Gatlinburg, TN: Part 3 (Grotto Falls and the Ripley's Aquarium)

Our second full day in Gatlinburg, TN started off with a drive through the Motor Nature Trail. We stopped at a few areas for pictures with the Smoky Mountains in the background. At one point, we stopped and decided to hike to the Grotto Falls. We encountered a lot of enthusiastic hikers en route there and back. Everyone was smiling and had a friendly "Hello!" A brief annoying moment was this one chick who was using the walkie talkie feature of her phone and communicating with her husband every bloody step of the way. Finally, we allowed her and her friend to pass so we wouldn't have to hear her conversation. No offense, but the whole world doesn't want to know that you're letting your husband know where you are and every beautiful speck that you see. Idiot... OK, but enough of my ranting. Back to positive blog mode....

After the hour-long hike to the Grotto Falls, we continued on the Motor Nature Trail and off to the Ripley's Aquarium which was AWESOME! It may not be the largest, but it was definitely fun. We stopped and watched the divers feed the sharks and rays. We also held horseshoe crabs and petted the rays. Very cool.


The beginning of the trail towards the Grotto Falls.


Yummer posing by this old tree whose roots have grown over this rock!


Minnie, Roger and Yum taking a break on the way to the Grotto Falls.


A little blurry, but here are the Grotto Falls! It was a hike classified as "Moderate."


A close up shot of the top of Grotto Falls.


Part of the formation of rocks as we hiked down from the Grotto Falls.


Red-bellied pirahnas at the Ripley's Aquarium.


A shark as viewed under the specially designed underground tunnel that we went under. There were many varieties of rays, sharks and other saltwater fish swimming literally inches from your face.


A REAL close-up of the same shark.


The kids and I holding a baby horseshoe crab.


A beautiful picture from their jellyfish tank. Leave a message or send me a note if you want to see the video I took. Looks pretty cool if it's looped.


A few of the rays in "Stingray Bay" where you can pet one. Very cool!

Gatlinburg, TN: Part 2 (Gatlinburg, TN and Nature Trail)

Our first day in Gatlinburg, TN! Woo hoo! The kids, Michael and I got up early in the morning and took off. Our cabin for the first three nights was in the Smokies and we had to drive down around LOTS of mountain curves. Phew... Some of the roads were very narrow, and there weren't barriers to prevent the car closest to the edge from falling down to the bottom. It was a bit disconcerting, but when you do it twice, it really does get easier. Of course, I can say that 'cos Michael was driving! I took some video of the kids as we went down the mountain for the first time this morning. Leave a msg or send me a note if you're interested in viewing.

Without further ado ... here are the pics!


Michael and I almost choked when we saw the gas price in Gatlinburg. Thank goodness I love my Odyssey...


The kids at the back of the Historic Ogle Cabin. This cabin was built for Martha Jane Huskey Ogle and her family who were among the first settlers of Gatlinburg.


At the trolley stop by the Historic Ogle Cabin... Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to ride on their trolley stop. :O(


The kids at the Guinness Record Museum at Gatlinburg with Mr. Robert Wadlow. His shoe is at the Plymouth Historical Museum!


World's Smallest Book at the Guinness World Museum. Wow.


After the Guinness World Museum, we decided to go on the Skylift. It is a bit pricey, but we decided that it was worth the rate for the awesome views.


One of the views from the skylift.


There are a lot of beautiful flower displays, and they attract so many cool-looking butterflies. I love this pic.


An amazing place to visit and "be one with nature."


We traversed on this one mile nature trail in our first foray through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is a cool museum within the center that has all of the different types of birds, reptiles, mammals, plants and flowers that have been found at the park.


Crossing a bridge...


Resting on a log on the trail.


Another cabin that was transplanted here.


A huge wasp's nest that Yummer promptly reported to the Park Rangers when we came back. We hope the park rangers do something about that soon!

We went back to the cabin and relaxed in the outdoor Jacuzzi. It was a great way to spend a Sunday!

