Autobiography
INTRODUCTION: This is a true autobiography of my life. It is not finished, of course, and will be updated at least once a month. This story may seem long, but it is worth reading, I assure you that much. This story was not written to draw sympathy or any other feeling, but was simply written to describe the ups and downs of my life. Please take time to read this amazing biography. Take note that I am a young teen and spent a whole day on this story! Enjoy.
My name is Sam Marrs. I was born at the East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, Texas. I had a happy childhood. My parents were good, Christian parents who were never and have never been mean to me. My mother was an older mother, as she was in her late thirties when she bore me. My father was an amazing father. He was kind of a redneck; he was the type of guy that went with the flow. I loved him dearly, but he was not home much because he worked for SYSCO Food Services as a truck driver. He would wake up early in the morning, drive for an hour to his job, and return late at night. How I wish I could have spent more time with him.
During my preschool years, I went to the Methodist Readiness School in Jacksonville, Texas. I went there from the time that I was 2 to 4 years old. In 2 year old class, I got my first "girlfriend", a girl named Kennison. I know, I started early! Of course, it was an innocent relationship that most adults found cute. I remember two other memories, both of which were during my pre-kindergarten year. What a year! The first memory is rather disgusting, but funny all the same. I was in the bathroom, and I was taking a while. My teacher, Mrs. Ragsdale, knocked on the door of the boy's restroom and told me to hurry up. I remember getting off of the toilet a few minutes later. I was not done using the restroom, but I wanted to let Mrs. Ragsdale know that I was almost finished. After pondering for a few minutes on how to let her know, an idea that I thought was brilliant (at the time) popped into my small, undeveloped brain. I decided to walk to my classroom fully naked and tell Mrs. Ragsdale myself. So I left the bathroom as naked as a jaybird an walked to my classroom. I stood at the open doorway as the students and teacher gasped, though she actually found it hilarious. When the room echoed in silence, I broke the silence by saying four simple words: "I'm not done yet!" My mother never found out! The second memory was when my friend, Matthew, was building a toy gun out of Lego blocks. He considered it a masterpiece. I saw it and instantly walked towards Matthew. I guess a spark of jealousy was lit, because I broke his work of art! He looked angry for a minute or two and then bursted into tears. Preschool was a rather strange experience.
Before I knew it, I was out of the Methodist Readiness School and into public school. I was finally in kindergarten! My school's name was Fred Douglas Elementary. It was a nice school. When you walked into the front doors, the first and second grade classroom wing was to the right, and the teacher's lounge and the school office was to the left. If you continue to walk down the hallway, you will pass the library, the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classroom wing, the music room, and the cafeteria. Before you exit the building, the third and fourth classroom wing was to the right. At the back of the school was the pick up/drop off line and the gymnasium. To the right was the huge playground. While in kindergarten, I had two teachers. My school had a dual language program, and I had one English and one Spanish teacher. Each teacher taught different school subjects. My two teachers were a representation of God and Satan. The one representing God was Mrs. Gray, my English teacher. She was a friendly-natured woman of around thirty who always had a smile on her face. I had the biggest crush on her! I remember when she got married. I was so jealous of her husband, as I really thought I had a shot at her. The teacher representing Satan was Mrs. Alfonso. She was a mean woman from Spain. I remember the time that Blake, a friend of mine at the time, was running around in the bathroom. Mrs. Alfonso ran into the boy's restroom and began chasing Blake! She most likely regretted that, though, as she slipped in some urine that was on the floor and landed right in it! Not only did that happen, but she also broke her leg, and was in a wheelchair for the rest of the year.
First grade was a tragic year. My dad passed away that year. He was a SYSCO truck driver, and he was in a truck accident in Jefferson, Texas - an accident that instantly took his life. I remember one of my teachers, Mrs. Ybarra. She was a nice lady of about 30. She was rather round and always had a good attitude. One day, her brother took us on a nature walk. He asked that everyone pick a buddy to go on the trails with. Because he had heard about my father's passing, he chose me as his partner. I got to wear special outdoor clothes, which I enjoyed very much. At the end of the day, Mrs. Ybarra surprised me with a birthday party! My birthday was not far off, and she definitely knew how to throw a party! It was a picnic style party complete with hot dogs, soda, and a pinata filled with candy. Mrs. Ybarra felt sympathy towards me, and that was one of the ways that she expressed it. Not only had Mrs. Ybarra hosted the party, but she had paid for everything. That day was the starting day of my road to recovery.
