Did You Zorb in Pigeon Forge?
Round and round we roll. Hanalei, Archer, and I. In a giant clear plastic sphere with a lubrication of warm water. Tossed and turned, we yell, laugh, and lurch down a giant hill. We are Zorbing and it’s awesome!
To Zorb is to experience the tourist trap that is Pigeon Forge, the Appalachian Orlando that is anchored by Dollywood instead of Disney World. To Zorb is what you must do on a crazy hot July day when your family is on vacation. To Zorb is one of the best trips a father and children can take.
Applicaiha Vacation
This year we skipped going abroad for a domestic escape that could fit our schedules and pocketbooks as we remodeled our Chapel Hill home. Off to see Dollywood, Splash Mountain, and the other cheap thrills of Pidgeon Forge. While the family went to the Titanic or Wax Museums, I went to the hills and rode Vee Hollow on my fancy mountain bike.
After a week in Tennessee, we went to the other side of the Smokies, and relaxed in Brevard, NC. There, the living was easy, the time slow, and the joys more – at least for me. I rode DuPont Forest and then Pisgah National Forest, where I certainly entertained my endorphin religion as I flew down black diamond trails.
White Water Rafting
One highlight of Brevard was white-water rafting the French Broad River. Amy, Archer, Hanalei, and I floated down the Class 1-3 rapids with squeals of terror and delight. All the while, I was surprised at the tameness of the rapids. I was expecting more drops and froth, more rocks and worry, than the river we experienced.
Then it hit me. This was my first white-water rafting in the US. Previously, I white-water rafted the Nile and the Zambezi in Africa. Both of those rivers had Class 4 and Class 5 rapids – or rapids so great there isn’t even a scale! We had to walk around at least one rapid on the Zambezi that was too scary for tourists. Who knew I was already a rafting pro?!
Now a question: Where should we go in 2024?