Starbuc's non-fort 4th of july Tennessee Vacation

[kampfirekim 260]

Did you say this TR was losing it's steam!? NOT! Awesome reporting Starbuc! We've never hauled our TT to the mountains but you're making it incredibly tempting! Sorry you didn't get to see Catherine Bach MC the midnight parade. I remember watching that show every week growing up. It was a family fave. :)

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I don't blame y'all at all for not doing the hike, we did it one spring and it was hot even then! I actually drove my 20 year old winnebago to Gatlinberg, I didn't know enough to know it was crazy! My Daddy kept telling me to worry about the brakes, I guess we were lucky! We had a fabulous time, I think we stayed at Twin Creek or something like that?

Your children are adorable!

[daddyphat808 - Eric 16]

It looks like it is a breathtaking place to camp! And that guy is crazy brave driving that RV up the mountain!

[stefa70 205]

Finally, an update! :banana:

The mountain pictures are beautiful. The first one (if it was snowy) made me think of The Shining.

Can't wait to see Dollywood pictures. Don't leave us hanging too long. :)

[Starbuc71 162]

What a cutie :banana:

Thank you, he takes after me...lol

Those pictures are gorgeous!

I meant to tell you earlier but your children are absolutely adorable! :)

As stated above, it runs in the family...lol. he's a pistol

Great update!

We love the drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg. It's amazing how long 36 miles takes while driving directly through the mountains.

Good call on not hiking to Clingmans Dome in that heat, we did that once with our DS and it was a lot of work.

I'm still loving the campground pictures. That looks like a really great place to stay!

Did you guys do any tubing or swimming in the river?

I wish we did. The kids are still too small to do this. I am hoping in a few years we can enjoy the forrest more and definatley spend some cool time in tubes and rivers. The veiw from the parking lot at clingmans dome is close to the same as the observation tower so the opt out of the hike was a good choice

Did you say this TR was losing it's steam!? NOT! Awesome reporting Starbuc! We've never hauled our TT to the mountains but you're making it incredibly tempting! Sorry you didn't get to see Catherine Bach MC the midnight parade. I remember watching that show every week growing up. It was a family fave. :)

Thanks Kim. I was thinking people were getting sick of a non-fort trip report, but maybe I was wrong. I would highly reccommend camping in the mountains. We love the fort, but camping in the real mountians with no palm trees is my thing. To me the smokey mountians is one of the most relaxing and most beautiful vacations. This campground is awesome for just that.

I would have loved to come home with a picture of me and Daisy Duke. Just to rub it into my buddies...maybe next time

I don't blame y'all at all for not doing the hike, we did it one spring and it was hot even then! I actually drove my 20 year old winnebago to Gatlinberg, I didn't know enough to know it was crazy! My Daddy kept telling me to worry about the brakes, I guess we were lucky! We had a fabulous time, I think we stayed at Twin Creek or something like that?

Your children are adorable!

Twin Creek is just about in Gatlinburg. A lot of people don't think of the brake thing. When I see a moron with a huge TT or 5er entering the long mountian road, I don't know weather to shake my head or laugh. It's a lot of wear and tear on both vehicles not to mention the gas it will burn

It looks like it is a breathtaking place to camp! And that guy is crazy brave driving that RV up the mountain!

That pic was taken at the top of the mountians, so he was only half way there. Now he best start worrying about the brakes on the classic beast. Also making sure the duct tape holds and the patio furniture does not blow off onto another car...lol

Finally, an update! :banana:

The mountain pictures are beautiful. The first one (if it was snowy) made me think of The Shining.

Can't wait to see Dollywood pictures. Don't leave us hanging too long. :)

Don't ruin my image of the smokeys being like the shinning....lol. "all work and no play will make Jack a dull boy"....lol Dollywood is coming up, our favorite theme park. In the upcoming post, I will show and tell you why :)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I was thinking people were getting sick of a non-fort trip report, but maybe I was wrong. I would highly reccommend camping in the mountains. We love the fort, but camping in the real mountians with no palm trees is my thing. To me the smokey mountians is one of the most relaxing and most beautiful vacations. This campground is awesome for just that.

I don't think anyone is getting sick of your report!