Summer Break had come and gone. I was now in the second grade. I was beginning to feel like a big kid. My new teachers, Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Herrington, were nice ladies. I had a huge crush on Mrs. Taylor. The one thing that I remember about her was her hair. Her hair looked like it had come right out of the sixties, as it was styled into a poofy hairstyle that was pretty popular back then. Mrs. Herrington was quite a character! Every morning, she would read us a story and do a little dance that would make us laugh. While in second grade, my mother took me on a trip with some of the money SYSCO gave her. It was a trip that I would never forget. My mother took me to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!
I remember the trip like it was yesterday. The trip began when we flew out of the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in one of those squeaky little American Eagle Planes. We landed in Dallas, and stayed at the Hyatt Hotel located inside of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It was an extremely nice hotel. The room service was very exceptional, and the room was very large and luxurious. We stayed the night there, and we flew out of Dallas in the morning, heading for Orlando. It was a fun flight, as it was my first time in a big airplane. While on that plane, I felt like anything was possible - I felt like I was invincible. When me, my mother, my uncle, my aunt, and one of my cousins landed in Orlando, we took a limousine to Disney World. I remember that my cousin, Nick, was messing with the radio and the lights, and the limo driver got mad. When we got to Diney World, I realized it was a child paradise. The rides were amazing, the shows were top-notch, the food was 5-star quality - what else could someone ask for? Actually, there was something else someone could ask for - Cirque du Soleil! I saw La Nouba, my first Cirque du Soleil show, in Downtown Disney, and I instantly fell in love! I have seen so many since then that I have just about lost count. Of course, I was little and it was extremely late, so I fell asleep for a short time. How I wish I hadn't! We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Hotel and Suites, which was located inside the park. My mother wanted to create an amazing experience for me, as I was going through a hard time, so she rented a huge suite on one of the top floors! I can still describe the floor plan - when you walked into the suite you realized that you were in the living area. The living area had a couch with a pullout bed, a large television and a few other amenties. To the left was a good-sized kitchen with a full refrigerator and oven. We used the refrigerator, but not the oven, as there was a good restaurant in the lobby. To the right and left of the living area were two bedrooms, one with two twin beds and one with one queen bed. The room with a queen bed had a large whirlpool bathtub. How I loved that tub! With some added bubble bath, that tub was like a water park to a 7 year old! I remember when we turned on the jets before the water, and we were terrified, as we had never used a whirlpool tub before. There was also a big shower, but I don't recall ever using it. My mother stayed in that room. The second bedroom, the one with two twin beds, was the room that my aunt and uncle stayed in. They were lazy and always made us late! I loved them all the same. My cousin and I slept on the pullout couch. A normal day at Disney World consisted of waking up around 8 in the morning. My mother and I went ahead and got ready, but my aunt and uncle always ran us late. Once they looked presentable, we grabbed a portable breakfast and headed downstairs to the bus stop located outside the hotel. I remember when some peacocks got loose and were all around the bus stop. It is indescribable how much fun we had with those giant birds! I was surprised that none got run over by one of the many transit buses that took people around to each park. After we were at one of the parks, we would normally kick off the day by riding a few rides. We would grab some lunch (I had an amazing Philly Cheesesteak in MGM.), normally something cheap and portable. We might grab a dessert also, usually something frozen. After lunch, we would ride some more rides and play a few games. This would take up a majority of the day. In the evening, we would go to a nice sit-down restaurant within the park. After eating, we would usually conclude the day by seeing one of Disney's many amazing shows. Walt Disney World doesn't seem like one amusement park/resort. It seems like a city - maybe even a state! It takes up much of Orlando. I mean, there are highways, forests, and