Monday, April 17 - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee & Dollywood

 We were both excited to be in real nature.  Where there were few tourist trinkets to lure people. The friend we met at church suggested we had to stop by Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia.  We'd never heard of it but decided to do a quick stop.

We got there just as a couple of school busses were dropping off kids for a field trip.  We hiked in and out quickly to enjoy the view in quiet and peace.  Ha!

Brian had lots of fun playing with his camera. 
We loved to see the gorge from above the bird's view.

To get from Georgia to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee we had to drive right through the National Park.  It was not a burden.  

This river followed alongside the highway. 
We had to stop and appreciate.

But the Smoky Mountains National Park was scheduled for Tuesday so we had to keep driving to our days ...

Adventure Time

On the schedule was Dollywood.  Since it's still Spring and the park had limited hours and we used time for the drive and extra stop in Tallulah Gorge, our play time in the park was short.  We worried we wouldn't be able to enjoy the attractions we most wanted to.  Before our trip we did our research, watched A LOT of YouTube videos to learn the best tricks of enjoying the park, downloaded the App, and had our plan.  (I would recommend watching YouTube videos and downloading the App to anyone planning a trip there.)  Finally we arrived and ... the park was empty.  No lines anywhere!  The weather was perfect, the park was beautiful, and we got through our entire plan hours before the park closed.  It was fabulous!!!

Seriously, the park is so pretty!  There are bits of art installments all over the place.

I have always loved Dolly's music and her influence, but didn't know that the butterfly was her trademark.  They were found all over the park in the trees, hidden in designs, etc.

I am a sucker for cute bird houses. 
They had these things all over the place in the park.

Our first time on a coal powered train.  Since we were in the
Blue Ridge Mountains, they are proud of their coal.

We went on a few rides together, and then Brian rode a lot of the rollercoasters solo ... again, my dumb neck issues.  It didn't hamper his fun.  He was able to ride everything he wanted as often as he wanted since there were no lines. 

Though we didn't get a picture, we did enjoy the famous Cinnamon Bread.  Worth a sample!

We grabbed some dinner in Gatlinburg and headed to our cabin in the mountains.  Wait till you see the view!!! (Here is an online picture from the jacuzzi looking out over the valley ... breath taking!)!!

The cabin was pretty ordinary from this side.
All the magic is from the other side of the balcony.

After a nice soak we were ready to sleep and prepare for the busy day planned for tomorrow!

Places to Eat

   * Mama's Chicken Kitchen - I don't think we've ever eaten as much good fried chicken in our lives like we did on this trip.  And this place was decorated with pictures of National Parks from around the country.  We loved this little pit stop.