Being in the United States means family, family, and more family. The first stop was in Nashville to belatedly celebrate Michael’s sister’s 40th birthday. We rented a house with Melissa, Michael’s mom, Jeanie, and several of Melissa’s friends.
We saw live music, ate great food, and escaped from an escape room.
We also took a bicycle pub tour downtown. It was a crowded weekend with the Taylor Swift and Janet Jackson concerts. The downtown strip of Nashville is bonkers.
Lucas and Henry spent time with my dad, Richard, and Kay while we were in Nashville. They played tennis with my dad’s tennis group and enjoyed some time without Michael and me around.
After Nashville, we went to Pigeon Forge for a week of fun with my and Michael’s family. Pigeon Forge is Las Vegas for kids. The main street in Pigeon Forge is row after row of go-karts, putt-putt, pancake houses, funnel cakes, ice creams, kid-friendly museums, and dinner shows.
We went to two interactive museums, Wonderworks and Beyond the Lens. Both museums have over 100 hands-on exhibits that kept the kids busy for hours.
The kids loved Parrot Mountain and Gardens. They couldn’t get enough of letting the birds sit on them.
We enjoyed a hike, a trampoline park, and a dinner show at Dolly Parton’s Stampede. A highlight of our trip was a day at Dollywood. We went on a Thursday, so it was not crowded. We rode roller coasters for hour hours. Lucas, Henry, Violet, and Barrett even took Milo on the little kid rides.
Tennessee did not disappoint.
