Our Trip

We left last Saturday morning and stopped for breakfast at Shoney's. We were toward the end of our meal when the lady behind us said she didn't feel well. The next thing we knew she slumped down in the booth. She was having a heart attack. They called 911 and we took the boys to the front and paid the bill. They always freak out when they hear sirens, so we exited as quickly as possible.

I do wonder what happened to her though........


Then we made our way to Lake Winnie. We had free tickets (my Mom won them for us)for admission and rides. The boys and us rode the train, the antique cars and the carousel. Tiger did NOT like the Carousel. It was a great day. The food there was also inexpensive. It was pretty good. We had chicken fingers, hot dogs and such for lunch. We fed the ducks and watched the other riders and the paddle boats. It would be an even better trip when the boys are a little bigger. Having the free tickets made it worth it's wild though!


After we left Lake Winnie, we traveled on into Chattanooga. We wanted to stay downtown, close to the Aquarium (we were going the next day). My brother and his wife had stayed at the Hilton's Garden Inn & Suites before, so we checked it out. It was close to the aquarium. Hubby still cannot do a lot of walking due to his knee (so we needed something close). It was super nice and very upscale. So, we chose to stay there. We checked in and then headed to Chili's for supper. It was yummy as usual. We decided to go to the river and walk around. It was so awesome. The sunset was beautiful, the boats were grand and the boys loved every minute of it. Then we had ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery while watching the boat parade. The boys did really well without a stroller. They did not seem to get very tired and loved having a little more independence. Back to the hotel we went.


We finished watching the Auburn game and then watched the Alabama game. Tiger and I shared a bed, while Monkey and his Daddy shared a bed. The boys were asleep by 9pm and we were by 10pm. We were sleeping so good when the alarm clock went off. WAIT.......we did NOT set an alarm clock. It was the smoke detector. It was 4am. I called down stairs and could not get anyone. We grabbed my purse, changed our clothes (all the while I am dialing out on my cell to the hotel). There is a fire, get out of the building immediately, said the attendant. LOVELY!


We grab the boys and go out of the room. Thankfully I had checked to see where the stairs were when we first got there. There were NO emergency exit signs. They had been taken down, to be replaced. Hubby started with monkey down and I with Tiger. Hubby was hurting so bad I had to take both of the boys. We were on the third floor and the closer to the ground we got the thicker and stronger the smoke. I was carrying the boys, trying to remain calm and trying to check the doors to see if they were hot. Hubby was hollering for me to go ahead and get the boys out.


I have NEVER been so glad in all of my life to see the outside. Thank you lord for keeping us safe. We came out a side door that led to the back of the hotel. That is where we were parked. Hubby took Monkey and we went on around and set down. The boys were in their pj's and us in short sleeves. It was 49*. I told hubby I had a quilt in the car. He said I think we are going to need it. Mon key had just tee teed all over himself and his Daddy. Thankfully there was 2 pull-ups in the car too. WE got Monkey and Tiger changed and Monkey had no pants, but we were all safe and had the blanket to stay warm. When we got all of this done was when the Fire Trucks started rolling up. Can you believe it actually took that long?! Also, they were still people in the building. Someone had caught something on fire and couldn't get it put out in the kitchen. We were all allowed to go back in about 7am.


The boys decided we all needed a little more sleep, so we went back to bed for a while. We got up, got ready and went down stairs for a free breakfast. They had fowled up our order and we waited for over 40 minutes. So, it was free ($21.73).


We went back to the room and got out things, loaded the car and I went to check us out. The front desk attendant was very sweet. I asked if we got a discount for the inconvenience and she said yes ma'ma, of course. she saw the boys and we got to talking and I told her about monkey pee peeing on his Daddy and himself and she almost cried. She said she didn't even think about all of the people with small children. I handed her the $200 in cash for our bill of $180 or so. She told me (quietly) to keep the money. Our room was complimentary. Thank you! That was so very nice of them.


Then we went to the Aquarium and had a blast! The boys loved it all. The sharks we some of their favorite. We then had lunch at the indoor food court. It was okay, not great but edible.


Then we walked down by the river again and went back to the car. We made the trip home and visited with my parents and then went out to eat at Ryan's.


That's it in a HUGE nutshell. We had a great time and will be going back sometime in the near future (maybe the Spring). There is so much to do and it is a great family vacation. The atmosphere is very relaxed and laid back.

I will try and post some pics this weekend.


Blessings!