As part of my birthday celebration this year I was treated to my very first trip to Dollywood, and revisit the Great Smoky Mountains. It's odd how I had never been before considering I lived in Charlotte for almost 30 years before moving to GA and now FL. Better later than never I suppose. Plus there are plenty of great additions since I lived closer. I had previously visited Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge on a few occasions back in the late '90s so I was familiar with the area. It was great to return. This was my friend's first visit to the area and seeing mountains.
We left Gainesville, FL around 12:30am Sunday night/Monday Morning and arrived in Pigeon Forge around 10am after making a few stops along the way to rest.
The temperature at home was 70 degrees....it was 37 when we got off I-40 in Sevierville....ouch. We knew it was going to be chilly, but we were going to make the best of it. This trip was a surprise so had I planned it, I would have known better than to come this early in the year. I would have waited until mid-April at least.
We're getting there...
Before heading to the park, we stopped at Bojangle's for an early lunch. I hadn't had them since '05 since there are none where I live. The closest is near Jacksonville, but I'm not driving an hour for fast food...lol Anyway it was as good as I remembered it and my friend enjoyed it as well. I even bought some of their french fry seasoning so I can have a fix from time to time at home.
After parking and taking the tram we headed over to process our season passes. There was quite a line for it at 11:30. Seeing as how I had been up since Saturday I wasn't sure I was going to make it beyond processing our passes and maybe a quick walk around the park this day. However I suppose the adrenaline kicked in and I started feeling good so I decided I would get in what I could in a few hours since we were coming back Wednesday for the whole day.
Once we got through the turnstile, I grabbed a park map for reference and started snapping pics left and right. It had warmed up to about 45 by this point so most of the rides were open.
Showstreet Palace Theater
Southern Gospel Music Association Hall Of Fame & Museum
We happen to come during the Festival Of Nations. We only caught a glimpse of a couple shows/performances as we made our way through the park. The food looked & smelled really good as we passed by too.
Spotlight Bakery & Sandwich Shop. It smelled so good walking past this place too.
Friendship Fountain
Dolly sure does love her butterflies.
Chasing Rainbows Museum. We didn't go inside but I'm sure on future visits we'll make our way in.
Cas Walker's
I just love all the water wheels in the park. This one is is on the side of White Water Nature Shop in Rivertown Junction.
Dolly's Tennessee Mountain Home
Smoky Mountain River Rampage. It was too cold to get on this or any other water rides. Will definitely ride when we come back in warmer weather.
The Tennessee Water Tree in The Village
Village Carousel
Country Fair
The Waltzing Swinger in Country Fair
Wonder Wheel in Country Fair
Sky Rider in Country Fair
Coaster Credit #69: Sideshow Spin
Sideshow Spin. Yes I got my credit...lol It was the first ride I got on here at Dollywood.
Grist Mill in Craftsman's Valley. The baked goods here look and smell so good. I meant to go back to get some cinnamon bread but never made it back to get it before we left.
I really love all the park preservation they are doing here.
Barnstormer in Owens Farm
Barnstormer. This ride is wild. It was my first Screamin' Swing. More parks like Carowinds and Busch Gardens could use one of these. I rode it once each day we visited the park.
Robert F. Thomas Chapel in Craftsman's Valley
Thought I'd play a tune while in church.
Custom Glass Works in Craftsman's Valley
Coaster Credit #70: Tennessee Tornado
I rode this on Monday, but forgot to get a picture in front of it so these were taken Wednesday to make up for it. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth this Arrow coaster was. It's perhaps the smoothest I've ever been on. I guess since it was one of the last ones built by them may have something to do with it?
Coaster Credit #71: Wild Eagle
I also rode this first on Monday but didn't take the pics until Wednesday. This was my first Wing Coaster. It was a good ride, but it didn't make my top 10. I will say it's similar to the floorless coaster, but less forceful. I will put it above the Dive Machines however. It still came out as my second favorite at the park.
After riding Wild Eagle we were getting a bit tired and was ready to check in at our hotel. We finished the loop around the park and I snapped a few pics along the way. I would ride the rest of the coasters and some other rides when we came back in a couple days. After checking in our hotel we rested for a bit before grabbing some Little Caesars for dinner. I would have enjoyed eating at some local place but really just wanted to take something back to the room and relax.
The next day (Tuesday) there was snow in the forecast for the afternoon. Dollywood was already scheduled as closed on Tuesdays anyway. We weren't going to let that stop our fun. We went to the Sugarland's Visitor Center in the Smokies as well as Gatlinburg.
