Mimi Mine

If you have visited Pigeon Forge, Tennessee within the last year or so, you might have noticed something new.  An entertainment complex opened on June 21, 2013 and is continuing to develop in phases, with eateries, arcades, shops and other attractions. The development is called The Island. It is situated between the Parkway and Teaster Lane on Island Drive in Pigeon Forge. Locating it, however, is not a problem. Just look for "The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel." It certainly is not difficult to spot, as it towers some 200 feet(20 stories)high and it is covered with colorful LED lights! Granted, it is not the largest permanent observation wheel(a term that seems to be preferred by wheel designers and developers over ferris wheel) in the world. No doubt, some of you may have seen larger ones, such as the London Eye in London, England. There is an enormous one called the Singapore Flyer, which is located in Singapore in Asia. The concept seems to be growing in popularity and ...

Wishing you a very happy and blessed year in 2014!

It is my hope that the holidays have been wonderful for all of you and that you are still experiencing the joy that is a part of good times, food and fun spent with family and friends. Disney's Yacht Club at Walt Disney World is celebrating with a blanket of snow. Well, actually the snow is actually "faux" and is covering the wonderful miniature village displayed in the lobby of this beautiful resort. It has been my experience that when Disney does anything, Disney does it in a big way, even miniature village scenes. The village, with all its delightful little homes, churches, shops, people doing chores and shopping, children building snowmen, hidden Mickeys and a toy train making its rounds throughout, is a magical winter wonderland. Each snow covered scene transports the visitor into the fantasy taking place within. The display is located to the right of the front entrance and covers a large portion of that section of the lobby. It is made up of many different sc...

Continuing with a series of posts about the wonderful Christmas decorations at some of the Walt Disney World resorts for 2013, I will now share some of the photos I took at Disney's Beach Club Resort. The Disney properties have their own special style(s) of lighting and they all suit each property perfectly. Since I am somewhat obsessed with the lighting in different places, I snapped photos of some  at the Beach Club. This is a picture of the pretty lamp posts along the walkway leading up to the resort. Disney's Beach Club Resort It is evident when we pass through the main entrance and into the beautiful and spacious lobby of the Beach Club that the baking and confectionery teams at Disney's  Beach and Yacht Clubs had, once again, gone totally over the top in demonstrating their talents. The intoxicating aroma of chocolate is wafting throughout the area. My husband, the chocoholic, thinks this is heavenly. Sitting proudly beneath one of the spectacular chandeli...

Today's post is one in a series of posts about some of the wonderful Christmas decorations at Walt Disney World for 2013. This post is comprised of some of the photos taken the afternoon we visited Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Villas. I have posted about Disney's Boardwalk in the past and about the wonderful boardwalk itself, with all its shops and entertainment. It can be found by exiting the Gateway to the World Showcase and taking a left, crossing the bridge at Crescent Lake. There is a world of entertainment and dining experiences to be enjoyed along the boardwalk. It is well worth the leisurely ten minute or so stroll from Epcot to check out the activity at Disney's Boardwalk and in the inn. At Christmastime, it is an extra special treat because of all the fabulous decorations. You will often find some of the characters in the main lobby during the evenings, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, all decked out in their Christmas finery and ready to have their pictures...