Gatlinburg TN
Today started with a trip to Ober Gatlinburg (http://www.obergatlinburg.com). As an employee, Tom is entitled to 20 free passes to Ober Gatlinburg to share with his family and friends. His mother, stepfather, brother, and brother’s girlfriend arrived at the campground mid-morning. His mother makes the best buttermilk biscuits, but didn’t bring any today. They were bound for the mountain top and insisted we come along. Fran and Paul, who are Sabbath Keepers, also came along. Fran, who used to be quite the motorcycle trick rider, became afraid of heights during menopause. She really didn’t want to go, but decided that Kelly and I would be enough support to get her up the mountain.
The campground manger, Don, drove us to the bottom of the mountain in the campground shuttle bus. The gondola was large and firmly attached to a very thick cable. Fran’s husband, Kelly, and I tried our best to keep Fran distracted on the ride up the mountain. It kinda worked. Everyone else enjoyed the ride and the view. At the top, we all got little wrist bands that allowed us free access to most of the attractions.
Kelly and I jumped onto a chair lift and rode up to a higher part of the mountain. There, we found a gift shop, a refreshment stand, and a live bluegrass band. Despite rain, the others who came up after us had to drag me away from the music and back to the resort part of the mountain.
After the rain stopped, Kelly and I led part of the group back up the mountain to ride the Alpine Slide. The plastic sleds have a brake, but no steering. You ride the sled down a trough in the mountain side. We both went as fast as we could, which really surprised all the teenage Amish boys who were also enjoying the slide.
The gondola ride down the mountain was harder on Fran than the trip up. There wasn’t a way to look at anything except the elevation. Plus, it was raining again and the wind had picked up. We were completely safe, but she nearly collapsed at one point.
It must be very difficult to deal with a sudden and unexplainable fear. She has had no trauma related to heights and does not suffer from vertigo or dizziness. All she knows is that, as soon as she started menopause, she became afraid of heights – like someone flipped a switch.
After we got back to the campground, Tom’s family left. Fran and Paul, Kelly and I, and Don, headed off to the Front Porch restaurant (http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/the_front_porch_mexican_restaurant and http://dininginthesmokies.com/_cosby/aafropor.htm). This place is open only on weekends, serves Mexican food, and always has live music. The musicians are generally not professional, hence the name: the owners want patrons to feel like they are just sitting on the porch, eating and listening to music. This night, the regulars managed to convince a couple other regulars to take the stage and perform. One woman sang a wonderful blues song. A man sang a gospel tune. Another woman sang a folk song, very off-key. All got good responses from the audience. Some folks in the audience brought their own instruments to accompany the performers – wooden spoons for percussion. I had a great time and didn’t want to leave, but I was out-voted. Kelly has agreed to a return visit.
Today started with a trip to Ober Gatlinburg (http://www.obergatlinburg.com). As an employee, Tom is entitled to 20 free passes to Ober Gatlinburg to share with his family and friends. His mother, stepfather, brother, and brother’s girlfriend arrived at the campground mid-morning. His mother makes the best buttermilk biscuits, but didn’t bring any today. They were bound for the mountain top and insisted we come along. Fran and Paul, who are Sabbath Keepers, also came along. Fran, who used to be quite the motorcycle trick rider, became afraid of heights during menopause. She really didn’t want to go, but decided that Kelly and I would be enough support to get her up the mountain.
The gondola ride down the mountain was harder on Fran than the trip up. There wasn’t a way to look at anything except the elevation. Plus, it was raining again and the wind had picked up. We were completely safe, but she nearly collapsed at one point.
It must be very difficult to deal with a sudden and unexplainable fear. She has had no trauma related to heights and does not suffer from vertigo or dizziness. All she knows is that, as soon as she started menopause, she became afraid of heights – like someone flipped a switch.
After we got back to the campground, Tom’s family left. Fran and Paul, Kelly and I, and Don, headed off to the Front Porch restaurant (http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/the_front_porch_mexican_restaurant and http://dininginthesmokies.com/_cosby/aafropor.htm). This place is open only on weekends, serves Mexican food, and always has live music. The musicians are generally not professional, hence the name: the owners want patrons to feel like they are just sitting on the porch, eating and listening to music. This night, the regulars managed to convince a couple other regulars to take the stage and perform. One woman sang a wonderful blues song. A man sang a gospel tune. Another woman sang a folk song, very off-key. All got good responses from the audience. Some folks in the audience brought their own instruments to accompany the performers – wooden spoons for percussion. I had a great time and didn’t want to leave, but I was out-voted. Kelly has agreed to a return visit.
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