Scouting Mission

Well Mom and Dad went on another boring trip without us. How on earth did they expect to enjoy themselves? Surely it was dull dull dull.

Wait.. they had those?!Dad got to drive through the mountains in that??

They said they were scouting future family vacation spots. It looks pretty cool out in the Smokies!

Dad has become a big fan of what mom likes to call "hillbilly gear." Here they are wearing two of his favorite new hats. He has also been acquiring machetes, axes, guns, knives, survival gear and outdoorsy stuff. He doesn't actually use any of this, Mom explains, he just likes to have it.

They sent this one back to us on Grandma's phone. Here is the world's fattest pig and his friend, the world skinniest goat.

They stayed tucked away in this little cabin on the side of the smokies.



and spent lots of time hiking up and down throughout the resort. They sure do have big trees in TN.

Okay not that big Dad!

a close up of their cabin.

They went down deep into the earth to explore a very cool cave.

The Indians actually dropped down into this cave through a teeny tiny hole and lived here in the winter - in the dark!

Then the moonshiners found it years later and used it to make whiskey. They got busted and the cave was discovered.
The scouting mission was a huge success and Mom and Dad promised to take us back asap.


**UPDATE** 
Only 6 weeks later, a devastating fire destroyed much of this area.