Spring Break 2026 Pigeon Forge RV Resort
Friday April 20 through Monday April 23, 2026
Kenny, Dana, Gabe, & Mia Koogler
Adam, Crystal, Michael and Tessa Lindsey
Photos are HERE for Pigeon Forge RV Resort
We made plans months ago to revisit Pigeon Forge RV Resort for Spring Break 2026.
We kept to our plans and it was a success. Mine & Kenny's daughter, Crystal, had a heart surgery to ablate an extra electrical node on Thursday April 19, 2026. By Friday she was ready to whip a wildcat!
On Thursday morning early we went to UT Hospital with Crystal and Adam for her procedure.
Adam finally told us he needed us to go home and get Tessa so Michael could go to work. He also asked us to take Rip to Doggy Daycare at Barken Howl in Wears Valley. It was our first time doing this, and Tessa handled him like a pro! What is really funny is that he loves Doggy Daycare and Svetlana and his dog friends sooooo much. Monday evening Papaw Kenny came over to get a haircut and Rip lost his mind because he thought that meant he was going to daycare again! He ran around the house jumping on the furniture like Tom Cruise jumping on the furniture on the Oprah Winfrey show!
Photo below by Crystal Lindsey-- My son in law Adam aka Dad holding Rip the Weimariner on his lap. You can see Tessa to the right wrapped in a blanket on her tablet doing something.
You see that yellow fob there on the table? That is the zapper to train Rip. He gets overly exuberant. It was fun taking him to Doggy Daycare. He hung his head out the jeep window and let his ears flap.
She was off all those heart meds she'd had to take. They make you feel very tired. She had the relief of the procedure being behind her and a success! She was sore from the incisions, but she and Adam took care of those and she didn't over exert herself. We were very grateful to God for her healing and safety.
We were thankful to all the friends and family who have prayed over her.
Courtney, Shannon & Olivia Icenhower came by to visit a couple times. It is another nice part of not being too far from home.
Jared & Lydia came by on Sunday and took Gabe & Mia to do fun activities and hang out so me and Papaw could go do our thing.
It was a fun, relaxing time for all of us. The only things that didn't go to plan?
The heated pool was heated, but only halfway. The water temperature was supposed to be 74 degrees, but I know better. I got in and went swimming twice, but I tolerate cold water better than most and I thought it was cold. Part of the problem was the windy conditions.
We like this place, but after the Springtime of the half heated pool we are going to find something ELSE to do and somewhere else to go for Spring Break 2027. Lord willing.
Below: mushroom wasn't even working in the pool this trip.
above: my big boy Gabe age 9.
Funny Incidents at the Pool:
Shannon told Olivia his daughter he was going to tell a chubby little boy there that she liked him!
She was horrified.
Olivia and Gabe identified something on the bottom of the pool nearer the deep end.
I could see it from the side of the pool as well. She told Gabe she thought someone pooped in the pool.
We laughed, but it was a worrying thought. I heard her tell him after I was out and wrapped in a towel.
"You know that water is going in your MOUTH?!" and cocked her head toward the supposed turd on the bottom of the pool. I lost it and went to laughing. Pretty soon we all got out. We will likely never know what it really was, but next day it was gone.
All I could think of was Caddy Shack and the Baby Ruth candy bar in the pool.
The kids rode their bikes for miles and miles around that campground. Friends Gary, Kaylee and their son Kash were also there camping with a group of other friends. They put miles on Gary's golf cart with Henley driving them around.
They wore out the pool and slide if a little less since it was chilly.
We had a camp fire a couple nights in the solo stove. We enjoyed the company of friends and family,
Springtime Exotic Petting Farm Trip
Saturday April 21 we went to Springtime Exotic Petting Farm to see critters and play.
We all loved this place. It has the coolest slides! The kids loved that and wore those out.
All my grandkids love animals. No one more than Tessa who is 12. Mia also tries to make a pet out of everything. Within the past week I have heard her say two things that truly illustrate how loving she is toward all living creatures. "What? It is just a baby mouse! He's cute." while the pre K teacher ran screaming from it. Another day she said "It is just a slug. He's not going to hurt you. He's cute." Meanwhile I am thinking "Ew! Gross!" I was not a great farm girl because I got upset with butchering animals. I tended to make everything a pet. I had praying mantis cocoons in my bedroom. Monarch butterfly cocoons. Turtles.
Below is a photo of the slides at the petting zoo.
Below is a video of the slides and wow! How cool they were!
Below: Five year old granddaughter Mia is doing the duck race. You have to pump water fastest to get the rubber duck around the course.
Below: the birds were favorites of all of us. An entire barn full of parakeets. They are sweet little creatures. You can hold out a popsicle stick dipped in fat and birdseed and they land on you to eat. Grandson Gabriel age 9 is loving this!
Below: petting the goats. One is an escapee. That is my son in law Adam and granddaughter's Mia and Tessa. The girls look so much alike they could be sisters. Tessa is 12 years old now and a cheer leader.
