Even more fun in TN!

After Rock City we went to dinner, choosing to eat outside. What were we thinking? It was so hot, we really should have eaten inside. The kids loved the boat to play on while waited for our food. It occupied them for quite a while.

Do we look hot?

Sadie feeding Hannah

After dinner we walked down to the pier while the boys did a bit of geocaching. When I say boys I mean CJ, Chris and Gavan. CJ got Gary and my boys hooked on geocaching. Gavan thinks it is the best thing ever...next to football.

I thought I took a picture of the HUGE barge as it went under the bridge we were on but I guess I didn't. Bummer!
This bridge made me a bit nervous. You could see water below you through the slats and holes where the metal pillars came through. Notice the holes near the blue steel pillars? I am sure it was safe and all but gee-whiz, not my favorite place to take a stroll with the kids.

Flashback to Ruby Falls

While on vacation in Tennessee we went to Ruby falls. I know this post is late but life has been a bit crazy for us recently. I hope to get all caught up before football and soccer season starts.
Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall. You are led through the cave by a tour guide who is there to get you in and get you out. The more people they move in and out the more moola they make. It is another stroller-unfriendly place. The groups were too big to hear the guide explain the tour. You have to pull to the side to let another group who was leaving pass you. The passage ways were narrow and not made for groups coming and going at the same time. But that is what you get at a tourist trap.

The kids liked to feel the cold rocks. We don't have many pictures because it was too dark and our group was split up.Despite the annoyance of feeling like cattle it was a neat experience. The older kids really liked it. Sadie... well none of us liked her on this excursion. She didn't want to be held, she was tired and very vocal about her feelings of displeasure. But that is what we expect of her, after all she is almost two.This is the climax of the tour...

The underground waterfall.
Me and the kids in the cave after we saw the waterfall.

After the tour was over they had huge outdoor play ground and a place to eat. The playground included a place to pan for gold.Being the tourist that we were we HAD to purchase the staged photo. If you don't waste your money on silly souvenirs when on vacation you're not a REAL tourist, right?

Rock City part 2

I LOVE this picture. There were many pretty places and views at Rock City.

I made the kids stand in front of the water wheel for a pictures. As you can tell they were thrilled.

The girls loved "Fairy Land". It was a cave with looking glass where you could see scary scenes of Cinderella, and other fairy tails. It was dark in the cave and only the window scenes were lit.

The old women in the shoe.

The people statues in the displays were a bit freaky looking, almost gnome-like. But it still captivated all of us. The details were great.

They also had Mother Goose-land. It had large scenes of all the mother goose nursery rhymes mixed together. I didn't get any pictures there because it was very dark. It was fun to guess which nursery rhymes were which.

This was a scene behind bars of gnomes with buried treasure. The kids love it.

This was called rainbow cave or something like that. The glass windows were tinted and made rainbow colors shine through.

One of the less frightening bridges we had to cross. They had a suspension bridge to walk across, which I REFUSED to do. I was surprised Gary did. Emily said it was quite the sight to watch him squirm and freak out as he walked across. I am sad I missed that.

I also refused to go on "Lover's Leap".
This is "Lover's Leap" from a distance. Can you see the balcony in the distance? It was just hanging over a cliff. Not my cup of tea or Gary's for that matter. I never used to be afraid of heights until I married Gary. They say when you marry someone after years you start to act like them. I guess this is how I act like him. I am now a wuss too!

The girls were trying to do see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

They never quite got it.

This is what Gary looks like after spending $15 on four small Dippin' Dots.

Gavan sharing with Sadie. Sadie got some of everybody's because nobody can resist her charm.

Rock City

One place we took the kids while in Tennessee was Rock City. It is also called Lookout Mountain. I can't say that without hearing Dora the Explorer say it... Looookout MOUNTAIN! It seems to me that all the tourist traps in Tennessee that are NOT stroller friendly. This place was one of them. Despite having to carry Sadie for several hours while we walked around and explored, we had a blast.

It has several lookout points. One place you could see seven states at one time! Many of the lookout points were too nauseating for me. I guess I have a fear of heights to some degree.

There were many breath-taking views. I love this water fall.

This was a fun little (shaded) pavilion that we stopped to take a rest out. Our cute little girls wore their matching shirts. (And it made it very easy to find them.)

The kids loved to look through these things. I am sure they have a name but I don't know what it is.

Sadie, Alyssa, Jack and Gavan
Sadie and her Daddy.

All the cousins minus Alyssa in front of one of the caves.

One of the many narrow passages.

It was tricky trying to hold onto Sadie was we went through some of these tight places. The boys loved the area called "fat man's squeeze". It was a narrow passage (like this one) that you had to turn sideways to walk through. They had several passages through the rock formations that were short and narrow. I would go back here again, when Sadie was older of course.

Our cute little family.

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More Tennessee Fun!

Outside the Aquarium they had wading streams for the kids. They loved it!

Had we known, we would have grabbed a change of clothes for the kids.

After wading we walked around to find a place to eat while everyone dried off. Gavan wasn't happy about walking around he just wanted to eat. It was VERY hot and HUMID so it didn't take long!

We ate at a pizza place call the Mellow Mushroom. This is the sign for their restrooms.

The sign made me laugh.


Sadie got tuckered out and slept while we waited for our food.

The boys enjoying the TV behind them.
Hannah got them hooked on iCarly while we were there.
Hannah says "cheese."
Emily and CJ.
We headed back to the hotel for a swim after dinner. We had fun day but man were we tired.

Chattanooga aquarium

After checking in to our hotel we headed to the aquarium in downtown Chattanooga. This the best aquarium I have been to. We went to one in Seattle a few years back and it was good, but this was GREAT. It was huge and had TONS of cool exhibits. I would definitely go back.

The whole family

The cousins

The kids loved the exhibit where they could touch the stingrays and sharks. Sadie warmed up to CJ during this part because he "freed" her from the stroller. She wouldn't be his friend most of the vacation unless he allowed her to do something her mean parents wouldn't allow.

All the kids touched the string ray. Alyssa only touched it once and that was enough for her. I guess she wasn't expecting slimy and wet.

More of the kids touching the sting rays!


Alyssa really warmed up to Uncle CJ during this trip. She always wanted to hold his hand over mom or dad's. I wouldn't blame her. Aunts and Uncles are always more fun than parents.

They had a butterfly room where you could catch butterflies and hold them. Everyone but Sadie liked this. We tried to get Sadie to hold one but she freaked out.

Gavan and Jack got into trouble while at the aquarium because Gavan tied Jack's shoes together and Jack let him. So they punishment was to hold an adults hand for the next little bit.

Gavan was MAD about the punishment. The look of disgust on Gavan's face is classic!

CJ's impression of Gavan. Pretty good huh?

Sadie LOVED it the aquarium! She wished she had more freedom, but there were so many people there that we didn't let her run wild.

Sadie didn't like having to ride in the stroller. She frequently gave us looks like this one...

Just so we'd remember she wasn't happy.

Alyssa LOVED Hannah. It was like having a big sister without the fighting and hitting.

I liked these tank exhibits. It was cool to feel like you were inside the fish tank.