On The Road to Dollywood
/I have never been to Dollywood, and since our vacation in North Carolina is only a couple hours away, this was the perfect opportunity to finally see this much-talked about theme park!
Courtesy Bart Shore
Sara, Bart Shore and me at Dollywood
Dollywood opened in 1986 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee, on the site of 3 former theme parks - Rebel Railroad in 1961, Goldrush Junction in 1970, and Silver Dollar City in 1977. When the Herschend family, owners of Silver Dollar City heard that Dolly Parton wanted to open a theme park in her home town, they partnered with her and lent her name to the newly re-branded “Dollywood.”
Dollywood is BIG - over 150 acres, and difficult to do in just one day. In fact, according to their website a full walk of the entire park is a mile and a half, not including the back and forth and re-walks around the place! We did our best to make the most of our time!
Who doesn’t like a train? The Dollywood Express is a 20 minute journey around the park, complete with a mix of railroad history, a great view of the park and a magnificent view of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.
Dollywood is not just a theme park; there’s a water park and resort and spa. We had our hands full just trying to navigate the park!
Even though I prefer not to get drenched at theme parks, I couldn’t say no to Daredevil Falls!
One last stop before we left - The Grist Mill for the world-famous Cinnamon Bread. I’m still making the “yummy” sound!
During our abbreviated visit there was a lot we were not able to see - a replica of Dolly Parton’s home, the bald eagle sanctuary, and many of the special musical shows in the park. We did, however, pack in a lifetime of memories, laughs and cinnamon bread!
Antique cars at Dollywood