Mommy’s Not so Dirty 30
Back in October we celebrated my 30th birthday, as a family. Initially, I’d planned on being on a beach in Jamaica, in a hammock, drinking all of the Rum Punch and Pina Coladas that my heart desired. Funny how plans change, because when I first held my sweet baby boy I knew there was no way I would be leaving him so soon. So, we compromised and decided to go to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which would be Dawson’s first trip and first time ever staying away from home.
Our choice in destination was significant because Gatlinburg was one of the first places that Chris and I went together at the beginning of our relationship and over the years we have been back countless times for birthdays, anniversaries and just to spend time away with family. It felt appropriate for it to be Dawson’s first trip and with only a 3.5-hour drive, it would not be too much time in the car for Dawson.
Now typically we would rent a cabin, but with all of baby’s things I thought it would be easier if we stayed in a hotel, so we did. That was a huge change for us but worked out well. Also, we usually stay in Gatlinburg but decided to switch it up for this trip and stayed in Pigeon Forge. We stayed at Margaritaville Island Inn. The hotel is still on the newer side so it was really clean and updated. Our room was spacious enough for the three of us. The staff was friendly and accommodating (which is always important). Breakfast was complimentary every morning but we never made it down to taste test. They also provided cookies every evening, these we did taste, and they were amazing. It was only about a two-minute walk to get to The Island at Pigeon Forge, or we had the option to hop on one of their courtesy bikes and get there even faster. We had Dawson, so we did not get an opportunity to borrow a bike but I do think it would have been fun.
We did not get to go to the “Top of the Mountain” because I thought it may be too much of an elevation increase for Dawson and didn’t want to risk it. We did get to spend lots of time at The Island, we drove to Gatlinburg every day to enjoy downtown and of course spent some time shopping at the outlet.
Food: I’m going to sum this up quickly but just know we spent a lot of time eating.
- We went to Paula Deen’s twice. Once for dinner and another time on my birthday for brunch. They were both amazing but I preferred brunch (only because I love breakfast foods). The restaurant served their meals family style. We got to select several different meats and sides for the table and they continued to bring out more of the same until we told them to stop. The same went for dinner and brunch, we were quite full and excited that with all the quantity, the quality was still A+++.
- We also had to go to the Pancake Pantry in downtown Gatlinburg. There are pancake places everywhere, but trust me, this one is the best! We both got yummy pancakes and per usual, Dawson had a nice yummy bottle of formula. We actually went at the perfect time, because we walked right in and sat down, where in the past we’ve waited hours for a table.
- We also had to have dinner at another favorite of ours, The Old Mill Restaurant. It’s Southern Cuisine, always cooked just right and includes a four-course meal, which consists of a salad, their signature corn chowder, whatever entrée you select and dessert.
- We had dessert on my birthday at The Melting Pot.
All in all it was a great first trip for baby boy and we really enjoyed the time spent away to relax and refresh.