even roadside signs - the Disney company was extremely wise in leaving so much land for expansion. We stayed at Walt Disney World for a week. Before I knew it, it was time to depart from the luxurious suite, the 5-star quality food, and the amazing attractions. It was hard leaving all of this behind. On our way out of Disney World in the limousine, I remember sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. All of this sobbing would soon cease, though, as we were heading for Universal Studios Orlando! Once again, we arrived in the same midnight black Lincoln stretch limousine. We first checked into our hotel, which was also located inside the park. We only stayed at Universal Studios for two days, as there were only two parks to see and each was not very large. Our hotel was nice, but not near as luxurious as the Wilderness Lodge. The one thing I remember about the hotel is that there was an aquatic airplane located in the patio area. I remember being crushed when a staff member gave Nick a $30 air cannon while I was standing right next to him. I don't even recall being talked to, let alone being given an expensive toy that was very innovative at the time. From then on I was pretty sure that this experience would be horrible. Well, I was definitely wrong. On the first day we visited the original Universal Studios park, which was amazing! There were more thrilling rides there, but the service was not near as good as Disney World. My favorite ride was the JAWS ride. Because I was so young, I felt a real feeling of suspense while riding rides like that, a feeling I no longer have. I remember that I went to the Curious George Water Playground. It was extremely fun while it lasted, but the aftermath was definitely not. It was Spring Break, which meant that it was still rather cool outside. I was in my only set of clothes, and when I left I was so cold that my mother had to buy me a new set of clothes. On the second and final day, we went to Islands of Adventure. This park was more of a park aimed at teenagers, so I did not have as much of an enjoyable time as I did at the other park. The time finally came to depart from the big city of Orlando and return to small town Texas. I did not have much trouble doing so, as I was becoming exhausted and wanted to go back home to my own bed. Before I knew it I was back in my hometown, Jacksonville, Texas. It is a wonderful feeling to return back home, even after having such a good time.
When I returned home, it was time to go back to second grade at my school. Spring Break was over, and everyone wanted to hear about my trip. Many were jealous, and I even remember Judith, a little Mexican girl, say that she went to Disney World over the weekend! I knew that this was not true, as she said she went for two days. I was smart enough to know that no one would fly to Florida, spend half a day at the park, and fly back!
Another summer had passed. I was now in the third grade. I was still in the dual language program, so I had two teachers. I do not remember my English teacher, but my Spanish teacher was Mrs. Penn. She was American, but would not speak it! Most of my classmates were Mexican, so she would not speak any English to me. I was not that advanced in Spanish yet, so my mother made a smart move and took me out of dual language. My new teacher was Mrs. Morris. She was a nice, middle-aged woman with red hair. She had a son, Chris, who would yell everything. It was then that my teachers discovered how intelligent I was. I took an IQ test and was immediately admitted to the gifted and talented class. Every Wednesday I would go to GT class. My GT teacher's name was Mrs. Eyre, a friendly woman probably in her mid-thirties. Her famous quote was, "When in doubt, get a dictionary out!". She definitely challenged our minds. She gave us every kind of assignment, everything from computer research to creative writing to puzzle solving. If you acted out in her class, she would write your name on the board. I got my name on this board quite a bit. If your name was not on the board, you were allowed to get a piece of candy. You were also put in a drawing for a grand prize, which was usually a toy found in a Dollar Tree store. GT was just what I needed to challenge my mind.
It was also in the third grade that I became obsessed with the occult. My school library had an occult section, which had books about aliens, the sasquatch, and ghost stories. I hated fictional books about the occult, so I stuck to the nonfiction ones. I found out some interesting stuff from those books. It was in that library that I discovered wonders like the Bermuda Triangle and Area 51. From then on, I searched every library for the occult books.
