Hello Hello, what a great time me and the sisters ( this includes my niece Tammy who is more like a sister to us)  had on our annual Sister Trip. There is four of us.   I probably laugh more in these two days than I do all year.  We have a great time!!!!

For several years we have been going to Gatlinburg although we have gone other places as well.  We have always stayed in Baskins Creek Condominiums and loved it. We have probably stayed there ten or fifteen times. Because of schedules we were only able to stay two nights so it was a pretty short trip.  Baskins Creek Condominiums has changed their policy for this time of year to a three night minimum. Booo we were not able to stay there.  We stayed at Park Place Condominiums. It is located closer to Downtown Gatlinburg so within walking distance of a lot of things on the strip. Park Place had an awesome balcony and that is all of the good I can say about it. We will not stay there again.  It is an older property that is in much need of some updates and repairs.

As I said we had a wonderful balcony overlooking the creek and it was so peaceful listening to the water.

We always stop in Sevierville on the way into Gatlinburg because we like the TJ Maxx there. I found a really cute dress that I love and I think it will look perfect with some black boots.

This is not the best picture but you get the idea.

After we got checked into the condo we sort of chilled out on the balcony and just hung out talking and laughing

On Thursday we went to the Titanic Museum. If you haven’t been there you should check it out. This is the World’s Largest Museum Attraction. It is located in Pigeon Forge.

Upon arrival each guest is given a boarding pass of an actual passenger that was aboard the Titanic. The guests then follow the passenger’s story as the exhibit proceeds.  The tours are self guided and at the end of the tour the guest discovers the fate of the passenger in their ticket.  We all survived.

Gatlinburg is really pretty this time of year with lots of fall colors and fall decorations.

Thursday night we ate at the Peddler Steakhouse in Gatlinburg. This place has a salad bar a mile long. Well maybe not a mile but it seems like it. Check it out if you are ever in the area.  www.peddlergatlinburg.com

The pink pumpkins are for breast cancer awarenes.

Every year on our way home we stop to do a little retail therapy in Sevierville at the Tanger Outlet Mall. I found a cute denim jacket at Dress Barn. I usually can’t find anything I like at Dress Barn but the stitching on the side of the jacket was really different than anything like I have. Did I need another denim jacket? Probably not but I just couldn’t resist this detail.

And as usual the sisters wore me out.

Another fun trip. I think next year we will stay longer so we can return to Baskins Creek.

I am so ready to be home for awhile.  I have been gone three weeks out of the last four weeks.  With a work trip and then vacation soon after that, it all happened at the same time.  But that is the wonderful thing about life it happens and you have to go with it.

Love your day your way!!!

Hello friends,

Well it’s back to reality for this girl.  Vacation is over sort of.  I’ll explain in a minute.
Visiting Maine has been on my bucket list for many years.  So when a vacation to Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington North Carolina fell through, because of Hurricane Flo, me and my husband tried to think of a new vacation destination.  Like I said I had always wanted to visit Maine especially in the fall of the year.

As soon as I realized we would have to cancel our Wrightsville Beach trip I started looking at Inns and B&B’s near Bar Harbor or Camden Maine.  There were almost no availabilities near Bar Harbor. I thought this was because places were booked but come to find out it was because many were closed for the season.

I chose an Inn right on the ocean called The Inn at Ocean’s Edge. It is located in the small town of Lincolnville which is just outside Camden.  Lincolnville is about an hour from Bangor, where we flew in, and Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park. It is a small town of about 3,000 people but beautiful and very laid back.   The Inn was fabulous.   A delicious breakfast is served every morning in a beautiful sunny part of the Inn.  An endless pool ( although it was a little chilly for swimming) that was beautiful and views of the ocean like you just can’t imagine.  Check it out if you visit Maine.  http://www.inn@oceansedge.com

The day after we arrived in Maine we visited the town of Bar Harbor.  Very pretty but lots and lots of people especially when the cruise ships come into town.  So many beautiful inns and antique shops in this area.

We also did a harbor cruise in Camden and saw seals and learned about pulling in the lobster cages.  We even got to hold some of the lobsters and throw the smaller ones back. We also saw the Curtis Island Lighthouse, it is on Curtis Island and only accessible by boat.

      Curtis Island Lighthouse

We also visited the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.  This one was a little hard to get to.  I had read the reviews that it was almost a mile walk out on huge stones to get to the lighthouse.  Actually 732,277 tons of granite were used to make the breakwater leading to the lighthouse.  So a mile walk out and a mile walk back was not a problem for us but the uneven stones and the large gaps in between made it difficult to walk without really watching what you were doing.  One wrong step and you could wedge your foot or leg between the stones.  All in all it was well worth going to see.

Look at the huge gaps in the stones

I just had to get a shot of this guy

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

I discovered a wonderful little basket shop and Indian museum.  It was in a small community called Duck Trap close to where we were staying.  We stopped in one day on our way into town and then I went back another day by myself and did the museum tour and talked to the owners.  The owner Joe Anderson is 88 years old and his friend Nancy is somewhat younger.  Joe is a Penobscot Indian and his family has been making the baskets since 1930.  There is so much history in this small museum located inside part of their house.  I was so glad I stopped in I spent a couple of hours with Joe and Nancy hearing about Maine and how Joe and his family made baskets all winter and then sold them on Hwy 1 in the summer.

Joe’s pack basket that he used for hunting and carrying things.

And of course we went to Stephen King’s house

And also back to the Acadia National Park to Cadillac Mountain where it was freezing but an unbelievable view.  The colors of the leaves were spectacular.

And of course I found a yarn shop in Belfast which was about 15 Miles from us and it was wonderful!!!!! So many end of season sales. Look at my haul

A lot of work went into planning this trip.  Not where to stay or anything like that. But I have to say I don’t know what I would do without my family.  My sister and nephew drove all the way to my house every day to take care of Kitty Kitty and my outside dog Molly. It is a 22 mile drive one way.  My sister in law kept Scruffy at her house since he is a little more needy.  My other sister  checked on my mother in law, she is in an assisted living center, to make sure she had everything she needed while we were gone the 8 days.  Wow my family is awesome!!!!

Now about the vacation.  I am still off for a few days so me and the sisters are going on a short trip to Gatlinburg.  We do this every year, sister trip, it started back many many years ago when my mama was alive.  We have so much fun.

So I had one day after returning from Maine to repack, do laundry, buy groceries, check on mother in law, love on the fur babies and get ready for sister trip.  Wow.  What a crazy but wonderfully fun couple of weeks.

See you soon.

Love your day your way!!!