Tennessee Wildfires

East Tennessee has been experiencing an incredibly bad drought this year. And with the lack of rain has come the unexpected challenge of wildfires. A few weeks ago our mountain had back-to-back fires that consumed over 1,000 acres and required an evacuation of one neighborhood.

Thankfully the fire was contained without damaging property or anyone getting hurt. For a two-week period fires burned on the mountains around us. Signal, Mowbray, Lookout and other surrounding mountains had fires blazing. At one point downtown Chattanooga had grass fires next to the interstate due to careless drivers throwing cigarette butts out the window.

(Chattanooga, image via WRCB)

You don't realize how big a deal this is until your city that is normally covered in a blanket of fog in the fall is suddenly covered in a blanket of smoke. Everyone was suffering from allergy-type symptoms from the smoke, and for two weeks it felt like you really couldn't get a deep breath of air.

Newfound Gap, circa 2001

But we were lucky. The big winds held off. Firefighters from other states joined the fight to contain the fires, and last night we finally got a good rain.

1st Anniversary Backpacking Trip: Anthony Trail to Spence Field, 2003

Before the rain arrived last night, the wind was something fierce. As we waited for the much awaited rain to roll in, Facebook lit up with videos and photos of the Smoky Mountain being on fire. As the rain started here, we realized that Gatlinburg was about to be engulfed in flames, with mandatory evacuations of the city late that evening.

Voyles Family Reunion, circa summer 2004

In the middle of the night I was up with Jack and happened to check Facebook again and realized that the winds we had experienced earlier that evening had wreaked havoc on the Smoky Mountains and this iconic town that so many of us know and love. I read reports of people being trapped and then thankfully rescued, as residents and tourists alike tried to escape the flames. Amazingly there were no fatalities and only a few hospitalized for burns, but the main strip of the city seems to be gone.

Backpacking Trip: Gabes Mountain Trail, 2007

I think I read that 450 buildings in the area were damaged or destroyed, with initial reports saying no known casualties and four people being treated for burns. The most recent report I saw said three had died – which is even more devastating than the loss of property.

Daniel's 30th Birthday Weekend: Clingman's Dome, 2010

Daniel and I have so many memories from this mountain town. Daniel has been visiting with his family since he was little and my very first visit here was with his family in 2001. We have a special place in our hearts for these mountains and we have no idea what is left of the town itself.

Daniel's 30th Birthday Weekend: Riding Four Whelers near Pidgeon Forge, 2010

We have celebrated anniversaries in Gatlinburg – our first anniversary and our 13th last December. Our first was spent backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, taking the Anthony Creek Trail out of Cades Cove up to Spence Field. At the end of that trip, we spent the night in Gatlinburg, thankful to soak our sore bodies in a hot tub and enjoy some of our favorite restaurants. As newlyweds, we also spent a significant amount of time hiking and backpacking in the Smoky Mountains.

Log Cabin Pancake House, 2010

On one particular day trip (2003-ish), we were hiking in the Laurel Snow Falls Area and we decided to make a spur of the moment overnight trip to Gatlinburg. We stopped at Goodwill for a change of clothes and Walmart for toothbrushes and deodorant. It's one of my favorite memories. 

Gatlinburg at Christmas Time, 2015

We have vacationed here with family – both in the summer of 2003 (I think) and Christmas of 2005. On that particular Christmas we had 19 family members in one cabin and our water stopped working on Christmas Eve. So we had to move to another cabin on Christmas morning. Even with the chaos of changing locations, it is one of my favorite Christmas memories.

13th Anniversary Weekend: Newfound Gap, 2016

In 2007, we were living in Charlotte, NC and met friends in Gatlinburg at the Log Cabin Pancake House before heading to the Gabes Mountain Trail for a quick overnight trip on the trail with friends.

13th Anniversary Weekend: Newfound Gap, 2016

In 2010, we celebrated Daniel's 30th birthday by renting a cabin in Gatlinburg for the weekend. We rented four wheelers, hiked to Clingman's Dome, and enjoyed many of our favorite activities.

13th Anniversary Weekend: Log Cabin Pancake House, 2016

Our most recent trip was last December when we took our boys with us for the first time. It was actually our 13th anniversary weekend, but I'm so glad that Jack and Isaac were able to visit once. We did many of the things we loved best. We froze at Newfound Gap, hiked to Laurel Falls, and had the best breakfast's in town. I don't know if, or when, we will be able to do that again.