Gatlinburg, TN: Part 1 (The Drive There: From Michigan -> Tennessee)

It's been a while since we've been on a week-long family holiday that does not tie around a major US holiday. I think this is the first time in a while where I have NOT opened my laptop and worked part of an evening on work-related things. It was roughly a 10 hour drive, and we left early in the morning. Traffic driving on the main strip was LONG ... We discovered on our last day that we were part of the lot who were coming into the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area with the folks who came the prior week leaving (and moving at a much quicker speed!)

We met Michael's parents in Gatlinburg, TN for fun in the Great Smokies! :O) Enjoy the pictures which is if not the best way to tell the story - it is the most entertaining. Want more pics or see video? Just drop a line or leave a comment. :O)


One of the first things we saw heading through Pigeon Forge, TN on the way to Gatlinburg, TN. The pickup truck is obstructing the best part: "Drive thru weddings: $ 79.99." Wow - what a bargain! Interested? Check out their website.

Funny Post from Freecycle Digest

I am a member of a number of freecycle lists... I thought this was pretty funny from one of the lists. Anyhow, we are on our way to Gatlinburg, TN tomorrow. I'll post some adventures soon! TTYL!
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 19
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 21:49:28 -0000
From: "Sydney"
Subject: Want:Net to catch loose parakeet

If you have a net I could use to try to catch this bird before it gets
too cold it would be great. Belleville/Ypsi area. Can travel to A2.
Thanks!

Winterizing Roses ... A Seminar ... and Great Rose Sale!

Today we went to a seminar about how to properly winterize roses at the Great Lakes Roses rose farm in Belleville. Of course, it didn't hurt that there was a sale on roses as well (30% - 50% off). After we listened to the lecture and watched the demonstration by the husband-wife team of Roger and Nancy Lindley, we HAD to look around to see if we could find some roses that could replace the sunflowers that were growing by the back brick wall.

Of course, we bought six new roses to go along with the ten we had purchased earlier in the year. You know me ... I love a good bargain, and let me tell you - these were a great deal!

- Two Souvenir de Mal Maison. BEAUTIFUL light pink Antique Bourbon Roses introduced in 1843. This rose smells like what a rose should smell like. My dad and mum will like this one.




-A Eureka rose. A Floribunda rose that will bloom apricot flowers. Yummy. Introduced in 2003 (?). It looks good enough to eat!




- Two Polareis roses which are of the rough and tumble Rugosa type. A pure and beautiful white rose. One of the best things that came from Leningrad! Introduced in the 1960's.


Polareis.

- A Redwood rose. A rose that is classified as a floribunda per their website. This rose has beautiful dark red blooms. Proceeds from these roses will support the Redwood National and State Parks in California.

Thanks to the good folks at Help me find for good photos of what our roses could look like. Can't wait until next Spring ... It seems too long to wait for these blooms.

Farrand Fox Trot (Friday, September 23, 2005)

The PTO at Farrand is such a wonderful organisation. They plan these great fundraisers for the school. One of the first fundraisers is the Farrand Fox Trot where kids get sponsors to pledge money while they run / walk around the school's soccer field. Today was the big day, and each class was allocated a time to run /walk around the field. Ms. Hagen's class was scheduled at 10.00 AM.

So, Michael and I were there and saw Anita and her class file out of the school and went around the track. Ping or e-mail me for video, and I'll send you the link to it. It's very cute! Anita did very well and stayed near the lead of the pack (about fifth place). The kids wound down with drinks and a snack after they were done. Enjoy the photos!

The Apprentice and The Second Lost Tooth

Yesterday was the premiere episode of The Apprentice which was entertaining as always. This is Anita's favourite TV show. She is still aspiring to work for Mr. Trump. We had a pizza party and ate popcorn. The challenge to the teams were to create a fitness program for Bally's Fitness Club which proved to be entertaining. Anita guessed correctly who would be fired.