I am glad that there's a trip report section on this board, as I enjoy hearing of non-Fort trips just as much as I do hearing about the Fort.

You are right about the scenery- it's breathtaking! So different from flat Florida.

I'm looking forward to hearing your take on Dollywood.

Dolly Parton was on Jay Leno this past Friday night. IMHO, she looks better now then she did back in the 70's and 80's. Whoever is doing her work has to be a magician or wizard or something.

TCD

[Keylime359 2]

Great TR! This is on my wish list of places to go! You are making it tempting!

[michele j 9]

I am really enjoying your trip report. I was showing my husband the pictures and he said he wants to go there

Can't wait to hear about Dollywood.

Michele

[Starbuc71 162]

After a great day of swimming it was back to the site for a nice campfire and the making of smores. I actually don't care for the things. I rather eat the marshmellows and snack on the hershey bar. I hate messy things and smores can be very messy. In the third picture, do you see the dots behind the kids? Those are fireflies. They may not be important to most, but in Florida, it's very rare to see them and my kids thought they were the neatest thing. I'm originally from NY and it made me feel like a kid again...lol

The next day was a trip back into gatlinburg and a trip to cades cove. Cades cove is an area in the Smokey Mountain National park where I believe a lot of early settlers made thier home. Some of the original dwellings are still standing. Cades cove is a 20 some mile road which follows one of the meandering rivers with hairpin turns and curvy roads. Once at cades cover there is a campground which has no electric and I believe no water. The campers are mostly pop-ups or tents with an occasional MH. Here is one shot I took of it

This trip was another trip where the kids were getting ancy and dad forgot to take a lot of cool pics. Here are some random pics around the senic drive loop of cades cove

You can usually see some good wildlife on this ride. There was one bear siteing but all the idiots that were in front of us jumped out to take pics and clogged the road. It's amazing how tourist think it's so cool to go about 30ft in front a WILD bear and her cubs to snap pics. These bears must be used to it.

Next was into piegon forge, the next town over from Gatlinburg which is know for outlet stores, restaurants, dinner shows and go-cart places.

We didn't get much pics here due to me watching the road with all the traffic. Just picture International Drive in Orlando but with mountians in the background and a straight double highway and that's piegon forge. I did happen to catch a shot of one of thier newer attraction:

This was the Titanic Experience. I guess it has a replica of the staircase, actual items brought up from the ship, and your regular touisty stuff. I thought it looked quite impressive sitting in the smokies "even though it wasn't to scale" Next was heading back to camp and we got a couple shots from the Gatlinburg bypass which will take you around Gatlinburg and straight to the park

Next up....one of the last intstallments on this trip....Dollywood

[LONE-STAR 370]

I am still here

[michele j 9]

Yay! Dollywood!!

I went to the Titanic Experience in Las Vegas. It was pretty cool. They didn't have a ship like that, it was in one of the hotels.

Looking foward to the next installment

Michele

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Those views are just gorgeous. I am especially enjoying them right now because it looks like it would be much cooler than it is here.

[anolefan 8]

I'm loving this report!

Cades Cove is a a great drive. You are right about all the people chasing the bears trying to get pictures. It can be very frustrating because the traffic comes to a complete stop when one person decides to park in the middle of the road.

I love the Gatlinburg bypass photos!

I can't wait for Dollywood.

Did you guys take the Roaring Fork Nature Trail drive? That is a really scenic drive also right on the edge of Gatlinburg and the NP.

You are doing a great job!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Great pics of Cades Cove!! We took the bus tour there. Really neat!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We didn't get much pics here due to me watching the road with all the traffic. Just picture International Drive in Orlando but with mountians in the background and a straight double highway and that's piegon forge. I did happen to catch a shot of one of thier newer attraction:

S71 (I gave you a new three letter handle- all the cool kids have one):

I love your description of Pigeon Forge! From that photo, I would say you nailed it.

That thing is cool and everything, but my goodness, what an eyesore!

And, you and I are on the same page with s'mores. My kids love them, I don't. They always manage to make a big mess.

Oh, and thanks for posting the photo of the Cade's Cove campground- that looks really nice.

I'm looking forward to hearing about Dollywood.

TCD

[Starbuc71 162]

Yay! Dollywood!!

