We were in Pigeon Forge last week with another couple, and one afternoon we were sitting in the car in Gatlinburg after a winery stop trying to decide what to do next. We had the whole rest of the day open, and we had already been playing blackjack with a deck of cards at the cabin the night before, so it put us in the mood to play for real. Harrah’s in Cherokee was about an hour and a half away. That is not exactly a casual “quick trip,” but we both looked at each other and agreed that we would probably regret not going. The drive itself ended up being a good reset. Quiet roads, mountain views, and a little bit of casual conversation about random things. We even slowed down at one point to look at a group of elk that were right off the road. It felt like we were both genuinely present instead of rushing from one activity to the next.
Once we got into the casino, we played blackjack at the electronic tables which is always our preference. We played for a while, lost money in the way we usually do, and still had a great time. There is something about blackjack specifically that we enjoy. It is enough strategy to stay interesting, but it is not stressful, and we tend to laugh at the losses more than anything else. Casinos have been tied to our story since the beginning because our very first one together was on our honeymoon in Vegas, and every time we go to one now, it brings back that feeling of the early days where everything still felt new. We ended up comparing small things from Vegas to Cherokee and talking about the next time we go back. It was just easy conversation and fun.
When we headed back to Pigeon Forge that evening, we stopped for Italian. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, which made dinner feel calm after a full day. I ordered a blood orange margarita, and we decided to swap plates halfway through just for fun so we could both try everything. We don’t always do that, but it worked out and made the meal more interesting. The food was good, the service was easy, and the entire dinner felt relaxed in a way that vacation dinners should feel. We were just there, enjoying the moment and enjoying each other’s company.
That day reminded me that marriage does not always need structure to be beneficial. Sometimes the most memorable time together is when you allow yourself to say yes to something spontaneous without worrying about whether it is the most efficient use of the day. The 1.5 hour drive made sense for us because it led to a shared experience we both genuinely enjoyed.
And to top it off, we also knocked another NHL arena off our list in Nashville on this trip. We walked around the arena, took it in, enjoyed the energy of a new city and a new fan base, and checked off another arena on our list. We are a little closer to our goal of all 32!
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