Aug 27-30, 2020

After many months at home, wanderlust caught up to me. Steven heard me feeling sad and one night after I fell asleep, he booked the the most lovely secluded cabin in Pigeon Forge at the Shagbark Resort. Best husband award goes to…Steven!!!

The cabin had a name: “His Promises” based on Romans 4:20. We had no idea it was a Christian themed house until we arrived and saw scripture decorating every room in the home. Honestly, it felt like we were on a fall retreat together! We let Noah stay with family (so thankful we have family that loves Noah!) so we could have a little weekend away, and it was the BEST. Highly recommend this cabin and the Smokey Mountains for anyone looking for a relatively close getaway (6-6.5 hour long drive from Indiana) in the Midwest.

They even had a Pac-Man arcade game! Seriously fun!!

For my birthday dinner, we went to Local Goat! They are famous for sourcing all foods locally. We tried their fried deviled eggs (unique, but not noteworthy), a BBQ gouda bacon burger with fries (massive!), and the best of all…beer cheese fondue!!! They had incredible pretzel bread, apples & French bread you could refill and dip in the delicious cheese. Wonderful! Would absolutely go back just for the fondue.

The next morning, we hiked the Chimney Tops trail. The trail felt exactly half uphill and half downhill. Our calves ached for days afterwards XD That downhill descent is killer! Twas beautiful though.

We then drove to Clingmans Dome, the highest point of the Smokey Mountains. It’s so high we were in a cloud the entire time and couldn’t see anything! It felt around 15-20 degrees cooler too.

The next day, we took the liberty of relaxing by sleeping in and enjoying a nice brunch at Five Oaks Farm Kitchen for a southern meal. The architecture was gorgeous — an elevated rustic farmhouse feel and big portions of food. I had a cornbread salad (interesting!) and Steven had fish (because he needed to try fish for breakfast for the first time), which came with grits, a giant griddle cake, hash browns, eggs, and a biscuit with gravy. A true farmer’s breakfast ;)

Another huge highlight in the nearby town of Sevierville was the Apple Barn Cider Mill! It’s a little apple haven including a creamery, candy store, restaurant, general store, winery, and little cafe. We dined on their famous fried apple dumpling (delicious, and would add a scoop of ice cream next time) with a cup of fresh apple cider. Delightful!

The power happened to go out 2x that day (which is apparently very common when you live in the woods), so we found ourselves unplugging with reading books in the cabin and playing tennis at the tennis courts in the community! It’s surprisingly serene to do every day activities when you’re away from home. So lovely.

Cheers to 4 memorable days in the Smokey Mountains: you were the best weekend getaway we could have asked for! We thank God we didn’t get eaten by bears, and are so thankful for the unexpected reminders of God throughout His creation and the “His Promises” cabin.

"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God." - Romans 4:20