I went to the Titanic Experience in Las Vegas. It was pretty cool. They didn't have a ship like that, it was in one of the hotels.

Looking foward to the next installment

Michele

This thing looked pretty impressive. It even had water flowing off each side of the ship as if it were really moving. I'm sure out of all the titanic exhibits (which I have only been to one...come on everyone had to go to one after the 97 movie right?) this is probably a real good one with all the time they took to build it.

Those views are just gorgeous. I am especially enjoying them right now because it looks like it would be much cooler than it is here.

Yeah, it looks cooler, but not by much. It does give ya the thought though

I'm loving this report!

Cades Cove is a a great drive. You are right about all the people chasing the bears trying to get pictures. It can be very frustrating because the traffic comes to a complete stop when one person decides to park in the middle of the road.

I love the Gatlinburg bypass photos!

I can't wait for Dollywood.

Did you guys take the Roaring Fork Nature Trail drive? That is a really scenic drive also right on the edge of Gatlinburg and the NP.

You are doing a great job!

We did the roaring fork the last time and actually forgot about it on this trip. 8 days and it still did not feel like enough time..lol

Great pics of Cades Cove!! We took the bus tour there. Really neat!!

If your looking for something free and at times relaxing, this is the drive to take. We actually wanted to stop and just let the kids run wild in the fields since we can't really do that in FL with all the snakes, spiders and what nots.

S71 (I gave you a new three letter handle- all the cool kids have one):

I love your description of Pigeon Forge! From that photo, I would say you nailed it.

That thing is cool and everything, but my goodness, what an eyesore!

And, you and I are on the same page with s'mores. My kids love them, I don't. They always manage to make a big mess.

Oh, and thanks for posting the photo of the Cade's Cove campground- that looks really nice.

I'm looking forward to hearing about Dollywood.

TCD

S71...I like it. Now I'm hip. Yup I-drive re-incarnated with mountians...but a bit cooler and not so crowded. that boat is impressive, but I agree, what an eyesore. You would think something like that would look good downtown Boston or maybe Norfolk where there is actual WATER...lol S'mores suck, hershey bars rock. I wish I grabed more shots of the cades cove campground. A nice campground that we did not drive through on this trip was called Elkmont. It's a national park campground with no hook ups, but your right in the forrest. Some fiends have been there. My wife will not camp without a/c so Elkmont was out of the pic

[okgirlie...Brandy 6]

They have one of those Titantic Experiences in Branson. I haven't been there but I hear it's a must do. Maybe next time we go I'll check it out. I love Branson, MO. We stopped in briefly at the end of April but I may just have to plan a return trip. I am betting Pigeon Forge is much like Branson. Outlet Malls, shopping, craft places, tourist traps, Silver Dollar City, etc. I love it.

[Starbuc71 162]

Well, all good things must come to an end and this report is getting near. I was hoping this report would gain the TCD 3000 view club, but I think we're going to run short Anyways, It's Wedensday and it's our second to last day of the trip. We figured it was a few days after the 4th and hopefully a lot of people left thier vacation and the theme park. Dollywood is our favorite theme park. The park is nowhere near as big as any of the Disney parks but when when you mix in your favorite carnival rides you remember as a kid, state of the art roller costers, thrill rides you have never seen and good ol southern hospitality, you have one hell of a nice park. To the fiends that have been here, I hope you know what I mean and appologize for boring you with the Dollywood details :) Dollywood is actually nestled in the mountians. Below is the map of the park

As you can see, it doesn't look very big, but you can spend a whole day there. they have the park broke up into sections. As you enter the parking lot, they do have trams like Disney that will take you to the main gate

Here is the main gate.

Once inside, it's kind of like walking down a smaller version of mainstreet USA

The place is very, very clean and has a lot of interesting things you might miss and beautiful fountians and gardens. I had to snap this pic of a Tennessee flower pot for my friend who is a die hard UT fan

Since these days are all about the kids, we headed over to the county fair area where there are a lot of the kiddie type rides but also some fun rides for the adults. They do have some of the old time favorites like the merry mixer, tilt a wirl, swings and ferris wheel, but the difference between what we rode as kids at the fireman field days carnival, is that these rides are permanet and those rides were taken apart weekly and re-assembled weekly by Larry, Daryl and Daryl.