Once again, summer had passed. I was now in the fourth grade! I could not believe that I was now the senior of the elementary school. I was at "the top of the food chain", as some would say. My teacher's name was Mrs. Harris. She was also very friendly. She was probably in her fourties. Not much went on this year, except for at the end of the year when i took the dreaded TAKS test. Surprisingly, I scored outrageously high! The day of the TAKS test was also the day that Mrs. Harris told us that she was leaving. It was a day of tears and sorrow. Her spot was taken by Mrs. Black, who was also the school art teacher. She was nice, but no one could replace Mrs. Harris.
Fifth grade had come. I was finally out of Fred Douglas Elementary, and I was now attending Nichols Intermediate School. I only stayed in Nichols for a week, as the teachers and staff were horrible to me. I remember when one of my teachers required me to sit next to a bully, as that was what the seating chart called for. I asked her in a kind manner one day if I could be moved, and she told me to "deal with it". The school was like a prison. You could not go outside at all until you were picked up. Even then, you were required to sit on the concrete! I complained to my mother every day that week, and she finally decided to withdraw me from the school and enroll me in Jacksonville Christian School (a.k.a. JCS).
JCS was a small Christian school that used to be a church. I took the enrollment test, which was extremely simple, and was immediately accepted. On my first day of school, I realized that some of my classmates were friends from preschool years. In fact, Kennison, my first girlfriend, was in my class! Her attitude had definitely changed and we did not conversate nearly as much as we did way back when. I also met up with Benjamin, my old friend from preschool! At first, we did not realize that we used to be friends. After about a week, Ben realized that we were old friends from preschool. We began to reminisce about the good ol' days. We began to remember the time that we ran up and down the fence and threw rocks over it, similar to a pack of wild Indians! We remained friends, even though we still disagree on even the smallest things. Jacksonville Christian School was extremely small and outdated, although the education was top-notch. When you entered through the front doors, you landed in the chapel room, which was a sanctuary when the grounds was a church. To the left of the sanctuary was a set of old white doors leading into the office area. I always dreaded the office area, as the pricipal's office was located there. JCS was big on discipline. They had a paddle that they called "Mr. Smiley", as it was round and had a yellow smiley face on the front. I never go paddled, but I definitely came close. Once you leave the office area, you go into a hallway. The first room you would see would be the room containing the documents of the school. Things like enrollment papers, tuition forms and discipline sheets were kept in the large, black file cabinets located in the small room. If you went down the hallway a little more, the uniform shop was on the left. It was extremely pricey, but we were required to wear the uniforms, so we did not bicker about the costs. When you go down the small, paneled hallway you will find the music room on the left and the copy and laminating room on the right. A restroom with a water fountain is also located on the left. I recall the taste of the water, as it tasted like freshly cut grass with a little bit of dirt added in. The hallway then swiftly turned to the right. On the right was the teacher's lounge. It really should have been called the teacher's closet, as it was packed full and very small. There was also a utility closet on the right, containing vacuums, disinfectant, and other cleaning materials. A set of doors leading to the chapel were located on the right as well, and there was an exit to the outside grounds straight ahead. The hallway made a brisk turn to the left again. To the right was the art room, and to the left was the small library. If you walked straight ahead you would run into the lunch room. The lunch room was small and had no industrial kitchen, so the school had the food catered by a local restaurant. Once you left the lunch romm, you ran into a wing of classrooms. The hall once again turned left, and there were two more restrooms and then the final exit. There were also classrooms in smaller buildings outside. The playground was also outside. I remember swinging on the swings almost every day. The school was definitely not a palace, but it was an ideal place to learn.
Fifth grade was rather eventful. My teacher's name was Mrs. Crysup. She was a nice, older woman who had some pretty strange hair. Most of the teachers at JCS were old women, since they were normally retired public school teachers. Mrs. Crysup was not strict, but she got the job done. We said the pledges to the American and Christian flag every day, and we had a time of the day set out for a popcorn-style prayer. I must admit that the prayer was a rather selfish one, as many people were praying for material things instead of healing and hard times. The lessons were very brief, but we understood the material as well as we would if the teacher had spent two hours on each subject. Because of the short lessons, we always had game or movie time at the end of the day. I remember building a house of cards as tall as me, and I had so much fun destroying it! Fifth grade was one of my favorite years of grade school.
