national park – Looking on the Bright Side

A few days ago, I posted about my visit to Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge. I wanted to share a few other pictures from my trip. We have been there several times over the years. My parents rent the cabin, and my siblings and I spend a week with them in the Smoky Mountains.

The cabins available for rent are really fun to stay in. The one we got this time had three levels, each with a balcony overlooking the mountains. I love to sit on the rocking chair, reading a book, and just listening to the sounds of the birds chirping.

Our cabin also had an indoor swimming pool, a hot tub, games such as air hockey and pool, a movie theater, and more. The cabin was in a neighborhood, so we also had access to the community pool.

There are lots of things to do in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area. Parents could spend a lot of money entertaining their children in the array of arcades, amusement parks, shops, etc.

Rides at the Island, a shopping and entertainment center.

Of course, the best thing to do in the area is to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a huge park full of hiking and driving trails. On this particular visit, we did the Cades Cove Loop Road and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Both of these are driving tours with many places to stop and hike or explore the buildings left behind from the communities that lived there.

We saw wild turkeys, deer, and a momma black bear with her cubs.

The park is gorgeous. I definitely recommend a visit. There is so much to see and do.

I was fortunate enough to spend a week recently in Hot Springs, Arkansas. My aunt and uncle rented a house on the lake and were kind enough to invite me along. We had a great family trip and my daughter got to hang out with some of her cousins.

The house we stayed in had a pool, hot tub, kayaks, and a canoe.

Hot Springs National Park is unique because it includes downtown and Bathhouse Row. The old bathhouses all still stand, although most have been transformed into something else. Across from Bathhouse Row are shops and restaurants and such. The green spaces of the park are located directly behind Bathhouse Row.

Buckstaff Baths is the only traditional bathhouse still in operation. My aunt and I went and had the traditional experience, including a soak in the tub that was filled with mineral water straight from the springs. After that we were covered in hot towels, which was a bit intense. Then I sat in a steam closet, had a sitz bath, and a needle shower. It was an interesting experience.

The Fordyce Bathhouse has been turned into a museum about the history of the bathhouses in Hot Springs.

needle shower
steam closet
stained glass ceiling
elevator

One day, we took the children to the Mid-America Science Museum, which I highly recommend. There was lots of hands-on fun inside and a dinosaur trail and skywalk outside.

Another day we visited Garvan Woodland Gardens, which was fun and pretty, but very hot! There were free strollers available, and my five year old had me pushing her uphill through the gravel! The botanical gardens are part of the University of Arkansas. There was a tree house and lots of other places to hang out and play.