Pisgah View Ranch - Day 2

Breakfast was at 8am. This meant getting out of bed by about 7am, which is not fun on a Sunday morning. But we made it and breakfast was very nice. As we were walking to breakfast, the weather didn't look very good with the mist covering most of the mountains.

Pisgah mountain through the clouds on the way to breakfast

Sign for breakfast for me and my "family"

After breakfast we couldn't see any of the mountains or any of the trees nearby! We had a little time so had a wondered around to the pond. The mist was really pretty over the pond (though thankfully it cleaned up later!)

Mist of the lake

Jetty

Part of the Groupon deal was an hour long horse trail ride in the hills. Caroline and I were a little nervous as it had been a long time since we had been on horses. But the horses were really sweet.

Caroline and sugar

Cissi and Will

Me and Shadow

We went up a trail into hills and forest. The views were really nice. However I didn't take many photos. I was too busy trying to stay on my horse.

Down the trail, following Nicole and Princess

Cissi laughing at her horse

Our trail

View from the highest point.

I was on Shadow and she was the baby of the group, only 6 yrs old. (The rest were between 12 and 22.) And she was very greedy. She kept stopping for food and as we were at the front of the group, everyone else had to stop. But I figured as she had to haul me up the trail on her back, she deserved a little treat! Going up was ok. Coming down was a little scarier. At one point we crossed a stream (with Shadow of course stopping for a drink) and getting up the other side was tough. I couldn't decide whether to hold the reins or just cling to the saddle and hope she knew what she was doing. But we made it. And I was starting to get the hang of it at the end. (Though my saddle started sliding towards the end so I ended up clinging on!)

Will, Cissi's horse

My horse Shadow looking tired after the ride.

Sugar, Caroline's horse.

t was really great fun and at the time I would have loved to have gone on for another hour. However now my bum really hurts, so I am glad we didn't!

For fun, I had brought us some cowboy hats. We thought about wearing them on the trail but we had to wear hard hats, which I was very grateful for. Shadow also liked to go quite close to the trees and the hand protected my head against branches! She was a sweet horse. Honest. :-)

But we took some photos after at our cabin, Hickory.

Our cabin, Hickory

View form the porch

Cowgirls, chilling on the porch, :-P

 The drive home was about 4.5 hrs for Cissi and I, and about 6 hrs for Caroline, so we left about lunchtime.

More falls colors

It was an amazing weekend and we didn't want to go back to reality. :-( But we are definitely going to do things like this again. :-)

Smoky Mountains and Pisgah View Ranch

On Saturday morning, we checked out the breakfast provided by the hotel but we weren't impressed. It was crowded and hot and all I could eat was Cheerios! So we found the Smokey Mountain Pancake House which was on our route (and the correct side of the road!). It was very tasty and filled us up for most of the day.
After breakfast we headed into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once again we hit some serious traffic. We were thinking about stopping in Gatlinburg as there looked like some really nice shops but we figured if we did, the odds of getting back onto the road were slim, assuming we could find somewhere to park. It's on the list for the next time. I have also never seen so many places to play mini-golf in one place!

Davy Crochett mini-golf

Gatlinburg Main street

No idea but sounds ... interesting.

 Eventually we got the Sugarlands visitors centre inside the park and after a little shopping (for fleeces as it was pretty cold!) decided to head to Deep Creek where there were 3 waterfalls within an easy walk (and one had such a great name it was hard to resist). They were on the North Carolina side so we had to drive right through the park. I split my time between Caroline's and Cissi's car on the 2 hr drive. We stopped a few places to take photos as the views were amazing!

Near Campbell overlook

Smoky mountains.

At Campbell overlook 

We had picked the right (and busiest) time to visit the Park as the trees were starting to turn. It was a little cloudy during the drive but it was so pretty. And the colors got more dramatic the further into the mountains we went.

Starting fall colors

Once we got through the park, we had to drive to Bryson City (more of a town really) and then back into the park. The direction sighs weren't very helpful but we got there surprisingly without getting lost. :-)

After a quick snack of Kettle Crisps and fresh pineapple, we set off to the first waterfall. It was a fairly small one but had a great name!

Sign to the falls

Juney Whank falls.

All at Juney Whank

Then we decided to go to the other two in the area as it was only a short walk and the weather had brighten up too. (You can take a loop but the waterfalls were close on one side so we just did the short part.) The walks were easy which was good and there weren't that many people around.

Tom branch 

Indian creek

 On Saturday night, we were staying at Pisgah View Ranch which I found on Groupon. We got there a little late as we were supposed to be there for dinner at 5.30pm. But thankfully they still fed us! It was a cookout style dinner in a barn and they had a bluegrass band playing. So after dinner and a quick trip to our cabin, we went to listen to the music for a while with a cup of hot coco. :-)

Drive to Pisgah View Ranch 

Live bluegrass music

Yummy

 One thing we were all really looking forward to was the bonfire. We had brought S'mores makings. :-) For those who don't know, to make a S'more you toast a marshmallow over a fire on a stick until it is golden and gooey, and then put it on a cracker with a piece of chocolate. Then eat it very quickly as it makes a mess. I preferred the toasted marshmallows on their own though.
We meet a couple with their daughter at the fire and chatted. The girl was really sweet and took a likely to Cissi, chattering away (apparently she was usually very quiet). We spilt a bottle of wine with couple while watching the fire.

Camp fire

Toasting marshmallows for S'mores 

Full moon

We ended up back at the cabin relatively early as we were all really tired and we had to be up early next morning. They were quite strict on the time breakfast starts!

