Normally for us, Thanksgiving Day means attending church first, and then Pauline cooks a meal for the family.

Last year the holiday was celebrated by visiting our son in Florida, as we did one other year.

During that Thanksgiving week, I helped Chris put a new floor in his kitchen. We celebrated Thanksgiving at Golden Corral, and last year we attend services at his Church, followed by a carry-in dinner. The church provided the turkey, and we had a good time with his fellow church members and a delicious meal.

This year, Pauline and I did something entirely different. We went to Gatlinburg Tenn., for the weekend. We celebrated Thanksgiving on the Sunday before, with family members who could make it to our son’s in Cincinnati.

Bill’s wife, wanted to spend Thanksgiving with her relatives in Cleveland. So they were going to be out of town.

Jon, who lives in Dayton, was going to his girlfriend’s house, and we didn’t get invited.

Chris, living in Florida, is at the bottom of the seniority list at work, and he was required to work on Friday. So he wouldn’t be home.

Darlene and her husband Mike, who live in Michigan, couldn’t make it home because their daughter, Heather, was home from college for the weekend. Besides, Mike had to work Friday.

That left Lisa and her husband Paul, who live in Middletown, Ohio. She finally informed us two weeks ago, she was having Paul’s family at their house for Thanksgiving; however we were invited. Unfortunately, that invitation came too late.We already had made travel arrangements with my sister and brother-in law, who also didn’t have any plans for Thanksgiving.

Early on Thanksgiving morning, we left for Pigeon Forge, where we would be spending our first night. We arrived early in the afternoon, got a sandwich and were off to visit the “As Seen On TV” stores. Later in the evening we had our Thanksgiving dinner at the Applewood Farmstead Restaurant, in Sevierville. It was an absolutely delicious family-style meal.

Satisfying All Tastes

Friday morning, after breakfast at the motel, we visited a couple outlet malls. My sister wanted to visit a sock store she found a couple years ago; however it, and most of the other stores in this relatively new shopping area, were gone. At lunch time, we found a little nourishment prior to heading for Gatlinburg.

We traveled the short distance down the road to Gatlinburg and immediately took the craft tour, which was interesting. You get to see many artists at work, or the results of their labors. After completing the driving tour, we headed for our Friday night lodging at River Edge Motel in Gatlinburg.

I decided to use a different motel each night, so we would be able to walk to the things we wanted to do. This turned about to be a good decision (I don’t have many). The traffic was terrific.

After settling in, it was time to eat again. We decided on Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for supper, another great choice, even if I was the only one who ate fish. Afterward, we walked the streets of Gatlinburg, taking in many of the shops, buying only postcards and homemade candy. We walked down to where you could get the trolley, in hopes of taking the Christmas lights tour; however, it was sold out for the evening.

A Must Stop

Saturday morning, while watching television, there was a program about the Gatlinburg Arts and Craft Community, which we had driven though the day before. One spot was about a pottery store, which offered you the opportunity to actually make an item. It sounded like fun. At breakfast at our motel, I suggested we go over to the Convention Center for an arts and crafts show that was being held there and then drive out to the pottery store. It met with everyone’s approval. After finishing breakfast and visiting the show, we were on our way to Alewine Pottery.

There were only a couple people ahead of us to make an item.

Shortly, my sister was at the pottery wheel, making a cup, followed by Pauline making a dish, and I, too, made a cup. Susan’s husband, Willie, just watched the excitement. It will be six to eight weeks before we see our handiwork. The items need to dry, be glazed and fired, then shipped. I highly recommend this experience, probably the highlight of our trip.

By now it was lunch time, and we stopped in Gatlinburg prior to the beautiful drive through the Smokey Mountains, to Cherokee, NC, where we would be staying Saturday evening. We have driven through the mountains on many occasions. We all agreed that this was probably the clearest time ever.

My brother-in-law enjoys a casino in Cherokee, a short drive down the road from the Holiday Inn where we stayed. When it was time for supper, we ate at the buffet in the casino, good, but not the caliber of the one I wrote about a few weeks ago at the casino in Battle Creek Mich.

Sunday morning we had breakfast in the motel, the best motel breakfast of the trip, and started the drive back home.

It was nice spending the holidays with my sister and brother-in-law, but it wasn’t the same as being with our family.

Wonder what the arrangements will be for Christmas?

Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net