fact, I'm pretty sure they would choose Tennessee over Disney World.

What's the big deal about Gatlinburg, you may ask...

Well, that's what this post is all about.

First, we can drive from our home to our cabin in the Smoky Mountains in five hours.  That's a big deal when you're traveling with three kids!

Next, we love staying in a different cabin each time we come.  This one even allowed us to bring our dog, Ellie, and had a great yard (where we did Elijah's Mentos/Diet Coke explosion experiment...ever tried it?).

You can't beat a mountain sunrise, photographed from your cabin's porch while sipping hot coffee and listening to the birds sing.

I usually don't even have the van unloaded before the rest of my crew hops in the hot tub.  It's fine, because it gives me time to organize the kitchen and unpack the groceries (we always bring our own food and cook in the awesome kitchens...trying to be frugal where I can).

There are so many great kid things to do in the Smokies, like Putt-putt:

or hike:

take fun pictures:

make great memories with Mamaw Kay:

hang out at the Tanger outlet malls, eat ice cream from a vending machine, and even ride the carousel while Mom shops for some great deals:

It's even a great place to spend the weekend with your fellow blogging buddies!

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(Estrogen Extravaganza 2009)

Wanna tell us about your favorite vacation spot?  Hop on over to the Blogtrotting blog and link up!