Pigeon Forge

On Friday morning, Cissi and I set off to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to meet Caroline for the first stage of our girly weekend. We had a few issues setting off, such as the shop we wanted to go to first being shut, me forgetting my national parks pass (and having to go back and getting). We decided to try without the GPS. Bad idea. We figured out after 20mins that we were going north instead of south on the I-81. D'oh! After a few more more little hiccups (like a few names written down wrong), we decided a GPS is essential. Always!!!!

We got to Pigeon Forge at rush hour and what should have taken 5mins, actually took 1.5 hrs. :-( But at least it gave us lots of time to take photos. Pigeon Forge is a very strange place. It seemed like a cross between Blackpool and Las Vegas. It is really near Dollywood (which we didn't go to but is totally on my list for next time!) so the area has boomed with attractions. Some of them very odd.

Wonder Works

Inland Titanic

King Kong

Harry Potter 

The trip should have taken us 4 hrs. It took 8hrs!!!! And Caroline wasn't having much luck either. She missed the turning and doing that in the US that means a really long detour. But we finally all got to the hotel. We had dinner near by (so we didn't have to drive anymore!) at possibly the only Mexican which does not serve margaritas. But we had a lot of wine (from my selection) back in the fridge at the hotel, so we weren't really too bothered.

The hotel we had booked had an indoor jacuzzi and pool. It was a little full to start but we crowded the others out of the jacuzzi and chilled out.

Swimming pool

By the pool

The rest of the evening was spent chilling in the room, chatting and drinking wine. Except for the third bottle which had the most stubborn cork I have ever seen! At one point 3 of us were pulling either the corkscrew or the bottle and nothing. I don't like to use the "I am a girl" card but sometimes... needs must. And it really was a must. So I put shoes on and went in my PJs to reception to find someone to help us. It took him a while (but his ego was at stake) but it worked. And made us very happy. (Though my corkscrew is bent now!)

Attempting to open our wine. And failing. 

Hokies Football Game

On Saturday, I got tickets to the VT Hokies vs. North Caroline Tar Heels American football game. We initially intended to go early and see all the tailgating, but thanks to a nasty cold, I was not feeling very well and we didn't get out until 11am (the game started at 12.30). We got the bus down to near the stadium and walked through some of the tailgating. There were a lot of people already drunk.

Tailgating near Lane Stadium

Once we got in, after grabbing drinks, hotdogs and popcorn, we headed up to our seats which were about halfway up the south side. In hindsight, the north side would have been better as it was in the shade for some of the time. It was a really nice day but I ended up a little sunburnt by the end.

Garfield at Lane Stadium

Once the stadium filled up, it was amazing. Lane Stadium has a capacity for over 66,000 and I am pretty sure it was full! It was a sea of maroon (the Hokie colors are maroon and orange). There were a few people in the NC Tar Heels colors (white and blue) but not many. The Tar Heels had a small band and cheerleading squad, but tiny compared to the Hokies. I was really impressed by the acrobatics of the cheerleading teams from both sides. It also confirmed to me Hokies fans are insane! :-)

Lane Stadium

The stands filling up.

NC cheerleaders

Hokies t-shirt

We watched the teams warm up while eating hotdogs.

Hokies running warm-up drills 

Tar Heels doing stretches 

Hokies - how could I resist this picture? :-)

Before the game, they had the military band playing. And as it was the homecoming weekend and game, they had another band, the Highty-Tightys, playing. They marched around the field. Then the national anthem played. (Americans know as many of the words as the British know of the British anthem. i.e., not many!)

Lane Stadium during the opening ceremony.

Highty-Tightys (red) and military band (blue)

Flag carriers.

Then they started playing Enter Sandman for the team to come out. Everyone started chanting "Hokies! Hokies!" and jumping to the music. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing!

Hokies entering the field

The first half was fun and ended with the Hokies in front. I was a little shocked and disappointed with the Hokie fans though. When the other teams were in control of the play, the Hokie fans started booing and jangling their keys, triggered by the gobble-gobble sound over the speakers. (The Hokies mascot is a turkey-type animal.) Apparently it is to stop the quarterback from the other team hearing the shouted directions. It seemed like cheating a bit to me.

Hokies passing the ball back

Hokie cheerleaders in action

Sea of maroon

Celebrating a Hokie touchdown

Starting the quarter.

Scrum

During half-time, they presented the homecoming king and queen. The candidates were escorted in by someone, a friend, family member or sponsor. The king was escorted by his friend, a young boy who had survived Leukemia. He used is campaign for homecoming king to raise awareness for childhood cancers. And he gave the little lad his crown. (The crowd went wild.) The queen, who was crowned after, didn't have the same reaction!

Homecoming king

Homecoming Queen

There was also a impressive display by the military band, playing while they moved in formation across the field. And they then played the Hokie-Kokie (i.e. Okie-Kokie) and danced. (I am not kidding!)

Military band display

Gymnastics 

Band

Doing the Hokie(Okie)-Kokie.

The second half was really good with a great run from the 80 yard to the 15 yard mark by one of the Hokie players. And later a fist fight on the field. One of the Tar Heels players lost his temper after a shove by a Hokies player. Then the both teams got in on the action. (I am not sure if it was to fight to pull them apart. A bit of both I think.)

In the end, the Hokie won 27-17, despite a good last try and touchdown by the Tar Heels. After the game, we waited until most people had disappeared before attempting to leave, and then slowly made our way to back to the drill field on campus, with a few stops as I wasn't feeling good. The only bad thing for the day was I lost my cap! It must have been somewhere on route to the bus. :-(  But we were so tired and hot, I really didn't care at the time!

Once we got home, we took cold showers and ordered pizza and chicken wings for dinner and watched movies. Sunday was spent doing some shopping and chilling with more movies.