Let me back up before we begin this post about my crazy family's adventure driving down (10.5 hours) from NJ to VA to TN! Why are we in Tennessee this week? For my graduation present of course! My parents, being the fabulous people they are, gave me two options: A) Graduation Party B) Graduation Vacay. Because I love to travel I picked the latter option. Traveling is just good for the soul. I think anytime you can take yourself out of your comfort zone and experience another culture you should. So when they told me I could pick where I wanted to go I picked Nashville and Dollywood! I am totally OBSESSED with all things country music especially my beloved Dolly Parton. Her Heartstrings tape was one of my first tapes (God I'm old...I had a tape player...) and I read her children's book Coat of Many Colors when I was a little girlie. I have since read her other books and adored her other cd's as well.
Well, staying true to our family's nature of, "Why Not?" we opted to drive down to Tennessee instead of flying. Logistically it made more sense because once we got to Tennessee we would have to rent a car and drive around Pigeon Forge then drive the three hours to Nashville anyway.
Ride in a car with your family for 10 hours they say. It will be fun they say.
Welp, true to form we had an itinerary. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 am after we dropped off Cody at the boarders. This put us arriving in VA (at Dylan's school to drop off his golf clubs) at 1:30 pm. Well, we left NJ at 10:30 am. We arrived in VA around 4:30. We dropped off the clubs, ate dinner (at my favorite place...TEXAS ROADHOUSE!) then were on the road again by 7. We drove from VA to Pigeon Forge and arrived around 12:20 am. WOW!! LONGEST DAY EVER!
However, I did learn some things:
1) Packing FRIENDS seasons is a great way to pass the time...until your computer dies and/or your brother falls asleep on you.
2) When said brother falls asleep on you, use his back as a reading desk and catch up on Glamour and People.
3) Jamming and car dancing to country music always makes the time pass...it still was 10 hours but it felt like only 9.5 hours!
4) Pigeon Forge has some AWESOMELY KITSCHY THINGS TO SEE!!
These things include a movie set size Titanic Museum, A Ripley's Believe it or Not Aquarium, a King Kong (enormous) on the Empire State Building exhibit? (I'm not really sure what it's exact purpose is but it was cool), A Lumberjack Feud themed show, A Christmas Village (EEK! Sooooo exciting), and about 5 As Seen On TV stores...I don't know why a town needs 5 but I'm glad they have them!)
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