Yesterday was Dollywood. I didn't know what to expect. Everybody I know who has been there, or knows someone who has been there, says it's great! I went in with an open mind and it was . . . well, pretty great!
Everything is very well organized, starting right from the parking lot. As you drive in, you drive past the parking lot, so you can see the seemingly endless stretch of concrete, and it seems like you're going to be walking forever. Nope! They have frequent trams running non-stop through the day, and everyone is efficiently shuttled from wherever they're parked to the front gate.
We'd ordered our tickets online and early enough that there was a special price for a season pass, which comes with a free day pass for a visitor! So my husband is now a proud Dollywood season ticket holder.
We arrived pretty much when the park opened at `10 and left around 6, without feeling like there were major sections of downtime.
How to describe Dollywood? Smaller, super-friendly Disneyland, staffed by many exceptionally helpful senior citizens, with well designed areas, music everywhere, a stronger presence of Christianity than you might find at a Disneyland--but not enough to scare off my atheist husband, all in an expansive, but still comfortably walkable area. There are plenty of rides, including plenty of roller coasters, of which we partook in exactly zero--and we still had things to do all day long.
There was a special event for the month, "A Festival of Nations," which included food selections, musical presentations, and items for sale from assorted countries. These included Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, Canada, "Africa" (not a country, Dollywood!), India, South Korea, Ecuador, Cuba, and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting. Not all had music presentations, but I caught a bit of most that did, save Cuba. Also, the items they had for sale in "India" might have been made in India, but having been to India, they were, uh, not exactly representative, so I took a lot of what I saw in other places with a grain of salt.
Still, with all the cultural things, Dollywood felt a bit like the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu on steroids and with added roller coasters.
The Canadian music was from Quebec, and wasn't really Tom's cup of tea, so we moved on fairly quickly from that. I went on my own to "Drumstruck" a percussion-based show from South Africa that was high energy and particpatory. Every seat had a drum and we were encouraged to be engaged. The best music show, however, was the the Shell-sponsored "Invaders" a steel pan orchestra from Trinidad and Tobago.
It was very cold--the exciting weather in Nashville was at the leading edge of a strong cold front, so we were all bundled up and chilly. These poor folks from the Caribbean were not bundled up and freezing. But playing the steel pans is a fairly aerobic activity that helped warm them up. The show ended with the William Tell Overture and the Hallelujah Chorus on steel pans. Very impressive!
Another highlight is Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. Dollywood is partnered with the American Eagle Foundation and provides a home for around sixteen bald eagles, who are physically disabled and unable to return to the wild. The Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is the largest enclosed eagle aerie in the US. The eagles also have several mated pairs who produce offspring each year, who are released into the wild.
There is a live raptor show, including falcons, owls, vlutures, and eagles, and we had a seat in the front row. The black vulture flew so close over my head it almost hit me with a wing. Lots of wind. Very fun.
Also, at the end of the show, they have an African Pied Raven named Friar Tuck who is trained to accept donations of folded bills and drop them into the collection box. I admit, I participated in giving a dollar to Tuck. I am a sucker for ravens.
There were also lots of crafts, including leather goods, wood-carving, pottery, glass-blowing, metalwork, candles, and more. Plenty of shopping and browsing to be done.
I had a bobotie from South Africa--tasty sausage and almond-containing pastry for lunch and a more traditional American chicken tenders for dinner.
The last thing we saw was the Dolly Parton museum, which houses lots of memorabilia and allows the visitors to learn more about the lady who is the reason Dollywood exists. She's quite the philanthropist, and and very involved with the community and literacy projects.
Oh! And we also rode the Dollywood Express, a real coal-fired train that takes you on a five-mile loop around the park and nearby area. I could have done with less narration, but enjoyed experiencing all the unique steam train details that I can now use if I ever need to write one.
Overall, I had a really enjoyable day at Dollywood and would recommend it to pretty much anyone.
Onward this morning the the Tuckaleechee Caverns!
Everything is very well organized, starting right from the parking lot. As you drive in, you drive past the parking lot, so you can see the seemingly endless stretch of concrete, and it seems like you're going to be walking forever. Nope! They have frequent trams running non-stop through the day, and everyone is efficiently shuttled from wherever they're parked to the front gate.
We'd ordered our tickets online and early enough that there was a special price for a season pass, which comes with a free day pass for a visitor! So my husband is now a proud Dollywood season ticket holder.
We arrived pretty much when the park opened at `10 and left around 6, without feeling like there were major sections of downtime.
How to describe Dollywood? Smaller, super-friendly Disneyland, staffed by many exceptionally helpful senior citizens, with well designed areas, music everywhere, a stronger presence of Christianity than you might find at a Disneyland--but not enough to scare off my atheist husband, all in an expansive, but still comfortably walkable area. There are plenty of rides, including plenty of roller coasters, of which we partook in exactly zero--and we still had things to do all day long.
There was a special event for the month, "A Festival of Nations," which included food selections, musical presentations, and items for sale from assorted countries. These included Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, Canada, "Africa" (not a country, Dollywood!), India, South Korea, Ecuador, Cuba, and maybe one or two others I'm forgetting. Not all had music presentations, but I caught a bit of most that did, save Cuba. Also, the items they had for sale in "India" might have been made in India, but having been to India, they were, uh, not exactly representative, so I took a lot of what I saw in other places with a grain of salt.
Still, with all the cultural things, Dollywood felt a bit like the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu on steroids and with added roller coasters.
The Canadian music was from Quebec, and wasn't really Tom's cup of tea, so we moved on fairly quickly from that. I went on my own to "Drumstruck" a percussion-based show from South Africa that was high energy and particpatory. Every seat had a drum and we were encouraged to be engaged. The best music show, however, was the the Shell-sponsored "Invaders" a steel pan orchestra from Trinidad and Tobago.
It was very cold--the exciting weather in Nashville was at the leading edge of a strong cold front, so we were all bundled up and chilly. These poor folks from the Caribbean were not bundled up and freezing. But playing the steel pans is a fairly aerobic activity that helped warm them up. The show ended with the William Tell Overture and the Hallelujah Chorus on steel pans. Very impressive!
Another highlight is Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. Dollywood is partnered with the American Eagle Foundation and provides a home for around sixteen bald eagles, who are physically disabled and unable to return to the wild. The Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is the largest enclosed eagle aerie in the US. The eagles also have several mated pairs who produce offspring each year, who are released into the wild.
There is a live raptor show, including falcons, owls, vlutures, and eagles, and we had a seat in the front row. The black vulture flew so close over my head it almost hit me with a wing. Lots of wind. Very fun.
Also, at the end of the show, they have an African Pied Raven named Friar Tuck who is trained to accept donations of folded bills and drop them into the collection box. I admit, I participated in giving a dollar to Tuck. I am a sucker for ravens.
There were also lots of crafts, including leather goods, wood-carving, pottery, glass-blowing, metalwork, candles, and more. Plenty of shopping and browsing to be done.
I had a bobotie from South Africa--tasty sausage and almond-containing pastry for lunch and a more traditional American chicken tenders for dinner.
The last thing we saw was the Dolly Parton museum, which houses lots of memorabilia and allows the visitors to learn more about the lady who is the reason Dollywood exists. She's quite the philanthropist, and and very involved with the community and literacy projects.
Oh! And we also rode the Dollywood Express, a real coal-fired train that takes you on a five-mile loop around the park and nearby area. I could have done with less narration, but enjoyed experiencing all the unique steam train details that I can now use if I ever need to write one.
Overall, I had a really enjoyable day at Dollywood and would recommend it to pretty much anyone.
Onward this morning the the Tuckaleechee Caverns!
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