The other big news is that her second bottom tooth fell out. Anita claims that she fell off the plastic slide at Jazzercise and knocked it out when she landed on the child's foam couch. She was very proud of it and showed us the cup with the tooth (wrapped up in paper towel) at the bottom. Very cool. The tooth fairy this time left another $ 20.00 bill under Anita's pillow. A Canadian twenty dollar bill... Not too bad still. ;O)

Chess and Searching for Bobby Fisher

We have just started introducing Yummers and Minnie to the wonderful game of chess. We bought a little cheap set from Target on Saturday and checked out a bunch of chess-related books and videos. We've played a couple of games so far. Yummers has played a game against dad and won ... with a little help, of course! :O)

Yesterday evening, we started watching "Searching for Bobby Fisher." We weren't able to finish the movie since it was past the kids' bedtime. We finished watching tonight. Yummers was SO excited to see the last game which was almost the end of the movie. She did not like the "mean" boy at all. If you have seen the movie, you'll know what I mean.


HEY ... Ever wonder what happened to Josh Waitzkin? Per Wiki ... It's wonderful to know that he was able to continue with his success in chess and also pursue a new interest and be successful at it as well.

Extreme Dodgeball

I'm working late right now, and guess what is on the tele? Extreme Dodgeball. Michael and I couldn't believe it until we flipped to the channel. YES, it's true! There was a team from Denver and New York playing each other. They were tied before we flipped the channel again. Very interesting. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at what is classified as a professional sport anymore.

NOTE: There is a team from DEEEEEE-TROOOOIIIITTTT called the Detroit Spoilers. Aiighht then. Thanks to the note from our friends at Wikipedia.

My First PTO Meeting (Monday, September 12, 2005)

Well, today was the first PTO that Michael and I attended at the Farrand Elementary School media center. It was very informative and interested. We were both surprised that there were not more parents present. It appears to be a solid core group of parents who run the Farrand PTO. It also appears that the majority of them live in the subdivision where the school is located.

One of the cool things is beginning next Summer, the school will be completely renovated due to bond money that was passed in a previous election... Fancy that! We saw the conceptaul drawings and the fabric samples. I was so excited for the kids, It really made me feel good, and I truly believe that they will be very proud to attend their school. There will also be air conditioning in all of the classrooms as well which will help make a more pleasant climate for learning!

On a side note, my cousin Steve sent this hilarious link which is so appropriate for this entry in my blog: "How to be the Perfect Asian American Parent." Ahahahaha ... "How to be a Perfect Asian Kid" was pretty good, too. They were all sooo true!

Finally, tomorrow is Yummers' picture day. We have selected two outfits and are ready! She has also finished her first homework assignment. Very cool!

The Plymouth Fall Festival (Wkend of September 9, 2005)

The Plymouth Fall Festival is probably my favourite out of all of the yearly Plymouth festivals. There is something for everyone ... a pet show, rides, booths, music and a cool car show. The weather could not have been better this year. It was sunny without a cloud in the sky. Beautiful weekend! I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Friday, September 9, 2005
The kids and I walked around Friday night to scope out the rides and booths that were available this year. Carnivals seem to be so much more fun at night. There is a certain kind of atmosphere that the bright lights of the rides provide that is hard to elaborate in to words. Reminds me when I was a teenager (*gasp*), and Tien, Fai and I walked around after working at the restaurant. Ahem, enough reminiscing ... roll the pics!


Keeping it real ... A sobering reminder of reality and Plymouth's effort to help the Hurricane Katrina Hurricane victims.


The kids posing in front of this cool cherry red hot rod on Friday night of the Fall Festival.


The Starship 2000 was a ride where they spun you around REALLY fast in a UFO.


The Screamer had two "pods" that probably sat around 12 or so people each. They swung around until you were stuck at the top for five or so seconds... Very cool.


Yummers rode on this ride on Saturday night. No fear!

Saturday, September 10, 2005
On Saturday morning, we checked out the cars that were entered in the car show and scoped out rides again. The kids played a fishing game where every fish selected resulted in a prize. Minnie's selection was a plastic samurai sword, and Yummers selected a blue dolphin and frog person.

The kids had gymnastics at Splitz in the afternoon and also attended Kids Day at Oakwood Hospital where we enjoyed a free lunch of hot dog, crisps and water. Yum. We went home and after we ate dinner, we hit the festival again ... this time, we we went on the rides. The kids rode on a fast dragon ride (I have video if anyone is interested!) and Yummer rode on the Tilt-A-Whirl ride. The kids also enjoyed some cotton candy. Yummy!


Yummer and Minnie next to a restored 1931 Ford Model A.


Who's the boss?


