By Vicki Scott
My husband Alan and I escaped life this past weekend by running away to Sevierville in Tennessee. I am not a fan of the busy life of big cities, but we have enjoyed Sevierville before, and it became our destination plan. When some of the George Wallace Senior Center ladies’ memories of the area were ignited, our need to go intensified.
Peggy Ballenger and Vivian Johns had just returned from the Gatlinburg area and seemed to have had a good time. They might not have anticipated all the questions I had about their trip. Peggy and Vivian went with their church, and I know church trips are a result of researching places to go. Peggy and Vivian’s group went to the longest suspension bridge in the United States that opened in May of this year. The bridge was close to Sevierville and I encouraged my husband to take me there first. I did not realize that the price of admission was not only for the bridge but for the lift and observation deck. We were given a wrist band and told we visit all three things all day long! We went on the 680-foot bridge three times and the lift two times.
The best entertainment on the bridge was watching people walk over the glass part of the bridge. I will admit it was creepy. There were three glass sections, and one could tell where they were located because there was always a clump of people stopped on the sections and feeling creepy. During our first time walking across the bridge, a man was on his way back while we were on our way to the glass. He told us to be careful, because the glass had cracked.
At 140 feet in the air, I did not need a cracked glass.
On our way back, two ladies were standing at the glass section but not crossing it. They were fussing because their boyfriends had left them there. They were clinging to the cable on the side and not moving. I guess they waited until their boyfriends came back and never crossed the glass part.
At the observation deck, we sat and watched other people shake and shimmy across the suspension bridge. My husband was wishing the cables that held the bridge steady were not there. That would be something scary.
We left the bridge and shopped around in the shops for a while and then went back up to the sky bridge. While walking up, this cute couple did a selfie and my husband jumped in their picture. That was probably the hardest I laughed the whole trip. The couple did not laugh but they did smile. It might have been shock. This incident inspired Alan to try attempt his first selfie. He did not flip the camera to face him and took my picture instead. His second try was successful, with both of us in the picture.
Later that day, we went to The Comedy Barn. Throughout the trip, salespeople offered us free shows, trips and other things if we would watch a presentation. This happens to us every time we go to the Gatlinburg area. At the Comedy Barn, we were offered a $150 gift card to watch their presentation, and we took them up on it.
The presentation lasted forever, or at least two and a half hours. They were persistent in trying to get us to buy a time share, but my husband was strong. I felt bad for these people because they tried so hard to make that sale. Alan just smiled, shook their hands and said, “No, thank you.” They even sent out a beautiful woman who loved motorcycles to convince him to purchase a time share, and he still turned it down. A trial membership was offered but Alan still refused.
I was impressed and sad at the same time. The resorts are very nice or they would not be worth the trip for us. We had to run away to get this break. I praise God for a stern and quick-thinking husband. His frugalness is probably his best quality. We walked out of the sales presentation with a gift card and a smile.
Our escape became less expensive after watching the presentation, which made our mini-vacation even better. Our accommodations in Sevierville were not near the expense that the salespeople were asking for in Gatlinburg.
I praise God for this getaway with “Da Man” in celebration of our 33rd wedding anniversary. I also praise God for Peggy and Vivian informing me of places to go. Thanks, y’all!