Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm and Davy Crockett Mini Golf Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Our next two stops on our family adventure were something the kids had been asking to do since we passed them on our way into Gatlinburg, the Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm and Davy Crockett Mini Golf attractions!! If you missed my review of the Aquarium of the Smokies click here, and the Guinness World Records and 5D Moving Theater click here! Let us check out Old MacDonald's Farm first!

The website says:

• With 54 holes of “down on the farm” family fun, this mini-golf course features animated barnyard characters, water features, and interactive elements at every turn. We’re just outside of Gatlinburg, in nearby Sevierville. 

The kids enjoyed all of the fun animals all around the course! You can choose what level of course you want to do, and even the easiest has some difficult holes. We had such a blast keeping score and having a friendly competition.

They also have an arcade for when it gets too hot, score!! :)

On a separate day we decided to visit the Davy Crockett Mini Golf course. This was the one we noticed on our arrival into Gatlinburg.

 

The website says:

With the Great Smoky Mountains as the backdrop, this fun-themed course replicates the “old days” when a Tennessee hero named Davy Crockett roamed “them thar hills”. Family and friends will enjoy spending a day with Ripley’s.

We enjoyed all of the animals and characters all throughout the course. As with the Old MacDonald's course, you can choose which course you take, and even the easiest has challenging holes. This was a fun experience as a family! Be sure to wear your sunscreen, I nursed a minor sunburn after not realizing I hadn't slathered myself before! The hubby and kids wore some and were just fine!

These both were your typical Mini Golf experiences, just with fun Farm and Country themes! 

Oh, and they both offered free games if you made it into the right hole on the last hole. My hubby actually won a free game! Both kids agreed that the Davy Crockett course was their favorite.

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the opinions and experiences are true and all mine! :)

Guinness World Records Adventure and Ripley's Moving Theater 5D Gatlinburg Tennessee Review

Our next stop on our fun family trip was the Guinness World Records Adventure in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! If you haven't seen the review of the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, click here! My kids were so excited to try and attempt to break some records! They are open 365 days a year and have 100's of exhibits as well as over 20 interactive games and challenges. This was a fun way to burn off some extra energy for the kids, and my husband and I really enjoyed competing with each other on some of the games! In the beginning you create an avatar and it is linked to a special bracelet you wear and scan at each of the games and exhibits. Ours did not always work, but when it did it kept track of our record and score.

Here are some of our family's favorites:

My 8 year old daughter loved the Most Hula Hoops.

My 7 year old son loved the Lumberjack challenge and PacMan.

My husband and I enjoyed some of the "old school" challenges like the football "kick." And we both loved the PacMan as well.

I don't think this attraction would take a full day, an hour or 2 at the most, but we all loved getting out of the heat and getting some energy out! And as a mom to 2 rambunctious kids, that was a great bonus!! :)

Because it only took us about an hour and a half to go through this attraction, we decided to visit the Ripleys Moving Theater 5D the same day. 

We watched two short movies, lasting about 4-7 minutes each, in moving seats. It was like one of those ride simulators where you get strapped in and the seats move. The movies were a  Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote film, which was very jerky and both kids agreed it was not their favorite, and an Angry Birds film which the whole family enjoyed. The Angry Birds film and ride were way smoother and the kids enjoyed the "story" a lot more. It was a fun and quick break from walking in the heat in Gatlinburg. :)

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the thoughts and opinions are all my own and completely true!!

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Attractions Review

My husband, 2 children, and I all went on an amazing vacation a few months ago to North Carolina and Tennessee. As a family who normally vacations in Orlando/DisneyWorld, we wanted to do something a little different this year. Not that there is anything wrong with DisneyWorld, we just wanted a different type of adventure this time! And boy did we get it!! We decided to do nature trails and state parks, and they did not disappoint, we even got to see a momma bear with her two baby bears foraging for food, something you do NOT get to see where we live in Florida! Along with the nature trails we wanted to do some things the kids would enjoy, so when we got the chance to work with Ripley's Attractions Tennessee we decided to visit the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies as well as some of their other attractions. I will break each one down for you in separate posts and let you know what we all thought, including my 8 and 7 year old!

First stop: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

This aquarium is such a fun break from the heat! There was so much to do inside, some included in your ticket and some you had to purchase separately. One of those things was the Glass Bottom Boat ride which takes you over the Shark Lagoon. We opted not to do this, but here is a look at a picture I snapped of it.

One of the things my kids loved was the Create a Jelly kiosk next to the Touch a Jellyfish area. They were too timid to touch one, but enjoyed creating their own digital one!

They did work up the courage to touch the Horseshoe Crabs and loved it!

Another favorite was the Penguin Play area. You are able to get up close to see them, and even go through a glass tunnel and poke your head up through the actual exhibit so that you feel like you are right in there with them! There is also a little penguin nursery area which was neat to see.

Along with all of the extras, even a giant playground, there are tons of amazing tanks with different sea creatures! Even a Shark Lagoon that gets you up close to these majestic and kind of terrifying creatures!!

There was also a snack bar as well as a gift shop, which had quite reasonably priced items!

Overall this was a great way to see some beautiful creatures and keep everyone in our family entertained and happy!

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the thoughts and opinions are all my own and completely true!!

ShopPinkBlush.com Maxi Dresses Review

I had a very special convention over the weekend, and I wanted to look stylish, pulled together, and still be comfortable. So, when I had the opportunity to work with ShopPinkBlush.com I jumped at the chance! This trendy online boutique offers clothing for women of all shapes and sizes, as well as those expecting. As a plus sized women, it can often be hard to find a maxi dress that is flattering as well as long enough for my 5' 9" height. I decided to test out 2 of their maxi dresses to see if they would meet my basic needs, while still being stylish.

My first choice was this Pink Floral Draped Maxi Dress. I got it in an XL in the Women's section of the website. In the description it is described as a maternity dress, but I didn't realize this until after I got it. It could work as a maternity dress, but it definitely does not look like I was wearing one, like when the front is longer than back. I loved the length on this dress and how it cinched in around the smallest part of my waist. The fabric was soft and comfortable and wrinkle free, which was great since I would be sitting for a major portion of the day. The pink in this dress is so bright and vibrant, something that the website's picture didn't truly do justice to. I received many compliments on the day I wore this dress!

My next choice was this teal and dark blue short sleeved maxi. I got a large in this style because it seemed a little more flowy through the waist and not as snug as the pink maxi, and it worked perfectly for me. This dress was so comfortable! The material was a little heavier than the first dress, but it was still completely doable, even in this 90+ degree Florida heat! I opted for short sleeves on this one, and I love how flattering they are on my broad arms. I managed to stay cool, comfortable, and still look stylish. This dress also was wrinkle free! This dress was a tad longer than the other, but still perfect for me while wearing flat sandals, but if you are a little shorter than me you will probably have to wear some sort of heel of wedge with this one. I got a lot of compliments on this one too! I think the contrast of the bright teal flowers against the dark blue background was stunning!

Both of these dresses feel like great quality pieces that I know I will get tons of use out of! So there you have it, my opinion of the 2 maxi dresses I tried out from ShopPinkBlush.com! Although I was sent these dresses for review, all of the thoughts and opinions are 100% mine and true! I will be doing a maxi dress try on haul on my Youtube channel soon, so look out for that!