Trip to Tennessee!

Hey guys, it's me Chet! Miss Hoffmann finally uploaded the pictures from our trip to Tennessee and I can't wait to show them to you! It's been a few days since we got back, but I still remember it vividly. Miss Hoffmann and her sisters really wanted to get to Tennessee to see the leaves change. They used to live in Virginia and miss the seasons changing! We all piled into the car really early Friday morning and, after stopping at Starbucks (Miss Hoffmann says it's not a road trip without Starbucks!), we hit the highways! Miss Hoffmann's lovely singing lulled me into a deep, hibernation-like sleep, and before I knew it, we were at our cabin in Tennessee! It was so rustic and cute...a lot nicer than any cave I've ever lived in! You should have seen Miss Hoffmann and her sisters running around like little schoolgirls...needless to say, they were excited to have finally arrived at their weekend destination. We got there kind of late, so we spent the first night settling in and relaxing. Her sisters played Foosball, while I looked on and let me tell you, they are very competitive! Don't be fooled by their innocent smiles! There were moments when Miss Hoffmann and I had to intervene before a sisterly feud broke out! Eventually Miss Hoffmann couldn't take it anymore, she was getting a headache from all the shrieking, so we went to bed!

The next morning we all woke up just as the sun was rising. I know why they call them the "Smoky" Mountains now...there was this beautiful layer of smoky-like fog covering the mountains in the distance. Our first day was about to begin!

Miss Hoffmann's sister really wanted to pet a pig (I'm not sure why, when she had a perfectly adorable bear with her!) so we went on the hunt for a farm. It took us a long time, but we finally stumbled upon Deer Farm just outside of Pigeon Forge. There were lots of animals there! That's me in front of a camel. A camel...at a deer farm! It was very hungry so Miss Hoffmann fed it lots of grain. It's nose had little whiskers and it tickled her hands! She fed a lot of other animals too. Miss Hoffmann REALLY loves animals, so she was running around buying all sorts of goodies for the them. She fed a reindeer, zebra, donkey, zonkey (half donkey, half zebra), and goats. I was a little upset...I mean I'm with her all the time and does she run around buying me all sorts of goodies? Nope! But then I started thinking about how those animals don't have a classroom full of kids who love them and take them on fun trips all over the country, and I wasn't so upset anymore. There's Miss Hoffmann holding a baby goat. It was such a snuggle bug! She just scooped it up and it just curled up in her arms. Personally, I prefer baby bears, but that baby goat was kind of cute. Of course Miss Hoffmann and her sisters couldn't leave without finding a pig! Miss Hoffmann was expecting it to be soft and smooth, but boy was it prickly! At least her sister was satisfied so we could hit the road and head off to another adventure!

The girls and I headed off to an ATV center where they decided to go ATVing for the first time! Their mom was not very excited when she heard about their idea, but she came around. When we arrived at the center, the people there got Miss Hoffmann a helmet and goggles that she had to wear on the trip. At first Miss Hoffmann felt really confident, but as the ride got closer she got really nervous and was squeezing me so tight I almost choked! The people that worked at the ATV place weren't too confident in Miss Hoffmann's riding abilities either! She had to drive through a test course before the ride could start, but have no fear...she aced it! After that she was a lean, mean, driving machine! They went up huge hills and over gigantic rocks all the way to the top of this mountain where they stopped to take quick pictures, before jumping back on the ATVs and cruising back down!

We were so tuckered out after that long day that we headed back to the cabin for some rest. Miss Hoffmann was so happy because she was able to fall asleep watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on TV. For some reason we all woke up before the sun rose the next morning.
We just moseyed about the cabin in the morning before heading off to Smoky Mountain National Park. With three girls, it can take some time to get ready...lucky for me my good pal Winnie the Pooh was on TV. I kicked back on the sofa and tried to tune out the girlie chatter in the background.

The Great Smoky Mountains were full of beautiful sights! We drove through winding roads, surrounded by beautiful trees with leaves of green, red, and shades of yellow. We kept jumping out of the car to explore areas of the park. One of Miss Hoffmann's sisters really wanted to play in a pile of leaves so we climbed out in a big field and she buried me in leaves. Then she picked up a heaping handful of leaves and dirt and threw it right at Miss Hoffmann. Miss Hoffmann was not very happy and got a little grumpy when she couldn't get the dirt out of her shirt. Fortunately, I was there! After a few jokes and a hug, Miss Hoffmann was happy and ready for more fun! As we got deeper into the mountains it got colder and colder! At one point the temperature was in the 30's! We stopped by a beautiful stream and just had to climb out and take a picture. This is one Miss Hoffmann took which I love because you can see the colorful trees behind me! I did not want to leave, but the girls were freezing. Maybe it's my thick, fur coat, but I think they were being a little melodramatic! Before heading back to the cabin for our last night in Tennessee we drove through the Roaring Fork Trail. Right as we started, we saw a black bear! We were so excited! Miss Hoffmann and her sister jumped out of the car to take a picture, but they forgot to hold the door and it slammed shut, scaring the bear away. I was especially disappointed because I was hoping to have a quick chat with him about life in the mountains of Tennessee. We got back in the car and drove on. This part of the mountain was still very green and lush. There was this one stream that flowed for miles along the road and we just had to get out and take pictures of it. I like this one because it comes pretty close to capturing how breathtakingly beautiful it was. If a bear is going to live in the wild, this would not be a bad place to settle down! It was so neat to see some of the old homes that still stand within the mountains. This is a picture of a home that used to belong to a family with nine children! At first only the part on the left was there, but as time went by, the family was able to add on the second room. Eleven people in one room! No bathroom! It was so crazy! Even in our family cave as cubs, there weren't that many of us! I am very grateful for the creature comforts I enjoy back at home.

Well, the next morning we got up early and headed home to Jacksonville! Miss Hoffmann had a wonderful time, but we were both anxious to get back and see everyone from our class! Now that we're back and settled in, I'm awaiting my next trip. I already have a few scheduled! Let Miss Hoffmann and Miss P know if you would like to take me on a new adventure!

Your friend,
Chet