Incline Railway: My {Very Late} Birthday Present

Very late may be a bit generous of a descriptor since this was supposed to be my birthday present LAST YEAR. Just 11 months late, but who's counting?

Last year Daniel surprised me with a trip to Chattanooga for a birthday breakfast at the BlueGrass Grill and a proposed trip to the top of Lookout Mountain on the Incline Railway. The only problem was that it was really foggy and we didn't feel like the views would be worth it. 

Plus I was almost 9 months pregnant and the thought of going into labor on the steepest train in the United State, while ascending a mountain didn't seem like the best idea...

At the time, we did take a scenic drive up Lookout Mountain and I experienced my first Braxton Hicks contractions. However, Jack did not show up for another week.

Anyways, I recently informed Daniel that he better figure out when he could take me to the Incline Railway since my birthday is fast approaching and he still owed me a trip. So on Friday, we headed to Chattanooga for a day of family fun.

We really needed that time together. We have both been busy with work and home improvement projects; then last week a friend of ours died unexpectedly. It just felt right for us to take some time to be together as a family.

We made it to the base of the Incline Railway in time to make one of the last trips to the top. This railway is the steepest in the United States. At the top the grade is 74% – which is kind of nuts! The track splits halfway up the mountain so a train going the opposite direction can pass.

We enjoyed our scenic ride up the mountain. We only had about 30 minutes at the top since it was late in the day. It was probably the perfect amount of time for Jack. I think he had a good time riding the train.

After our railway experience, we headed downtown to attend the Three Sisters Bluegrass festival at the Riverfront. We decided to eat The Blue Plate Diner, which is right behind the grassy area where everyone sits for the concert. We even scored a table on the patio without having to wait too long. We had a lovely dinner and finished it off by splitting a slice of their Moon Pie Cheesecake for dessert.

This is our second year to attend Three Sisters -- it is very family and dog friendly event that happens to be free. We ended up leaving about 9 eastern since Jack was falling asleep in our arms; despite his best efforts to stay awake to watch all of the kids, dogs and general concert craziness. I'm sure that we will be back in the future.

It was a good day. We are trying to be more proactive about not spending our ENTIRE weekends doing things that can wait. We want to make more concerted efforts to spend time together doing things we love. Sometimes the chores can wait. 

Happy Birthday to Me

Turning 30 was difficult for me. Thankfully once I turned 30, I realized that it really wasn't such a big deal. I made a life list and started working on things I want to accomplish in my lifetime. The past year wasn't what I expected, but I feel truly blessed to be where I am.

Our first child is due this coming Friday {#10 on my list} and I know that our lives are about to turn upside down. It has been nice to have a low-key year to enjoy with Daniel before these changes happen.

On my actual birthday {Friday} we went to Chattanooga for an OB exam. I found out that I have yet to dilate one iota. I think we are looking at a baby that will come late rather than early. After running errands in Chatt, we went home and enjoyed the beautiful fall afternoon. That night we went to see Tower Heist and then out for pizza. Not a huge deal, but we are relishing our last moments to be able to do this type of thing together.

One of the highlights of my day was having family members call to sing Happy Birthday to me. My brother called first, he does this EVERY year and it totally makes my day. My parents also sang a version of the birthday song to me {they also do this every year}. Then my sister called to wish me Happy Birthday and my 2-year-old niece sang to me as well. You can't beat that!

Saturday Daniel was planning on surprising me with a trip back to Chattanooga for breakfast {my fave} and a trip up the Incline Railway on Lookout Mountain. Unfortunately we were socked in with fog. The fog lifted just before lunch so we headed to Chattanooga where we enjoyed breakfast for lunch. The BlueGrass Grill is a new favorite of both of ours. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great music. It really made me miss living in a city though.

We shared the Denver Omelet with Home Fries and a Biscuit and a full stack of Honey Wheat Pancakes with Jalepeno Bacon and an Egg. All of it was amazing. I poured honey on my biscuit and it may have been the best honey I have ever tasted!

We decided to skip the Incline Railway because even though it was sunny out, everything was a bit hazy and the colors weren't as vibrant as they can be. Instead we drove to the top of Lookout and enjoyed the views from our car. Hopefully we will squeeze in a trip on the Incline Railway sometime soon. I experienced a couple of contractions on the drive home, but nothing to be too excited about. 

Last night I made an apple pie that was to die for... just a little Happy Birthday to myself. As Daniel says, we could buy dessert at a restaurant but I generally make things that taste way better than anything we could buy. Recipe from 20 Something Cupcakes.

Overall it has been a nice, low-key birthday weekend... perfect for a gal who is 39 weeks pregnant.