Dollywood!

I just got back from my road trip to Dollywood. I ended up spending three full days at the park - and if I had more time, I would have gone back again! In fact, I'm already planning another trip for later this year (sorry, Brian, I think I'll need you to fill in again).

You don't have to be a country music fan to love Dollywood. I like the pop country, but not all the twangy stuff. Luckily, Dolly Parton has made sure that Dollywood has a little of everything for everybody - and some amazing rides!

I don't have a digital camera, so no pictures from my trip. To be honest, even if I had one, I wouldn't want to carry it anyways. I'm kind of lazy like that. All I'll carry is some money and my keys - that's more than enough. So I guess it's a written trip report.

I went with a group put together by Dollywood through their website. They arranged for exclusive ride time before and after the park closed plus some walking tours of some of the roller coasters - and the roller coaster sensors. I mention the sensors because one of them on Thunderhead I think now has to be named Tanya in honor of one of my friends who was absolutely obsessed with it for some strange reason (I actually wish I had a video camera for that priceless moment).

So here's some of the highlights of the park...

• Mystery Mine: It's a partially indoor roller coaster with some crazy drops and a moment where the car travels upside down before flipping right side up! We need one of these nearby! If you go on it, notice the birds throughout the ride. There's supposedly over 400 of them featured throughout (yes, it's a very strange & unique ride - and it's all Dolly Parton approved).
  
  
• Thunderhead: A perfect wooden roller coaster. It's fast, it's twisted, and it doesn't slam you all around. It's actually made by GCI, a roller coaster company about four hours away from here in Sunbury, PA. I saw the trains for this ride as they were being built at the factory back in 2003. So obviously, I love this ride even more because of that.
  
  
• Blazing Fury: It's a dark ride, it's sort of a roller coaster, and it's got some surprises to it that you need to ride to see. This year is the 30th anniversary for this ride and it's still phenomenal.
  
  
• River Battle: You ride in boats and shoot water guns at people in the other boats and people walking by the ride. It's a perfect ride for a hot day - which Tennessee gets lots of.
  
  
• Mountain Slidewinder: It's a gigantic water slide that you can ride in your regular clothes. It's kind of like a four or five person bobsled ride with water. Because of the hilly terrain, the slide itself doesn't really leave the ground! So cool.
  
  
• Timber Tower: It's exactly like the Topple Tower that Marineland has. But this ride tips you into gigantic water fountains, soaking you!
  
  
• Dreamland Drive-In: It's not a ride - it's a show. And I actually went to see it - twice (which is saying something since I usually never want to do anything but go on the rides when I'm at an amusement park)! Dollywood arranged special seating for this, so that's what got me there the first time and I'm so happy I went. It's about a diner and the music of the 50's and 60's. And this isn't just performed by kids looking for a summer vacation job. Not even close. These were amazingly talented professionals. I'm sure the guy that played the diner waiter and Bertha (the diner owner) are going to be stars someday. Do not miss this show this year!
  
  
• Dixie Stampede: It's kind of part of Dollywood, but it's not in the park. It's similar to Medieval Times, but with a rodeo-type atmosphere. The food was great and the show was fun. Especially the audience participation stuff - at one point, they had kids helping chickens in a race. Yes, real chickens.
  
  
• Food: Equally as exciting as the rides is the amazing Dollywood food. I tried two of the restaurant buffets while I was there (Miss Lillian's Chicken House for lunch and Aunt Granny's Buffet for breakfast). I now know what grits are (and learned that adding tons of sugar and maple syrup to them is a normal thing). Dollywood also provided an all you can eat lunch buffet on Saturday which was topped off with a Napoleon dessert - this thing was gigantic and is available normally in the bakery near the front of the park.
  
  
• Deep Fried Banana Pudding: This was so cool, I had to mention it on it's own! I love deep fried anything and I love bananas. How much more perfect can you get?! They offer this in a restaurant between the Mystery Mine and Thunderhead. So as I bounced back and forth between those rides, I'd be eating deep fried banana pudding - I imagine this is what it's like in heaven.
  
  

In addition to all that, there's a bunch of other rides (including Dizzy Disk, one of the Disk'O rides I absolutely love), a five-mile train ride into the Smoky Mountains, a million craft stores scattered around, and if you can settle for a cup of water as opposed to a bottle, it's free at various food places throughout the park - not many parks do that! And starting this weekend and going throughout the summer, Creature Adventures starring the Kratt Brothers from Zoboomafoo and VeggieTales Live.

As for the park itself, it's absolutely spotless. You could practically eat off the ground! I didn't, but you almost could it's so clean. Glenda is just one of the awesome employees to thank for that. Actually, all the people working at Dollywood were so nice! It's that southern hospitality thing I think. And I don't think any of them are doing it because it's their job (like at Disney). Here, they truly love their work and it shows.

I have to thank Doreen, Ashley, Mike, Brian, and everyone else in the Group Sales department for making this a truly incredible and unforgettable vacation!

When your day at Dollywood is done, there's Pigeon Forge, the town Dollywood is in. Imagine all the crazy shops and things on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. Multiply that by fifty - no exaggeration! That's Pigeon Forge. There's indoor skydiving, lots of go-kart tracks and arcades, dinner shows, themed restaurants (Happy Days and Mel's Diner are two I ate at), haunted houses, random amusement park rides scattered all over, and outlet stores everywhere.

One of the crazy things I tried in town was the Zorb. It was featured on Amazing Race, so naturally I had to do it. They offer two ways to ride - as a water ride or with a harness. I wanted to flip upside down while bouncing down the hill, so I went with the harness ride. Wow! Even if you don't do it, go and watch it - this thing was crazy! And so much fun.

Something else I've seen on Amazing Race is ziplining. And starting July 4th, that will be available nearby too! It was killing me that it wasn't ready while I was there, so that's on the wish list for when I go back.

I used Mapquest for the directions and it worked out perfect. Just like Mapquest says, it took a little over eleven hours to get there (not counting some rest breaks - had to stop for the no-bake peanut butter cookies at Sheetz).

If you're thinking of going and are wondering about certain things in the park, e-mail me or call me at the station. I'd love to tell you more about what is now one of my favorite places to go.