My daughter was dying to go on the ferris wheel since she has never been. here is a few pics

next is was off to the carrosel. It is very simillar to the one at MK

...Then off to the swings

as I stated, this area has rides for all ages of children. I think my son liked these next few more than my daughter did

This was a very interesting ride that went back and forth and spinned real fast as it did. We had a blast on this

One of he things that Dollywood has is an actual Steam locomotive that goes around the park and actually up into a tad of the mountians. When you get off, you actually have pieces of soot from the coal on your shirt and hats. It's really impressive for the train buffs out there

Next we headed over to thier 50's area know as Jukebox junction. here they have everything themed around the 50's. They had a raceway type ride, but instead of race cars, it was cars from the 50's with a radio playing 50's music in your car. i thought it was very neat

These next pics show the resturant and gift shop which is located in jukebox junction

Next was a stroll up through craftsman valley. Here they have diffrerent shops, glass blowing, panning for Gold and an actual American bald eagle habitat. Craftsman valley was expanded a few years back so it got bigger to us. Dollywood is growing larger all the time now and it seems every year now they add a new main attraction. This area is where they are growing and have added some cool rides

Next up.... the cool rides

[michele j 9]

Dollywood looks like alot of fun. Thank you for all the pictures.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

This is AWESOME!!!!! I need to get to Dollywood one of these days!!!!

[Starbuc71 162]

I actually only have a few more pics so lets wrap this up. this is thier steel coaster. Not many pics, but I thin k you get the idea

This next pic is what they call adventure mountain. It's a huge playground where each child is actually strapped into a harness and goes though this extremly challenging playground/obstacle course. My kids were too small

Here is your typical advertising/ kodak picture spot

This was also kind of neat. It was called River battle. It was actually this raft/log type ride that meandered abound this small river/pool and it had 4-8 water cannons on board. You could drench other rafts and also drench people walking by the attraction. another neat part of this was that at certian parts of the walking path, there were also water cannons, so you could drench the people on the ride

Last but not least was the typical river rapid ride. I guess it was pretty much like all the other rapid rides, but it was still cool, especially on a hot day

...and finally this is my last pic of the trip. We did not get to experience all the rides and unfortunatley I did not get many pics of the huge onesbut overall I hope you get a bit of what Dollywood is like. I thought this was the coolest thing at Dollywood. It was called the Family Dryer. For $3 (which I thought was the bad part about it), you and your family could enter this contraption and get blown away by large forces of wind that will dry you off after getting soaked on a water ride. Great concept, but rediculious price, but as the famous line states, "if you build it, they will come"

The next 2 days was really just relaxing one more day at the pool then packing up for the 12 hour trip home. We decided to drive straight through. Not too bad. We left on Friday about 8am and pulled in our drive in FL at 8pm. I hope everyone enjoyed this report as much as we did actually being there. Besides Hawaii (we can't take the RV there) and the fort, the Smokey Mountians are our favorite vacation spot. I would highly recommend Smoky Bear campground http://smokybearcamp...com/index.shtml Red Top Mountian State Park http://gastateparks....RedTopMountain/ and of couse Dollywood if you have never been. You will love it http://www.dollywood...ywood_home.aspx

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I've never been to Dollywood, but it does look like a really nice park. I have enjoyed reading along with your report and hate to see it end.

[okgirlie...Brandy 6]

Dollywood reminds me of Silver Dollar City. I can see why you like it so much. I love SDC. I started going there when I was 8 and everytime I go it feels like home even though it's a theme park. SDC has that big circle ride that spins and goes back and forth. It was a ton of fun but boy did I feel sick afterwards. I very much enjoyed your trip report. One day we will make it out there for a vacation.

[stefa70 205]

:bravo: Nice trip report S71!

Dollywood looks like a great time. I grew up in upstate NY and we had a small amusement park on the lake that we would visit on the weekends. Dollywood reminds me of that. Since I'm not a thrill ride seeker, that kind of park suits me just fine.

$3.00 for that dryer is kind of steep, but I have rode Kali Rapids in January and would have probably paid double that, to be able to get dry fast. Not such a bad idea, especially in cold weather.

Do you have any Fort trips planned for the near future?

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

:bravo: