Tubing on the river

for our last day in Gatlinburg we decided to go Tubing. Mom stayed home again, firstly because she didn't want to go tubing, and secondly because she wanted to be near the phone to hear about how Pop's cancer surger went. The rest of us swimsuited up and headed over to Smokey Mountain River rats to get tubes. We put our tubes in and headed off on another adventure. We floated down for a while untill we reached a place where you can jump off the rocks and swing a rope swing too. Jon and Wes waited with the tubes while Dad, Ella and I jumped off the rock a few times and Dad and I did the rope swing. The rope was way scarier than the rock but both were really really fun. RIght before we floated away Ella jumped one more time by herself, or at least without a grownup. An older girl jumped with her. Then we floated down the river, over rapids and such untill we reached the pickup spot. Jon Wes and I got there first adn we waited around for ella and Dad to show up then we took the shuttle back to the beginning. They have another run, upriver but the min age is 5 so Dad and wes stayed behind and played in the river while Jon Ella and I rode the rapids again. The rapids on this part of the river were definitely bigger and faster than the ones we went on in the morning. We stopped during our float at another rope swing and this time got Jon to try it out! We then finished our second float and met up with Dad and Wes and the exit spot. Wes had a good time playing in the rocky water but was upset that he didn't get to float in the "boat" again. It was another awesome day on vacation!

Ober Gatlinburg

Wednesday we left mom at home to relax and play with her circut while we went to Ober Gatlinburg to play. It was a beautiful drive up to the top of the hill! Once we got there Dad got us wrist bands and we went off to play. We started out on the Alpine slide, it was awesome! You take a chairlift to the top of the slide, then slide down as fast as you dare (and the person in front of you lets you!) Wes was terrified to get on, but as soon as we started down the hill he realized that it wasn't scary, it was FUN! He loved it. After we got to the bottom of the hill, we decided to ride on some of the waterslides. I took wes on the bumpy waterslide but he HATED it, so I went by myself the second time. Jon and Ella rode a few times and dad and I let wes ride the "Cars" car ride. Then we decided to take the chair lift up to the top to the senic lookout. It was cool, the lift is so steep! Then we tried to go on the slide again, but it started raining so the closed the sign. So we headed back down and went on some more waterslides. Then we had lunch at the car. AFter lunch, the rain had cleared up so we tried the alpine slide again. JUST as Ella and I got on the chairlift the guy announced that the slide was closed again. It was too late for us, so we were stuck going up. then the heavens opened and we spent the next 10 min getting SOAKED by the rain stuck on the chairlift. We had lots of fun back at the bottom going on the waterslides, the mini golf course and the maze. The weather did finally clear up and the slide was dryed so we got to go 4 or 5 more times down the slide. Ella got to drive herself down and she loved it! She definitely has a need for speed! It was a super fun day!

Go Carts!!

After hiking Dad and I wanted to go out go cart driving. Jon and Mom were too tired and the kids too little, so we went ourselves. It was SO FUN. We rode 13 or 14 races and had a total blast. Some of the carts were so so slow, but on the last track we went on we found two really fast cars and rode them 4 or 5 times. I had a blast with my daddy!