My vote on who should have won the 2005 Fall Festival Car Show... 1956 (I believe) Ford Thunderbird. Look at this beauty!


Pretty in Pink!


Red-y to go!

Sunday, September 11, 2005
I am always sad when the last day of the Fall Festival arrives. To me, it means that the last days of Summer are coming. :O( Well, at least we can say, we ended the Summer on the right note by enjoying another ride and street entertainment from the Buskers. We saw The Jim Show and Rob Torres who were GREAT. I really enjoyed Rob's show 'cos he performs the silent slap-stick humour.


Last day at the Fall Festival on the Merry-Go-Round


Yummers on her horse!


Minnie on his horse!


Jim from The Jim Show

Farrand Elementary School Open House (Thursday, September 8, 2005)

Today was Yummers' open house at Farrand Elementary School. I apologise that I don't have photos of this special occassion. But, we toured the school, inquired about the Brownie Scouts, and sat for a presentation from Ms. Hagen. We also toured her classroom and saw a self-portrait of herself that she drew of herself. Very cute. Tomorrow begins the Plymouth Fall Festival. It should be awesome! More later!

Discovering Plymouth, Michigan's Past (The Charles Draper Collection)

I was thinking about going to the library with the kids and found this great site about the Charles Draper Collection. The Plymouth District Library is among a number of libraries who are digitizing photos from Michigan's past. What an awesome concept.

Here is one picture that is pretty darn cool.... As many of you know, we live in an old Victorian Gothic house that still needs a LOT of work. It is across the street from the Daisy Square Condos. Prior to that it was vacant and home of Adistra Corporation. However, it's first incarnation and most famous purpose was being home of the Daisy Air Rifle Company. Below is a picture from 1908 of the building as it existed. Our house was three years old at that point. We're still looking for pictures of our house around that time period. So, if for some reason, someone who surfs onto my blog reads this and has some pictures or is related to / knows the following individuals:

* Don & Amy Kelley (sons: Harold and Mark) Builders of home - 1899 - 1910
* Henry & Maude Steinmetz: 1910 - 1952 (Henry was a foreman of the Pere Marquette RR.)
* Mr. & Mrs. Jesse and Agnes West: 1953 - 1989

We have an old black and white photo from around the 1970's from Mrs. Margaret Phelps who owned the house from 1989 - 1990 before it became an (ugh) rental house (1990 - 2000)... Then we bought our house, and the rest is history...


Daisy Air Rifle circa 1908

Labor Day BBQ (Saturday, September 3, 2005)

Uncle Robin planned a BBQ at Goong Goong and Paw Paw's house. The kids and I just came back from it an hour and a half ago. It was really fun, and I got to see a lot of people who I haven't seen in a long time! :O) There was lots of good food - hot dogs, hamburgers, sushi, chips and plenty of beer and wine for those who drank ... mmmmm.... I took a few photos and video as well. If you want to see some video, please ping me on AIM or send a note to me, and I will send it.

Auntie Fai is moving to Seattle!! Ohmigod! Although, I am sad that my little sis is moving ... I'm still very excited for her and Jamal (who was offered a position at Boeing ... woo hoo!). :O) It will be a life changing event no doubt, and she will do great things in that city!

Hey y'all ... I AM OLD ...
I had a realization tonight ... there were two people who I practically grew up that had gray hair! I was like ... WHOA! We're all getting old. Auntie Fai also had told Yummer that she and Nancy had known each other since they were Yummers' age (i.e. six) which in a way made me feel doubly old! :O) The funny thing I still feel like a 16 year old at heart ... I thought it was particularly funny when Loretta pulled out her black hoodie from the "good ol' days" which reminded me of the days where we wore our black hoodies everyday (literally ... If you think I'm kidding ask anyone who knew us at NHS).

Anyhow ... enjoy the pics!


Our chefs ... Jamal, Davin, Uncle Tien and Auntie Fai


Nancy and Auntie Fai


Alice and David - Newlyweds! You're a lucky man, David!


Uncle Robin, Cindy, Yummer and Minnie


Emily (back), Debbie, Uncle Tien, Davin, Cindy's mum, Cindy, Jill, and Ms. Liu