Dollywood Day

Today was our family trip to Dollywood. The moment we arrived in the car park, it felt like a well-oiled cog was working at Dollywood. Cheerful staff pointed us to available spaces, and we travelled to the entrance on a free shuttle train. Only a couple of minutes queueing, ticket purchased, and then we were in. It's a bright, cheerful, and busy place, with really helpful staff to point visitors to their goal. For me, that was a rollercoaster ride. I (mistakenly) thought the wooden one in the country fair area would be more rustic and slower. Perhaps I should have done my homework a little better as the Lightening Rod is (or was) the fastest wooden rollercoaster in the world. I understood why we were clamped in so tight, when I floated free of the seat on the enormous drop! We switched, twisted and turned all over the place, my head being forced one way and another, by centrifugal forces that I have never experienced before. My stomach also felt like it was bouncing around inside my body, thankfully it didn't embarrass me, but it could easily have gone so wrong. At the end, I felt a moments panic as I suddenly wondered if we would have to go round a second time. I was definitely the only person on that ride who had paid for a seniors ticket to enter the park. As this was my first rollercoaster ride, I felt that I had ticked it off my bucket list. Perhaps next time, I will do my homework and find a slightly gentler one. Less challenging parts of the day were the amazing cinnamon bread with apple butter, a great lunch at Aunt Granny's, where I had my first catfish, which was delicious. There are a lot of shops in Dollywood, but also a lot of great shows too. It was exhausting and I am so pleased to have visited it.Read more