Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…

There is absolutely nothing better than a getaway with friends or family…but nothing competes with friends who are like family.

Last week at this time, I was settling into a room in Pigeon Forge, TN, where soon, I would go to The Christmas Place, where I couldn’t wait to snag a few holiday ornaments. The ride to Pigeon Forge was with a couple that I have known since my early career days. We had lots of plans for a future as two couples, but this was the first big adventure with me as the third party!

On our way, we stopped at Bucc-ees in Richmond, KY. Take it from me, it is an experience! Fortunately, it was a Wednesday so the crowd was not bad. Gas was $3.02/gallon! It was worth the stop! After walking through the world’s largest convenience store, checking out the world’s cleanest restrooms, and seeing (but not using) the world’s longest carwash, we moved on, with our $.99 super-large Diet Cokes and iced teas.

Bucc-ees has shopping carts to use and many people surely needed them. There was a clothing section, a Christmas section, a Bucc-ees section with key chains, shirts, Pjs, slippers, socks, stuffed animals and more, all with the huge Bucc-ees logo. You can buy a grill or a smoker, you can buy sling chairs, coolers and more.

Do not leave Bucc-ees without your jerky! There are three walls of jerky in various flavors. However, the jerky “deli” counter is an experience! Did I mention there is a huge area where you can get custom food or choose from the stacks of BBQ, brisket and fried chicken sandwiches. There are bags of Bucc-ees kettle chips and a bakery to die for.

On the other side of the store, you will find EVERY snack you can imagine and a beverage stand that includes any soda I have ever heard of, along with a self-serve coffee bar. It’s got “good’ ice too!! It is a trip for sure!

Back to Pigeon Forge. I think I’ve finally grown up. While browsing in The Christmas Place, I realized that items were marked up so much and I was not about to be crazy when I knew I had other options. Of course, I truly don’t need anything, but I’m always curious if there is anything I may not have that I want. After walking through and being blown away by the ridiculous prices, we moved on to our delicious, home-cooked meal at the Old Mill. Tons of food, tons of people and somehow, they move people through like nothing! I’m sure they can do that since there is no lingering over an Irish coffee or chocolate martini…no liquor!

Needless to say, our first day was an adventure…but we were ready to get to Asheville.

We left after a home-cooked breakfast at the Apple Barn and headed on the back roads to Asheville. I was assisting with the navigation and things were going along really well. Then, for some reason, the winding road through the mountains went from pavement to dirt/gravel. I started to panic, thinking I had directed us to the wrong path.

We continued on because my Google map was showing a brown path, which I assumed must be dirt/gravel. Then, as if my prayers were answered, a stop sign appeared and we were on our way, via I-40. Whew!

Everyone arrived safely at the Airbnb…my friend from high school, my friend from college and my driving buddies. Six of us settled in, ordered pizza and mapped out our next day.

We woke up to yucky rains and winds. The temps were mild but we were receiving the ending of hurricane Nicole. We did not take many pictures because we looked like drowned rats. Trust me when I say, it was a great day, despite the weather.

Our trip to Asheville included the Woolworth Walk, complete with an original counter serving burgers and shakes. It was an old Woolworth store that had become an artist’s haven. Beautiful items and lots of fun things to buy!

We ended our day with the Candlelight Tour of the Biltmore Estate. It was a lovely way to end the day. When we got back to the house, it was time for snacks and a few cocktails.

The next day, the two guys enjoyed football and the girls shopped. It was fun and easy. We grabbed a quick drink before heading off to meet the guys for dinner, which was tasty and a great way to end the trip!

We returned home and got into our pjs and enjoyed some conversation and cocktails. After packing up a few things, it was time for the last night of vacation sleep!

On Sunday morning, we bid farewell to our travel mates and to the friends who are definitely family to me. We definitely brought to much and my suitcase and some leftover liquor/snacks ended up in the vehicle with just two passengers.

Our trip home was pretty straightforward with a stop at…BUCC-EES!!! OMG! The crowd was crazy! Sunday is NOT the day to check it out! When I asked the cashier, he told me that Sundays were like opening day! People were bumping into each other with their carts, lines for the ready-made sandwiches were long, but moving quickly. I ended up purchasing more than I thought I would with a $92 bill! WHAT THE WHAT???

You know the feeling that when it’s over, it’s over and you want to just get home? Well, although I hated for it to end, I was glad to get home.

This trip ended up being a treat for all of us! Everyone got along well, everyone got to do what they wanted and there was not pressure to do something you didn’t want to do. There were no issues with finances…splitting things six ways was easy-peezy. Everyone did their part with keeping things tidy and the cleanup before we left. Overall, a great trip!

These people are great friends. They were friends with Greg and me, so there was some sadness that things should have been different, but they have also been there for me during the last few years as I have learned to navigate my single life. They are the best of the best and I am one lucky gal!

Believe it or not, we are already thinking about next year and have plans to meet up for happy hour/dinner in a few weeks.

Thank you to my dear friends! I hope each of you has someone like I do…someone to watch over me!!!

See you next week!   oxoxoxo