A Day Long Road Trip

Good evening my friends. Well I reached another year. It was time spend with my family, extended family at the family reunion, and soul family. So I'm deeming the theme the Birthday of Family. I prefer doing like Grace in "Good Witch" and spending time with family on birthday, which aired the not long before my B-Day. Why is it around my B-day it seems my TV produces the B-Day eps?

As part of my B-Day gifts Fangirl decided to take me on a day trip to Gatlinburg, since I'd mentioned it been a bit since we'd been on a trip. Despite some anxiety problems, getting lost, rain, and pain in the legs from sitting in the car, I still enjoyed myself. I mean it's the unexpected things that makes for the great stories.

Bryson City/Cherokee

We actually ended up visiting these areas a total of 3 times each. But it gave me a chance to see parts of the area I hadn't seen, or haven't seen in a loooong time. Being smart women we stopped at Bryson City's Visitor and Heritage museum. While Fangirl took a restroom run I looked about the first floor of the museum. In a small room they'd taken pieces I guess found from various old school rooms and made a mock one room school house. In entrance room was pews and a piano from a church or two, and some other literature safe under glass. You have to wander the stories behind them. The days of learning and early Sunday mornings.

　

During one of the drive troughs we passed the Sequoyah Bear in Cherokee, It's part of these artistic bear statues in Cherokee. I don't think I'd seen this one yet. For those who don't know yet he is the man who I believe who developed the Cherokee Syllabary.

　

Nantahala Gorge

We also ended up in the Nantahala Gorge. The rain that came down formed a mist over the creek where we'd been observing rafters. I decided to tell Fangirl about the Giant Wasp/Hornet Legend I read Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett. Yes I'm evil.

　

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies™

At the aquarium Fangirl got the opposite what she hoped. See as I've mentioned I have Anxiety. In certain crowded situations I'm fine, but sometimes when there's screaming kids, people who really have no problem invading your personal space, and lots of noise all in one area I have a tough time, so her solution was go on a weekday, sadly it was a weekday during the summer... yeah. Add in my ever worsening OCD, which I don't think I had the last time I was there, it wasn't a cakewalk, but I still managed to find good times.

One great memory of this trip was the fact I got to touch a jelly fish, and not have to be peed on afterwards! I never believed I would touch one, now I can add it to my list of life experiences. So what does a jelly fish feel like? Basically as the name implies jelly like.

Fish Amongst the Trees

One of my most favorite parts of the aquarium is the underwater tunnel. It's beautiful and a bit scary. At one point I took a break from getting pictures, which I'm prone to do a lot because my parents aren't able to go to places like this, and just observed the shark swimming above me for a bit. I watched the way it moved through the water, both scary and amazing.

I found myself looking at the fish floating by and imagining I could be a mermaid, this may have me been me coping with the anxiety too.

　

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditurium™

I hadn't been here since my first trip to the town. We were greeted by I wanna say wax figures of a couple famous people in body alterations one is a Lizard Man that I've seen a few times on TV. Since my last visit there have been some great interactive things added. In one room where your moves effected the screen where there was some live club/trance music going on I was "Rave!", well in my mind.

I have two favorite areas of the odditurium the first is the cemetery. It's all spooky and got creepy pieces, and my favorite, the vampire hunter kit. VvvV

My other favorite thing is the swinging bridge tunnel they have, and I have to say this pic Fangirl got of me is creepy cool and my eyes just have the perfect effect.

　

That piece of paper in me hand is from a Zoltar Machine. It was a favorable prediction for me.

Clouds

Through out the day, wisps of fog hung low upon the mountains. Sometimes you felt you could just reach out and touch. The clouds played through the green mountains, over the blackened patches from the fires last year, and the sun could sometimes be found enter woven within it.

　

Well I hope you enjoyed my tales from a day long road trip. If you want to see a few more pictures and some other memories from the day read the blog I did for the Imaginative People's Association Blog: Gilded Wings

God bless you my friends and may your journeys be great.