Today, Debbie and I headed back to downtown Gatlinburg to do some shopping. This little town nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains is a virtual shopper's paradise, as block after block offered a plethora of shops that we browsed to our hearts' content.
The unfortunate part was that the 40,000 revelers from NYE were still in town and therefore throngs of tourists took over the streets and sidewalks of this li'l mountain retreat. Pamela and Terry got into town late afternoon and headed straight to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort to ski and snowboard, but found the 12 mile trek from our cabin to Ober upsetting as bumper to bumper traffic traveled at a snail's pace. They eventually gave up with hopes to try again in the morning. The four of us met up for dinner at "The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe", where we celebrated Debbie's birthday. On the way back to our log cabin, we came across holiday lawn lights with a military theme that I especially liked. It was nice to know that the fine citizens of this community thought much of our troops to exhibit these holiday tribute lights.
The unfortunate part was that the 40,000 revelers from NYE were still in town and therefore throngs of tourists took over the streets and sidewalks of this li'l mountain retreat. Pamela and Terry got into town late afternoon and headed straight to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort to ski and snowboard, but found the 12 mile trek from our cabin to Ober upsetting as bumper to bumper traffic traveled at a snail's pace. They eventually gave up with hopes to try again in the morning. The four of us met up for dinner at "The Old Mill Pottery House Cafe", where we celebrated Debbie's birthday. On the way back to our log cabin, we came across holiday lawn lights with a military theme that I especially liked. It was nice to know that the fine citizens of this community thought much of our troops to exhibit these holiday tribute lights.
Overall, it was a nice first day of the New Year. As the rest of 2009 progresses, may it bring us a better president; a better economy; all our troops back home safe with their families; and a bounty of good health, happiness, and prosperity for everyone.
