Posts Tagged ‘#gatlinburg’

Dollywood Theme Park

May 2, 2023

After our visit last night to Gatlinburg, next adventure was to see Dollywood Theme Park, me the first time ever. Patty had been before but wanted to go again. Let me just say we did not dress warm enough that day, thought we had but there was a wind that never let up so HOT Chocolate was on the list and being able to go inside and see the various shows was great as well.

First stop was the Eagle’s Nest area where they did a bird show and if you know me, Eagles have a special meaning for me, love those proud elegant winged hunters. They had quite a few in the Eagle habitat, seems many were rescues either in a healing process or some maybe to never return to the wild due to age or condition. Click on the photos to get a larger version and better view.

After the bird show we were like little kids, walking around, going to various displays and shows. Finding interesting things to look at, places to eat and of course like I said before, lots of hot chocolate. Hey it was cold, middle of December in Tennessee. We even took the little train ride around the park, shopped in various little shops and just generally had an excellent time. The entire place was already decked out with holiday decorations and spirit.

Next day was a relaxing ride up through Townsend and Cades Cove. It was like a step back in time, country side, flowing rivers, wild animals and old buildings. Just a slow drive through the past is the way I related to it.

That little drive took up most of the morning so we needed to get back to the hotel, we had tickets for the Dolly Parton Stampede show and dinner. Had heard so much about it, and there was certainly no disappointment. Nothing short of a great production, Christmas themed and very well done. Spectacular show for sure. Will post a few photos, had so many it’s hard to choose which are my favorites. The dinner was great as well, highly recommend this if ever in the area.

After our fun filled and exciting days in Tennessee it was time to head back home and prepare for Christmas at or near home. This was a wonderful trip and one that I will remember forever. Great memories for sure!

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles and experience new adventures.

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Tennessee in December

April 29, 2023

Growing up and living in the south all my life, going north in December was something that I was not quite sure would be enjoyable, not being a big fan of cold weather. Below sixty degrees F, I look for warm clothes/warm places immediately. However Patty convinced me it would be a great adventure and worth the pain, so glad she did, it was awesome.

First place we went was Northeast Tennessee to visit my cousin and his lovely wife. We enjoyed several days of visiting which allowed Patty to meet my cousins Larry and Margie for the first time. His brother had also moved to Tennessee recently near where they lived so we were able to see and visit with Ronnie and LeeAnn as well. Had a great time, ate well, slept well, and stayed warm, ALL good. 🙂 Visited Bay’s Mountain and the Planetarium which was near by, my second visit but was a first for Patty.

After our visit in Kingsport, we were off to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Yes Dollywood was definitely on the agenda as I had never been before. Funny thing happened on the way. Traveling some back roads we saw a sign that said something about Bush Beans. Now I’m pretty sure that most everyone has heard about and or eaten Bush beans so we turned around in pure curiosity to see this place.

After that short unplanned stop which was sorta fun and informational we continued our trip to where we were staying in Pigeon Forge. This area was a whole new adventure and something that I had looked forward to for quite some time. After checking into the hotel, food was next, ate at the Old Mill Pottery House Cafe & Grille, great food and service for sure. Yes is was beginning to get really cold for this southerner but having so much fun it was hardly noticed.

Patty had told me that Gatlinburg would be fully decorated already for Christmas so the decision was to visit that same night. We arrived in Gatlinburg late afternoon say around five or five thirty dressed warmly for the occasion. It was a beautiful evening! Downtown Gatlinburg was fantastic with all the Christmas decorations! If you were not in the Christmas spirit upon arrival, you would be by the time you left. Not sure how else to explain but it was just AWESOME in my opinion.

Great night, fantastic scenery and Christmas spirit full bore. Tomorrow we plan to visit Dollywood Theme Park. See ya there. We had so many more photos but guess it’s not a good idea to post hundreds of them. LOL

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles and experience new adventures.

Please leave comments, suggestions and hit the like button. Feel free to share this on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or your preferred social media. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, link below. Thank you so much for your time.

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