Back in November 2017, I went on another little family vacation to the Smoky Mountains, which was our third year going (as adults anyway, we used to go annually when we were kids!) The previous year, I took a lot of photos, but a major roll of film was lost in the mail. Thankfully, I had no such problem this time!
For this trip, the cameras I brought with me were: my Lomo LC-A, the Sears 35rf I’d recently scored from a thrift shop, and my Lomo’ Instant Automat.
The evening we arrived in Gatlinburg. In time to have dinner at our fave Mexican restaurant! This was taken while we were parked outside the lobby of our motel during check-in.
One of the first things we did the on our first day was go to The Island in Pigeon Forge. It’s got shopping, games, and restaurants (we had lunch there at a french fry restaurant called Pomme Frites that was AMAZING.) We went to scope out the giant Ferris wheel. More on that later 🙂
In the past, I have not taken many photos of my family when I make photos of our vacations, but I decided to change that during this family getaway.
We tried to go to some places and do some different things on this vacation than we have on previous trips to the Smoky Mountains. One of those “new things” we did was go to a place called Anakeesta, where you ride up the mountain in either an enclosed gondola (as we did) or on a ski lift chair. Anakeesta had only recently opened, so not all of its attractions were open yet, but we enjoyed the beautiful views immensely!
In our gondola (or Chondola, as they call it)
Spectacular views
While at Anakeesta, we walked through the network of tree canopy bridges, which was quite the experience!
During this trip, I greatly increased the number of photos of my brother-in-law that are in existence 🙂
Descending the mountain in our Chondola
The next day, we visited Ripley’s Aquarium (as we’d done in 2015 as well.) That was the only place where I shot digital while on vacation. I only posted those on Facebook and that was mainly for the benefit of my brother-in-law, who likes to have photos I’ve taken at aquariums printed so he can hang them on his office wall. I took HUNDREDS (as one tends to do on digital.) Here’s a screenshot of some of them…
After we’d finished our visit to the aquarium, we went to The Village because there’s a donut shop there that we love! Being the first week of November, Christmas decorations were already up in the area.
Christmas trees at The Village
Ole Smoky Mountain Candy Kitchen at The Village
Photos from our walk back to the motel room after visiting The Village
Our box from The Donut Friar, which is the donut shop we love at The Village 🙂
We stopped at a coffee stand on our way back to Anakeesta
We actually went back to Anakeesta on our second day in Gatlinburg, because our visit the prior day occurred in the afternoon and entitled us to entrance the entire next day too!
Can’t get enough of the mountains!
Somehow got one where she was smiling!
As I mentioned in my 2016 Smoky Mountains vacation post, there was a really bad fire in the area in November 2016. At Anakeesta, there is a Memorial Forest Walk that allows you to learn about the fire and its impact on the area. As you can see in some of these photos, the fire burned trees surrounding Annakesta, where the memorial walk is.
Colorful straws in a shop in downtown Gatlinburg
Best Italian! With calzones the size of footballs!
We also returned to The Island that night. It was BEAUTIFUL at night! It had rained, and the Christmas lights were shimmering in rain puddles.
The “show fountains,” where there’s a light and dancing water show set to music at different intervals throughout the day. They were fascinating to watch!
The main purpose of our return to The Island was to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. It’s a 200 ft. high ferris wheel with enclosed gondolas. As I mentioned, it was a rainy night, which made the experience even better because all the lights you could see from way up there were even more beautiful! We were quite worried about our mother, who is very afraid of heights, but she did GREAT on the wheel. I think it was a slow night at the wheel because it was raining, so the ride operator let us go around a few extra times 🙂 (P.S. This kinda makes me want to ride the London Eye if I ever get back to London again…)
The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel
Reflection of the Wheel in puddles from the rain
I will add something here that you wouldn’t know from just seeing the photos: One of the most fun things that happened was the torrential downpour during our visit to The Island. Even though it meant we got soaked, it somehow ended up being really fun darting around, trying to stay dry and catch a ride on the tram that transports people from The Island to the parking lot. We laughed so much! (plus the announcer on the tram was hilarious!)
The next morning, we went to The Christmas Place. It’s all Christmas, all the time, all year round! Though I doubt we would have visited had it not been close to the holidays 🙂 I don’t have a photo of it here, but the best thing there was the whole section of decor based on A Christmas Story! Including a full size “major award!”
The Christmas Place
We also went to Smoky Mountain Knife Works (for my brother-in-law.) Us ladies ended up sitting outside awhile to wait for my brother-in-law to finish his shopping 🙂
Outside Knife Works
I was bound and determined that my sister and I were going to a couple of thrift shops before we left the area. Here are a couple of photos from the flea market/antique mall we found. I ended up with a vintage Fire-King baking dish from there.
At the flea market
Dinner that evening
The Arby’s in Pigeon Forge still has the old sign!
Though this is the first photo of the Apple Barn from our 2017 Smoky Mountains trip, it wasn’t our first time there that weekend. We kept going back for more fried apple pies 🙂
I would have had more photos from our last night in town, but when I went out that night with my niece and brother-in-law to walk around downtown Gatlinburg, my Lomo LC-A stopped working! That was a bummer, but at least I got to spend a little time walking around with my niece and helped make sure she got a big funnel cake from a stand downtown 🙂
While I wasn’t as photographically prolific this time as I’d been in previous Smoky Mountains vacations, I was pleased with my camera set-up and with the photos I did produce while we were there. It was a great trip!
Photos taken with a Lomo LC-A, Sears 35rf, and Lomo’ Instant Automat
Bridal portraits of Alison before the wedding
The wedding cake was BEAUTIFUL. And actually probably the tastiest wedding cake I’ve ever had.
Groom’s cake – Josh is something of an outdoorsman – to put it mildly! And Alison was his “catch of a lifetime.”
Alison’s friend made this keepsake for the newlyweds, in lieu of a guest book. The guests put their thumbprints and signed their names on the branches.
Alison’s son Caleb was the ring bearer
Alison lost her father in 2008, so her older son James walked her down the aisle. It was the CUTEST thing. The minister asked who gave Alison away for marriage, and James said, “My brother and I do.”
Kristi, Alison’s life-long best friend came up from Texas to be a bridesmaid (and to do Alison’s hair and make-up!)
Josh’s mom
Alison, Josh, and the boys did something called a “sand ceremony” to symbolize the blending of their new family.
So cute. Caleb was hanging onto every word during the ceremony.
Alison’s mom (my Aunt Esther)
The kiss!
Starting their new life together, hand in hand
I wonder if Josh was changing his Facebook relationship status to “married” as soon as the ceremony was over?
Amelia, the flower girl. Daughter of Alison’s sister Cheree (also known as Cheree’s “mini me” – they’re identical!)
Josh’s step-dad was being a bit of a cutup, as you can see
Josh and Alison’s entrance into the reception as Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
“W” for “Wilson”
The “guest book,” with the branches all filled up
Josh and the groomsmen #TOUGH
Cutups
Alison’s bridesmaids were Krisit, Samantha, and her sister Cheree
We obviously ended up doing a lot of goofing off while doing wedding party portraits. It had to be done.
