DH & MIL should not travel together - IL. IN. KY. TN & WA, oh my! - Page 6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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We're almost to the top and the end of the trail. As you can see it is much lighter again and I am tail end charley but was tired. We ended up making a large loop and came out close to our room. We decided to get showers before dinner since we were hot, sweaty and probably smelly too! MIL was reading when we arrived, told her about our hike while DD got her shower first. After we were cleaned and changed MIL said her stomach was upset and didn't want to go to dinner with us. We asked if we could bring her back something, she said no. I asked to use her jeep again and she gave me the keys. I told DH that it was her choice to not come with us and there was nothing we could do. On the way out we spotted a wild turkey, a first for me and DD.
While getting ready DD had put on the necklace I got her and on the way to main hotel it broke! We stopped in the gift shop for another but they didn't have another one like it but said we could exchange it for anything else in the shop so DD enjoyed checking out all of her choices. She finally decided on a stuffed animal (she collects them) and then we were off to the restraunt. There was only one other couple in the place so the waitress talked to us for quite a while. She was really nice and it was fun to listen to her accent.
Here we are waiting for our order. DD ordered chicken tenders, DH a special fried chicken (made in a cast iron fry pan), I think I got a burger. DH thought we had to try sweet tea so he ordered a glass and I took a sip, it was enough to make my teeth ache. DD thought it was great, leave it to a teenager. DH continually added ice to water it down. I thought it was funny because he always talks about having sweet tea and after living in AK for almost 20 years with none, now it was too sweet for him.
Food was really good, service was great, prices were good too, waitress said they have a really nice breakfast so although wasn't in the original plan we decided to come back for breakfast in the morning. We had talked about bringing something back for MIL even though she said no, both DH and I thought she should eat something but had no idea what.
We did decide to have desert, DD order a bowl of chocolate ice cream, DH got a special KY chocolate pie made in Louisville and I ordered an one of a kind black cherry ice cream made just for MMC restraunt by a local dairy. If you ever eat here, have the ice cream! After having a taste of mine, both DD and DH said they should have ordered my choice.
Here's DH's desert, it was good but mine was better.
MIL is a huge ice cream person like DH and DD so we decided to bring her some of the black cherry ice cream. It might not be the best choice for an upset stomach but knew it would be something she really would like.
Up next: love bugs concert
__________________
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
Last edited by Alaskan Mom; 01-23-2016 at 05:45 PM..
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Day 3 road trip - best laid plans...Part 7 "Love bugs concert"
Here's a pic of the black cherry ice cream.
After dinner we walked outside to find night arrived and the fireflys were out. The last time I saw fireflys I was a teenager and DD never has. She was facinated by them. By our hotel room there were tables and chairs and so DD and I sat for awhile and watched the fireflys. DD thought they were 'dating' and began to sing love songs, so we dubbed it the love bugs concert.
MIL really appreciated the ice cream and really enjoyed it.
We were hanging out together for a bit in the room before getting ready for bed when DH remembered his Cpap was still in the jeep so he was going to get it. He opened the door, then immediately shut the door again. DH said come look out the window! So we all look out the window and there are 2 deers on the lawn in front of the hotel rooms and one was maybe 5 feet from our door.
We watched her for a bit and DH goes outside, DD and I came out too and sat in the chairs right outside our door to get a better look at the deer. She was eating the grass and didn't seem fazed at all by us. DD was amazed.
This was the best pic I got. Later she came closer probably 1/2 of the distance between us and where she is now.
After the deer excitement, we got ready for bed. I had thought DD could sleep in the same bed as MIL but while MIL was in bathroom DD said she didn't want to, so we made her a bed on the floor and she settled in. There was only one outlet for DH's Cpap which was on my side of the bed. I don't know about anyone else but I have 'my side' of the bed and so now I had to sleep on the 'wrong side' of the bed. oh well, at least I was in a bed and not on the bouncing air matress. MIL came out from bathroom and wanted to know why DD was on the floor, I didn't want to say that DD didn't want to sleep in the same bed as her but didn't want to lie either. DH replied that it was cooler on the floor and it was since the AC worked only enough to make it not quite as humid as outside. I had a hard time getting to sleep, it was still warmer than I was used to, MIL snores (loudly), and the bed was so soft DH and I had to almost hold onto the sides of the bed to stop from being piled in the center of the bed. Eventually, exhaustion took over and I finally .
