Day four we got up early and it was our goal to be at Dollywood's Splash County. We got there about 10:15 and it was already packed. you can tell that it is peak season because everyone was out.
We were smart today and simply brought towels. It is amazing at this place, there are towels on chairs everywhere and no one using either. Our towels and bag were on the chair that we had for almost 5 hours and we never sat there.
We had a great time. We started with the lazy rive and then we went over the "rules" with Grace and so I let her run and bit more freely at the splash pad. I stood by the exit of the splash pad and she just had a great time getting as wet as she possibly could. Don kept Mac, went down the slides with him, showed him how to use the water cannons... everything there was to do they did. At one point Grace got hit in the mouth with the cannon but after a ittle blood and a few tears she was back to playing. From there we went back to the family sled ride from the night before. We did have to wait in line a bit but it was not a horrible line. I think that we only waited 10 minutes. We should have done this ride a few more times but we had heard that there was a new part of the park and so we decided to go find it.
Once we got to "The Cascades" Grace was just in heaven. Here there is a big "wooded" bucket that fills up and about every 2 minutes or so dumps water all over the fortress of walkways, 8 slides, and tons of water cannons. Anything that can dump water on people you will find here. The problem with this splash area is that it is even harder to keep an eye on your child. There is however only one exit. But I couldn't stand there... Don would take Mac to the top of the slides and then I would have to catch him. Grace didn't want to hang around us she wanted to go run, jump, slide and play so I lost her almost immediately. One think that I thought was going to help on this day was that I put her in a different swim suit that was a bit brighter but unfortunately when you are talking at least 200 kids in the same place you just cant keep track.
At one point I remember looking of the sea of children and saying to myself, "what if I can't find her could I just freeze everyone so that I could see her?" With that almost moments later she was right there. I showed her a spot to go to if she was looking for me and couldn't find me. But I tried to get her interested in the slides of this fortress. That is what Don and Mac were doing so I thought if I got her interested she could follow them. So she joined her Dad and Mac a couple times but then I thought what the heck... I hate this stuff but when in Rome. So I did go up the fortress and down the slide with my family.
When we were don there we decided to stand in the line for the Big Bear Mountain Ride. This ride was enclosed so I knew that I would not worry about the ride but going up up up the stairs was making me crazy. Then we were 5 steps from the top and Mac decided he was tired of waiting and he was going to throw a fit... OH JEEZ I was about ready to lose it. I almost felt like I was in those moments of labor when you just say things that you don't mean to say but you are under so much stress that you can't take it. Don is really a trouper because I know that I was crazy. We finally got in the ride and went down... and it was so NOT worth the 45 minutes we were in that line.
With that we decided it was time to go. Don would have stayed all day but the kids were tired and I couldn't take one more moment of stress.
We actually got the kids back to the hotel and they laid down for a nap. Don did the same and I went shopping.
When everyone was awake and ready to go we went and did the touristy things that you do at Pigeon Forge... there are go cart places and children rides all over the park way. So we went and drove the two people go carts. This would have been a blast but there were four guys who did not pay attention to the stop signals and also were just plan rude. I was really trying to stay out of the way so that people could get around and Grace and I could just have a fun race around the track. At one point I got hit so hard I thought we were going to flip over and then at the end of the race they all hit us so hard that one girl couldn't move and get out of her cart. Grace and I were ok but I will never take her on that ride again until she is older. I just couldn't believe how rude people were and didn't even care if they hurt someone.
From there we went to the little kids rides. They were great for Mac bt I tell you what, Don has made Grace such a daredevil that she was so bored with the rides. She did like the children's ferris wheel but other than that she just wanted to put 50 cents in the horse that she named bulls-eye. When they had ridden all the rides we went on to the Old Mill Restaurant.
This was the cutest part of Pigeon Forge. It is an old part of town that they have restored and the restaurant is fabulous. We had to wait a while and so we took a walk. I bought the kids new jibbits for their crocks and I found a pen with Mac's name on it ... so I had to buy it. By then it was almost time to eat so we went back to the mill.
They were playing music in the waiting area and so Mac entertained people by dancing and trying to get Grace to join him.
Once in for dinner the food was fabulous.
As always we then left and everyone was exhausted it was at least 10pm ...
I will write more tomorrow...
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Day 3 vacation 2007
Did I tell you in yesterday's blog that Don signed us up to go see a timeshare presentation so that we could get some free tickets? Well he did. This is what we figured... free breakfast at our hotel, free lunch at the time share, and then free dinner at Black Bear jamboree.
