My First Vacation

The first vacation for our little family...

This past weekend we left for Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the truck fully loaded with little one included! We were so excited for Waverly's first vacation. She did really well!

Strategically, we planned to leave home close to nap time, in hopes that Waverly would sleep about half way there. She did take a good nap, but we only made it to Lexington before she awoke. We played for a little bit and then took off again! This time, we made it down the highway only one or two exits before stopping in Berea. Waverly had lunch and then it was time for nap #2 of the day.

Playing driver during a pit stop!

After only a handful of stops, we made it to Gatlinburg!

The traffic was nothing like I remember from previous trips - this year, we moved right along with only minimal traffic due to construction. Waverly enjoyed all the Christmas lights as we made it to our hotel room.

The first night, we took it easy and just settled down into our cabin. Waverly loved exploring a new place! She crawled all over and was thrilled to stand up and cruise around the huge ottoman. Mommy's favorite was the fireplace...

Trying something new - scrambled egg whites! Not so sure I like that...

Waverly was excited to see the Titanic exhibit. Mamaw and Papaw came too! The museum was very well done, with much history of Titanic and artifacts from the ship. Waverly enjoyed singing while the historians were telling us stories from the ship. It kept us smiling while listening to such tragic events. There were exhibits where you could feel how cold the water was and touch an iceberg! Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed inside, so you will just have to take my word for it that the grand staircase was beautiful.

Waverly had a ball at dinner time. We went to Fudruckers, one of Mommy and Daddy's favorite restaurants. Mamaw and Papaw joined us. Waverly had so much fun helping in the 'bakery'.

She emptied the box of Marshmallows for the bakers, then moved on to crunch up some rice krispies!

It was truly a family vacation, since Mamaw and Papaw were staying nearby in Pigeon Forge. We took turns checking out each other's cabins. Waverly even stayed with Mamaw and Papaw for a couple hours to let Mommy and Daddy go shopping! She crawled all over the room and had fun with her new squishy toy.

It sure is Christmas!

Waverly loves Christmas already! She is all about trees and decorations. She practiced saying her new word, "look", as we drove past all the Christmas lights!

Breakfast at Flapjacks

Papaw carted Waverly all around the restaurant to see the sights. What a pretty fireplace!

Let it Snow!

It snowed all the way home! It was very pretty, but it wasn't long before the roads were a bit slick. Because we heard that the highway on Jellico Mountain was congested with traffic, we bypassed it and went AROUND the mountain instead of up and over!

While we were taking the 'scenic route', we did stumble across an interesting piece of history. In 1994, a train carrying troops wrecked. This memorial stands in honor of the 130+ soldiers who lost their lives and the 36 soldiers injured from the derailed train.

The sign says, "She Jumped the Tracks".

After the detour, we got right back on the interstate and had a safe trip home. Daddy is such a good driver that Mommy wasn't even nervous on the way home! Waverly slept almost the whole way, but after the long ride, she was glad to be back home!

What a great vacation! Its hard to travel with a wee one, but worth it!