Road trips have never been anywhere near my favorite way to
travel, so even though I have been married for more than seven years and my
husband loves to drive and occasionally mentions how it would be a good idea to
travel by road I have been very reluctant and our so called road trips have
been few and far between.
After living in the US for more than a year and
procrastinating to take the written test for a US drivers license, push came to
shove when my brother-in-law suggested that we take a road trip with them to
visit family living in Atlanta for the Thanksgiving weekend.
And that's how it all started...
First Stop Roanoke,
Virginia
Midway between New Jersey and The Great Smokey Mountains our
first stop was at Roanoke, Virginia. We stepped out to the local “farm to
table” restaurant here called Local Roots where we tasted food
made from locally sourced ingredients. Sunday Supper is shared family style
with each diner getting their own entrée and sharing from common bowls of
sides, wonderful hospitality from the restaurant owners who pilled our children
with books and went into the kitchen to custom-make a hot sauce for my brother
in law whose palate prefers fierier fare than the one on offer. After a quick
stop over at the Mill Mountain star the next day, which is perched on the top we
were off to The Smokies.
Great Smokey
Mountains
Gatlinburg
Situated at one of the entrances to the Great Smokies
National Reserve Gatlinburg was bustling with tourists. Here I had my first
ride in the Skylift and what fun it was to take a ride up to the top and see
the city with its twinkling lights and the Space needle all lit up. My little
one who is four was safe on Daddy’s lap and enjoyed herself as well. Dinner was
delicious southern food (my favorite was the ribs) and among the most delicious
drinks I have ever tasted - a peach iced tea with a spot of Moonshine.
Zip lining at Jayell Farms Pigeon Forge
I have zip lined before and enjoyed myself but this was
definitely a special experience. Spread over 6 lines with the longest
stretching to 3,000 feet and a view of the great mountains still flashing fall
colors. Our baby summoned up all her courage to go solo on the last one (she
was strapped to one of us for the others) and at the end of it declared that if
she had known it was going to be so much fun she would have done all of them
solo!
An evening of dance and country music at Country Tonight Pigeon Forge
It is the festive season and a visit down south wouldn’t be
complete with some good old country music. An enjoyable show with lots of
razzle dazzle and entertainment for the full family with the kids getting to go
up on stage as an added bonus!
Wine Tasting at Eagle Springs Winery
Apricot, honey, strawberry, kiwi and mango sounds more like
a fruit salad but these are just some of the ingredients that go into the
delicious wines available here. After much tasting four happy customers left
with five bottles of wine!
Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail
I know, I know the Smokies is all about trekking and cycling
and walking for miles in the natural reserve but with three kids in tow the
smallest being 2 and a half we were lucky to manage the motor trail.
Picturesque drive with many spots to stop and get some nice clicks!
Jack Daniels Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee
I am no whiskey drinker and yet immensely enjoyed this tour
of the JD distillery run free of cost by expert guides. Here we saw the storage
vaults, smelt the abundant vapors which escape the barrels (called the Angel’s
share), learnt how each barrel is crafted and saw the process of fermentation.
And of course while the tour is free the whiskey is not, so we left poorer by a
few hundred dollars after a visit to the shop stocked with JDs of every kind!
Ruby Falls, Chattanooga
An impromptu halt at Chattanooga led to a visit to the very
beautiful Ruby Falls. The largest underwater waterfall in the US open to the
public. A narrow underground trail filled with unique rock and limestone
formations culminating in a breathtaking waterfall enhanced by a
well-choreographed light show.
ATLANTA
What is Thanksgiving without a feasting with family? True to spirit we gorged on an enormous spread of traditional fare. Couldn’t decide between Turkey or chicken roast so why choose just have both! There were also green beans, cranberry relish, sweet potato bake, mashed potatoes (in all likelihood I missed a dish or two) finished off with gigantic helpings of pecan pie and pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream!
Day 2 in Atlanta
A quick visit to the Stone
Mountain to see the world’s largest piece of exposed granite with the world’s
largest high relief sculpture featuring three confederate heroes of the American
Civil War
Followed by quintessential Southern food at the historic Marie Mac’s Tea Room where many famous
personalities have dined included Richard Gere a personal favorite!
Back home for some tree
climbing followed by interesting chit chat around a bonfire.
Tummies full, hearts happy and heads filled with pleasant memories of a great holiday.