Well we all woke up late and almost missed our free breakfast. Then we had about 2 hours to kill before going to the presentation so I went to this womens store that I thought was going to have great clothes. Well if I were a 60 year old southern woman looking for great dresses and hats for church OR a member of the red hat society it was a great place. I did buy a skirt and a birthstone ring for Grace (that she has already lost), but it just wasn't the store I thought it was going to be.
Don took the kids to go look at a play house that we had seen the last time we had driven through town. He really wanted to make this house but I have told him to wait until we move. So anyway the kids had a great time going through the house. Then they went to a tool store because Don was hoping they would have a drill or something. They didn't but he bought Grace her own shovel (which she has not lost).
By the time they came back to get me it was time for us to go to the presentation.
I have never been to something like this and well I really don't care if I go again. You are lead in like cattle to slaughter. They were going to have lunch which was chili dogs and salad. The kids were starved so the hotdogs without the chili were great for them... Then our sales man, who I did not like from the first moment, started to talk. He was not happy that we had our kids with us. I tried to be interested even though I knew we were not buying anything, and the kids for the most part were well behaved. The resort was very nice but I was amazed at the scam... 21K for one week and $500 maintenance a year. That's over $1M per two bedroom unit... I was shocked. Don told them they were crazy and they basically kicked us out.
We went to get out tickets and I decided I didn't want to do Black Bear jamboree (someone told me the food was bad)... so we got tickets to the Dollywood splash park. The minute the kids were in the car they were asleep. Since Don and I had not had lunch as we passed an old fashion A&W drive in we decided to stop. We thought if we ate in the car, kept it running and kept the movie on the kids wouldn't know to difference. What we didn't count on was a a huge diesel truck starting up right next to us. The naps at that point were over and they wanted to know why we were eating. We thought that if we drove around a bit they would go back to sleep so Don took me to the Scrapbook superstore outlet and he drove around... by 4:15 they were not asleep and Don was tired of driving so we decided to go to Dollywood's Splash Country. It was suppose to be a great splash park and so we had been looking forward to it but Don wasn't too keen on going so late in the day but I thought it would be perfect.
We ran to the hotel, I ran up and got our bag of suits and towels and we were off.
We got there and we were able to park right up front. We were able to walk right in. We got a locker and went into the locker room to change. I won't even talk about how FILTHY the locker rooms were but right then we decided that if we came back the next day we would be wearing our suits and bring nothing but towels.
We were off to the children's splash area and I can't tell you how much fun the kids had. I however was crazy because they both just wanted to run and you jus don't know if some nut will just pick one of them up and be off with them. But they were able to run and play on a slide and a water jungle gym. Don went down the slide with Mac. Grace was running around this place like she was an old pro. She really wanted nothing to do with us.
We were there for about a half hour when we decided to go to the lazy river when my fear came true... Grace ran off. She was so excited to do the lazy river she just ran when I turned my back. I about lost my mind. Thank the Lord she got caught up in some chairs and I was able to see her when that happened. I sort of scared her and made her cry but... I have to tell you I didn't care. She needs to know that she can't run off!!!
We went to the lazy river and Mac almost fell asleep riding on Don's lap. From there we went to one of those big four to six people slides. It was quite high and I hate heights but I had to be a trouper. The kids can't know that I'm scared of these things. Plus Mac would not have been able to go if I didn't go. I was quite scared as we went down the slide and I think that Mac was scared but we made it though. Mac said that he didn't want to do it again and so the two of us when to the Raintree Soaker Springs and Don and Grac
e when to the sledding slide where they had to ride laying down face first on a mat and go down the slide. Grace is such a daredevil. She was tall enough so she could do it by herself and the her Dad would follow. They were able to do this twice before the park closed.
We then went back to the horrible locker rooms got dressed and went to the best buffet I think that I have ever eaten. The Great American Steak buffet is right across from our hotel. It looked new so Don thought it was the place to go. I was a little leery because of the buffet the night before but it was fabulous. The kids ate like they had never eaten and we were back to the hotel by 8:30.
I didn't pack that much trip because I have learned that we buy things along the way that we can wear and also, most if not all hotels now have washer and dryers. It is wonderful. I stayed up Monday night doing laundry while the family went to sleep. That is ok with me because it give me some alone time with all the crazy stuff we have been doing.
I will write more tomorrow...
At this time it was about and we decided to go to the Splash park. You see if you go after 3 you get in the next day for free.
