Day 3

I woke up last night around 4:30am to the sounds of animals. Our neighbors that had so hastily left the in the rain had left their tent and supplies at their site. There was a bag on their picnic table that now I assumed contained food as something was digging through it and taking parts into the woods.

I knew we were safe as we hadn't cooked since the first night and our site was totally clean so once it became quiet again I was able to fall back asleep. To dream of bears.

Once I woke and saw it was a little lighter I got up to write and let the kids sleep. I forgot my jacket in the tent so I retired to the car to keep warm and dry. The campground was quiet except for the birds who kept trying to tell everyone it was morning even though it was so foggy and gray.

Once I finished, I started packing up as much as I could without completely pulling the kids out of their sleeping bags. We only had a four hour drive today so I was looking forward to a fun, easy day.

When the kids woke up we talked for a little while then decided to pack up the tent. After everything was rolled up and packed into the car we all got to work on taking down the tent. Within seconds from us lowering the tent to the ground the downpour started. We were scrambling to get the tent rolled up and stuffed into the bag without getting completely drenched. It seemed the faster we worked the more soaked we got!

By the time I got into the car my clothes were dripping so we headed to the showers to deal with all the mess and warm up. We all showered and laid out our towels and sweatshirts throughout the car to see if they would dry and got on the road.

Today we had a 4 hour drive with two quick resupply stops. We all had a piece of fruit when we left so by the first rest stop we were all starving. The rain had mostly stopped so we decided to have a breakfast picnic while I updated the first 2 days of the blog.

Traveling with these three for more than an hour means lots of DS games and races. During this part of the trip the girls were talking in baby voices for about an hour. At one point Brayden looked over at me and said, "Don't those voices the girls are using annoy you after a little bit?" and I replied, "SO much of what you guys do can be annoying if I choose it to be." I think he wasn't sure if he should be offended that he could be so annoying or actually realized that he could choose his reactions to things.

After about an hour we stopped in Knoxville at our favorite spot for groceries - Trader Joe's. The kids were excited to stock up on all their favorite things they only get a few times a year. Dave isn't so excited to see the debit card transations during our trips though!  We made a beeline to the yogurt first for their all-time favorite item - Vanana yogurt. They all stared at me with angry faces because there wasn't any. There wasn't even an empty spot and they were out of stock. It was as if they had stopped carrying the flavor. Oh, the devastation.

We continued around the store grabbing all the favorite snacks and easy dinner ingredients. Then we hit Walmart for batteries and quarters and got back on the road to our next spot. We knew we were close to Bristol once we started seeing signs for the Bristol Speedway.

Ryan was excited to see the speedway except she was thinking it was a fun museum with slides and things to climb like her favorite in St Louis. Instead we drove past and turned onto our route with all kinds of trucker switchback warning signs. Sounds like a fun drive to me! Considering we only had about 15 miles left and it was going to take us 30 minutes we knew we were in for a treat!

After tons of braking and turning we reached our next park - Little Oak Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest. In years past we have hit so many of the popular national parks that it is sometimes difficult to find a place we haven't seen. This little campground is tucked up on a lake created by a dam managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority with quiet, secluded little spots. The kids have pretty much outgrown the playgrounds they used to rate so we now opt for more quiet and outdoor options.

Our spot was situated on a little peninsula with a nice view of the lake and easy access to the trails. We met our neighbors and were set up in no time. We had one of the kids' favorite Trader Joe's meals for dinner - veggie burgers on pretzel buns.

And this is what happens when the kids play with the camera while I cook!

Once the sunset glow started we took a walk around our little peninsula for a look at the water. The ducks were telling us goodnight as we watched the sun duck behind the mountains.

After all was cleaned up we slipped into our pajamas and read a chapter from our new book - The Middle Moffat. The kids were giggling through the whole first chapter so I'm thinking we might have another great summer trip book! We were very thankful to go to sleep to gentle wind instead of rain this night.

