Scott and I were up just after 7:30 to get breakfast started
and packed for the day. After pancakes,
we got on the road around 8:45 and headed toward Fox Fire Mountain. It’s a really fun place to spend the
day. They offer ziplining, gater rides,
rockwall climbing, hiking, and llamas. We got checked in and waited only a few
minutes for our guide to orient us.
We signed up for the Bear Crawler, the very exhilarating
gater ride. The kids LOVED the bumps,
the curves, and the splashes too!
Honestly, we were drenched within 5 minutes of leaving the base camp.
We made a few stops along the way. First was an abandoned iron ore mine. Years back, the owner blasted it closed. They now allow visitors to climb the face of
it… some 50 feet, near vertical with only a rope to support you as you climb
the slippery red clay/dirt below your feet.
Of course, Sammy was quick to volunteer to go first and I, of course,
had to follow. Tyler followed behind me
and then Scott. It was crazy. Several times Sammy said she couldn’t make it
but Tyler encourage “don’t say you can’t!” and they persisted. We were covered in mud and sweat and every
muscle shaking by the time we reached the top… but we did reach it!! We were both so proud of those kids.
When we got back to the trail, the guide shared that in the
5 years they had worked the course, he had only seen 4 or 5 adults climb it in
flip flops (like Scott and I had on). It
was a good boost to my self-esteem for sure.
The ride continued to a small waterfall that we could
explore. The fresh cool water was a welcome
surprise for all of us! We all enjoyed a
short soak and took advantage of the chance to clean up a bit. The red clay was hard to get off.
The tour finished with another splash in the creek and a
picture with our guide.
We explored the base camp a bit more. Scott took advantage of some good ole Tennessee
pulled pork and Sammy the homemade ice cream.
Then we walked across the longest expansive rope bridge in the US.
We got home around 12:30 pm; all of us ready for showers and
some lunch. Then we spent a quiet
afternoon in the RV. Tyler, Mom and Dad
watched the Titanic as a follow up to our museum visit last night while Sammy
took some quiet time watching movies in her bed.
At 4:30 pm we headed out for our Lumberjack Feud Dinner
Show. This is the same show we watched
last year, but the kids really enjoyed it and specially-requested we do it again.
As we made the way to our seats, we were surprised by how
close we were… front row, center of the stage.
Wow! The show was a lumberjack
competition between two rival families with 18 exhibitions including dog jumps
and climbing. It was fabulous. The kids cheered our team on as they worked
through each event. Tyler was the most
eager kid in the place… laughing hysterically at the corny jokes, cheering /
jeering at the teams. It was so much
fun. Sammy loved the dog tricks the best
and laughed every time someone fell in the water.
After we finished eating, a cast member approached and asked
the kids if they would “help” for a portion of the show. They of course eagerly agreed not even
questioning what it would entail. I
tried to warn the gal, but she reassured me it would be great. So, halfway through the show, the kids went
out on the floor and competed in a sling shot competition.
Tyler lobbed a few down before finding his sweet spot. He got 4 points in 30 seconds; Sammy was
jumping and cheering behind him. Sammy,
well, missed every shot. But, if there
were points for the furthest shot, she would have won by a landslide! Tyler held her doll Margaret and faithfully
encouraged her as she tried.
It was a great night for sure! I cannot even count how many times the kids
thanked us for taking them to the show.
Tyler cannot wait to show everyone back home the video of their moment
in the spotlight! He is so proud of
himself and I love to see that confidence in him.
We headed home at 7:30 pm to watch a movie and head to
bed.
AMAZING day! We all
had so much fun!!
