Anakeesta!

So the night we were driving in I saw these billboards advertising Anakeesta and it looked super intriguing and was calling to me;-) then two of my friends on FB highly recommended it too and it became a thing on our radar for the week, ending up in us doing it yesterday. The rest of our crew had to head home, so it ended up just being my parents and the kids and I. And while I am sorry they all couldn't see it too, it was likely an easier thing to do with a smaller group based on the activities etc.....we ended up going early because we had passed the endless lines for it a few times this week. We got there a little before they opened and were met with no line:) We chose to ride the Chondola up the mountain, which was an enclosed cable car. In the past, again with my height issues it may have concerned me, but yesterday it wasn't an issue at all. When you arrive at the top, you step out into this magical place that overlooks the mountains and has panoramic views on all sides! It is truly so so beautiful! So we started to explore. It was not very crowded at all. Mads had her heart set on the mountain coaster. She loves rides. I never have loved amusement park type stuff or rides. When I was a kid I went on one and had a bad experience that made it so it was never something I really sought after again......so yesterday Mads would not have been able to go on the ride without me.......based on the guidelines for the ride etc......I was the only one who could fulfill that......no part of me wanted to, truthfully.....it was a car that went down the rails, totally open, and kind of primitive......the upside is you could adjust your speed some! So I saw the look of disappointment and sadness on her face, tears brimming and knew it was a time to push myself and conquer my fear and discomfort......she was so happy and we ended up enjoying ourselves just fine on it, her more than me LOL;-) and she thanked me for doing it with her. As we got pulled back up the mountain, we talked about the fact that sometimes you have to face your fears and do things afraid and find your way to the other side of that fear........valuable life lesson indeed! So we continued on through the park and saw breathtakingly beautiful gardens, climbed a huge tower to lookout even further on the beauty, climbed through a ropes course, and a treehouse village, climbed on a suspension bridge course through the trees.....did some shopping, had a delicious lunch and drink overlooking the mountain.....and saw so many cool, interesting, and beautiful things......it was truly so worth the experience of it all......the kids loved it, and Gabe was nervous on the rope bridges but pushed himself too:) We had a great day, a perfect day to end our time here......as I type this we are about to pack up cars and hit the road back to PA......having had a lovely and blessed vacation in every way and feeling super grateful for our time together......until next time Tennessee:)