Below: granddaughter Tessa is watching her Daddy feed an emu. They are funny critters!
Below: I'm petting a camel. It is a dromedary camel with only one hump. I would love the chance to pet and maybe ride a bactrian camel... they are the two hump kind.
Below: Gabe holding a baby bunny. Now all the grandkids want a rabbit for a pet. I had one when I was little so I can't say anything. They did NOT like the guinea pigs however. I had one of those too. Her name was Daisy.
Below: My red haired baby girl talking with her Daddy. She will always be our baby. We are so grateful she is healthy and did well with her heart surgery.
Below is a video that is a highlight reel of the Petting Farm critters.
English Mountain Trout Farm Fishing
We got back from the petting zoo and the kids were ready to go to the pool. Michael had to work that morning so he had plans with Papaw to go trout fishing in the afternoon when he got back. I took the children to the pool so Papaw, Michael and Crystal could go to the trout farm. They caught about five nice fat trout and had a great time. It had been years since I prepared trout, but they brought them all too me and told me how they wanted them. I fixed three pan fried and the other two broiled with lemon pepper. I was doubtful how they'd be, but I need not have worried. Fixing trout came right back to me.
I grew up with a mom, grandma's and aunts who were great cooks and taught me plenty.
Below: Papaw fishing
Below: Lemon pepper trout broiled in the oven
Below: fresh trout butterfly fileted and fried in cracker meal.
Blowing Cave Mill Store
Crystal, Kenny and Michael also went to the Blowing Cave Mill store. I was so jealous.
I have visited the mill years ago, but they have opened it as a country store. I will have to get out there this Summer and check it for myself. Maybe I could take the kids to Forbidden Caverns and then to the store. I wouldn't mind going to the trout farm fishing again. I fished all the time right on up until a few years ago. I need to get back after it. It is fun.
Below: the charming Blowing Cave Mill
Saturday evening we had a good communal meal with all of us. It was so nice.
Sunday -- Hiking in the Smokies Cove Mountain Nature Trail Wildflowers
above a flat bed wrecker is fittin' to pull out that leaning white compact car. They stuck! 
Cove Hardwood Nature Trail Photos
The Chimneytops Picnic area was not open for the season so we had to park near the gate and walk to hike. It only adds a few feet to the hike so it wasn't a significant problem. I don't know why they didn't go ahead and open the picnic area by this time of year?
We didn't go far until we started seeing beautiful Spring wildflowers.
Below: White wake robin trilliums near the start of our hike
Below: lots of great white flowered trilliums
Below: the scenery as we started our hike. Beautiful sunshine and blue skies. I love the new green leaves of Spring.
Below: sunny yellow Trout lily along the nature trail
Below: a blue hepatica flower. These are some early bloomers
above: cluster of trilliums above the path
Below: beautiful trail through the forest
Below: Kenny admiring the hillside of trilliums
Below: the slopes of the trail are carpeted in fringed phacelia
Below: a close up view of one individual flower of fringed phacelia
Below: Sweet white trilliums
Below: another look at the trail winding through the forest with loads of tiny flowers
We hiked the short trail and near the start we had a funny experience. I heard a bellowing and squalling like a bear cub and remarked about it to Kenny. He agreed that was what it sounded like!
Seconds later a Dad appeared coming around the corner carrying a toddler across his shoulders the way a shepherd would carry a lamb. He had hold of one ankle and her arms. She was thrashing around and hollering at her Daddy. He was grinning and laughing and unbothered by her fighting him. All he said was "I know. I'll let you get down and walk again as soon as we get to a point where I feel I can."
Apparently she had fallen or acted up just prior to this so he intervened. Here came her mom and grandma and the rest of the family around the corner. I looked at them and we all burst out laughing.
I yelled "I am an ANGRY TIGER!!!" and the mom said Yes she is!!! I remember my kids showing their behinds like that and having to cope with them. Grandkids too. You have to keep a sense of calm and humor about you or you'll go crazy.
The hike was beautiful and easy. Kenny is going to have to get his knees replaced so he doesn't suffer anymore. I know how that is having endured it.
We wrapped up our hike and headed back toward Pigeon Forge. We stopped and did some shopping at Marshall's and Bealls. I got a candle warmer and a great smelling candle. I got the kids some shoes for their Easter outfits. I got a little bit of Spring decoration for the house.
Below is my candle warmer. They work by warming the candle and releasing the fragrance without you having to light it. No risk of fire! This one has a timer feature, dimmer switch and I love it. I also love the Gen Z slang "Delulu and Thriving" usually describes me well. 😀
Sunday evening we had another great communal meal and the men watched the basketball game. UT Vols won, but it was a close game.
Monday we packed up to go home shortly after breakfast, but the plan for the day was to take all the kids shopping for Needohs in Knoxville. It didn't work out. We had fun hitting up some KARM stores and Smart Toys & Books, but folks are hoarding up the toys so we came home and I ordered each kid a set of them.
We had a fun, relaxing Spring Break. Next year though we need to plan something different.
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