Up Next, Where's the bathroom?
__________________
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
Last edited by Alaskan Mom; 01-23-2016 at 05:45 PM..
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What a wonderful encounter with the deer at the cabin. Such beautiful animals. I do think it's funny that we think of going to Alaska for animal-watching and you're doing the same in the lower 48! That ice cream looks so yummy.
Sounds like a great find for dinner. Glad you got a chance to update!
Thanks for being so patient. Life is absolutely crazy, especially since we have decided to move to WA this summer and so not only do I have work, my DD just wrapped up school drama, which was an extra 1.5 hours + after school each day for the past 2 months - this made homework time extend until 7 - 8 pm at night and she goes to bed at 8:30pm, regular life stuff, but am now applying for jobs which takes a few hours for each job, and am sorting and packing. Plus I want to finish this before I start our DL pre trip report.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
I'm glad you're back!
What a wonderful encounter with the deer at the cabin. Such beautiful animals. I do think it's funny that we think of going to Alaska for animal-watching and you're doing the same in the lower 48! That ice cream looks so yummy.
The deer was so cool. The ice cream was delish!
__________________
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
Last edited by Alaskan Mom; 02-23-2013 at 06:43 PM..
I'm glad your back too! Nice animal sightings! I have a feeling the stories are just beginning. My husband uses a CPap too, so I understand being on the wrong side of the bed lol!
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Up this AM, MIL's stomach worse with several bathroom trips in between all of getting ready to leave MMC hotel, plus add me to the bathroom stops. I immediatly took 2 probiotics (sorry about spelling) and gave a probiotic to DH and DD. MIL told me she took 6 immodium, Yikes! We did finally manage to get the jeep loaded and out the door. MIL said she wanted to try some toast this morning and to the restraunt we went. We were seated and picked up menus and MIL asked where bathroom was and off she went but said to order her toast. Our food arrived, but no MIL so we ate. We were close to done and MIL still not back so I went to check on her. She had to go to jeep for new clothes in order to change. She wanted me to find out where she could get 7up.
Oh dear, what a day this was going to be. I went back to restraunt and got a to go box for her toast and asked waitress about 7up. She told us about a 7-11 or something like it just across the highway. We gathered MIL and made our way over there. I got a ginger ale as my stomach still was a little iffy due to too little sleep, time change, different water and food. MIL found 7up and DH and DD got drinks too. Here they are coming back to jeep.
We had about a 4 hour drive to Pigeon Forge which turned into a little over 5 hours because of a lunch stop and 5 bathroom stops.
At the last stop, DH was excited to see gas prices so low. In Alaska, just before we left gas was almost 4.30 a gallon.
It was 3.17 here.
DH didn't like MIL's driving, I think she was tired and driving too fast and drifting a little so got a little too close to a couple of other trucks, especially an 18 wheeler. In fact on that one DH grabbed the wheel to steer the jeep straight which made MIL mad. DH would have demanded he drive but we found out the day before that his wallet got left in a pants pocket back at MIL's condo. I offered to drive twice but MIL turned me down, saying she liked driving. I just wanted to arrive without an accident! We did make Pigeon forge safely. DD had my camera and was taking pics of all the tourist places as we came into town. I'll only share one here.
It was a wax museum. We found the campgrounds easily enough, was sitting in the center lane (turning lane) to make a left turn when MIL pulled out to make the turn, right in front of an oncoming truck who nearly hit us which freaked out DH, my heart was beating a mile a minute. DH hollered at MIL for nearly getting us killed. There was total silence in the jeep. I directed MIL to office and DH got out with me to check in, he asked clerk about if other family members had arrived. Told me he was NOT getting back in jeep with MIL right then and would take time to calm down by walking to find rest of family. I finished checking in and went back to jeep. Told MIL and DD - DH went to find cousin. We arrived, after I told MIL speed limit was 5 miles and hour in campground. We rented a vacation home which was a one bedroom trailer with a sleeper couch and loveseat. The loveseat area also had a recliner, TV and could be shut off from rest of living room and kitchen.
