Sep
2017
Total Eclipse
What a voyage through the South!
He’s definitely got this traveling thing down…
We flew into ATL and then drove to Dekalb Farmers Market on the way to Stone Mountain. It was the perfect choice after reading reviews online — they had EVERYTHING and more. We picked up snacks and groceries since we’d be on the road quite a bit and then takeout in their cafeteria which was very inexpensively priced per pound and delicious! Daddy was amazed they had FRESH crab meat.
They didn’t really allow photos and we were too busy gawking at the colorful selection anyway.
The next day, we went to Stone Mountain Park.
Browsed through the theme park…
But we mainly came to see the carving on its north face of three Confederates: Davis, Lee and Jackson as well as to ride to the summit. We could’ve hiked but due to time constraints and Elias probably not being able to do it (without him in a carrier on Daddy, ha!), we opted for the cable car ride up.
There it is!
Growing from Daddy’s head. ;p
Then it was on the road to Knoxville, TN. We drove straight to The Muse to try to make it before the 5pm closing time. It’s on the ASTC reciprocal list of venues so we just had to check it out since we were in the area. They let us in at 4:30pm.
Bernoulli, again, we meet!
We sure made that half hour count.
This rocket launcher was a hit.
Reminded us of the interactive game at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Does this make you think of a notable Dallas icon? ;p Next stop! They let us stay a few minutes after they officially closed and we were the last ones out.
But wait, the playground outside does not have closing hours. :D
He could’ve stayed for a lot longer but we got going to The Sunsphere.
This steel structure was constructed for the 1982 World’s Fair. It was definitely shorter than Reunion!
Free admission to go up the elevators to the top.
Neat local art on the walls.
The Observation Deck offered 360-degree views of the immediate area as well as downtown Knoxville, the Tennessee River and even the Smoky Mountains beyond.
After that, we walked around the Market Square area and appreciated some of the city’s Art in Public Spaces sculptures.
We were getting hot and hungry so we stopped for food at this little cafe.
… which happened to also have gelato. :D Then we checked into our hotel in this small town called Alcoa, close to where we’ll be viewing the eclipse the next day.
Breakfast of champions on eclipse day!
The eclipse was actually scheduled to appear around 2:30pm EST so we had a bit of time in the morning to wander around. Checked out an independent used bookstore.
Low blood sugar called for a homemade cookie at the coffee shop next door.
Daddy had scoped out a park in nearby Maryville for prime viewing while also not having to fight huge crowds. Originally, we had planned to go to a fort to see it but traffic around there was looking horrible so we went with the second option.
Lots of folks had already showed up to station themselves and we had to park a little ways out but it wasn’t too bad.
We started looking at the sun and seeing the partial crescent develop over it.
But this one was more interested in the playground — which was the other perk of the park. Good call, Daddy!
Mommy stayed with E while Daddy set up some quick gear to take photos.
At about five minutes minute ’til totality, we walked over to Daddy’s spot on the basketball court. It started getting darker…
Pretty much ’til it was like evening! The other oddity was that animals and crickets started making louder noises, likely freaking out as if something abnormal was happening. ;)
And then TA-DA!!!! The beauty of that corona… It’s times like these that we undoubtedly cannot question a Creator — one that can move these two huge entities to pass right by each other, perfectly, for just mere moments… What an experience!
It was also cool to see the various phases of the partials afterwards as well.
Daddy took these photos via digiscoping/phonescoping… We didn’t want to lug around too much high-tech equipment but some people did bring out some massive telescopes and cameras.
Daddy had rigged E’s glasses to take extra pre-caution so that his eyes wouldn’t be harmed.
After weaving a bit through small roads and cars, we made it safely to the highway without sitting in too much traffic. Made it to our next stop: Gatlinburg, TN at the foot of the Smokies.
E got a good nap while Daddy drove so we checked in and decided to take a stroll along the main strip.
Pretty touristy, alright, with lots of amusement/entertainment attractions.
Tap dancing to Bluegrass.
And of course, there was lots of moonshine! Daddy was curious to try since they were giving out samples but boy, were the counters crowded.
E was getting hungry and tired so we finally found a place to sit down for dinner and then rested up for the night since we’d be hiking a little in Great Smoky Mountains National Park the next day.
Mommy scoped it out a little in the early morn on a run.
This was one of our favorite hotels on the trip — brand new!
With an indoor water park… We’ll be back in swim gear.
Clingman’s Dome was on our itinerary for the day but apparently on many others’ as well… Likely also coming after seeing the eclipse. It’s a one lane road up and with limited parking, it made for quite a trek to the trailhead to hike up.
It’s about a 1-mile uphill to the dome and a fairly challenging one, especially for E. Though nothing in comparison to that 1-mi ascent at Manitou Incline!
This quickly ensued. :)
Winding walkway up…
Then he said he needed a snack — from allllllll that sitting on Daddy’s neck. :)
Doesn’t it look like a keyhole?
