Tuesday-Wednesday, August 10 & 11
Today we made the 4 hour drive from Charlotte to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and it was truly the most beautiful day of driving on the entire trip - and there is a lot of competition!!! The Great Smoky Mountains are breathtaking!
We stopped at Clingmans Dome and intended to walk up to the tower located on the state line ridge. You can sometimes view over 100 miles in every direction into seven states. The problem is that a storm was brewing and when lightning and thunder started we bailed and got to the car and back on the road. Seriously!!??
We booked a Quality Inn in Pigeon Forge and were a bit concerned when we saw they were advertising a 24 hour indoor pool (and it is huge) but luckily families and kids don't stay up very late and this is very much a family focused destination. The traffic is horrible and there are lines for EVERYTHING AND IT IS HOT! Oh and humid and stormy so needless to say this was not our favorite spot on the trip. We stayed two nights so we could have a full day at Dollywood and were treated to the heaviest rain we have ever seen - anywhere - to date - even in hurricanes. (we hadn't been to Memphis yet! lol)
Dollywood was beautiful and offers a blend of country and amusement park - great food, happy employees and very family focused. It was just a bit too hot to enjoy any of it so as soon as J had ridden on the coasters he was interested in - we called it a day. We got back to the motel just in time for the deluge and enjoyed the cool off that ensued!!!
Did I mention the loaves of cinnamon bread served hot with icing and/or apple butter? OMG!!!
Gabi
