We’ve traveled through five states in a matter of a week. In the middle of it all, our family met up with our former neighbors from seminary. They live in Alabama now, and between the two families there’s five kids. I was honestly impressed with how well the kiddos all played together. It helps that Ragen LOVES making new friends. It’s been a lot of driving in the past week, but I’m beyond thankful for our couple days in Alabama. It felt like a retreat compared to the constant moving.
Now, here we are in the Smoky Mountains. It feels just like Wisconsin with temps between 20 – 40 degrees, plus a few mountain views of course. And though I really hoped we would miss the touristy Christmas season, it seems we just caught the tail end of it. Streets are still crowded, people everywhere, and lots of waiting everywhere we go.
Here’s my thoughts about visiting popular tourist destinations:
- Everything is ridiculously expensive.
- People will try anything just because they’re on vacation.
- Waiting hours for things is overrated.
- It’s all for the picture.
Okay, the picture was totally worth it!
Yes, the view of the Smoky Mountains was truly incredible, but at what cost? Between paying for rides on the chair lift, eating out for every meal, and forking out 20+ bucks a day for parking, I’d be surprised if anyone escapes this place without dropping five to six thousand dollars on vacation.
Our budget is just under a thousand dollars, and that’s mostly for a hotel and gas. I look forward to seeing if anyone is even interested in money-saving tips for the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area because to me, it seems like families come here just to spend! To each their own. I guess we just have a smaller budget, so we have to do things for cheaper. Our next stop is Charleston, South Carolina, which can be quite touristy as well. But since we’re traveling in the off season, I anticipate a little less chaos.
Constant family time is exciting and exhausting all in the same breath. These are years with my littles that I’ll never get back. I can tell they’re in some of the most formative years of their young lives. But I’m certainly struggling to balance our time together with getting work done as well. I mean it when I say I truly believe we can make this frugal life a business to support the family. But how do you do that when you’re always with the kids and frequently sharing one hotel room. It’s an uncomfortable learning curve for everyone. Sometimes Travis takes the kids out so I can get work done. Other times we stay up late sitting outside our hotel room trying to get to send emails and make contacts. And other times, I’m just hiding in the bathroom while they play so I can get another video edited. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that content creation is not for the faint of heart.
Thanks for listening and learning as we take this six month journey. I can hardly believe my little family of four is actually on this wild ride. It’s equal parts chaotic and cool. Travis and I celebrate seven years of marriage tomorrow and I can safely say that on the day we said “I do,” neither of us could have anticipated what year seven would bring.
See ya on the road!
