Parrot Mountain and Gardens

We started our day with a trip to Tractor Supply so that I could replace my lost hat.

Then the question was, how to spend the rest of the day? We agreed that another hike was not in the cards. Our legs needed a break.

There are an endless number of activities to do in Pigeon Forge. One could seriously vacation here every year and never do the same activity twice.

Eventually, I talked Greg into going to Parrot Mountain and Gardens. I could tell he was less than enthused, but being the good husband that he is, he went along with the idea. I’m not really an animal person, but I thought I might get some pretty pictures of flowers to use for my paintings.

Holy moly, this place did not disappoint!

When you first walk in, there are parrots and other exotic birds sitting on perches out in the open everywhere.

They have every kind of exotic bird here. I was completely enthralled by all the bright colors. It’s hard to believe that Mother Nature could come up with so many beautiful color combinations and patterns.

Look at these gorgeous colors!

And the patterns! Mother Nature is the ultimate artist.

Mother Nature also has a great sense of humor!

This guy desperately wanted to eat my phone.

One of the highlights of our visit was getting to hold the birds.

Later, we got to feed some lories.

And at the very end of the tour, we stepped into the bird nursery. Here, all the birds were for sale.

This little fellow even color-coordinated with Greg’s shirt!

I don’t know how I feel about taking birds out of their natural habitat and keeping them in a zoo, but my ambivalence did not detract from my enjoyment of the experience at all.

Greg and I had a fantastic time getting up close and personal with these beautiful creatures.

Mountain Valley Winery

After leaving Parrot Mountain, we headed to Mountain Valley Winery for a wine tasting. I’m not gonna lie. This place was a bit of a disappointment.

When we walked in, there were four counters and no seating area. We stood at the first counter (we were the only customers), and the salesperson invited us to try four different wines.

I tried four sweet wines, and Greg tried four dry wines. He had to pay $5 for the dry wines.

We liked the wines, but we were really looking for a relaxing experience, someplace where we could sip wine in a comfortable atmosphere and perhaps have an appetizer before going back to the camper to make dinner.

We ended up each buying a glass of wine, and the salesperson directed us to a patio outside, where we could relax.

It had a pretty view, but it was chilly out there. We didn’t linger.

Greg and I both agree that the wineries in the Finger Lakes are much better!