Day 2

We all had a pretty tough night of sleep with all the rain and our lovely neighbors returning with plans to now put a rain fly on their tent. There wasn't much teamwork happening as flashlights were moving around like searchlights through the woods. At one point after angrily asking for help for the 4th time, one of the guys gave up and suggested they just go home. Shortly thereafter 4 doors closed. I assumed they were going to somehow sleep in the car until I was jolted awake about an hour later with tires spinning in the muddy gravel campsite driveway. Gladly, they figured out how to get out so we could have some peace for at least this night!

The rain was pretty constant with rushes from the water held in the trees every once in a while. Around midnight it stopped and we all were still and sound asleep. The rain started again a few hours later but we were all pretty successful with putting sleeping bags over our heads to keep the noise low and the light out. My suction-cup-cuddling child (Ryan) slept more attached to me than next to me all night. She woke up shortly after I did wanting to play games since it was still raining.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle so we took the opportunity to race to the bathrooms and grab a breakfast snack. We brought fruit and bars back to the tent and tried to decide what to do.

Laney and Brayden opted to read while Ryan and I played a few games of teeny tiny Connect Four.

I noticed I had a signal on my phone so I quickly tried to check the weather. In our area it wasn't supposed to rain again until the afternoon so we wiggled out of the tent, hopped in the car, and headed to the small town of Ellijay. We'd been through this town several times and Brayden was happy to finally get the opportunity to stop.

Our first mission was to find some local breakfast and that we did! We stopped at Mr. P's with the promise of the best homemade biscuits. The kids opted instead for giant cinnamon rolls slathered with the richest icing I'd ever tasted. I had to try a famous biscuit though!

Many of the shops weren't quite open so we browsed through the ones that were pointing out all the cute and funny treasures. There was so much stuff crammed in some of these stores I was overwhelmed and couldn't even focus to see it all!  

Next we headed to the library for some wifi and discovery of new graphic novels for everyone. The kids checked their email but with this being only day 2 they didn't have much to check!  The kids were very excited to find new graphic novels and others our library doesn't have so I didn't hear a peep from them for more than an hour. It was drizzling pretty good once we left the library so we decided to take the movie back and figure out something for lunch.

Brayden spotted a pizza buffet and I just couldn't talk them out of it. I'm not necessarily a pizza snob but I am completely grossed out by buffet germs. So I just made sure to get the first pieces of pizza fresh from the oven. I've definitely had better but I've also had worse. The kids were thrilled to try all kinds of different pizza,  especially the dessert pizza!

Waiting for fresh pizza afforded us a little down time so Ryan asked if she could try the Saltine Challenge with crackers from the salad bar. All three joined in and the results were hilarious. They did finish the crackers but it was in a little over 2 minutes. The only saltine sprayer was Laney when Brayden started laughing but luckily she kept it contained to her plate.



I checked the weather during lunch and the forecast didn't look good. It was oddly sunny outside but the prediction was for rain for at least the next 18 hours with possibly a break at 8am the next morning. We decided to head back to the campsite and see how it looked to decide what to do next. We drove by the ice cream place we'd talked about stopping earlier in the day and I laughed as the kids claimed they still had a small amount of room. They even tried to pull the but-we-always-get-ice-cream-on-our-trips trick but there was no way I was going to have sick kids today too.

Once we got back Ryan suggested we try to play campball as it wasn't raining at all. I'd remembered from the forecast the heaviest rain was to be at 5pm and it was 4:45. We decided to go to the field to take a better look and see how slippery a game would be. By the time we got there the rain already started. We raced back to the tent for 3Up 3Down - our latest favorite card game.

After playing a couple rounds of cards, tempers flaring, and rain stopping we decided to get back outside. We took a walk the other direction on the lake loop trail to discover a few more spots for Pooh Sticks. Soon after, Brayden wanted to head back so Laney and I headed to the showers. I knew I was going to get messy and muddy packing the tent up the next day but I've learned over the years to take showers when you can!






Once we got back it was still clear weather so we grabbed the football and soccer balls to play on the beach. Ryan marked off the field and we decided to play football first since there were some kids nearby that probably wouldn't appreciate being hit by a soccer ball. Ryan and I took on Laney and Brayden easily beating them 21-7.



