Smokies

Today, we were planning on taking our camper and Nancy's sister, Jan, and going up to the Smokey Mountains for the weekend. There was snow up there and it was about 10 degrees, so we simped out and decided we would have more fun if we just drove up there for the day since we couldn't go hiking anyway. We drove up to Pigeon Forge. Jan was interested in the dinner show, the Dixie Stampede, which is a Dolly Parton wild west show. The tickets were sold out for today, and none of the rest of the family was interested for Thanksgiving weekend. We shopped in the gift shop, though, and found a few things to buy. Then we went to lunch in the Old Mill restaurant. It was actually in the old mill, complete with millpond and ducks outside, and the millwheel. Then we decided to drive up to the top of the mountain road. We went up to Newfound Gap. There were about three inches of snow and it was cold. We stopped on the way up and back to take pictures of ice and snow on the rocks in the icy streams. As we passed back through Pigeon Forge, their Festival of Lights had begun. In the Veteran's Park, there were several huge displays of lights on giant stands. Also, through town there were displays of some nursery rhymes, as well as some really nice archways into town and more nice lights on the lightpoles. We couldn't pass the oulet mall without at least stopping. The Pfaltzgraff store was going out of business, so we had to look at everything they had, and buy a few items! We also went to the Pendleton store where Rich bought a nice wool shirt and a felt cowboy hat which looks really good! We got some socks at the L'Eggs/Hanes store. Then, Nancy's brother, Martin, and his new wife, Charlene, joined us for dinner about half-way back to Knoxville. We had never met her before. She was very quiet and shy. Martin regaled us with his plans and business ideas. Back at the camper, we were glad we hadn't gone up to the Smokies to camp. Daisy was happy to see us back, even though she enjoys playing with Phil's son Neal's black lab puppy. We played backgammon and went to bed. The tournament score is Rich 5, Nancy 3.
We slept, dreaming of the beautiful ice formations on the rocks.

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