Page 26 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – November/December 2021

o make my experience a truly authentic one, along with my friend who lives in Nashville, Tennessee,
I rented a cabin in The Great Smoky Mountains. The accommodations were perfect since it was
located just off of the main drag in Dolly’s hometown of Sevierville but also set enough in the mountains to give it the feeling of wilderness. The proximity to the park was unbeatable as it was only about a 15-minute drive and was very easy to navigate.
My only regret here is that we stayed only for two nights, in hindsight, I would have liked to stay for at least one more.
Not many people
realize that Pigeon Forge,
Sevierville and Gatlinburg,
Tennessee, are huge
tourist attraction cities.
Well, at least in New
York it may not be the
first place we think to
go. Most people think
about going to Nashville
(which I also did while
out there), but the Smoky
Mountains have so much
entertainment on top of
also being breathtaking.
This area is comparable
to Orlando or Niagara
Falls on the scale of big
attractions and how much
there is to do and be
seen. Pigeon Forge has
tons of tourist grabs along
the strip, including Hatfield
& McCoy Dinner Feud,
Dolly Parton’s Stampede,
Wonderworks, Titanic
Museum and Jimmy
Buffett’s Margaritaville.
Night one, we decided to
eat at the Hard Rock Café.
Around the world, all Hard
Rock Cafés have very different vibes, but this one was particularly cool because it was themed with showcases for legends like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and the Grand Ole Opry. They also were celebrating the brand’s 50th anniversary so the souvenirs were collectors’ items.
After a relaxing night in the cabin, it was finally time
to go to Dollywood. Originally when I had checked the forecast it was supposed to rain, but it turned out to
be a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and zero humidity. After we parked, we boarded a tram to take us to the gates of the park. It was quite a seamless process
and within 20 minutes from the point of arrival, we were walking onto Showstreet, akin to Disney’s popular Main Street U.S.A. Showstreet had many places to grab a bite to eat, as well as the biggest souvenir store, Dollywood Emporium. Something important to remember is that many mementos were unique to each merchandise location, so it’s key to keep track of where you see things. The park does offer package pickup, but it also is
easily walkable to retrace your steps later in the day.
There are several different lands in the park, but the best way to describe the overall vibe was a combination of Ghost Town at The Great Escape and Frontierland in Disney Parks. Our first ride
of the day was Thunderhead in Timber Canyon which was the perfect way to start. It was short and sweet, but this wooden coaster with a 100- foot drop was wild enough that both of us had tears in our eyes. There are many thrill rides throughout, including rollercoasters like FireChaser Express, Mystery Mine and Tennessee Tornado. Lines were way shorter than I am used to at most amusement parks, which meant we were able to get on about triple
the number of attractions expected. This also meant
we were able to ride some of the tamer rides in between, such as Black Bear Trail, Sky Rider and the local favorite, Blazing Fury. Blazing Fury actually outdates the park by 8 years as it was part of an earlier incarnation of the park known as “Silver Dollar City.” It features a very mild coaster
track as well as original animatronics from the ride’s glory days.
One unique aspect of Dollywood is the existence
of Dolly Parton attractions. As a tried-and-true fan,
this was my favorite part of the park. Guests can visit Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home which is a two-room replica of the home where she grew up with her family in the mountains of Sevierville. The replica contains actual treasures from her childhood inside. Another exclusive spot is Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels which was her actual tour bus for over a decade. But, by far, the
26 I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021