Us 441 through the mountains was closed past the visitor center when we got there. It had reopened by the time we left however. We didn't continue through the mountains as we intended to go home that way. You could definitely see the snow on the mountains from Gatlinburg.
We parked by Ober Gatlinburg and walked a good portion of the parkway. We stopped at many of the shops and checked out the many restaurant choices along the way. We went into the arcade at the Space Needle to waste a few coins.....literally. The only thing we really like is skee-ball and none of them were working right. We ended up using all but 2 of our tokens on those random ticket machines to see how much we could win. Let's just say it wasn't much...lol
If it wasn't so cold I would have considered riding the Sky Lift.
When we parked after coming from the Sugarlands Visitor Center we noticed a few flurries. By 11 or 12 it was pretty much and on and off event of steady snow. It wasn't sticking however...which was good for us. My friend had never driven in snow before...it was his first time seeing snow actually. He's lived in FL all his life.
Will definitely have to check this place out next time.
Chillin' with the bear. You can see a little snow falling.
This place looked promising. Finding a place we both could eat at is a challenge since he's a partial vegetarian. He still eats fish, eggs and dairy...just no poultry, pork or beef flesh. Well they had something we both could eat. The place was busy, but were able to seat us right away. However we discovered that they don't have separate seating....you get put beside perfect strangers on these long tables. We weren't having that so we left and decided to find something else. Oh well....Sorry Dick's Last Resort....it would have been our last resort too...lol
Next up was Ole Smoky Mountain Moonshine Holler. They have free moonshine tasting....oh boy! At first I just wanted to see the shop and types of moonshine they sell. I really don't drink much anymore for health reasons so I had no intentions of tasting anything...esp on an empty stomach. Well those intentions didn't last very long. After checking out some of the flavors we were like why not? Out of the 12 they had lined up, I only tried 6 of them. I wasn't trying to be on the floor...yet...lol I really liked the Apple Pie Moonshine.
One of the t-shirts I bought in Gatlinburg.
We decided to head back to Pigeon Forge to have our leftover pizza from the night before as a late lunch and have dinner out later. A friend of mine from Knoxville was going to come by after work so we needed to head on back before too late. As you can see the snow really started coming down once we got closer to our hotel. It continued for a couple of hours, but never stuck to the roads. The temps were right around 38 and it had been in the 70's a few days earlier.
We ended up having a late dinner at TGI Friday's in Sevierville. (I had already ate some of the wedges before taking this pic.)
The next day (Wednesday) we headed back to Dollywood. It was 30 degrees when we got to the park. Since the coasters won't open until it's at least 40 we walked around the park and took pics and visited the shops while we waited for it to warm up.
Timber Canyon
Timber Canyon. Anyone need a shower?
River Battle in Wilderness Pass. This looks like a fun family ride. Of course we had no intentions of getting wet on this trip.
Will Work For Worms
Coaster Credit # 72 Blazing Fury
This was a very nice dark ride/coaster. I would have ridden it the previous visit, but the line was out the door. This was still the only coaster open as of 11 when I got on.
Cailco Falls Schoolhouse in Craftsman's Valley
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary
As you can see I wasn't lying about the temperature. It was still quite cold.
Daredevil Falls. Another water ride I wasn't getting on. It looks well themed and can't wait to try it sometime.
Old Flames Candles in Craftsman's Valley. It was nice to go in and see how they make all kinds of candles. I bought a few scented votives in various scents.
Taste Traders in Craftsman's Valley. We went in and tried a few sauces and jellies. I really liked the Grape Moonshine Jelly.
It was getting to be after 12 and the other coasters hadn't opened (was still only around 35 degrees) so we decided to go ahead and have lunch. We chose Red's Drive-In in Jukebox Junction.
This is what I got. I usually get a burger but since I had one for dinner the night before at TGI Friday's I decided to go for a hot dog. It was good and quite filling. Next time I'll get a burger so I can take advantage of the fixin's bar.
After eating I thought why not take a little drive on Rockin' Roadway. I had to ride twice because my friend missed taking my picture the first time. I preferred this car anyway since it's a shade of my favorite color.
It was starting to warm up more so we headed back to the back of the park to see if the coasters were open. Some of them were. I decided to ride Wild Eagle again. They were only running one train so I had about a 30 minute wait. That at least gave time for that chili dog to settle.
Coaster Credit # 73: Mystery Mine
I'm really not as terrified as I look in this pic. I kind of wish I had waited to get another ride photo but this one was priceless for me anyways...lol I enjoyed Mystery Mine a lot. It was my first Eurofighter.