We decided to take part of the Appalachian Trail back down. Daddy has been wanting to hike the AT.
He’s really taking to these trails.
Catching some air there.
‘Laxin’!
Last stretch.
Made it and feeling accomplished.
Rested for but a moment…
Let’s go rock climbing!
Can you find the red shirt?
Another lookout point…
We had considered hiking the short Laurel Falls but it was getting pretty toasty by the time we were done at Clingman’s so what better way to cool off than in the water!
E LOVED it and absolutely did not want to leave.
Slide after slide after slide after slide after slide! We also practiced swimming in the pool right next to it…
After washing up, we tried a highly rated trout house. We walked allllll the way there the day before only to find they were booked so we were sure to make reservations.
Fresh trout from their rivers did not disappoint! Daddy tried the Moonshine Mountain Rainbow Trout so guess he got a small taste of the spirits here after all. :) Yes, E opted for plain ole’ grilled cheese. Kids never appreciate the good stuff! Haha.
If you ask Elias his favorite thing about the trip, he will rave on and on about this Shoot’em Up Cinema. ;-P It’s essentially a 5D movie where you shoot the bad guys. They were offering a summer special so we promised him the first night we would go before we left.
He took the lone non-moving horse (while Mommy and Daddy got jerked around).
Entranced was he. And pretty much talked about it non-stop for the next 10 days. :)
After that, we drove the well-known Great Smoky Arts & Crafts historic 8-mile loop which houses the largest group of independent artisans in North America. We got out, browsed a few shops, engaged in amusing convos with many of the artists and makers and selected a few gifts to bring back.
It’s rare to see his name on anything commercial.
After heading back to the hotel to pack up and check out, we decided to take a quick look at the mountain town of Pigeon Forge where Dolly Parton grew up. Peeked into some quirky shops.
Afternoon pick-me-up at a homely coffee shop.
Seemed like there was lots to do here including this upside down center but it was time for us to hit the road again. Onward, to Chattanooga!
Rolled into town and dropped off our things. Yelp told us there was a Cafe & Toast Vietnamese and Singapore Cuisine minutes away from our hotel so of course, we were more than curious. Upon walking in, the owner walked up to Y and deemed him a Singaporean. ;-) Then it was Singlish for like the next hour! This guy (with his Vietnamese wife — which explains the name of the establishment) had moved from Singapore just a year ago to open a resto in this TN town of all places. He said his food had to be Americanized so we didn’t get any real authentic dishes but it was intriguing to hear his story.
Afterwards, we took a post-dinner walk across Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge — the world’s longest pedestrian one.
Started another day at Rock City atop Lookout Mountain — a tranquil and nicely shaded rock garden.
There’s a dinosaur roaming under Mushroom Rock. ;P
Gnomes could be spotted throughout as the founder’s wife was quite fond of them.
The beautiful Lover’s Leap waterfall.
Fat Man’s Squeeze. Yes, that’s the official name!
E was excited to see the deer habitat here. Can you spot them, including the rare white fallow deer?
Seeing seven states in a day is not bad…
A school for the blind walked this bridge right after us. Impressive.
Lastly, we came to a tunnel entrance to The Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village. A tad ominous, we descended through cave-like, blacklight dioramas of fairy tale scenes and stories.
The galleries were very creative but also sorta psychedelic and other-wordly. E was a bit scared.
And hangry. We stopped at a quaint coffee shop in downtown for a snack.
Daddy says why is there good coffee everywhere BUT Dallas?
Hipster-y chocolate chia pudding and avocado alfalfa toast. Mommy says why are there good matcha lattes everywhere BUT Dallas? :))
Since the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo was around the corner, we decided to visit.
The Terminal Station was converted to a hotel.
Lovely period deco.
Refurbished wood burning steam locomotive. The hotel also offers train car hotel rooms. They seemed old-ish, though.
Hip shop in one of the train cars.
After a nap, we went to Ruby Falls to see the spectacular 145-foot underground waterfall.
But to get to it, we had to follow a guided cave tour.
Seems like every cave tells its own stories.
The star of the show!
Pretty stunning. We’re also glad we went in the evening with no crowds so we could full appreciate it.
We could see the city lights from the observation deck after emerging from the cave.
We found a Jamaican restaurant nearby that opened late and looked like it got many thumbs up’s.
All 3 of us agreed! Mommy was ecstatic their special that night was oxtail stew. ;-P
And Daddy consumed all of E’s fried plantains — said it was pretty much “goreng pisang”.
We took the Incline Railway up to Lookout Mountain on our last day in Chattanooga.
It’s like a mini version of the Cog Railway we took to Pikes Peak.
At the top, we disembarked and meandered over to Point Park, which is part of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park to commemorate a battle that took place on Lookout Mountain. It also happened to be National Park Service Birthday so we got in for free.
Memorial erected by the state of New York as a tribute to peace and reconciliation after the Civil War.
He was fascinated by the cannons.