Before I knew it I was at the top of the food chain once again. I was finally in sixth grade! How I had always dreamed of sixth grade! I couldn't believe that I was finally there. I had two teachers that year - Mrs. Travis taught math and science, and Mrs. Godwin taught humanities. Mrs. Travis was nice to me, but she was extremely strict. She was mean to some of the students, but not me. There were only seven students that year, so our class was very small. Mrs. Godwin was an older South African woman with a strong British accent. She was truly hilarious, yet we argued quite a bit. I remember the time that she wrote me a conduct slip for telling someone to shut up, and I refused to take it home, so she wrote me another! She also gave me a 70 on an essay because it was so good that she thought I had plagiarized. She soon found out that I hadn't when I won first place in district ready writing! Every Wednesday afternoon we would clean the chapel. This was a fun alternative to doing class work, and it also gave us the oppurtunity to clean up our campus. Sixth grade was the last year at JCS, and I was sad to go. Little did I know that I would soon be off to better things
I began seventh grade at The Brook Hill School in Bullard, Texas. Mrs. Godwin had always told me about the school, and I had always wanted to attend there. This was a dream come true! The school is outstanding in all areas - the facilities have Roman architecture, the staff are caring and dedicated, and the education received while attending is like no other. There are four academic buildings on campus: there is a lower school, Ornelas Hall (6th-8th grade), Lauderdale Hall (6th-12th grade), and Founder's Hall (9th-12th grade). The Commons (cafeteria) is located near Lauderdale Hall. The opinions on the food vary, but I personally find it delicious. One time, a kid even started a petition about how horrible our food was! There is an athletic center named after Kyle Lake, a Texas minister who was electrocuted while carrying out a baptism. The athletic center has a weight room, a fitness room, a trainer's room, high school locker rooms, coach's offices, a cheer room, a nurse's office, and a film room. There is a huge gymnasium located next to the athletic center, which also houses the middle school locker rooms. There is a football stadium, (Herrington Stadium) two baseball fields and one softball field (Herrington Baseball Complex) located behind the school. There are two boarding houses on campus as well. There is an American Freedom Museum (opens soon) that is truly unique. It contains memorabilia and information from all wars and American Presidents all the way back to the American Revolution. There is also a log cabin on campus that is used as a meeting room for parents.
Seventh grade was eventful and drama-filled. I hadn't been in a large school for two years, so it took some adapting to be able to get used to changing classes and a decent athletic program again. Seventh grade was probably the worst year of my life. You definitely had to watch what you said, as it was normally instantly turned into a juicy rumor. I learned this the hard way, as I had to tell on myself for saying something that started a rumor. I truly believe that all of this drama was triggered mainly by puberty and hormones, especially in the seventh grade girls. A good highlight of the year was my humanities teacher, Mrs. Bunn. Mrs. Bunn was a strict but friendly (if you were on her good side) older woman. I was her favorite pupil. I still remember the debates we had on politics, as she is a Republican and I am a Democrat. They were intense debates, as I knew and still know an outstanding amount of politics. Mrs. Bunn thought that I was very smart and nominated me to go to a leadership camp in Austin, where I had the time of my life. She also nominated me for the Duke Talent Identification Program, a program where you take the college acceptance SAT. I received statewide recognition, and I still have the medal on my wall. Seventh grade was an interesting year.
Eighth grade, which I am currently in, is like a roller coaster ride - it has its ups and its downs. Why, it even has a few loops here and there! It has shown me great opportunities to travel and be a little more popular. I was Harold Hill in the musical The Music Man. This was my first main singing role in a musical. I had an overflowing amount of compliments afterwards, and adults and children alike wanted my autograph. The year has been a highlight of my school years.