Coaster Credit #74: Thunderhead
I really enjoyed Thunderhead. I got right back on after my first ride. I've never been a big fan of woodies....until this one. Mind you I've only been to parks in the southeast so many of you know what those options are like.... I enjoyed not coming off with a headache and the airtime was great! This immediately became my #1 woodie and #5 overall...a first for one to make my top 10...or 20 for that matter.
Coaster Credit #75: FireChaser Express
I almost missed this credit as they didn't open it until almost 4pm. I made it over there just in time too as I only waited about 30 minutes to ride. By the time I got on the queue house was full. It's not a top 10 for me but was very fun. It's definitely great for families and fills the gap between Blazing Fury and Thunderhead and the other larger coasters. Since the line got long I only rode once so once I ride once again I may be even more thrilled.
It was about 5 at this point and we were trying to leave before the park closed so we headed back up to the front to catch a few things we missed before heading out.
Dizzy Disk. I finally got to ride one of these. Eh....It's ok but my body seems to be selective of spinning type rides.
Last, but not least was a ride on Dollywood Express. We caught the last train at 6. I guess leaving the park before close wasn't happening after all. Not that I mind.
The scenery was nice along the 5 mile round trip. I'm glad we did ride the train after all. Loved the whistle.
After our train ride it was time to head over to The Emporium for some last minute souvenirs. I did pretty good this trip seeing as I didn't buy a suitcase full of stuff....lol
We'll definitely be back Dolly!
This was a great first trip to Dollywood, despite the cold. I can't wait to return in warmer weather.
After leaving the park I wanted to go to the Christmas Place. Unfortunately it had closed at 6....oh well next trip.
For dinner we ate at Cracker Barrel. We had a gift card from Christmas that we finally used. I had eaten there before but it was my friends first time. Reasonable prices and portions; almost like home cooking.
The next morning (Thursday) we checked out and pulled out of the parking lot at 9am. We wanted to take some pics by some of the dinner shows and attractions nearby before hitting the road. Dolly even took time to wish us well as we checked out.
Hatfields & McCoys Dinner Show. This place is nicely themed on the outside, They had live chickens, goats and rabbits too. I've never been to a show like this but it looks like it would be fun.
Titantic. This would be nice to experience...tho we all know how that ends.
Hollywood Wax Museum
One thing that surprised us were the gas prices. Most places were $3.19 for regular. Prices in Gainesville, Fl were around $3.50 when we left and around $3.34 around Macon and Kennessaw, GA. I guess the cheaper gas makes up for the 10% sales tax in Sevier County, TN.
We took the bypass around Gatlinburg as to not get distracted by moonshine...lol The mountains definitely had more snow than the previous day.
US 441 was open so we were able to head that way through the Smokies to go home and stop some along the way. We pulled over several times just to take in the scenery and play with the snow.
The temperature had dropped 20 degrees since we left Pigeon Forge. It said it was 35 here at Newfound Gap. The wind chill had to be in the teens however. It was so cold and windy that we only stayed a short time.
Newfound Gap. The views were nice up here. I hadn't been here since '98 or '99.
After making it down the mountains we stopped by Mingus Mill. It had warmed up to around 60 by the time we reached the Cherokee area.
We also stopped by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum. This visitor center was the nicest in comparison to Gatlinburg and Sugarlands. It provided more detailed information about the history of the area.
Next we headed through Cherokee briefly.
It was approaching 1pm so there was no time for stopping at the Casino.
Last time I came here I lost $40....lol
Awww....Santa's Land wasn't open for the season yet.
I guess I'll have to get my Rudicoaster credit some other time.
We stopped off at one of the gift shops and I got a couple t-shirts, keychain and a shot glass (usual souvenirs I get from places I visit). I had been to Cherokee before but never bought anything to remember it as i was just passing through back then.
After that it was time to start getting on our way and have lunch. We stopped at the Bojangle's in Franklin, NC so we could get one last fix of that goodness. By 3 we were on our way back to FL.
One thing we should have planned out a little better was getting through/around Atlanta during the evening rush. We hit I-85S just north of ATL at 5pm. This is a shot at "Spaghetti Junction" (I-285 interchange). What were we thinking? Fortunately it wasn't all stop and go and we got to 1-75 south of ATL in less than an hour so that wasn't too bad. The only way this could have been avoided was to have gotten up a few hours early and not stopped so much going through the mountains. It was well worth it tho. We took an extended break just north of Macon after getting gas.
