"Worst" Thanksgiving Ever

Starting any holiday with a jab up your nose could be a sign that your holiday isn't going to be normal. Of course we knew this Thanksgiving would be different because we weren't heading to Connecticut or California. However, we were looking forward to three days at Pine Mountain State Park with the Abrahams to celebrate the holiday outside of our houses. We didn't know just how outside it would be.

Unfortunately for the second time in the fall our family had been exposed to someone who had tested positive for covid-19, which meant we all got to experience the joys of the nostril invasion. Although we tested negative we still wanted to take all precautions. And this was going to make things a bit different than planned. Each family already had rented its own cabin, so we were good there. The cabins even had fireplaces, so that made them nice and cozy.

However, we decided that it would be best if we had our meals outside, including Thanksgiving. Truth be told, we lucked out weatherwise, because it wasn't raining and it only dipped down into the 40s at night. Kelly and Sarah pre-made as much as they could at home so that when we drove up that day we only had to reheat the main dishes. It truly was an impressive meal. 

Despite her smile for the picture here, we later learned that largely because of the outdoor nature of the affair Ella had described this as the "worst Thanksgiving ever." We will now be spending every Thanksgiving reminding her of how we occupy such a special place in her personal history. And if Ella wasn't interested in the outdoor eating she certainly wasn't interested in the outdoor hiking. 

Truth be told, we're not sure that any of the kids really enjoyed the hiking, except maybe Reese who was excited that she got to hike with Scout, the Abraham's dog. It was perfect hiking weather, though, and the trails were all right outside our cabins. Pine Mountain is a delight and we can't wait to go back.

We even managed to get a good family picture or two while hiking the trails. As you can see, the days definitely got warmer and made being outdoors more enjoyable. But not enjoyable enough, because the next hike included only the four adults and Scout. We made our way to Chained Rock that overlooks the town of Pineville. It's not a strenuous hike and the view is quite nice. Most important for us, of course, is that it lends itself to fantastic photo opportunities like the one below. Kelly was never in danger during the taking of this photograph.

To try and bring some holiday cheer to the younger contingent who were their own barrels of joy, Kelly and Sarah made a run to a few local stores to pick up gingerbread houses and decorating materials, aka candy. So while the adults hiked the kids decorated, and most likely stuffed their faces with candy.

Here is that fake smile again from the girl having the worst time ever. Poor Ella. And below we see the creations of her compatriots. They clearly did put some effort into their houses, so we can't be too hard on them.

This picture sums up the whole unique Thanksgiving celebration. We are posed on the stairs in front of the Pine Mountain State Park lodge, masks on and smiling with our eyes while a masked state trooper takes our picture. Happy Thanksgiving 2020, indeed.

 

They say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Well, when in Corbin, stop at the original Kentucky Fried Chicken. They have revamped that original joint, of course, and at this time the main building wasn't open. But we were able to hit the drive through and sat in our separate cars enjoying the delicious and greasy meal.

If this was the worst Thanksgiving ever, we consider ourselves lucky.