I am back!!!!

We left at 8:30 p.m. for Asheville, NC, on a charter bus filled with thirty-six 14 year old boys and girls with a sprinkling of adults. I must say the kids were very well behaved. They knew the rules...lights out at 11:00. I think everyone was asleep or at least very quiet before 11:00. During the night there were a few stops to change bus drivers. Around 3:00a.m., I was awakened to the voice of the “woman in the box” (AKA the GPS) barking directions. She gets very upset if you do not follow her directions. We stopped at 7:00 a.m. to “freshen up.” I changed clothes and brushed my teeth. The girls pulled out all the stops....curling irons, straighteners, perfume, make-up, etc. They had to look good to get back on the bus with the boys.

Next stop, the Biltmore Estate. We visited the house, or should I say castle, and the winery. They were beautiful, as was the property. The tulips and dogwood were in full bloom. The castle had so many bedrooms, I lost count. Even the servant’s quarters were nicer than many people’s homes. We ate a wonderful lunch at one on the restaurants on the property. The kids had a good time learning which fork to use. At the winery the kids were allowed to taste...grape juice. In an attempt to be good examples the adults tasted grape juice too. We then loaded back on the bus and headed to Gatlinburg, TN.
We arrived in Gatlinburg about 4:00p.m., checked into our hotel and had “free time.” Now to the adults this means quiet, down time, but not to any 14 year old. To them it means, “we only have a few more hours, so lets cram as much into it as we can ” And we did. We played black light mini golf, and laser tag. We ended the night with dinner and G-rated table dancing at the Hard Rock Café. Lights were out at 10:00.
The next day started with a trip to the aquarium. It was pretty and peaceful and a great way to start the morning. We then headed to Dollywood for a few hours. The weather was warm and sunny, so it was a great day to be outside. We ended the day with dinner at the Dixie Stampede. If you have never been, you must go. I do not know exactly how to explain it. It was dinner and a country western musical. The audience interacted with the show characters all while the food is served. The food is all “finger-food.” Do not be misled by that statement. We ate roasted chicken, a slab of pork, corn on the cob, half a potato, biscuit, and apple tart. The chicken was a whole bird....yes a whole bird. We ate all of that without utensils. Everyone had fun and went home fat and happy.
The last day we loaded the bus at 8:30 a.m. and headed home. It took about eight hours. It did not seem like it took that much time. Everyone was exhausted and quiet. We watched a few movies and slept and then we were home
All in all the trip was great and the kids were very well-behaved!!!!!!!!!!