Saturday, March 30 Okay, finally getting around to recapping our LAST day from our Smoky Mountains spring break trip... I was almost done with these and then life got in the way. I know my dear readers may be "over" this trip by now (sorry!), BUT I urge you to please at least skim through… Continue reading Day 8: Epic last day in Smoky Mountain NP! Bears, picnic, Alum Cave Trail and more
Tag: family travel
Our Biltmore Estate day! Asheville, North Carolina
Friday, March 29 Picking back up! So looking back to Thursday 3/28, we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway from Gatlinburg to Asheville and then spent the night in Asheville (in Biltmore Village). I had pre-purchased Biltmore Estate tickets for 10:15 a.m. Friday morning. The instructions said to be there 45 minutes early to allow time… Continue reading Our Biltmore Estate day! Asheville, North Carolina
Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway day (to Asheville)
Thursday, March 28 Thursday was such a wonderful day! On the agenda was driving the Blue Ridge Parkway (a scenic route that snakes the "long way" through the mountains to Asheville, North Carolina). I went back and forth when planning this trip originally; I'd heard such good things about Asheville that my original plan was… Continue reading Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway day (to Asheville)
Our worst weather day, but turned out okay!
Tuesday, March 26 My original plan for Tuesday was to do another day focusing on some major National Park sights (similar to Monday). I had a certain area of the park bookmarked for Monday (which we did), and another section (the first half of Newfound Gap Road) and a couple specific hikes cued up for… Continue reading Our worst weather day, but turned out okay!
Great Smoky Mountain NP: Crowds, Spruce Flats Falls and Cades Cove
Monday, March 25 I think I already shared this- I started Monday off with some hot tub time. It was a late night Sunday night so we weren’t planning to be up and out the door super early on Monday or anything. It honestly got a bit later than I preferred before we headed out… Continue reading Great Smoky Mountain NP: Crowds, Spruce Flats Falls and Cades Cove
Anakeesta! Magical views!
Sunday, March 24: Picking up where I left off in my last post- Sunday afternoon. So after arrival, a late lunch and then checking in at the resort, we headed out for Anakeesta. It’s a mountaintop “village/amusement park” of sorts. Not a full on amusement park but a smaller mountain version. The only rides are… Continue reading Anakeesta! Magical views!
Travel days and we made it to Gatlinburg!
We made it to Gatlinburg! (Tennessee) My current view as I type this: (Edit: current view yesterday (Monday) morning as I started to write this post, but then an older couple from California got in the hot tub and we started chatting and I put my phone away 😅). Haha. Yes, always the hot tub.… Continue reading Travel days and we made it to Gatlinburg!
Final days and homeward bound!
Wednesday, January 3rd Two days left on our trip! Wednesday was another pretty chill day, which worked out well since on Tuesday we did the volcano hike + spent the whole evening out at Ivan’s sister’s house. Ironically, not even 12 hours after we left her house, she went into labor! So by 8 a.m.… Continue reading Final days and homeward bound!
Hike to the Volcano of Toluca
Aka: el Nevado de Toluca… On Tuesday January 2nd we finally hiked the local volcano! I’ve been to Toluca a million times now and yet we had never done this. The weather looked great and we had the time, so we did it! Just Ivan, the boys and I went; his parents stayed home. You… Continue reading Hike to the Volcano of Toluca
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Sunday, December 31- New Year’s Eve! I think I last posted on NYE in the afternoon. Picking up there, we had a nice, pretty low key Mexican New Year’s Eve. I do not think we experienced Ivan’s childhood New Year’s Eve of “yesteryear”, when his whole family would get together and there would be a… Continue reading New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day