Well we all woke up late and almost missed our free breakfast. Then we had about 2 hours to kill before going to the presentation so I went to this womens store that I thought was going to have great clothes. Well if I were a 60 year old southern woman looking for great dresses and hats for church OR a member of the red hat society it was a great place. I did buy a skirt and a birthstone ring for Grace (that she has already lost), but it just wasn't the store I thought it was going to be.
Don took the kids to go look at a play house that we had seen the last time we had driven through town. He really wanted to make this house but I have told him to wait until we move. So anyway the kids had a great time going through the house. Then they went to a tool store because Don was hoping they would have a drill or something. They didn't but he bought Grace her own shovel (which she has not lost).
By the time they came back to get me it was time for us to go to the presentation.
I have never been to something like this and well I really don't care if I go again. You are lead in like cattle to slaughter. They were going to have lunch which was chili dogs and salad. The kids were starved so the hotdogs without the chili were great for them... Then our sales man, who I did not like from the first moment, started to talk. He was not happy that we had our kids with us. I tried to be interested even though I knew we were not buying anything, and the kids for the most part were well behaved. The resort was very nice but I was amazed at the scam... 21K for one week and $500 maintenance a year. That's over $1M per two bedroom unit... I was shocked. Don told them they were crazy and they basically kicked us out.
We went to get out tickets and I decided I didn't want to do Black Bear jamboree (someone told me the food was bad)... so we got tickets to the Dollywood splash park. The minute the kids were in the car they were asleep. Since Don and I had not had lunch as we passed an old fashion A&W drive in we decided to stop. We thought if we ate in the car, kept it running and kept the movie on the kids wouldn't know to difference. What we didn't count on was a a huge diesel truck starting up right next to us. The naps at that point were over and they wanted to know why we were eating. We thought that if we drove around a bit they would go back to sleep so Don took me to the Scrapbook superstore outlet and he drove around... by 4:15 they were not asleep and Don was tired of driving so we decided to go to Dollywood's Splash Country. It was suppose to be a great splash park and so we had been looking forward to it but Don wasn't too keen on going so late in the day but I thought it would be perfect.
We ran to the hotel, I ran up and got our bag of suits and towels and we were off.
We got there and we were able to park right up front. We were able to walk right in. We got a locker and went into the locker room to change. I won't even talk about how FILTHY the locker rooms were but right then we decided that if we came back the next day we would be wearing our suits and bring nothing but towels.
We were off to the children's splash area and I can't tell you how much fun the kids had. I however was crazy because they both just wanted to run and you jus don't know if some nut will just pick one of them up and be off with them. But they were able to run and play on a slide and a water jungle gym. Don went down the slide with Mac. Grace was running around this place like she was an old pro. She really wanted nothing to do with us.
We were there for about a half hour when we decided to go to the lazy river when my fear came true... Grace ran off. She was so excited to do the lazy river she just ran when I turned my back. I about lost my mind. Thank the Lord she got caught up in some chairs and I was able to see her when that happened. I sort of scared her and made her cry but... I have to tell you I didn't care. She needs to know that she can't run off!!!
We went to the lazy river and Mac almost fell asleep riding on Don's lap. From there we went to one of those big four to six people slides. It was quite high and I hate heights but I had to be a trouper. The kids can't know that I'm scared of these things. Plus Mac would not have been able to go if I didn't go. I was quite scared as we went down the slide and I think that Mac was scared but we made it though. Mac said that he didn't want to do it again and so the two of us when to the Raintree Soaker Springs and Don and Grac
e when to the sledding slide where they had to ride laying down face first on a mat and go down the slide. Grace is such a daredevil. She was tall enough so she could do it by herself and the her Dad would follow. They were able to do this twice before the park closed.We then went back to the horrible locker rooms got dressed and went to the best buffet I think that I have ever eaten. The Great American Steak buffet is right across from our hotel. It looked new so Don thought it was the place to go. I was a little leery because of the buffet the night before but it was fabulous. The kids ate like they had never eaten and we were back to the hotel by 8:30.
I didn't pack that much trip because I have learned that we buy things along the way that we can wear and also, most if not all hotels now have washer and dryers. It is wonderful. I stayed up Monday night doing laundry while the family went to sleep. That is ok with me because it give me some alone time with all the crazy stuff we have been doing.
I will write more tomorrow...
At this time it was about and we decided to go to the Splash park. You see if you go after 3 you get in the next day for free.
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