Dollywood or Bust
Head to the land where the grass is blue and the mountains are smokin’.
Southern Tennessee is, a heapin’ helpin’ of Americana. In the land of plenty, you can find plenty of go-karts, funnel cakes and scenic vistas. All it takes is a quick trip to Knoxville, Tennessee—the perfect place to strike out on a little Mid-America adventure.
Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood is the unofficial home of mountain music. Country, bluegrass, mountain and gospel, bless over 10 stages, and with 130 acres of rides, shows and mountain crafts, it’s the epicenter of “homespun fun”.
DAY 1: Hooray for Dollywood! With 2.5 million visitors every year, here you can get a sampler platter of mountain crafts, music and thrill rides. Show Street takes you to Dolly’s maroon and pink tour bus, where you can see how the Backwoods Barbie spent her 9 to 5 in the mid-80’s (stopping only for concerts and BBQ). Head to Thunderhead for one of the country’s fastest wooden rollercoasters and take in some spirituals at the “Back Porch Theatre” where Dolly’s Uncle Bill and a gaggle of cousins sing sweet mountain music. Wash it all down with a little Hickory House BBQ and forget about that “girlish figure”—said one employee at the Grist Mill, “last time I checked, the sign outside didn’t say, ‘Dollywood Diet Center’.” Finish up your day at the $15 million dollar Nascar SpeedPark, where tracks like the “Intimidator” and “Slidewayz” will leave your heart racing.
DAY 2: You can’t throw a hickory nut without hitting a pancake house in Pigeon Forge, so grab yourself a stack before heading up the mountain for your half-day hike. The All American Pancake House serves up big fluffy cakes with plenty of home-whipped butter and maple syrup. Then head due west for Gatlinburg. Stop by Cooter’s Garage for a photo-op with the General Lee, then take on the Alum Cave Trailhead, one of the most popular trails in the over 500,000 acre National Park. Two and half miles up the trail you’ll find the Bluff Caves, where the Confederate Army made gunpowder during the Civil War. A few more miles up you’ll hit Morton Overlook and be at the top of Mount LeConte, the third highest mountain in the Smokies. Here you’re awarded breathtaking views of unspoiled wilderness. Trek back down the mountain and dine on local rainbow trout at The Smoky Mountain Trout House before taking the Gatlinburg Sky Lift up 700 feet to the top of Crockett Mountain.
DAY 3: Do some outlet shopping along the Smokies Corridor in Sevierville before heading down Highway 40 into Asheville, North Carolina. A charming city, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, its vibrant downtown is home to a thriving arts community and award-winning restaurants. Have brunch at Early Girl Eatery on historic Wall Street. The menu celebrates southern cooking with locally-grown ingredients. Try the black-eyed peacakes, sweet potato scramble or stone-cut grits, then walk around “The Grove” and take in the local arts and crafts. In the afternoon, head to Biltmore to tour the Vanderbilt Estate, the largest privately-owned home in America. Built in 1895, the home measures a full four acres. With 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, magnificent 16th-century tapestries, indoor pool, bowling alley and priceless antiques, it rivals the very Palace of Versailles.