(Gatlinburg, image via WRCB)

There are those who are from Gatlinburg who have lost so much. Friends with timeshares and cabins that are now gone. I am praying for those who are still in the area fighting the fires. Praying for more rain. And praying for those who have lost so much and will only have memories as they rebuild.

Hike to Laurel Falls (GSMNP)

 

The weekend before Christmas found us in Gatlinburg celebrating our anniversary as a family. As part of that trip, we took our boys hiking on the Laurel Falls trail, located about 4 miles past Sugarlands (toward Cades Cove) in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

 

The hike is paved and *only* about 1 mile point-to-point, but it isn't without challenges. The very first thing we noticed at the trailhead were signs that warned that the use of strollers was dangerous and not recommended. Since our Bob Revolution stroller is more like an all terrain vehicle for children than a typical stroller, we decided to press on.

We knew the trail was mostly uphill, so we initially planned on pushing Isaac with the back up plan to push Jack and carry Isaac in an Ergo. Jack lasted about 5 minutes before he said his feet hurt. So we shuffled the boys around and I carried Isaac while Daniel pushed Jack.

Other signs warned to hang on to your kids because of the steep drop offs and cliffs you encounter on the trail. Truthfully I felt better having Jack strapped in our stroller than running along it!

On the upper part of the trail Jack kept telling Daniel that he was making him nervous and that they were too close to the edge.

We made it to the falls in about half-an-hour. The temperature was chilly, so we were glad that Jack was bundled up under blankets and Isaac was snuggled close to me for extra warmth. The boys did great (except at the waterfall when Jack decided he didn't want any pictures taken!).

On the way back, I moved Isaac to my back instead of my chest so that I would have a better sense of balance on the way down. Carrying him on my back is so much easier than my chest. He is such a big guy!!!

We thought Isaac might fall asleep on the return trip, but he was so excited to be on my back that he just chattered the entire way down. I think he enjoyed being able to see more from this new position. 

Laurel Falls is a great hike for kids, though don't plan on a stroller unless you have a Bob Revolution that you are comfortable pushing up and then down a hill. Jack could have hiked the trail if we had started earlier in the day and it wasn't quite so cold. It is just over 1 mile each way, but it does gain some elevation. The best part is that this trail delivers on views of mountains as well as an 80-ft waterfall at the end. The worst part was that there were quite a few people on the trail, even though it was a cold winter day.

We had a great hike and are looking forward to more hikes this coming year. One of my goals for 2016 is to get back into the habit of regularly spending time outside as a family. Having little kids makes that hard, but not impossible, and I hope that this year will find us sharing our love of the outdoors with our boys on a more regular basis.

Breakfast in Gatlinburg...

If you know me, you know I love to cook. But more than cooking, I really enjoy eating out. Especially on vacation. And especially for breakfast. It has become a bit of a tradition that we try as many local breakfast places as we can when we are traveling, and we stuck to this tradition on our recent trip to the mountains.

Log Cabin Pancake House
Daniel's family has been visiting Gatlinburg and going to the Log Cabin Pancake House since before Daniel was born which means for our family, no trip to this area is complete without a stop for pancakes and waffes. I say "this area" because we have driven out of our way to get breakfast here when hiking in the general vicinity.

 

Log Cabin was our very first food stop on this trip and it was exactly how we remembered. This was our boy's first visit to this long-standing Gatlinburg establishment and Isaac had a biscuit (on the house) and Jack tried Blueberry Kids Pancakes while Daniel got his usual Chocolate Chip Belgian Waffles and I had my usual Caribbean Pancakes with a coffee. Thumbs up from everyone.

We have officially passed on a long-standing tradition of eating at the Log Cabin Pancake House to a new generation.

Currently Log Cabin is ranked #6 on Trip Advisor's Best Places to Eat in Gatlinburg and has a rating of 4.0 on Zomato (formally Urbanspoon).
 

Crockett's Breakfast Camp

Our second day in the mountains included a stop at Crockett's Breakfast Camp. oh.my.word. This may be the best (and biggest) breakfast I have ever had. We lucked out with our timing, because we only had to wait for 30 minutes on a Saturday the week before Christmas. Off season is the best time to visit popular eateries like this.

 

Daniel tried the Jake's Creek Skillet while I had the Black Bear Camp Skillet, and Jack got the kid's waffles. Technically this was our lunch with plans to hike afterward and we actually managed to eat almost everything on our plates (we did take the 1-inch pancakes home for later and they were amazing! 

Honestly, for a typical breakfast, I think we could have split a skillet between the four of us. Isaac enjoyed eating bits and pieces from our plates.

