A Weekend Getaway to Gatlinburg

In an effort to stay busy this fall, mom and I planned a getaway trip to Gatlinburg, TN.  It's the perfect location for us to meet in the middle, although we forgot just how touristy it really is.  We had a great weekend together and look forward to many more mother-daughter trips!

After unpacking at the hotel and getting settled, we walked around Gatlinburg a bit and then headed down to the outlet mall.  Dinner was amazing at The Chop House, followed by some great steals at Banana Republic!  Finished with PJ's, Oliver Sangria, and helping mom set up her Accounting spreadsheets for her company.

Saturday morning we ventured out to The Christmas Place - it really is the happiest store in the area!  Every room features a different theme and fully decorated trees.  I may have gotten an early Christmas present for someone special :)

After getting back to Gatlinburg around lunch, we walked around the area a bit more, enjoyed lunch at a great Mexican restaurant, then toured the Ripley's Aquarium.  It's been years since I'd been to an aquarium and honestly had forgotten how enjoyable it is!  We spent about an hour and half taking in all the fish and sea life they had - from sharks to sea horses to penguins.

These two pictures have to be some of my favorite pictures I've ever taken.  This is the same jellyfish - just fluorescing in different colors.  Honestly breathtaking!!!

Saturday after we walked around Gatlinburg a bit more and toured a few hot sauce stores for Chris.  I always bring him home a hot sauce from every vacation I go on and this store, Pepper Palace, had too many to choose from.  I ended up getting him 2 from All Sauced Up and I know he'll love them both!  I'm excited for him to get home in November and try them!

There was one less than exciting event that happened this weekend, well twice actually.  Roxy, my little car, decided to give me trouble twice.  All in all, we found a shop that could fix her so I could be on my way home Sunday.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far!!!

The Beginning of The End

Although summer may not officially be coming to an end, it sure feels like it to me.  College students will soon we swarming back to Blacksburg, making it near impossible to enjoy a dinner downtown on a Friday night.  All the stores also seem to only be stocking fall clothes.  I went shopping last week for more shorts, only to find one tiny rack of shorts on sale, of course none in the size I needed. Here's a few pictures from our summer trip to Raleigh before his Step 2 Board exam!

With August here already, almost a whole week in, that means Chris has officially begun his 4th year of medical school.  I honestly cannot believe he only has one more year left.  It feels like yesterday that we were moving here and exploring the area together.

This past weekend we moved him to Middletown, NY where he is spending a month doing an audition rotation at Orange Regional Medical Center.  Chris just learned that the hospital is the newest one built in the state of New York.  That would explain the modern amenities they had!

We love the area!  It has plenty of restaurants, strangely which seem to be centered around pizza and asian only - but we love those choices!  It's only an hour and a half train ride into NYC, about 45 minutes to an outlet mall, what more could a girl ask for?  We even found an apartment that is truly perfect.  I couldn't name one thing I would change about it.  So naturally, I put our name on a waiting list.  You never know where you'll end and if it's Middletown, it's one less thing to worry about next spring.

He has a room at a local B&B for the month - with a full kitchen that he can use.  Here's a few pictures to show how picturesque it is!

I'm keeping busy this month with a few trips - Gatlinburg, TN with mom this weekend, then going home for a week to visit mom, dad, and friends.  While in Nashville, we'll also be celebrating a wedding of two dear friends which Chris will be able to fly in for.  Makes it a great month when I get to see him twice!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'll be sure post after my travels to Gatlinburg - I'm sure it will be beautiful this weekend!