Vacation: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a popular tourist resort in Tennessee, located 5 miles north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They have all kinds of family-friendly activities and draw over 11 million visitors per year. The city has a 5 mile long main parkway (route 441) that has museums, gift shops, theaters, attractions, and rides. And you can get around by Trolley! There is also miniature golf, tubing, white water rafting, helicopter tours, horseback riding, go-Karts, indoor skydiving, and much more. They also have some calmer activities such as dinner, comedy, and magic shows and live music. This area is also big into truck and car shows.
The city is also home to Dollywood theme park which is owned by Dolly Parton. It has 10 themed areas centered around Tennessee culture and Dolley Parton’s life. This park has several theaters, a white water rafting ride, roller coasters, train/carousel rides, lots of county fair types of rides, interactive play areas, log/water rides, and museums. They also hold several festivals throughout the year including “Smoky Mountain Christmas”, “Festival of Nations”, “National Gospel and Harvest Celebration” and “Kidsfest”. And, they are expanding! They have a couple of new shows, a new Zipline ride, and will soon be opening a new attraction called “Adventure Mountain” containing obstacle courses, net ladders, swinging bridges, rope trails, etc. It will cater to both adults and children.
The city is also relatively close to Gatlinburg, which is another popular vacation resort. It has the only ski resort in Tennessee. Gatlinburg also has “Cooter’s Place” – featuring the Dukes of Hazzard museum. They have a Dukes Fest once every year that has music from the TV show, car stunts, many General Lees on display, and appearances by the TV cast. Since Pigeon Forge is also close to The Great Smoky Mountains, you can explore there during your trip as well. It is about 95% forest and is very picturesque. They have over 800 miles of trails, options for sightseeing, camping, fishing, and horseback riding.
This is definitely the place to come if you want the best of both worlds – amusement park atmosphere with an easy getaway to the serene mountains for some outdoor fun. And, of course, if you are a fan of Tennessee culture and the Southern Appalachian region, it sure wouldn’t hurt.