The whole time we were playing the temperature would drop and the wind would pick up. Ryan would notice me look toward our campsite which was a good 10 minute walk back from the beach. She would tell me the all the dark clouds are moving fast and to not worry about it.  She said she would take the blame if we got soaked. There were so many dark clouds and the wind picked up so many times that I finally took a picture for proof.





Next up was soccer. After some hilarious battles in the sand, Ryan and I once again beat them 5-2. Against my advice, we then switched teams for soccer with Laney and me against Brayden and Ryan. I thought we would be destroyed but Laney ended up showing up and muscling her way to the goal a few times for a 5-3 win.

Once we got back to the site the weather still looked okay so I started a quick fire for the kids to roast a few marshmallows. We would be leaving the state the next day so we needed to have a fire now if we were going to use the wood we'd bought. The kindling around us was soaked so the fire didn't last terribly long but it was good enough for a quick dessert!

After a little prepping to leave in the morning we all got tucked in for the last chapter of our book. I was getting pretty sleepy during this everlasting chapter so I convinced the kids that even though it was 8:30 our time when we finished, we all didn't sleep well the night before so it would be smart for us to sleep now. We were all snoring within 2 minutes!

Day 1

Even though I didn't start actually packing until 3 days before our for-sure-leave-date, this was quite possibly the most prepared we have been since our very first trip 5 years ago! After going back and forth and back and forth trying to figure out if we should get out of town early before Alberto hit, we finally decided to wait until our planned date. As per our tradition, we met Grandpa at Bagelheads for breakfast to say our goodbyes and so I didn't have to cook!

We were on the road by 7:30am and headed to our next first day tradition - Priesler's Pecans in Ft. Deposit. The kids had been anxiously waiting to read their new books on their Kindles and listen to their newly downloaded music so I had a quiet first few hours of driving.  They weren't too happy when I said they couldn't have the travel candy Dave had bought them until I mentioned we'd be stopping at the jelly bean place.

Unfortunately, the kids have been ruined by Bean Boozled. Ever year we'd driven this route we stopped at this same place to pick up a 1/4 pound scoop of jelly beans for everyone to gorge and share. Just the site of chocolate pudding, juicy pear, and strawberry banana smoothie jelly beans had all three of them holding their stomachs with memories of eating dog food, boogers, and dead fish instead. They decided instead to get candy legos and gummy worms.




Once we hopped back on the interstate I realized I'd forgotten to top off my gas tank with the always-cheaper Alabama fuel so we found a stop with a Redbox machine as well to grab a movie. With this being our first day it was our longest drive so it was a good time to grab The Greatest Showman and sing loud as we logged the miles.

The drive was beautiful most of the day until we made it just north of Atlanta. There were dark clouds everywhere and we were slowed with heavy rain about every 30 minutes. I was just hoping we were driving through what had already past our campground!

After a 45-minute winding drive up and around the mountain we finally made it to our campground and got to work setting up. I'd checked the forecast at the registration desk so I knew there would be rain for about the next 36 hours so we decided to all stay together in one tent. I'm a little gun-shy when I know rain is coming after the windy downpour in the middle of the night last year when we ended up in Grammie's RV!

When we pulled into our site we noticed a group of 4 guys having a little trouble setting up their tent next door. They were giving us quite the stink eye once we were all set up and ready for the night!

We took a walk down to the lake to check out the area then cooked a quick dinner. Our neighbor's companions showed up with what looked like enough supplies for a week of partying. This was going to be a long two nights!

We'd picked up some firewood and the kids requested some marshmallows so we ran back up to the trading post to grab some but they were already closed. On our way back to the campsite I missed the turn and we ended up near the trails I had on our list for the next day. With all the rain coming we decided to hop out and go ahead check them out.

Brayden was happy to see some signs noting some Civilian Conservation Corps done in the area and in this park. We scrambled up the trail first to check out the Cool Springs Overlook with a 180-degree view of the valley below. I couldn't even fit it in a panoramic picture!












Brayden spotted a bird having fun in the wind currents!

