We're headed to the Great Smokies!
When plans fall through, make new ones! Check out our new honeymoon plans for this October!
When plans fall through, make new ones! Check out our new honeymoon plans for this October!
I'm sure hearing about trip cancellations is nothing new to anyone this year. Not only was our trip to Paris that was supposed to happen in May of this year cancelled, but also our honeymoon to Africa. What I've learned in life though, is that everything happens for a reason, and it's important to make the best of what we have and be thankful for each moment we get. Luckily, we were able to get our money back from our honeymoon (and if we're looking at the bright side, we will also be saving a lot of money) but we also have settled on a new honeymoon, which we are very excited for!
As you can probably tell from the title of this article, we are heading to the Great Smoky Mountains! Joe and I will be glamping, and I mean glamping. The best way I can explain what I mean by that is, our tent has heating, running water, our own real bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink, etc. We are staying at a campground by Under Canvas, which if you haven't heard of them before, you should definitely check them out! They currently have camps at 9 National Parks across the United States. Certain locations are open at different times of the year, so be aware of that when planning to go. For us, we wanted to travel in October, following our wedding. This left us with a few options, but ultimately we decided to go with the Smoky Mountains. Truthfully, the reasoning behind that was that I simply didn't want to fly anywhere and take on the risk of flights being cancelled, etc. after what we have already dealt with this year. This location will work perfectly for us since it's just an 8 hour drive (really not too bad). Lucky for us, we are already pretty familiar with driving distances of about 5 hours, since we enjoy traveling to Canada, Chicago, and Louisville.
Tennessee is very well known for its beautiful fall foliage, so I don't think there would be a better time for us to visit. We booked a 7 night stay so we can truly relax and unwind. Our daily life consists of a lot of tasks, running here and there, balancing work, life, and everything in between. We are also often times guilty of being glued to electronics and social media, so we are really looking forward to this time out in nature, and just the two of us.
There are so many fun things to do in the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee, so we have created a list of some activities we can do when and if we are up to it! I am most looking forward to the amazing views from the Skybridge, the longest suspension bridge in the US! There are also SO many cool things to do at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg! They have everything from zip-lining, unique dining and shopping, to treetop courses you can walk! I am most looking forward to the nighttime treetop skywalk that they offer. What better way to experience and see the changing colors of fall than to be right up in the trees! As an added bonus, they even have a haunted rail runner for the month of October! I've always wanted to do one of those (well, at least the insane one I've seen in Switzerland...maybe one day), but now I'll get to try it with a little seasonal spookiness!
Gatlinburg is also home to Dollywood, which I'm sure won't measure up to the insane thrills we have nearby at Cedar Point, but it sure is on our list to check it out at least once! Dollywood is an amusement park, which is home to the Lightening Rod, named one of the top 10 roller coasters in the US!
In addition to all of these fun places to visit, we will of course be hiking. There's nothing quite like the feeling of filling your lungs up with fresh, crisp air. The best part? There's free s'mores available EVERY night at the campground! See ya 'round the campfire!