From Burnout to Balance
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build a theme park in the same place she grew up, to honor the people who raised her and the natural beauty of the Smokies. Dolly is known as the“ Dreamer-in-Chief” and her presence and music are everywhere. I admit that I’ m not much for theme parks, so the admission price of $ 92 for adults was cringe-worthy( 2-day $ 122 – Water Park extra). After a morning of hiking in the park and zip lining, we hit Dollywood around 11 a. m. to avoid the morning crowd. Parking was plentiful though the trams were a bit slow. Entry lines and personal scanners were not intrusive. When you walk in, you are immediately greeted with the Appalachian theme and Dolly’ s rhinestone touch. Live music and shows are offered at different venues, but we were there for the rides. Out of more than 50 rides, Dollywood has ten roller coasters ranging in size from Big Bear Mountain’ s 4,000-foot track to Whistle Punk Chaser for the younger or nervous ones. Wild Eagle is a fan favorite. My personal favorite was Mystery Mine, a haunted mining operation riding through an abandoned coal mine in an eight-person coal car. It includes a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop that plunges into darkness! I had to do it twice. The fastest Dollywood coaster is Lightning Rod, hitting 73 mph and sending you 20 stories up its lift and then racing down a 165-foot drop. I could only do this once.
You can buy a bottomless soda cup for the kids and the food options are plentiful, but there are not enough water stations if you are trying to stay hydrated. We left after six hours and didn’ t feel hurried, just worn out. We went early in April, so the water park wasn’ t an option. Don’ t fall for the local hotels unless your plan is to only sleep in your room between excursions. There are literally thousands of cabins and rentals all around the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area – a bit more expensive, but well worth the quiet and retreat from the tourist crush. Airbnb( www. airbnb. com) or Vrbo( vrbo. com) both have many options. Pets are welcome at most places for an extra nightly charge.
I love the woods, quiet and southern fare. The kids crave excitement, shopping and pizza. Pigeon Forge and Dollywood had both and was a great three-day get-away, only four hours from home. Make sure and check the calendar as they have seasonal festivals scheduled throughout the year, wrapping up with the popular Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival. Nov. 1 – Jan. 4. Once they build more roads in and out, I will definitely be going back!
Dr. Wernert is the Executive Medical Director of Norton Medical Group and practices with Norton Behavioral Medicine.
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