Next stop was the once operational fire tower that had recently been restored as a historic building. We talked all about how parks treat fires differently these days and the kids remembered a lot of what they'd learned in Yellowstone and Glacier the year before where fires were active around us. Notice the heart-shaped rock a little above the windows!

On our way back down we visited the stone wall archaeological site. There were a bunch of legends and stories about the purpose of the walls from astronomy to protection. The kids enjoyed thinking about standing in a place where people once built and stood a thousand or more years ago. We often seem to stumble on this wonderful historic places!

Once we got back to our site and finished the dishes I spotted a great spot for some camp ball. We quickly found our supplies and decided on 3 innings of regular play followed by a home run derby if we could finish before dark. Laney and I were teamed up against Brayden and Ryan this go round.

The first inning Ryan and Brayden had a little trouble fielding and we scored 3 runs then struck out Brayden twice keeping them to only 1 run. The next inning I hit one of Brayden's meatballs across the road for another run. The third inning they held us and popped out for a so-far score of 4-1. Brayden finally got in his groove to hit the furthest home run.

Once we got back to our site I noticed the beautiful glow before dusk by the lake so we all took a short walk over to see if we could see anything. We saw some giant snails along the way and hung out by the water for a little while before heading back.

After one long day we all brushed our teeth and retired to the tent for a game of Trouble and reading. We are finally wrapping up our last chapters of Nanny Piggins! By the time we finished the lullaby of rain started on the tent roof.  Our neighbors were full of gusto so we laid there trying to sleep through their arguments and drama around the campfire. Once it started steadily raining their campfire was squashed so they left for a dry spot somewhere. I was only hoping I could get some sleep before they returned!

Day 45

We woke up to forecasts of rain for most of the next three days. We were scheduled to do some white water kayaking today before we camped at our last stop for three days in north Georgia. The predictions for the path of the storm were just east of where we would be but I was a little nervous of tornadoes spinning off.  Not good news in a tent.

I got to work canceling our reservations and making new ones west. Only problem was there weren't any open spots because it was Labor Day weekend! I inched further and further west until I found us a spot in Alabama where we started our trip the year before. So after a hotel breakfast that my kids adore and a load of laundry containing all our wet stuff from the night before, we got on the road to our kayak outfitters.

Way back on our way through North Carolina we'd seen white water rafting boats splashing down the river next to our highway and the kids would not stop asking me if we could do it until I convinced them we should wait to do it with Dave on the way home. He made us some reservations for kayaks on the Green River in South Carolina. I was a little nervous about kayaks with the kids' limited experience, but knew we would have fun and our guide would take care of us.

Tim was from Australia on work visa for 6 months as a guide. We were so lucky to have him as he was very funny, knowledgeable, and related to the kids so very well. Ryan jumped into a solo kayak while I hopped into a double with Laney and Dave in double with Brayden and before we knew it we were braving our first rapid!

Our guide would generally tell us to follow him and watch the line he took, but we all really ended up just figuring it out on our own. He had a little camera I spotted at each rapid for embarrassing or fun pictures of us. On the second or third rapid I looked back to check on the boats behind me and noticed a guy had already fallen out of his boat. Then I realized that guy was Dave! And Brayden was hanging out of the boat heading toward me! I'm not sure what happened, but hearing Dave's scream about the water temperature was extra motivation for me to stay in my boat for sure.

That is until the splashing started. The guide started by splashing Ryan. Then Laney. Then it was an all our war between everyone for the next 5 minutes until everyone was screaming about how cold the water was. Brayden had some splashing issues with his paddle so it was extra fun punishing him with water.

Laney and I got stuck on rocks a few times, but generally made it through all right. We stayed in our boat at least!  After about an hour we paddled up to a rope swing and all took turns jumping in. That was when we all experienced the coldest of cold water and had to get back to paddling just to get warm.

After one more rapid were reached the take out spot and were surprised with lovely PBR in a cooler. We were freezing cold, but it tasted so good. Lucky for us the van had a fantastic heater for our ride back to the office.  Once we changed and watched our pictures and videos we grabbed a Subway dinner and got on the road to our spot in Alabama. We had a four hour drive ahead of us and were hoping to make it there before dark. That was one thing I had successfully avoided in my five years of trips - setting up tents in the dark.