During the Spring Break of 2010, I went with some friends from school to our nation's capital, Washington, D.C. It was an extremely eye-opening experience. Our trip began with a three-hour ride to my hotel, located in Dallas, Texas. The hotel was a Hampton Inn. This was the fanciest chain hotel I have ever set my foot in! I still remeber the victorian furniture in the lobby, which was a good sized room with a check-in desk on the left and a meeting room on the right. The whole hotel had strange paintings of huntsmen with their horses and bulldogs. The rooms were nice, but small. Our group leader was not at the hotel yet, so my mom, stepdad, and I went to an enormous Bass Pro Shops store located across the freeway. By the time we had gotten back to the hotel and waited a few minutes, more students from my school were beginning to arrive. After our group leader, Mrs. Tammy Rose, had arrived, we told our parents farewell and went to eat at Fudrucker's. I was unaware that Fudrucker's had so many types of meats. I found this fascinating, and I definitely took advantage of it! I wound up getting an Ostrich hamburger. My friends were terrified to even taste a sample, and the ones who did were disgusted! I loved it, though; it tasted gamier than beef and it had a different texture. We went back to the hotel and had a quick meeting, and we then went to our rooms. We had to share a bed with another guy, and my bedmate was constanly wiggling. I got two hours of sleep the whole night! We were required to be in the lobby at around 5:30 am, so we got up at 4:15. I was very exhausted, but I knew that I had to wake up in order to pack and be ready to go in time. I was, and we soon departed from the hotel and drove to DFW International Airport. Our flight left at 8:15 am. I had not flown since I was seven, and I loved to look out the window and see the clouds under me instead of above me. After three hours, we landed at Washington Dulles International Airport. We claimed our baggage and got on our charter bus. We were finally in DC! I was amazed at the architecture of the buildings. Throughout the week, we went to notable sites like the Old Post Office, Arlington National Cemetery, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Although I loved these sights, my favorite place was Mount Vernon. The architecture was truly amazing, and I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was standing in a place that our nation's founder, George Washington, stood in. I saw his and his wife's grave, which reinforced the fact that Mr. Washington was a real person and not just a person in the history books. Our hotel was a Marriot, located at the University of Maryland University College (very redundant name). This was a nice hotel, and it was more contemporary than the Hampton that we stayed at at DFW. Another plus was that the breakfasts were amazing! This was the only hotel I have ever been to that has a real breakfast. It consisted of Potatoes O'Brien, sausage or bacon, pancakes (on one morning), and fruits. Also, there was a Starbucks Coffee at the hotel! I got a vanilla latte every morning. Before I knew it, it was time to depart from DC. I was sad; I eve cried a bit. But, I knew in my heart that I would return someday. The flight back was at night, and I loved to look at the lights down below. Before I knew it, I was back home with a mere memory remaining.
Not much happened between March and June of 2010. School resumed after an exciting spring break. However, the anticipation of summer break once again kicked in, as it was only a couple of months away. Those months flew by, and, before I knew it, it was the last day of school. It was also the day of our annual awards ceremony. It was there that a quite unexpected thing happened to me. I had been chosen to recieve the heart award! This wasn't your everyday award, and it showed off its reputation by being on a plaque instead of paper. I was very proud of that award! Later on, I said goodbye to middle school and summer break began!
