Our weekend started on Friday when Paul took the day off. We woke up, grabbed breakfast on the road and headed into Gatlinburg. Our first stop was a hike in the mountains. We packed a picnic lunch and hit the trail. It had beautiful scenery and the weather was perfect. The trail ran along a mountain stream with picturesque rapids and clear waters. The path runs through a historic homestead with old rock walls, cemeteries and even an old barn and house in the woods.
By the time we got back to the car, it was time to check into our cute mountain cabin. This place was the cutest thing I've ever seen. Just a studio style cabin with one open room, it was perfect for our weekend away. We even got this cabin at a great last minute deal, so we had a fireplace, kitchen and hot tub all for less than a creepy hotel room. Saving money is always a perk!
Our next adventure was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. We got ready, dressed up and headed into town for our special, romantic birthday dinner. Paul took me to The Melting Pot and I was so, so excited. We had a wonderful time at this fondue restaurant dipping all sorts of fun items in cheese. We even cooked our own meats at the table in our fondue pot. It was such a fun experience! The best part, to me at least, was the chocolate, caramel and pecan fondue for dessert. It was delicious to say the least. And while the meal was expensive we did manage to find a coupon for these beautiful and FREE chocolate covered strawberries!!
The next morning we woke up and Paul served me breakfast in bed. Paul's homemade cheese biscuits hit the spot before we left for Dollywood. Being season pass holders, we could ride their newest roller coaster 1 hour before the park was open to everyone else. We managed to ride it a couple times with no wait before we ventured on to other rides. It had been such a long time since I'd felt that stomach dropping, wonderful sensation of a roller coaster and it made my day! We spent the entire day exhausting every ride and attraction at Dollywood, including the Spirit of the Dance performance! It was awesome, to say the least.
Sunday afternoon we headed to Clingman's Dome for some amazing views of the Smoky's. The half mile, uphill hike took it's toll on me, especially when the temperature had dropped over 20 degrees from the town. But we made it to the top at over 6,000 feet in elevation and saw some wonderful mountain views. It was a great end to our weekend. The car ride home was fun filled as we sang, poorly I'm sure, to 90's classics on the radio.(I was born in the 90's you know?) I couldn't have asked for a better weekend trip and it honestly was the best birthday I've ever had. Here's to being 22. If it's as good as the birthday itself, I'm in for an amazing year!
Love and Happiness,
Bethany
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