If you want an amazing breakfast with great atmosphere, you really need to try Crockett's Breakfast Camp. As a side note, the pancakes are Aretha Frankenstein's from here in Chattanooga! 

 

Crockett's Breakfast Camp is currently ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for this area and has rating of 3.4 on Zomato (seems too low!).

 

Mountain Lodge Restaurant
On our final morning in the mountains, we decided to try the mom-and-pop Mountain Lodge Restaurant. It was located off of the strip and we noticed several local emergency responders parked there. We thought that was a good litmus test for a good local place.

When we arrived, the place was packed, but we snagged one of the last available tables. They get coffee and food to your table at record speeds. For a home-cooked, southern style meal, this place is worth a visit. Trip Advisor ranks this spot as #5 for the area and it scores a 4.2 on Zomato.


Since we couldn't live only on breakfast, I wanted to include the restaurants we tried for dinner as honorable mentions.

Uncle Buck's Grill
Friday night we saw Santa at the Bass Pro Shop in Kodak (just outside of Sevierville), and we decided to eat on site at Uncle Buck's Grill (we didn't think the boys would stay awake long enough to make it to another restaurant). 

This restaurant has a low ranking on Zomato, but we thought it was surprisingly good. Daniel tried the fish and chips, Jack had mini burgers and I had the wild boar burger with fresh chips. Daniel and I shared our dishes and both were excellent (Isaac thought so too, 8 months old and he has already tried wild boar!).
 

Big Daddy's Pizzeria
Saturday night, after an afternoon of hiking, we grabbed a pizza from Big Daddy's Pizzeria in Gatlinburg. We called ahead and they had it ready in about 15 minutes. The pizza is wood fired and had great flavor, though after a strenuous day, I could have used something a little heartier, especially since we were splitting between three of us (thank goodness for my huge lunch from Crockett's that morning!). We actually ate at Big Daddy's in Pidgeon Forge several years ago and really liked it (but then there were only two of us sharing a pizza!).


That wraps up our recent dining experience in Gatlinburg. When looking for new restaurants to try, we have found that Trip Advisor's Top 10 lists come in handy. Typically, if a restaurant makes the Top 10, we will generally have a really good experience. Until next time!

13th Anniversary Trip

I mentioned in a previous post that I thought coffee was my love language, the truth behind that statement is that quality time is what fills me up.

Daniel's work schedule over the last two years hasn't provided a lot of time for quality time, so a last-minute anniversary trip to Gatlinburg was something we were in desperate need of.

It was a trip with kids in tow, but sometimes you just have to make it work. 

We rented a little cabin just outside of Gatlinburg and squeezed in some of the activities that we like best. It has actually been 5 years since our last trip to these mountains and many memories kept flooding back as we drove around and visited old spots we loved. 

Reminiscing is good for the soul and we have a lot of fond memories from experiences in these mountains.

My favorite thing to do on vacation is to eat out for breakfast and we had 3 amazing breakfast experiences, which I will share in a later post.

 

Our first day in the mountains was cold with snow flurries swirling around. We used the day to visit shops that Daniel wanted to see (Daniel and Jack had a blast at Bud's Gun Shop, Coleman, the Dewalt Store and the Smoky Mountain KnifeWorks).

We finished out our day with a visit to Bass Pro Shop where we snagged a time slot to see Santa. The boys were both troopers had we finished the day with dinner at Bass Pro.

 

Saturday we woke up to sunshine and decided it was a perfect day to be outside. After a big brunch, we headed up to Newfound Gap. We had hoped to drive up to Clingman's Dome, but the road was closed due to ice.

 

We bundled the boys up and stepped out of the car to freezing temps. The outside temperature was a balmy 30º but the windchill was probably in the teens. We huddled together for photos before hurrying back to our car to warm our frozen cheeks and fingers.

 

After Newfound Gap, we went back down to hike to Laurel Falls (I will share more in a later post). Our love of the outdoors must shine through because the first thing we were asked when we stepped out of the car was, "You guys look like you hike a lot." This from a stranger at the trailhead who had a question about the area.

 

The Laurel Falls trail goes up for about a mile on a paved path that has steep drop offs on one side. We decided to push Jack in the BOB stroller and the entire trip he kept saying, "Daddy, you're making me nervous!" Thankfully we made it to the 80-ft falls without a hitch.

 

It was a fun weekend and I'm so glad we took a moment to celebrate 13 years of marriage by spending time together as a family.