Anniversary Trip { Smokey Mountains }

We celebrated our 10 yr anniversary on 9/16. To mark this occasion we wanted to get away and celebrate! We haven't gotten away just the 2 of us for a couple nights , well , in forever. We wanted it to be within a short driving distance, fun, relaxing, and most of all within our budget (I.e. Inexpensive !!) For our honeymoon we stayed in a bed and breakfast on the Outer Banks. We both love going to the Smokey Mountains so when I found Eight Gables Inn I knew I found our spot! It is  conveniently located minutes from Downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge at the entrance to the Great Smoky National Park. Eight Gables has the perfect mix of elegance and vintage charm that created a romantic and relaxing 10 year anniversary getaway .

This place was AMAZING!! I am ready to go back. We stayed in the Shepherd's Daughter suite and chocolate covered strawberries and rose petals greeted us. (They have lots of extra's to choose from to customize your stay from the strawberries, sparkling cider, fruit and cheese tray, fresh roses, rose petal turndown, and even massages)! Each morning they serve a hearty breakfast seated in their Atrium Dining Room. Complimentary hot beverages and bottled water are available to guests 24/7 at their beverage station in the main inn. They also have a tea bar set up to enjoy with specialty teas and a candy bar to satisfy that sweet tooth. Oh, and the best part, each night something sweet is delivered to your room. We had a peanut butter cookie the first night and the second night was a delicious coconut cream pie!! Eight Gables front porch is the perfect spot to sit and unwind at the end of the day on the rockers, swing, or hammock.

We both joked that all we wanted to do on our trip was sleep and relax. lol. Our first day in the Mountains we stopped for lunch at one of my favorite places to eat, the Apple Barn. It did not disappoint. We were both stuffed but managed to walk around the shops and do the wine tasting. It was then time to check into our bed and breakfast. Talking about glorious being able to lay in bed and watch a movie uninterrupted. After relaxing for a couple hours we decided to walk around Gatlinburg. It wasn't very crowded and not too hot. It was nice just to walk up and down the strip and not deal with whining kids!! haha. The next day we were up and at 'em for a yummy breakfast and decided to head to Pigeon Forge to check out the car show. A boy and his cars!! We walked and walked and walked up and down Pigeon Forge, hit up the outlets, and then drove up the mountains to Clingman's Dome. One of our favorite things to do while in the Smokey's is to drive up the mountains. The views are spectacular. We even saw a bear! Oh my!! Then we walked up to Clingman's Dome. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it lol. I was wore out from all the walking we had done earlier. Nick even asked if I needed a piggy back ride at one point. Haha true love!! But I made it. Since it was our last night Nick wanted to walk around Gatlinburg one more time. The next day it was breakfast and back on the road to reality!!

Repping the Cats while in TN!

Um, does anyone else pack more shoes than outfits?! 4 pairs of shoes and I only wore my flip flops! Packing light is not in my vocab!

We both missed the kiddos but we had a great time just enjoying each other and remembering why we fell in love in the first place. I think we need to make it a priority to get away each year around our anniversary. With life sometimes getting the best of us and letting stress turn us into people we don't always recongnize taking the time to reconnect should be a priority! I am so glad I found Eight Gables for our anniversary weekend and left all our stress back in Kentucky, at least for a couple days!!