We had originally planned on hitting the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge for an early dinner after the hike, so we decided to flip our plans around and eat at the Apple Barn first before looking for another hiking option. So we headed back toward Pigeon Forge, where we promptly got stuck in a massive traffic jam of people heading home from their delightful holiday weekend in the tackiest city on earth. (And I mean that as a compliment, of course)
Over the next hour that we spent inching down Pigeon Forge's main strip, we came to the conclusion that East Tennessee's economy must largely be driven by fudge. Yes...fudge. Apparently, it's quite the hot commodity 'round these parts. Followed closely by weaponry, tobacco paraphernalia, pancakes, Jesus (as in the concept, not our Savior), matrimony, and moccasins. Whether it was the Noah's Ark Camel Rides offered outside the Miracle Theater, the giant black bear carvings that were proclaiming the good news to passers-by, the overwhelming number of pancake houses, the drive-thru wedding chapel, or the two Cracker Barrels (because who wants to drive all the way across town to get to a Cracker Barrel?)...we knew we were in a very special place.
(For future reference: should you ever need anything in the gift, t-shirt, souvenir, jewelry, floral craft, fudge (!), knife, swimwear or leather category, know that
you can come visit me in Knoxville, and we will only be less than an hour from the Pigeon Forge Traders Gift Shop. It's a gem.)
After an hour of delightfully bewildering sensory overload, we made it to the Apple Barn compound. Specifically, the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. Aside from the Dolly Parton empire, the Apple Barn is clearly one of the best things that P-Forge has going for it. If you have never eaten there, you have not yet lived. What these people can do with apples is unbelievable. It's a gift, really.
Of course, we were all exhausted and starving from a grueling car ride, so we attacked that first basket of apple fritters with great ferocity. In the same way that I view the BBQ at Jim-n-Nick's as a mere excuse for getting the cheese biscuits, I also view the food at Apple Barn (as delicious as it is) as merely a necessity for obtaining apple fritters. and apple butter. Goodness gracious we can't forget the apple butter.
To spare you the delicious details, we were feeling fat and happy as we polished off the last of our food. I don't think any of us really could imagine hauling ourselves up a mountain at that point. Besides, it was getting later in the afternoon, and many of the guys had homework to work on. So we cut our losses, hit the Nike outlet on the way out of town, and returned to Knoxville. No hike under our belts, but an awful lot of apple fritters.
I must admit, the lack of hiking on our hiking trip was a
bit of a disappointment, but the trip was certainly not a total loss. (and i don't just say that because of the copious amounts of apple butter that were consumed.) It was a great opportunity to bond and get to know each other better, which definitely happened. It was definitely a fun day.
We had 11 freshmen guys make the trip, along with 3 sophomore guys that came along as well. It was a fantastic turnout, and I was very excited about that. At the end of the day, it gave the guys a chance to get to know each other better, I enjoyed getting to know them better, we had a delicious meal, and we had fun. I would call that a success, and all praise to God. We'll just have to own those Chimney Tops another weekend...maybe when it's a little cooler too.
Will we stop by the Apple Barn again? That is a good question...
Thank you all again so much for your prayers, support, and encouragement. Things have been going very well here in Knoxville, and I've been seeing prayers answered right and left...especially as God has calmed my heart and given me His peace and confidence as I approach the internship and begin building relationships.
Keep checking back here for more updates. To be perfectly honest, I could write a whole book on here right now, but I have a whole 2-years to space these posts across, so I'm trying to save up some of the material that's not time-sensitive. ;-) That, and there's also the fact that it's late, and I need to get some sleep. It's been a long day of driving, eating, and...yes.
But we didn't get any fudge.
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