Vacation Days 4 and 5

Yesterday, we Rowes visited Wonderworks, an interactive museum in Pigeon Forge.  This distinctive building appears as an upside-down structure:

Inside, we got to explore all kinds of phenomena, from the sensations of an earthquake to immersing our hands in ice cold water to feel how icy the ocean was when the Titanic sank to gusts of 74 mph hurricane winds.  During the hurricane experience, Madeleine's body was hit so hard that her dress blew up around her waist, leaving me to grab the fabric as fast as I could and hold it back down over her undies.  We also got to explore a gallery of Optical Illusions, try out simple machines like pulleys, and take part in apace-themed attractions.

Julia and Madeleine have such strong arm muscles from all their swimming that the challenge of the pulleys was a piece of cake for them.  No matter how great or little mechanical advantage the various pulleys had, the girls were able to lift themselves up well off the ground:

Madeleine especially loved the space area. Not only could she and Julia pose as astronauts:

but we got to go on the Astronaut Trainer ride, which spun us upside down and every which way to simulate zero gravity.

After Wonderworks, we got dinner in one of the heavily touristy areas of town, meaning we had to park a significant walk away from the restaurant.  After we had made the trek back to the car, Julia came to a horrifying realization

JULIA: Oh my God!  I left my retainer at the restaurant!
ME: Where? On the table?
JULIA: On my napkin, under my kids' menu.

Julia and I began the long walk back, and I warned her that there was a chance the retainer had been thrown away when the table was cleared.  Julia's response was to begin sobbing, even as we sped-walked back to the restaurant.  Thank the Lord that the busboy had spitted spi retainer and brought it to the front desk.  Disaster narrowly averted!!

We are spending today enjoying the hotel resort, which has both indoor and outdoor water parks, an indoor arcade, and Adventure Center.  The girls hit the arcade first, where Madeleine won
an unreasonable amount of ducks:

After breakfast, they tried out the Ropes Course in the Adventure Center:

Now we're hanging at the outdoor water park, cooling off in the 90 degree heat.  After all the driving we've done lately, it's nice to have a day staying put at our hotel!  'Til later!