Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg

This vacation was probably one of the best vacations I think we've ever had. Generally when we get back from a trip and people ask how it was, I'm like, give me a couple weeks to forget the pain and then ask. Even with a couple of issues like rain, and my oldest son's behavior, this was a good, good vacation!

We stayed at the Creekstone Inn in Pigeon Forge. It's not a 5-Star hotel, but we're not 5-Star Travelers, so it was fine for us. The price was right, the water was hot, the beds were clean. Everything else was Bonus.

All the rooms have a balcony overlooking the Little Pigeon River. We had a nice corner room with an unobstructed view. 

Our room had a fireplace. I booked it because it was the same price as the room with no fireplace, no other reason. I sure didn't think we'd end up using it, in August!

But it was an overcast, rainy day, and we went to Dollywood and spent four hours and got soaking wet, then sat for an hour give-or-take in an air-conditioned Mellow Mushroom, and a couple of us are naturally cold-natured, so we were chilled to the bone. Hot showers and a nice warm fire fixed us right up. And dried our shoes.

Dollywood has a policy where, if you arrive after 3pm, you get the next day admission free.
They're open until 7pm, so it was like 4 hours bonus time, which was great because we could take our time and not have to feel so rushed to see and do everything in one day.

It had started raining again as we were arriving, most of the people were leaving. There was NO waiting for any of the rides, and we were able to experience half the park or more on that first afternoon.

The next day we were able to see the rest of the park, take in some shows, and re-ride some rides we had enjoyed.

Dolly chatting with us in her museum.

The day was sunny and very nice. It was a great choice to go on this trip later in August after most of the kids (around here, anyway) had started back to school.  There were a good bit of people there, but nothing like the crowds we had been used to dealing with, going on vacays when the boys were out of school on break - same as everyone else.

The next day, which was also John's birthday, we drove to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and in Tennessee, Clingman's Dome.

Ohh myy. We've climbed up mountains before, but this one was a bit harder of a climb than I was expecting. It was worth it, though.

It was chilly, windy, and cloudy when we first got there. We've experienced that before, at Brasstown Bald, so we called it "a walk in the clouds" and made the best of it. I just enjoyed the unique observation tower with it's curving ramp, and the Christmas-tree smell of all the Spruce/Fir trees.

It eventually did clear off enough for us to be able to see back to Pigeon Forge for a couple of minutes. 

A few miles down the road is Newfound Gap, and the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line.

We stopped at a Visitor's Center and ate a picnic lunch of turkey sandwiches, chips, and chocolate chip cookies, then went to the Gatlinburg Visitor's Center and caught the trolley into Gatlinburg to look around and do a little shopping.  On my shopping list was a jar of Ole Smoky Moonshine (yes, we can get it at liquor stores here, but it's not the same) and a lid for John's Tervis mug that I somehow lost (but will probably find now that we got another one).

Later that evening we had dinner at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede.  It was good food, a good show, and a good time.

It seems like we packed a lot in in 2.5 days, but somehow, there was plenty of time and then some. All this, and still time to relax, hang out on the balcony, watch tv, walk to the arcade and up the main street to check out the stores and restaurants.

I'm not sure how it happened, but it was amazing!