I loved the deck. The back bedroom had a door to outside so while MIL was in front of trailer, closed into her little section and DD was sleeping on couch in center section, and DH was in bedroom watching TV or sleeping I could slip out to deck without disturbing anyone and email family, or listen to night sounds, just be peaceful.
When we pulled up, there were 3 ducks hanging out in front of the trailer. One had a hurt leg and DD immediately wanted to feed them. She promptly named them Fred, Bob, and Sue. Sue was the one with a hurt foot.
We unloaded jeep, DD wanted the pool - especially since the hotel yesterday didn't have on. As soon as everything was dumped in the trailer, I located her suit, she changed and was off! MIL installed herself in recliner, saying she still wasn't feeling well. I found out of the way places for suitcases and put away the last bit of food MIL had brought then asked if I could use her jeep to go to store and if she wanted anything from store. I had seen the Kroger right across the street from the campgrounds when we drove in so I knew it wasn't far. She let me have the keys and said she wanted bottled water so off I went.
Up next; sun block, shopping, sunburn and sillyness.
__________________
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
Last edited by Alaskan Mom; 01-23-2016 at 05:45 PM..
I'm glad your back too! Nice animal sightings! I have a feeling the stories are just beginning. My husband uses a CPap too, so I understand being on the wrong side of the bed lol!
I didn't know if anyone would know what one was. If you have never heard of one, it is a breathing machine for people with sleep apnea (stop breathing while sleeping). You are right, this was an interesting trip, it seems everything was either great or terrible and it took most of my patience the majority of the time just to get through each day.
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MIL was reading when we arrived, told her about our hike while DD got her shower first. After we were cleaned and changed MIL said her stomach was upset and didn't want to go to dinner with us. We asked if we could bring her back something, she said no. I asked to use her jeep again and she gave me the keys. I told DH that it was her choice to not come with us and there was nothing we could do. On the way out we spotted a wild turkey, a first for me and DD.
We stopped in the gift shop for another but they didn't have another one like it but said we could exchange it for anything else in the shop so DD enjoyed checking out all of her choices. She finally decided on a stuffed animal (she collects them) and then we were off to the restraunt. There was only one other couple in the place so the waitress talked to us for quite a while. She was really nice and it was fun to listen to her accent.
. DD thought it was great, leave it to a teenager.
DH continually added ice to water it down. I thought it was funny because he always talks about having sweet tea and after living in AK for almost 20 years with none, now it was too sweet for him.
After having a taste of mine, both DD and DH said they should have ordered my choice.
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
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. DH said come look out the window! So we all look out the window and there are 2 deers on the lawn in front of the hotel rooms and one was maybe 5 feet from our door.
oh well, at least I was in a bed and not on the bouncing air matress. MIL came out from bathroom and wanted to know why DD was on the floor, I didn't want to say that DD didn't want to sleep in the same bed as her but didn't want to lie either. DH replied that it was cooler on the floor and it was since the AC worked only enough to make it not quite as humid as outside. I had a hard time getting to sleep, it was still warmer than I was used to, MIL snores (loudly), and the bed was so soft DH and I had to almost hold onto the sides of the bed to stop from being piled in the center of the bed.
Eventually, exhaustion took over and I finally 
.
I offered to drive twice but MIL turned me down, saying she liked driving. 
We did make Pigeon forge safely. DD had my camera and was taking pics of all the tourist places as we came into town. I'll only share one here.
in campground. We rented a vacation home which was a one bedroom trailer with a sleeper couch and loveseat. The loveseat area also had a recliner, TV and could be shut off from rest of living room and kitchen.
MIL installed herself in recliner, saying she still wasn't feeling well. I found out of the way places for suitcases and put away the last bit of food MIL had brought then asked if I could use her jeep to go to store and if she wanted anything from store. I had seen the Kroger right across the street from the campgrounds when we drove in so I knew it wasn't far. She let me have the keys and said she wanted bottled water so off I went.
PassPorter Guide Author
What a great dinner and the deer sighting was so cool! 
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