Jan. 23, 2013::unsinkable

Today, we travelled to Tennessee to take my mom home after she spent a few days with us. On the way, we stopped at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. I have resisted for over a year because it is in Pigeon Forge. I love the Smoky Mountains, but I am not fond of the commercialism of the area. I have, though, heard really good reports about this museum, so I ignored the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Theatre next door and we went. I am so glad we did.

This museum is very hands on, very kid friendly. I think Brice learned as much about the story as anyone else. We all really enjoyed it. There was so much to take in, so much to touch, so much to learn.

Some of our favorite things included:
::Touching a growing iceberg and dipping our hands in 28degree water across the bow.
::A simulation to try to steer the ship away from the iceberg in time
::An exact replica of the grand staircase
::Many well informed docents, in character
::A room full of photographs that had been taken by a passenger
::A simulation of water rushing down the steps and through a locked exit in 3rd class (which sparked a might discussion about human rights)
::So many stories about individual passengers.

One of the most engaging aspects was the boarding pass. Each individual received a boarding pass with a bio of a different passenger, their passage class, why they were traveling on the Titanic, etc. As we moved through the exhibits, we looked for clues about our passengers, their stories, artifacts from their life, whether they perished or survived, and what happened to survivors through the years.

It was well worth the money, the time, and the side trip through Pigeon Forge. Sometimes things are far better than we expect them to be.

Namaste