TLC – Postcards From TLC

May 30, 2017

Smoky Mountain Pancaking

I don’t know what it is about the towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN, but they sure love their pancakes. While visiting there over the weekend, I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of pancake restaurants in the very short distance of the 5 miles of of the Parkway strip.

For instance, Pigeon Forge, whose population is 5,800, came in with at least 15 different pancake houses. And that’s a loose estimate–I’m pretty sure I didn’t count them all and I didn’t count places like Shoney’s or Cracker Barrel as pancake houses. There were restaurants with quirky names like the Frizzled Chicken and Reagan’s Broken Egg Pancake House and some whose names got straight to the point such as: Log Cabin Pancake House, River Road Pancake House, Parkway Pancake House.

We stopped in one morning at Reagan’s House of Pancakes. We scientifically decided on this place because it was the third pancake house on our right, while travelling south down the Pigeon Forge Parkway. We were trying to beat the crowds out to Clingman’s Dome so we were there by 7:30 and in a hurry for breakfast. Luckily, Reagan’s (which was voted Best Pancake House 3 years in a row) hadn’t yet hit their breakfast rush and had a buffet complete with pancakes and French toast. Now, I’m more of a bacon and eggs kind of girl, but I decided that “when in Rome” I had to eat the pancakes. I did not regret this decision as the pancakes were excellent and the French toast was even better.

The next morning we started out a little later because we were only hiking one trail–only half the day. We stopped at the Smoky Mountain Pancake House, and just beat the droves of incoming “pancakers” by minutes. Luckily, we got in just in time to get a wonderfully prompt and excellent breakfast. I had the French toast–still close to pancakes…

After finishing hiking the Grotto Falls trail, we cruised around Gatlinburg (which is only 7 miles south of Pigeon Forge and has 4,180 people) and noticed they had almost as many pancake houses as Pigeon Forge. We counted 8 on their 1 mile long strip with some names we’d already seen in PF and some new names such as The River Road Pancake House and Atrium Pancakes. If you’re averaging pancake houses per mile, Gatlinburg is the winner here.

The next morning we were slated to check out the Frizzled Chicken, just because the name is so fun to say. Unfortunately, we were too frizzled ourselves to make it before the “pancakers” and we had a fabulous breakfast, skipping pancakes and French toast altogether, for a family style breakfast at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. Watch for more about the complimentary biscuits we had there.

May 30, 2017

Resiliency of Nature

It’s time for re-entry to regular life after our mini-vacay in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s always the time for catching up on the routine of life. Catching up on laundry, picking work back up where it was left when I left, getting back to the mundane. As is always the case with “re-entry” I just hope I can hold on to a few more moments and a few life lessons that I learned on this trip. The big take-away is the awe I have developed for the resiliency of nature, the resiliency of life.

From the destruction of the evergreens by the woolly adelgid to the wildfires of 2016 and 2017 comes renewed beauty and life. In one stretch of mountain road, you could see the devastation but drive just a couple of miles more and back to beautiful. Many thanks should go to the forest conservation folks who are attempting to revive the forests, mainly the hemlocks, from those woolly adelgids. Whoever figured out that soap and water would destroy those pests is a winner in my book! And even when you are hiking through the areas of fire ravage, while the tree trunks are still scorched and smelling burnt, the majority of the tree tops are leafing out and the undergrowth of the forest floor is a brilliant green hue of new growth and life.

If that isn’t the truth of the Circle of Life, I don’t know what is. I take it as proof that we all can handle a lot of blows and damage from life, yet still persevere and stand strong.

Enough of my philosophical ramblings of the Smokys. Up next, more fun observations.

May 25, 2017

What's My Function and What are My Goals?

I’ve been given a new assignment in my blogging class, which is to publish my 3 goals for my blog. I’ve interspersed them into this previously published earlier post because I felt they went together and would be more interesting than just a bullet point list. I hope you don’t mind some regurgitation of previous material and have patience while I ramp things up.

I’m so excited! I just got my first follower, my first REAL follower who is NOT myself nor my husband! It means so much to me, THANKS MELANIE! It means that maybe I am getting somewhere here. Goal #1–I’d really like to increase my followers by 20% in the next 3 months. I really appreciate your readership. Just go to the menu button, enter your email address, and click follow.

Which, by the way, I have been asked, “just what exactly are you trying to accomplish?” I guess, in retrospect, I’m not really trying to “accomplish” anything substantial. Since researching, planning, traveling, exploring, and networking are such hobbies of mine, I guess I’m really just trying to share the knowledge. Knowledge of what I’ve researched, what plans I’ve put in place, what places I’ve enjoyed going, maybe where I haven’t enjoyed going, the activities I’ve had the opportunities to experience, and most of all, the people I’ve met. Goal number 2–sharing my knowledge. I’ll share where I’ve been, but if you want to see something specific, drop me a line. I’ll post something if I’ve been there, or maybe even add it to my to-go-to list.

