Cheaper than therapy…..
It’s been 2 years since our last girls summer getaway, so we are severely overdue for a new adventure. Within driving distance for everyone but me (because I’m the most mobile & up for anywhere), we pin Gatlinburg on the map & take off for the quiet TN mountains.
I scour for quaint but bougey cabins just outside of town. A hot tub & porch with a view are a “must have” for this group. There is just something about sitting on the porch in the cool mountain breeze with a cocktail in hand & surrounded by some of your favorite people to reminisce over the last 30 years of friendship!
Night one our tradition is making our very own charcuterie board with a colorful array of veggies, fruits, crackers, nuts and anything else that we were craving during the grocery run. The hot tub is fired up and we laugh the night away until the wee hours of the morning.
I was super stoked the girls were up for a couple of short waterfall hikes in Great Smoky Mountain National Park to stretch our legs and enjoy the mild summer temps. Tourists crammed into Gatlinburg in droves, so we stuck to the outskirts in Pigeon Forge for local farm fresh meals and scouring the outlet malls for deals. We even checked off a bucket list item in braving one of the many alpine coasters, despite our other zip line excursion being cancelled due to severe thunderstorms.
The peace & serenity around the cabin was just what my soul needed, including several sightings of local black bears (including 3 babies scaling a tree to stay safely away from us peepers). We even sported a few cleansing face masks for extra rejuvenation.
We ended our weekend at a highly rated tavern “The Local Goat” and a subsequent visit to the outlets. After exchanging our inevitable goodbyes, I fortunately got to enjoy one extra night in the cabin and thoroughly enjoyed finishing some work on the balcony listening to the gentle pitter patter of another rain storm.
And we vowed to go big for all of our 50th birthdays in 2024…… girls all-inclusive trip to Jamaica!
FearlessAdventures 