And we probably would have been find had we not been within a 100 mile radius of Atlanta. On a Friday evening. At one point I counted eight traffic accidents on our route alone. So we ended up at our campground at dark setting up tents by headlights.

But we were dry. And together. And going home two days early. So we were all content and looking foward to home.

Day 3

We were up early and on the road for a long day and drive to our next spot.  The kids help more and more each year so our packing time seems to decrease.  Except for when I add in extra variables.  I bought each of the kids a personal backpacking inflatable sleep pad being the nice concerned mother I am and in hopes they could each handle packing and unpacking their sleep areas.  What I didn't realize is the sheer amount of instruction time it would cost me! Hopefully that will exponentially decrease with each stop.

We'd grabbed a Redbox movie the day before, so with a 4 hour drive ahead of us to our first stop, it was the perfect time for breakfast and a movie!  Brayden opted for the single seat and some alone time.  Perhaps this teenage thing is really upon me.

After a long four hours straight in the car and looping through Georgia and almost to Chattanooga, we arrived at our first stop.  Oh, how I've missed you Trader Joe's!  The kids were grabbing things off the shelves like they were long lost best friends they hadn't seen in years.  I could see Dave shaking his head wondering just how much this was going to cost him!  We walked out of there without too much damage though and headed to our next stop - the Adventure Discovery Science Museum! The kids had been looking foward to this stop all day as they have turned into such science museum snobs able to rate a museum in under 2 hours.

This one did not disappoint them!  At first they were drawn to the 2-story video game and play structure area but then they ended up learning all about genes, hereditary traits, brain disorders, and gender bias.  Wow!  I certainly couldn't have covered all that material in 30 minutes!  This one really intrigued Laney as she realized she categorized babies how they were dressed.  They were actually the same baby!

And here is proof Brayden really is strong as he is lifting a car.  He's been snowballing us all this time saying things were too heavy!

They build a catenary arch!

And then promptly knocked it all down.

Next up was a quick show about severe weather.  On the way the girls learned how to spin plates!  I was a little nervous about this show as we were a traveling in a tent very close to weather right now, but they actually learned quite a bit about lightning and tornado safety.  Plus the experiments were cool!

An F2 tornado simulation - shot a pencil through a piece of wood!  The kids gasped when he told them they have found drinking straws embedded in trees.

Our last section of the museum was all about body functions.  This was certainly going to be gross. The kids learned about blood flow, respiratory function, the digestive system, and even performed an operation.  I'm not sure I would trust the doctor who is more concerned with buttoning her coat!

Next was the "Body Battle" game where we (good guys Laney & mom) battled against the pathogens (bad guys Bray & Ryan) to keep our temperature below 100 degrees.  I'm sure you can guess who won!

Out last stop we spotted as we walked in and Ryan had asked only about 83 times when we were going to do it - the Space Walk.  It was supposed to simulate a walk on the moon.

Brayden was my & Ryan's photographer and he did a great job with Ryan.  Let's just say those harnesses are not even remotely flattering for adults. That and I was blurry in most of the photos too.

But he redeemed himself with this one of Laney!

Laney thought her friend Zoey would love this part of the museum!

Refreshed and bouncing, the kids hopped back in the car for the quick ride to our next stop - Mammoth Cave National Park.  We only had a little more than an hour drive so we would be there with plenty of time to visit the visitor's center and plan our stay there.  Or so I thought.  This was my view for 45 minutes.  A complete stop on the interstate.  Like engines off people out of their cars stop.  In 90 degrees.  With a few thousand of my closest friends.  Wait, was this bad thing #3? Well, at least we had snacks!  And at least it's not raining!

As we arrived the sun was getting low, so we opted for dinner and bedtime.  My planning brain would have to wait until tomorrow.  The kids made a few friends and raced around on their scooters until it was time to eat.  We thought we'd have time for a walk around the campground, but by the time we'd finished all our nightly stuff, it was pretty dark so it was off to bed after a couple chapters of the book.

Quote of the Day: Ryan to Brayden - "Go in there and you can be a fart!"