You know how sometimes a certain song will bring a specific moment back up in your memory? I have the same thing happen with certain places and people. My first Jamaica trip to the Grand Palladium with Tracey was where I met Jeff and Terri and Sylvia and Paul. And Sean. Jeff and Terri were there on their honeymoon, Sylvia and Paul were from Canada, and Sean was a Canadian as well but much more “party animal” than we were (congrats on your recent marriage). I won’t bore you with all the details I can remember about and lessons I learned from these folks, but they will always be associated in memories of that first Jamaica trip. And it would be uncouth for me to mention their last names. I believe they know who they are and I hope share some of the same “FLAVA-FLAVE” memories. Goal #3–keep it somewhat professional–but somewhat personal as well. If I’ve dropped a name and you think it might be yours, ask! I’ll let you know.

So, I suppose if you like gleaning any of the knowledge I have to share give me a like on Facebook. Follow my blog for updates as they are published. Share it if you think others might need an interesting read. Let me know if you even think it’s an interesting read, or ask questions or suggest topics you’d like to hear from me about. I love sorting through the comments!

Finally, many thanks again to my first follower–you made my day–and the new followers who have come along recently! Also thank you to those of you who have shared your encouraging words. I sure appreciate it and I hope you enjoy the ride!

Sincerely,

Tracey Lynn Clark (TLC)

May 24, 2017

Packing for the Smoky Mountains

We’re headed to Pigeon Forge, TN to check out the Great Smoky Mountains . I’m kind of like a fish out of water at this point. Literally, most of our trips are to the beach. I know exactly what to take to the beach. Packing for the mountains? I’m at a loss. Obviously, some items to take along are no-brainers. What to wear out for dinners or dancing or shopping will consist of usual appropriate outfits and after doing some research, other items to bring along include hiking boots, binoculars, and a camera. But what if it’s colder there? Or it could be warmer. I know I’m not always the most efficient or decisive packer when headed somewhere new. I’m probably going to end up over-packing for this trip.

Getting down to business: weather forecasts show the highs for next week should be in the mid-70s while nightly lows should be around 55. Knowing that it’s going to be a little cooler there next week helps. And there’s a chance of rain everyday we’ll be there. Looks like I’ll be bringing Big Red (that’s the name of my favorite suitcase) up from the basement to sit in my room for the next few days so I can add to my packing as I think of more necessities.

So far, I’ve been rounding up the clothing and toiletries a little bit at a time. I’ve got a couple of lightweight sweaters, jeans–one dressy pair and one hiking pair. I’ll be also be taking my rain repellent, down filled jacket. Luckily, it’s black, very versatile, has a hood and should look kind of cute while being functional. I’ve got my hiking boots and a couple of pairs of extra socks and band-aids in case my feet don’t feel like hiking as far as I do. A pair of black capris and a couple of tops to choose from will work if we go out to a dinner show or shopping. Comfy clothes for the spa and for lounging in our room if that actually happens. I’m also trying to color coordinate the clothing items to cut down on the numbers of pairs of shoes I’ll need to pack. I’m really trying to just pack everything I’ll need, NOT everything.

Update: I’m almost done packing, I think. But earlier today, a good friend of mine who goes on extreme hiking trips in the National Parks–at least I consider them extreme–think 8 days hiking/camping in the Grand Canyon with everything you need for the week packed on your back. I think I’d better stick to my half day hikes here and there. Anyway, she begins telling me about a program she was watching on TV about hiking the Smoky Mountains and the wildlife we might encounter. My take-aways are that there are a lot of snakes (some poisonous), thank goodness I’ve packed my hiking boots. There’s a toxic flower that grows in this part of the country that can cause crazy medical issues. Now I’ll have to research what that flower is. Because of all the flowers that flourish there this time of year, there’s a lot of bees. I’ll need to remind myself to pack some Benedryl. And the kicker is: Bears! Black Bears. She said we’ll need to be aware of them and probably take along some bear repellent. Is there really such a thing and where do I get it? I guess I’ll need to pack some. Or maybe we’ll just hang out at the spa and drink frozen concoctions. That will make my packing much easier!

Packing is done! We are ready to go, which is good because we leave first thing in the morning. I did decide against bear repellent after my husband told me his bear plan. He says if we do encounter a bear, he’s pushing someone towards the bear and running away as fast as he can. I pointed out that it was likely I would be the closest person for him to push towards the bear. He assured me he wouldn’t do that to me, he’ll find stranger to push. That makes me feel confident enough to leave the bear repellant behind I guess. Please send us good ju-ju that we don’t encounter any bears.

