5 Reasons YOU Should Take a Girlfriends Getaway to Sevierville

Need to get away? Gather your closest girlfriends and hit the road to Sevierville, Tennessee. You will not regret it and I'm sharing 5 reasons you need to make it happen!

When I learned I was going to become a mom, I started mentally preparing to devote myself and {ALL of} my time to taking care of my child. Everyone tells you that life will never be the same, and it truly isn't. Being a mother is one of the most wonderful experiences on Earth, but you can easily lose your identity and sadly that had happened to me. Over time I've just become "mom" and not so much the Ruth I once was. I was in a slump and just lost touch with my former self. All that changed recently when I was invited to on a Girlfriends' Getaway in Sevierville, Tennessee by their Chamber of Commerce (at no cost to facilitate this post).

Now that I'm back, I'm feeling inspired, energized, and like myself again... The old me, the one I've been missing. I feel compelled to spread the gospel about taking a girlfriends' getaway. You need one. Really, you do.

Here are the top 5 (of MANY) reasons you should take a girlfriends' getaway -
specifically to Sevierville, Tennessee!

1.) You'll recharge your batteries and get back to YOU. As soon as I set foot on the ground in Tennessee, I already felt relaxed. The air was clean and the land was green. Also, there wasn't a tiny person on my heels asking "What's that?" 500 times per hour. It was eerily quiet and just lovely.

My first stop in Sevierville was our gorgeous cabin at Oak Haven Resort. I only had a few minutes to explore the space before my massage appointment at The Spa at Oak Haven. I was treated to a Spa Rock Massage and it was heavenly. HEAVENLY, I tell you! My massage therapist was absolutely fantastic and I left there feeling amazingly relaxed and renewed. Back at the cabin I made myself comfortable and took in the beautiful views from the large picture windows. We were given a huge cabin with 6 bedrooms and lots of shared common space. It was beautiful and I could totally see my entire family vacationing there. Then, I waited for my friends to arrive.

2.) You'll become better friends.  I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to this the getaway with two of my very close friends (and fellow bloggers) Janessa of Thrifty Nifty Mommy and Lindsey of So Easy Being Green. I talk to both of them multiple times a day and couldn't wait to rendezvous with them in Sevierville. I also knew that I'd be making some new friends as well. Colleen from Travel Mamas was coming from California, Jennifer from Baby Making Machine would be arriving from Texas, and Anna from My Life and Kids would be joining from Ohio, along with her sister in law Holli from my home state of Florida.

Since I'd be meeting new people I was a bit apprehensive, but we all became fast friends and it felt like we'd known each other for years. It took no time at all before we were chatting about our lives and families, and of course our blogs. We stayed up late into the night getting to know one another and I realized I hadn't talked that much in a LONG time. It's like I was starved for real (read: not online or via text messaging) conversation. It was wonderful to kick back and talk. I'm sure the other ladies felt this way too. No children drawing our attention away. No distractions. You could really listen... especially to the story about Anna throwing up in the coffee shop back home. I'm super thankful I had the chance to spend time with these ladies. I felt we like had a perfect group dynamic.

3.) You'll get new ideas. Lucky for us, we got to meet an amazing lady named Donna Rowland, owner of Faithfully Fashionable. As a fashion image consultant, Donna works with individual women or groups to help them reveal their inner and outer beauty. Donna is a super sweet lady but she tells you like it is. She got right to work teaching us about what colors would be best based on our hair, eye, and skin coloring, and about dressing for the shape of our bodies. After she'd shown us the ropes she escorted us to the Tanger Outlet Mall for an afternoon of shopping.

First, let me say this outlet mall was awesome! It had all of my favorite stores and then some. We even got to try on outfits for Donna and she was able to critique us and help us make the best choices. We had a great time and we each ended up making purchases from Loft based on Donna's recommendations. I have to tell you, this experience was fabulous and I've since vowed to always accessorize - it makes such a difference. I would seriously consider hiring Donna to help make-over my entire wardrobe if I lived closer.

4.) You won't have to cook. For real. No cooking on this trip. Dinner has become an exhausting chore for me lately and we've been stuck in a rut. Three days of no cooking sounded like the best thing. EVER. It gets better though. Not only did I not have to cook, I got to eat fantastic food from some Sevierville favorites including Flapjack's (Best pancakes ever. Hands down.), Tony Gore's Smoky Mountain BBQ and Grill (phenomenal service, tasty food, and aggressively large and fabulous desserts) and the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant (we also got to visit the Apple Barn Village that sells assorted candies, apple goods, and other delectables - plus the best chap stick on Earth... I may have bought seven tubes).

 The food... oh the food was delish. We ate like queens and didn't have to wash any dishes afterwards. A mom's fantasy.

5.) You'll have genuine fun while getting out and enjoying the town. We did so many exciting things that I'll be hard pressed to jam them into this post. One of my favorite activities was riding in our Elite Limo and visiting 3 of the 5 wineries on the Rocky Top Wine Trail. This was such a FUN time! The wine tastings are FREE and they offer nice pairings and personal tours. The people working at the wineries were just delightful. They were super friendly and knowledgeable, and they went out of their way to make our pregnant ladies and non-drinkers right at home with sparkling juices.

Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the visit to the Smoky Mountains National Park. We learned a ton from our friendly guide (and Sevier Co. Historian) Carroll McMahan and took a short hike to see waterfalls and the highest point of the park. The views from the top were incredible.

We also had the amazing opportunity to do a few adventurous excursions. First, we took a sunset helicopter tour courtesy of Fly Scenic. A few of the ladies were sensitive to motion sickness, but the ride was so smooth that neither of them had problems. We all enjoyed riding over the river and taking in the mountain views. Most of all, I enjoyed being with some of my closet friends.

Saving the best for last? Maybe! We also got the chance to zip line over the French Broad River thanks to Adrenaline Park. I have always wanted to go zip lining and I was thrilled to see that we'd be able to do that on this trip. The staff at Adrenaline Park was so welcoming that it was hard to be nervous since they made you feel so at ease. Not only do they have four zip lines that cross the river so you and your friends or family members can experience it together, they also have the longest known sky bridge with glass bottom panels. We all had a blast at Adrenaline Park and it was totally exhilarating!

I had such a fantastic time during my visit to Sevierville and this girlfriends' getaway was exactly what I needed. I'm feeling like my old self again and am so thankful to have had the opportunity to get away and recharge. I feel like I've returned completely refreshed and have more patience with my little guy and more energy to be the wife and mother that I want to be.

Special thanks to my mother and my handsome husband for watching the wubba while I was away. Also, thank you to all of wonderful people in Sevierville that made us feel completely welcome and right at home. Make sure you check out the Sevierville vacation website for details about traveling to the area.

Have you ever taken a Girlfriends' Getaway? 

Disclosure: I was provided travel, lodging, meals, and excursions courtesy of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. All opinions expressed are my own.