The Smokies In Review Part 2

After making everyone laugh so hard in Part 1, I'm afraid y'all will be disappointed with Part 2 especially since y'all apparently like to laugh at my misery and this was a great day! :)

Part 2 is our trip to Dollywood. I have to say Dollywood was really fun! I had not been since it was Silver Dollar City like, um . . . over twenty years ago. Check out this first picture! How sweet is that! And look how darn high we were! I was terrified. Rhett kept pointing out things for BFG to look at and she'd turn and make our little bucket-thing sway and my heart would come up my throat as I made everyone freeze. I'm not scared of heights really, more scared of malfunctioning rides.

But check out the view! Way, way better than Clingman's Dome and so much easier!

They have real-live coal-burning train at Dollywood. The same one I rode as a child when it was Silver Dollar City! This was one of BFG's faves! Knowing she was going to get to ride a real train is actually one of the things that helped her get over not getting to go to Disney World. It's so easy to forget that some of the simplest things are what mean the most to little kids.

Another totally awesome thing there is a bald eagle sanctuary! It was so cool! Rhett and I talk all the time about how we've never see a bald eagle. We're so weird, I know. And Rhett always asks elderly people if they've ever seen one. So, this was a big deal to us. Now, this eagle is not in the actual sanctuary. The sanctuary is a netted-off woodsy area and you just look up the hill and see all kinds of bald eagles hanging out. This eagle was in like a viewing display thing. He was a rescue and only has one wing. Isn't that wild? So, I don't know if he can be in the sanctuary or not.

So . . . This I have to address: Was Dollywood as good as Disney?

Rhett would say hands down "YES!" As we were leaving Dollywood, he asked BFG and she said yes. But, come on now, she's 3 and just had a day full of rides and fun. She's easily swayed. As for me, I would have to say that Dollywood did have some perks over Disney at least for us at the time of year we went.

1) 3 yr. olds are still free @ Dollywood!!!!! and mine & Rhett's was about $25 cheaper each. Plus, if you go after 3:00 pm, you get the next day free. This was our plan, but unfortunately our after 3:00 day was the day we had climbed Clingman's Dome so that took care of that. We couldn't walk.

2) BFG is so tall for her age that she was eligible to ride all but the fiercest roller coasters. There were some she qualified for that I just had to say no to. I just don't think a 50 ft. drop @ 60 mph on the log ride is appropriate for a 3 yr. old even if Rhett did think he could hold on to her to keep her from flying out of the no-seat belts log. She did get to ride some pretty scary stuff though. I guess I didn't know how tough my little darling is. There was one rocket booster swing type ride thing that I rode with her and I was the one scared. I was sitting there praying for Jesus to protect us and and she was patting my leg saying, "Don't be scared, Mama, don't be scared."

3) Dollywood has a color-coded armband system to signify what rides you can ride. We got her measured when we first got there, got her armband, and knew by the back of the park map everything she could ride. So, there was no getting to the front of the line to be measured only to be told that you couldn't ride.

4) It was the Bluegrass and Barbecue Fest so we had some gooood eatin'!

5) It was all elderly people working in the park. I'm talking like probably in their 70s, which did make me a little nervous. I could just see one of them having a heart attack or something while we were stuck at the top of a ride.But everyone seemed healthy enough and I much prefer elderly people to teenagers. They were all super sweet to BFG and treated her like she was one of their own grandchildren.

6) Absolutely no lines!!!! We didn't even have to get off the rides. We just kept on going over and over again! In fact, the elderly people preferred that we didn't get off because it was less work for them!

7) You are surrounded by patriotic and religious themes in the park (actually, in all of the Gatlinburg area) which I think is pretty darn cool. Disney supports and promotes values and beliefs that are contrary to the Bible.

So, I guess it was pretty darn close to being better. And it probably was a better experience overall. Just different. I don't know why seeing your child hug a big dumb mouse is so important. It just is.

Oh, this will give you a laugh. I got targeted on two water rides. 1) On the Smoky Mtn. River Rampage, there is this section were people can put in a quarter and when the raft comes by it shoots water right at a person (depends on which one you put money in I think). So, I got nailed right in the face. Then on their new River Battle ride, you ride in a boat with water guns and can shoot people on the sidewalk. And they have guns and can shoot water at you except they are up higher and it's easier for them to get you. So, we are riding and out of no where, some grown man we do not know was running from gun to gun shooting at us and getting us soaked. Rhett was mad! Of course, the crazy man ran off and hid before we could get off the ride. What an idiot! Who would pick a big 6'3" guy to shoot at and aim at his wife and little girl? He was a doofus! But at least he was smart enough to high-tail it out of there before Rhett could hurt him.

Mama Said