We got to Valdosta, Ga around 9:30. Of course we had to go to one of our other favorites: Fazoli's. They closed the one where we live so it's a treat to have when we come by this way. After our late dinner we continued on and got home about 11:30. What a long day! It wasn't so bad since we did all that stopping at the beginning through the mountains.
This was a great trip. I can't wait to return to the area and see even more that's available to do...when it's warmer. I would like to try the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster. That's definitely on my list of things to do next time.
We left Gainesville, FL around 12:30am Sunday night/Monday Morning and arrived in Pigeon Forge around 10am after making a few stops along the way to rest.
The temperature at home was 70 degrees....it was 37 when we got off I-40 in Sevierville....ouch. We knew it was going to be chilly, but we were going to make the best of it. This trip was a surprise so had I planned it, I would have known better than to come this early in the year. I would have waited until mid-April at least.
We're getting there...
Before heading to the park, we stopped at Bojangle's for an early lunch. I hadn't had them since '05 since there are none where I live. The closest is near Jacksonville, but I'm not driving an hour for fast food...lol Anyway it was as good as I remembered it and my friend enjoyed it as well. I even bought some of their french fry seasoning so I can have a fix from time to time at home.
After parking and taking the tram we headed over to process our season passes. There was quite a line for it at 11:30. Seeing as how I had been up since Saturday I wasn't sure I was going to make it beyond processing our passes and maybe a quick walk around the park this day. However I suppose the adrenaline kicked in and I started feeling good so I decided I would get in what I could in a few hours since we were coming back Wednesday for the whole day.
Once we got through the turnstile, I grabbed a park map for reference and started snapping pics left and right. It had warmed up to about 45 by this point so most of the rides were open.
Showstreet Palace Theater
Southern Gospel Music Association Hall Of Fame & Museum
We happen to come during the Festival Of Nations. We only caught a glimpse of a couple shows/performances as we made our way through the park. The food looked & smelled really good as we passed by too.
Spotlight Bakery & Sandwich Shop. It smelled so good walking past this place too.
Friendship Fountain
Dolly sure does love her butterflies.
Chasing Rainbows Museum. We didn't go inside but I'm sure on future visits we'll make our way in.
Cas Walker's
I just love all the water wheels in the park. This one is is on the side of White Water Nature Shop in Rivertown Junction.
Dolly's Tennessee Mountain Home
Smoky Mountain River Rampage. It was too cold to get on this or any other water rides. Will definitely ride when we come back in warmer weather.
The Tennessee Water Tree in The Village
Village Carousel
Country Fair
The Waltzing Swinger in Country Fair
Wonder Wheel in Country Fair
Sky Rider in Country Fair
Coaster Credit #69: Sideshow Spin
Sideshow Spin. Yes I got my credit...lol It was the first ride I got on here at Dollywood.
Grist Mill in Craftsman's Valley. The baked goods here look and smell so good. I meant to go back to get some cinnamon bread but never made it back to get it before we left.
I really love all the park preservation they are doing here.
Barnstormer in Owens Farm
Barnstormer. This ride is wild. It was my first Screamin' Swing. More parks like Carowinds and Busch Gardens could use one of these. I rode it once each day we visited the park.
Robert F. Thomas Chapel in Craftsman's Valley
Thought I'd play a tune while in church.
Custom Glass Works in Craftsman's Valley
Coaster Credit #70: Tennessee Tornado
I rode this on Monday, but forgot to get a picture in front of it so these were taken Wednesday to make up for it. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth this Arrow coaster was. It's perhaps the smoothest I've ever been on. I guess since it was one of the last ones built by them may have something to do with it?
Coaster Credit #71: Wild Eagle
I also rode this first on Monday but didn't take the pics until Wednesday. This was my first Wing Coaster. It was a good ride, but it didn't make my top 10. I will say it's similar to the floorless coaster, but less forceful. I will put it above the Dive Machines however. It still came out as my second favorite at the park.
After riding Wild Eagle we were getting a bit tired and was ready to check in at our hotel. We finished the loop around the park and I snapped a few pics along the way. I would ride the rest of the coasters and some other rides when we came back in a couple days. After checking in our hotel we rested for a bit before grabbing some Little Caesars for dinner. I would have enjoyed eating at some local place but really just wanted to take something back to the room and relax.
The next day (Tuesday) there was snow in the forecast for the afternoon. Dollywood was already scheduled as closed on Tuesdays anyway. We weren't going to let that stop our fun. We went to the Sugarland's Visitor Center in the Smokies as well as Gatlinburg.