Months before summer break started, I began planning for a possible vacation to Tennessee. We would drive to Pigeon Forge, spend time there, and then make our way over to Chattanooga. My plans came true that June, as my family and a friend began packing our bags and printing off those maps for the long journey. Jon, my friend, and I couldn't wait to arrive at Pigeon Forge, but we thought we were going to hate the drive up there. Boy, were we wrong! I spent more time enjoying the ride than I did watching movies on our DVD player. We made various stops along the way, including a picnic at a roadside park in Louisiana, a visit to the Vicksburg battlefield, a night in Birmingham, Alabama, and quite a few gas station stops. Before we knew it, we had crossed the border into Tennessee, and we could automatically tell without looking at any signs! The mountains surrounding us were abundant and beautiful. We took the "scenic route", and even though it took a little longer, it was well worth it! I had some of the best pizza I've ever tasted at a little roadside restaurant along the route. After going through many mountain towns, we arrived in Sevierville, where our cabin was located. We picked up the keys and headed to the cabin. It was creatively named "Fuzzy Bear". It was a beautiful cabin on the tip-top of a mountain. It had a game room, a hot tub, and some amazing views! Because of our late arrival, we decided to alter some plans and head down the mountain to Pigeon Forge so we could ride some go-karts! We started at Nascar Speedpark. I am a huge theme park enthusiast, and when I heard about their roller coaster, Speedway Draft, I became very excited! The park was a huge letdown, as almost all of the rides were closed, including the coaster. However, the go-kart tracks were great, and Jon and I enjoyed those. We then headed to the Smoky Mountain Speedpark, which had one of the craziest go-kart tracks ever! They were definitely the fastest go-karts in Pigeon Forge. However, I came here for the extreme rides. They had a bungee tower, a Screamin' Swing, and Skyscraper, and an Ejection Seat. Our original plans were to ride them all, but Jon chickened out so we only got to ride the Screamin' Swing and the bungee tower. We paid for Jon's bungee jumping ticket, but when we got to the top of the 8 1/2 story tower he once agin chickened out. However, I rode that thing twice! We rode the Screamin' Swing four times, and I have some hilarious ride videos to prove it! After some great fun there, we went to Burger King and the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. This would be my first ever encounter with "fake tourists", which were mannequins made to look like tourists. We paid our 15 dollars... each!?! Oh well, we were glad we spent the money, as it was a fun and scary attraction comparable to Jurassic Park. It was late, so we headed back to the cabin and called it a night. On day two, we woke up and went to Gatlinburg. To make it short, I went on every single attraction Gatliburg had to offer, excluding mini golf. On day three, we woke up and went to Dollywood. This was a dream come true for me, as I got to ride my first Euro-Fighter coaster. Dollywood is not only a ride park, but also a park with great shows and and overall amazing atmosphere. After Dollywood, we went to the brand spankin' new Titanic Museum. It was a great experience, as the outside of the museum was shaped like a boat! It was late once again, so we called it a night and went "home". It was now our last day in Pigeon Forge. We woke up, packed our bags, and went to the Track, a go-kart and ride complex. We rode their wooden track and went on a giant bungee-style swing ride. After the Track, we went to Zorb. Zorbing is an extreme sport in which you basically roll down a mountain in a giant hamster ball. I chose the Zorbit (you are strapped in and you actually flip inside the ball) and Jon chose Zydro (no restraints and with water). It was definitely extreme and the only ride that has ever made me feel a little sick! Afterwards, we ate at Wood Grill Buffet, North America's largest buffet! We then headed over to the Dinosaur Walk Museum, a walkthrough attraction with life size dinosaurs. It was then time to say goodbye to Pigeon Forge, and we began the four-hour trip to Chattanooga. Before we knew it, we had arrived, and we checked into our little cabin and began doing what we do best - tourism! We ate Mexican food, gambled at a mini-mart, and went back to the cabin and built a fire. The next day, we woke up and went to our second park of the trip, Lake Winnepesaukah (Lake Winnie for short). It was the most dangerous park I had ever set foot in, but it was fun and I got the coaster credits! I rode the world's oldest operating boat flume and a classic wooden coaster called the Cannonball. Sadly, our day got cut short becuase of rain and a constantly naggy mother. So we went back to the cabin and called it a day. The next day we went to downtown Chattanooga. We saw a movie and went back to the cabin. Later, we returned to town for a ghost tour, which was amazing! That ran late, and we ate and went back to the cabin for the night. We woke up the next day. It was the last night of the actual vacation. We woke up and packed our bags. We rode some on-site go-karts and visited the underground caverns. We then left the campsite and went to the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. It is the world's steepst incline railway. After that and a huge rainstorm, we went to Rock City. It was a garden trail with some amazing rock formations and plants. After this, we went to Starbucks and headed for Birmingham, Alabama. We drove a few hours and we had arrived. It was then that I hit our last amusement park, Alabama Adventure. This actually wasn't in our plans and I had heard mixed reviews, but there were three coaster credits there, so I decided to give it a shot. This was where I rode my favorite wooden coaster of all time, Rampage.
