Tag Archives: Dollywood

What’s In Gatlinburg?

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A similar question came up when we went to South Dakota and that turned out to be a great vacation. So I am hopeful that this will be the same. Sandy has been to the Great Smokey Mountains and the first thing she said when I told her I’d decided on Tennessee was to be sure to visit Dollywood.

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I admit, Dollywood wasn’t on the top of my “to do” list and I reluctantly said ok, if it’s close enough. Well it sure is close enough. Located in Pigeon Forge it’s less than 10 miles from Gatlinburg.

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Dollywood isn’t open year round so I was still thinking I might get a reprieve if it wasn’t open for the season but that didn’t work out either. According to the website it’s opening on March 22 so even if they were to delay the opening for some reason it’s still sure to be up and running by May.

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But here’s where it gets interesting. I was dragging my feet because I don’t like amusement parks. 6 Flags is a waste of money for me and I only go to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire on occasion to take pictures. But Dolly stresses that her park is a “family adventure” (don’t call it an amusement park”).

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My sister says this is the cleanest park she has even seen! Although there are more than 30 rides there are also musical shows, restaurants and arts and crafts shops where  wood carving, glassblowing and quilting are demonstrated.

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Although Dollywood had to bear the brunt of a number of jokes when it first opened it now hosts 2.5 million guests in a typical season. No longer a laughing matter, Dollywood is a major employer for the region. As of 2010, the park was the biggest “ticketed” tourist attraction in Tennessee each year for more than a decade.

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So I have had a change of heart and moved Dollywood from a reluctant location on my itinerary to one of the “must see” stops. They say the Ferris wheel is  60 ft. high. Imagine the pictures I can get from up there!

Pardon me boy, Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

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Words made famous in the Big Band era by Glen Miller, today trains have a pride of place in Chattanooga’s former Terminal Station.

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You can even stay at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. And as long as you are in Chattanooga Tennessee, you need to cross the state border back into Georgia for a brief stop in Rock City. From the top of Lookout Mountain you have spectacular views of 7 states, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia . Walk the less- than -a-mile- long Enchanted Trail past ancient rock formations , a 90 ft. waterfall and the Swing-a-Long Bridge,  a 180 foot-long suspension bridge that sways above the Chattanooga Valley

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For Civil War history buffs, move on to Franklin, Tennessee where the focal point of the town Square is a monument to unnamed Civil War Soldiers. This is an area where the plantation system rose and fell so visit Carnton Plantation while you’re in the area.

Along the Tennessee and North Carolina border are the Great Smoky Mountains, 800 square miles of the southern Appalachians. Even the Grand Canyon is described as a distant second to the visual drama of the Smokies.  This National Park is the most popular park in the country.

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OK all you Elvis Fans, It’s one for the Money, Two for the show, 3 to get ready and 4 to go, go , go to Graceland Mansion, The King’s home from 1957 until he died 20 years later. While you’re in Memphis visit The Music Museums. Memphis is hailed as home to the blues, and birthplace of Rock and Roll. Celebrate not only Elvis but music greats like Muddy Waters, B.B. King and countless others.

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The National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991 in the Lorraine Building. Much of the exhibit features Dr. Martin Luther King  Jr. who was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.MARTIN LUTHER KING

In Nashville we can visit the Grand Ole Opry and the Belle Meads, the most well preserved of Tennessee’s plantations.

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Also in Nashville is the official home of Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the United states. President Jackson lived in Nashville from 1788 until his death in 1845.

For the amusement park fans, Dollywood is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee but don’t call it an amusement park. According to Dolly Parton it’s a “family adventure”.

Horse lovers all know the Tennessee Walking Horse. Visit Shelbyville, Tennessee at the end of August to join the 11 day celebration  of Tennessee’s own special horse breed.

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The last bit that I have time to cover is the Tennessee Whisky Trail. W.C. Fields advised people to “Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite…and furthermore always carry a small snake.” Tennessee sipping whiskey is a blend of corn, rye, barley, yeast and water. In 1866 Jack Daniels Distillery opened in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Tours start in the visitor’s center, furnished with antique moonshine-making equipment and artifacts. Go in late October to combine your visit with the Barbecue Festival.

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Gotta love guide books and brochures.:) Makes it sound like I’ve been there but no, sadly Tennessee is still on my bucket list. So the Visited and Unvisited now stand at 16/26