Us 441 through the mountains was closed past the visitor center when we got there. It had reopened by the time we left however. We didn't continue through the mountains as we intended to go home that way. You could definitely see the snow on the mountains from Gatlinburg.
We parked by Ober Gatlinburg and walked a good portion of the parkway. We stopped at many of the shops and checked out the many restaurant choices along the way. We went into the arcade at the Space Needle to waste a few coins.....literally. The only thing we really like is skee-ball and none of them were working right. We ended up using all but 2 of our tokens on those random ticket machines to see how much we could win. Let's just say it wasn't much...lol
If it wasn't so cold I would have considered riding the Sky Lift.
When we parked after coming from the Sugarlands Visitor Center we noticed a few flurries. By 11 or 12 it was pretty much and on and off event of steady snow. It wasn't sticking however...which was good for us. My friend had never driven in snow before...it was his first time seeing snow actually. He's lived in FL all his life.
Will definitely have to check this place out next time.
Chillin' with the bear. You can see a little snow falling.
This place looked promising. Finding a place we both could eat at is a challenge since he's a partial vegetarian. He still eats fish, eggs and dairy...just no poultry, pork or beef flesh. Well they had something we both could eat. The place was busy, but were able to seat us right away. However we discovered that they don't have separate seating....you get put beside perfect strangers on these long tables. We weren't having that so we left and decided to find something else. Oh well....Sorry Dick's Last Resort....it would have been our last resort too...lol
Next up was Ole Smoky Mountain Moonshine Holler. They have free moonshine tasting....oh boy! At first I just wanted to see the shop and types of moonshine they sell. I really don't drink much anymore for health reasons so I had no intentions of tasting anything...esp on an empty stomach. Well those intentions didn't last very long. After checking out some of the flavors we were like why not? Out of the 12 they had lined up, I only tried 6 of them. I wasn't trying to be on the floor...yet...lol I really liked the Apple Pie Moonshine.
One of the t-shirts I bought in Gatlinburg.
We decided to head back to Pigeon Forge to have our leftover pizza from the night before as a late lunch and have dinner out later. A friend of mine from Knoxville was going to come by after work so we needed to head on back before too late. As you can see the snow really started coming down once we got closer to our hotel. It continued for a couple of hours, but never stuck to the roads. The temps were right around 38 and it had been in the 70's a few days earlier.
We ended up having a late dinner at TGI Friday's in Sevierville. (I had already ate some of the wedges before taking this pic.)
The next day (Wednesday) we headed back to Dollywood. It was 30 degrees when we got to the park. Since the coasters won't open until it's at least 40 we walked around the park and took pics and visited the shops while we waited for it to warm up.
Timber Canyon
Timber Canyon. Anyone need a shower?
River Battle in Wilderness Pass. This looks like a fun family ride. Of course we had no intentions of getting wet on this trip.
Will Work For Worms
Coaster Credit # 72 Blazing Fury
This was a very nice dark ride/coaster. I would have ridden it the previous visit, but the line was out the door. This was still the only coaster open as of 11 when I got on.
Cailco Falls Schoolhouse in Craftsman's Valley
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary
As you can see I wasn't lying about the temperature. It was still quite cold.
Daredevil Falls. Another water ride I wasn't getting on. It looks well themed and can't wait to try it sometime.
Old Flames Candles in Craftsman's Valley. It was nice to go in and see how they make all kinds of candles. I bought a few scented votives in various scents.
Taste Traders in Craftsman's Valley. We went in and tried a few sauces and jellies. I really liked the Grape Moonshine Jelly.
It was getting to be after 12 and the other coasters hadn't opened (was still only around 35 degrees) so we decided to go ahead and have lunch. We chose Red's Drive-In in Jukebox Junction.
This is what I got. I usually get a burger but since I had one for dinner the night before at TGI Friday's I decided to go for a hot dog. It was good and quite filling. Next time I'll get a burger so I can take advantage of the fixin's bar.
After eating I thought why not take a little drive on Rockin' Roadway. I had to ride twice because my friend missed taking my picture the first time. I preferred this car anyway since it's a shade of my favorite color.
It was starting to warm up more so we headed back to the back of the park to see if the coasters were open. Some of them were. I decided to ride Wild Eagle again. They were only running one train so I had about a 30 minute wait. That at least gave time for that chili dog to settle.
