Post-Vacation Part Two

Continuing on from yesterday's post.

Cara and I awoke Friday morning to our first breakfast at Buckhorn Inn. Having experienced their exquisite cuisine on Thursday night, I was anxious to see what awaited us for breakfast and I was not disappointed. Here was the breakfast menu:

Drinks: Coffee & Tazo Brand Hot Tea
Appetizer: 1/4 whole pineapple with strawberries
Breakfast Bread: Fresh Buttermilk Bisuits and Blackberry Scones (Cara's Favorite)
Main Course: Bananas Foster French Toast & Bacon

It may have been the best breakfast I have ever eaten. And watching the sunrise over the mountains from our breakfast window was breathtaking.

After lunch we headed to Pigeon Forge to hit some of the outlet stores and then we made our way to Ripley's Aquarium. It was absolutely amazing. They have thousands of different species of fish and their exhibits are very close to each fish's natural habitat. I was truly spellbound by the Seahorses, the Huge Stingrays, and the Barracuda, which I had never previously seen live before.

We spent the better part of our afternoon in the aquarium and then headed for Ripley's Mirror Maze. As a side note: Whatever you do, when you visit Gatlinburg, DO NOT PAY MONEY FOR THIS ATTRACTION. I have never been so disappointed with something in my entire life. I expected to go in and be lost for at least ten minutes and was stunned to find the exit in less than two and a half. Skip this one folks, you'll be glad that you did.

After the disappointment that was the maze, we were hesitant to try any of the other Ripley's Attractions. But we had purchased a combo ticket and so we had to find one more attraction to use our ticket on and we discovered Ripley's Haunted Adventure. This was Cara's absolute favorite attraction we attended in Gatlinburg. I did not jump until the end of the attraction, but if you want to find out what made me freak out, you'll have to visit it yourself.

Finally, we washed the evening down with dinner at one of my favorite eating spots, the Hard Rock Cafe. We walked in and were greeted by the melodious sounds of Guns 'N Roses and halfway through dinner were treated to "Love Addict" by Family Force Five. I almost choked on my HRC burger.

After dinner, we wound up taking a stroll through the main drag of Gatlinburg well into the night and visiting all of the little shops that it has to offer. I found it very peaceful and relaxing with nowhere to go and no timelimit. There's something about those moments that are invaluably priceless.

Tomorrow will talk about Saturday and the Old Mill.