Expressions from an Abnormal Mommy: Brooks Road Trip 2019: Franklin and Chattanooga

On our way to Chattanooga, we stopped in the town of Franklin. Everyone I know who has been there raves about the adorable downtown area and the sites of the city, so we had to take a look. Everything everyone said is true and then more. The downtown area is idyllic. We spent over two hours wandering through the shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Biscuit Love. After a week of BBQ and fried food, we were all looking for something different. The kids ended up with cinnamon swirl pancakes, Joe picked a chicken salad sandwich and I got an amazing salad. After lunch, we window shopped a bit more before heading out to Chattanooga. We definitely could have spent more time in Franklin and plan to on our next trip to Tennessee. The drive was so beautiful! There were parts that reminded us of Oregon- very green, lots of trees and rocky cliffs that look like the Gorge.

While we loved the drive, we were all so excited for our next stop. We connected with the Smiths through our adoption process and bonded with them immediately. While we had not met face to face before Friday, it has felt like we had known each other for years, and in every other way, we had. It was quite the explanation to the kids, when they asked who we were staying with. Here's the gist:

"So we have never met them?"
"No, not face to face."
"But...we're staying with them?"
"Yes, we are."
"But if we've never met them, aren't they strangers?"
"No, Mommy and Alex "know" each other very well. We just haven't had the chance to meet face to face before."
"Okay...."

Pulling into their drive way and seeing them in person was magical. We have been waiting so long for that first hug! The kids also bonded quickly and played so well together. They made us delicious Korea food for dinner, which was just what we needed after such a long string of restaurants. We stayed up late talking and playing Farkle. Just being there with them was surreal.

The next morning, after having breakfast, we headed out for a hike. The took us to North Chickamauga Creek Gorge state park. Again, it reminded us so much of Oregon! So much green and so much nature so close to the city. It was a lovely hike through the woods and river. We ended up at a swimming hole surrounded by rocky cliffs and boulders. The water was so warm and the kids jumped right in. Alex's brother joined us and the boys instantly fixated on jumping off the boulders after watching him and Todd jump in. While my mama heart screamed "NO!!!!", Joe and I agreed to let them try (wholeheartedly believing that neither would do it). Well, they surprised me and both jumped in with only slight hesitation. We headed back around lunch time. It looked like a storm may be coming and some naps were in order.

After resting, the Smiths were off to church and we opted to head into Chattanooga to do a little exploring before dinner. We ended up at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Wandering the memorials to lives lost was powerful and informative. After the cemetery, we met up with the Smiths for dinner. They suggested a lovely Latin restaurant called Conga. Oh boy, was it delicious! The food was fresh and authentic. After dinner, we took a short drive to Coolidge Park so the kids could run and play. They wore themselves out in the wide open spaces and then running up and down Cardboard Hill (named for it's tremendous sledding potential). Once the kiddos were sufficiently tired, we headed home. Nobody lasted long after that.