Vacation Part I (Maggie Valley, North Carolina)

August 26 - September 4, 2011

Family Summer Vacation

It is really impossible to sum up our last week. But I will attempt to go through some pictures of each day to show you just how wonderful our week has been. We set off Friday afternoon August 26 in the GMC Acadia fully loaded down for a 2 day driving adventure. We all had a blast and Isabel was in hog heaven to have BOTH mommy and daddy's undivided attention. We broke the trip up by stopping in Auburn (shout out to LBG!!!) at midnight and then finished the drive on Saturday to Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Phillips' attending physician allowed us the opportunity to stay a week in his vacation home up in the mountains. The home looked like a wood cabin with 3 bedrooms/2 baths, a loft, a huge deck with hot-tub, and very spacious family/kitchen room. It was located almost to the top of the mountain and outside you could hear a waterfall....not too far away from us. It was perfect in everyway!

The rest of our trip in North Carolina was spent visiting surrounding areas of Maggie Valley, hiking, fishing, Santa's land, and of course some shopping!!

DAY ONE: Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Great Smokey National Park

Isabel ready to go hiking.

Mom and Isabel on hike

Twinkies!!

Daddy and his 35 pound pack.

Lookout point in Great Smokies

Cutest pic EVER!!!

Family of bears

Family shot at a lookout point after a 1 1/2 mile hike....and Isabel not participating in family picture time.

11 am to 8 pm we spent driving and hiking the National Park with picnic lunch on hike and dinner at BBQ place in Maggie Valley.

DAY TWO: Santa's Land Theme Park and Zoo

Candy shop

Feeding the fish

Brave racer!

Brave volunteer at magic show

Family shot paddle boating

We spent most of the day at Santa's land. Then we drove to the near city of Waynesville, NC to do some window shopping and dinner.

DAY THREE: Back to Great Smokey (Tennessee side of Park)

Jenkins Ridge Overlook

Creek on hike

Another Creek on Hike

8 am to 7 pm we spent driving and hiking in National Park with a lunch stop in Gattlinburg, TN.

DAY FOUR: Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

The Biltmore....sorry no pics of us today!! We spent the day at the Biltmore Estate touring the estate, eating at the village, wine tasting, and enjoying the afternoon with ice cream. Then later that evening we watched the sun set at the Grove Park Inn.

DAY FIVE: fly fishing for Phillips and shopping for Laurel and Isabel

Daddy caught a fish in Cherokee, NC

Girl time in Highlands, NC