May 19, 2017

Smoky Mountain Getaway

Smoky Mountains I love holiday weekends! But I dread staying home for them. I see a holiday weekend as an opportunity for a mini vacay. You see, the drawback to staying home for a holiday weekend is that maybe the friends are available to socialize, or maybe they’ve made plans to be out of town. It seems a number of our friends are of the spontaneous variety and can’t make a plan until the last minute. It’s a crapshoot trying to figure out who will really be around for an impromptu BBQ or a trip to the local winery and who won’t. I once bought 10 lbs of burgers to grill only to have 3 friends show up. That’s a lot of leftovers.

With Memorial weekend coming up, on a whim, we’ve decided to head to the Smoky Mountains! I know, I know, I’m usually more of a warm weather, beach kind of girl. My husband? He’s an expert of all-inclusive resort swim-up bars. So why the Smoky Mountains? I saw some pictures of waterfalls and thought they looked inviting. I priced out the trip, and felt it was of good value. My husband? Well, I had to promise we would stay at a place called Margaritaville Island Hotel (think Jimmy Buffett and frozen concoctions) and he was sold on the idea. There will actually be a Frozen Concoction Maker in our room!

Since the holiday is right around the corner, I’m currently in planning mode. I have my file of a map of the area marked and highlighted with everything I’d like to explore. We will fly in to Knoxville, TN, and drive down to Pigeon Forge. Beyond that, I’m overwhelmed with the variety of options. I know we won’t be able to check out everything in the 3 days that we’ll be there, so I have to narrow down the list in order to maximize our time there.

Just in “The Island” complex where our hotel is located, I’ve developed a list of where we want to be sure to eat/drink/shop. First, we are on the schedule for a couple’s massage upon arrival (another promise to hubby who has become quite fond of massages). No better way to unwind from the flight there, right? From there, I plan to indulge at Paula Deen’s Kitchen. I’ve seen what she can whip up on TV and I intend to try it and I know I’ll like it. Also on the list for eats is a place called Dick’s Last Resort–it sounds like a funny place where the wait staff “inflict humor upon their guests”. Shopping will include in no certain order, the Beef Jerky Outlet (they say they have kangaroo jerky), Ole Smoky Moonshine, The Pepper Palace, and The Village Idiot. Changes in Latitude Bar sounds like a good place to cool off and imbibe.

Beyond the confines of our resort complex, I’ve drummed up lots of activities which will include hiking, which is NOT my husband’s favorite activity. Some places we are planning to check out are Cade’s Cove–which can be a scenic drive or hike, Clingman’s Dome–the second highest point in the Smoky Mountains which I’ve been dying to see since I saw a post about it on FaceBook, and Grotto Falls–this is the waterfall who’s pictures spurred this trip in the first place. You can actually walk behind the waterfall. Also, a must-see will be Laurel Falls–the laurels should be in full bloom in May–and Indian Creek Falls.

Between the Smoky’s and our resort in Pigeon Forge, there’s Gatlinburg. Seems we may need to stop through on our way home each evening and catch a dinner show such as The Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show or check out the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum. I don’t know why that place has caught my attention, but sounds like a must-see to me.

After all this hiking, we may need to just head back to Margaritaville Island for another massage and Changes In Latitude.

May 14, 2017

Greetings from Home

Hi! This is me. I’m your stereotypical, married, American, cube-working, bonus mom to three children and two kittens (more about them later). I also have a penchant for traveling, exploring, meeting new people, and living life to the fullest. I’m the friend you wish you had, who will hop on a plane, travel a few hundred miles with you just to sample that curried goat dish you’ve been craving since your vacation to Jamaica 3 years ago. I’m the friend who is not afraid to try something new just because it’s out of the “box”. You know, the “box” of routine–but we have to go to the same vacation spot every year, because that’s where we go every year–let’s try someplace new. Life is an adventure, it’s too short to waste hanging out in the “box”. For me to decide on a locale to experience is somewhat like playing “pin the tail on the map”. Blindfold me, spin me around 3 times and aim me towards a map of the world and my next trip may just be wherever I pinned.

That being said, once I decide on where to go, the ceremony of planning begins. I love to research the place I’m going, so I can maximize my time there. I don’t believe in doing any routine thing I can do at home.

So, I will be sending Postcards From TLC (Tracey Lynn Clark–that’s me) and hope to impart some of my knowledge and experiences to you. I hope you enjoy traveling vicariously through my postcards.