Future rock climber? He seems really drawn to it!
Playing out the battles in his own head. ;D
The railway was parked at quite an angle!
Grabbed some drinks and food before the next drive to our final stop: Atlanta.
Mommy found another museum on our reciprocal list in Cartersville, GA just outside of Atlanta and on the way into the city.
There was a solar exhibit outside that had closed by the time we got there but we looked around.
Totally worthwhile stop. We only wished we could’ve had longer!
Made it through rush hour in Atlanta and found our very nice AirBnb in the historic Old Fourth Ward area. The city’s connecting BeltLine was accessible from where we were staying making it walkable to a lot of places.
There were lots of artwork, displays and installations along the BeltLine.
It was just a little ways to Ponce City Market, an old Sears, Roebuck building converted into a chic mixed use development.
Mondrian on a piano! *swoon*
There were plenty of choices in their massive food hall so we tried a few things from different stalls.
Always yes to ice cream! The line for this one was kinda long when we got ours and crazy long when we finished ordering so we knew it had to be good.
In the AM on Saturday, we went to a farmer’s market. It was kind of on the small side but E had lots of fun in the kids’ corner.
Next we went to the Fernbank Science Center. It’s owned by a school system and there was no charge for admission.
It wasn’t a huge place but quite educational.
We debated outside (whilst staring at chickens, haha) whether or not to see a planetarium show there. The next film didn’t appeal greatly to E so we decided to check out nearby Decatur Square — a small town plaza of unique and eclectic shops and restaurants.
These two gravitate toward creameries like nobody’s business! :))
Jesus, thank you for sugar!
Goodnight Moon room in a darling kid’s bookstore.
Daddy wanted to try Taiwanese food that evening… When we got there at 8:23, we saw a sign saying they were closing early tonight at 8:30 for a private event. They graciously let us in. We had like less than 10 minutes to scarf down our food which wasn’t too hard since portions were way small — maybe by TX standards? The verdict? Meh.
On Sunday, we went to another nearby market, Krog, for breakfast. He had a hard time deciding on which delectable pastry to order.
Gotcha matcha!
We knew we didn’t want to miss the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
Of course we can’t NOT play at a playground we see. ;)
The center itself was very moving, insightful and informative.
MLK Jr’s former Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The modern day one was across the street and we observed part of their service.
The Eternal Flame.
Fires Station No. 6 where Dr. King played in his boyhood days.
This was his childhood home. We actually had tickets to tour inside but they were for later in the afternoon and our growing boy was ready for lunch.
So it was Southern comfort food at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. We saw a foodie group also come here with their guide so guess it’s pretty authentic?
That evening, we caught one of the Fountain of Rings shows at Centennial Olympic Park.
Then we walked over to the 200-foot-tall SkyView Atlanta to ride it.
The Elias sized version. :)
Daddy’s feigned fear phased the little one not. ;P Remember that time he threw a tantrum at the small ferris wheel we rode at the carnival near our house?
We enjoyed the night scenes over 4 or so revolutions. Daddy was most impressed that each gondola had A/C!
Took awhile for each one to get to the bottom for us to leave… This one was proud of himself being all brave. :)
The Georgia Aquarium was the main attraction for the next day.
We went through a couple of halls and then made a beeline for the first dolphin show. We weren’t allowed to take pictures or videos but it was sensational. We also saw the seal show but it was shorter and not as over the top. Still great, though!
Dave! (From Penguins of Madagascar). :D
They had these cool “viewing pods” where you could see the penguins up close.
The Ocean Voyager tank and tunnel was definitely our favorite.
It is home to four whale sharks — found off the coast of Taiwan! This aquarium is the only one outside of Asia to keep any of them so it was a privilege to see.
The top of the tank.
Taking a break at the store.
He caught his second wind and good thing as there was still more left to the aquarium.
These touch games turned out to be winners and he kept wanting to go back and play them over and over.
Two finger touch is where it’s at!
This will rank as his second favorite thing on the trip: the SpongeBob 4D movie. We actually saw another one right before this but the SquarePants dude won over coastal predators. ;p
He was pretty pooped by the time we left early evening. We went back for a nap and Daddy snuck away for a quick pick-up game of ultimate.
The other day at Krog we saw some dishes we wanted to try so we found ourselves back there for dinner.
On our last day, we made our way to the CNN world headquarters.
The studio tour was pretty interesting. There were parts where we weren’t allowed to record anything and there was a security guard that followed our group at all times.
The world’s longest freestanding escalator is found there. Look who skedaddled quickly ahead of us. :)
Cartoon Networks is also owned by Turner so there was a large section of their merchandise in the store.
We didn’t plan (or want) to go to the World of Coca-Cola museum but we did skim through the store. E spotted two Uncle’s cokes. :P
Then pulled a double playground before it was time to go to the airport to catch our flight.
Came back to the realities of our day: natural disasters, shootings, politics, discord, racial unrest and the like. Psalm 47:8.