Coaster Credit # 73: Mystery Mine
I'm really not as terrified as I look in this pic. I kind of wish I had waited to get another ride photo but this one was priceless for me anyways...lol I enjoyed Mystery Mine a lot. It was my first Eurofighter.
Coaster Credit #74: Thunderhead
I really enjoyed Thunderhead. I got right back on after my first ride. I've never been a big fan of woodies....until this one. Mind you I've only been to parks in the southeast so many of you know what those options are like.... I enjoyed not coming off with a headache and the airtime was great! This immediately became my #1 woodie and #5 overall...a first for one to make my top 10...or 20 for that matter.
Coaster Credit #75: FireChaser Express
I almost missed this credit as they didn't open it until almost 4pm. I made it over there just in time too as I only waited about 30 minutes to ride. By the time I got on the queue house was full. It's not a top 10 for me but was very fun. It's definitely great for families and fills the gap between Blazing Fury and Thunderhead and the other larger coasters. Since the line got long I only rode once so once I ride once again I may be even more thrilled.
It was about 5 at this point and we were trying to leave before the park closed so we headed back up to the front to catch a few things we missed before heading out.
Dizzy Disk. I finally got to ride one of these. Eh....It's ok but my body seems to be selective of spinning type rides.
Last, but not least was a ride on Dollywood Express. We caught the last train at 6. I guess leaving the park before close wasn't happening after all. Not that I mind.
The scenery was nice along the 5 mile round trip. I'm glad we did ride the train after all. Loved the whistle.
After our train ride it was time to head over to The Emporium for some last minute souvenirs. I did pretty good this trip seeing as I didn't buy a suitcase full of stuff....lol
We'll definitely be back Dolly!
This was a great first trip to Dollywood, despite the cold. I can't wait to return in warmer weather.
After leaving the park I wanted to go to the Christmas Place. Unfortunately it had closed at 6....oh well next trip.
For dinner we ate at Cracker Barrel. We had a gift card from Christmas that we finally used. I had eaten there before but it was my friends first time. Reasonable prices and portions; almost like home cooking.
The next morning (Thursday) we checked out and pulled out of the parking lot at 9am. We wanted to take some pics by some of the dinner shows and attractions nearby before hitting the road. Dolly even took time to wish us well as we checked out.
Hatfields & McCoys Dinner Show. This place is nicely themed on the outside, They had live chickens, goats and rabbits too. I've never been to a show like this but it looks like it would be fun.
Titantic. This would be nice to experience...tho we all know how that ends.
Hollywood Wax Museum
One thing that surprised us were the gas prices. Most places were $3.19 for regular. Prices in Gainesville, Fl were around $3.50 when we left and around $3.34 around Macon and Kennessaw, GA. I guess the cheaper gas makes up for the 10% sales tax in Sevier County, TN.
We took the bypass around Gatlinburg as to not get distracted by moonshine...lol The mountains definitely had more snow than the previous day.
US 441 was open so we were able to head that way through the Smokies to go home and stop some along the way. We pulled over several times just to take in the scenery and play with the snow.
The temperature had dropped 20 degrees since we left Pigeon Forge. It said it was 35 here at Newfound Gap. The wind chill had to be in the teens however. It was so cold and windy that we only stayed a short time.
Newfound Gap. The views were nice up here. I hadn't been here since '98 or '99.
After making it down the mountains we stopped by Mingus Mill. It had warmed up to around 60 by the time we reached the Cherokee area.
We also stopped by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum. This visitor center was the nicest in comparison to Gatlinburg and Sugarlands. It provided more detailed information about the history of the area.
Next we headed through Cherokee briefly.
It was approaching 1pm so there was no time for stopping at the Casino.
Last time I came here I lost $40....lol
Awww....Santa's Land wasn't open for the season yet.
I guess I'll have to get my Rudicoaster credit some other time.
We stopped off at one of the gift shops and I got a couple t-shirts, keychain and a shot glass (usual souvenirs I get from places I visit). I had been to Cherokee before but never bought anything to remember it as i was just passing through back then.
After that it was time to start getting on our way and have lunch. We stopped at the Bojangle's in Franklin, NC so we could get one last fix of that goodness. By 3 we were on our way back to FL.
One thing we should have planned out a little better was getting through/around Atlanta during the evening rush. We hit I-85S just north of ATL at 5pm. This is a shot at "Spaghetti Junction" (I-285 interchange). What were we thinking? Fortunately it wasn't all stop and go and we got to 1-75 south of ATL in less than an hour so that wasn't too bad. The only way this could have been avoided was to have gotten up a few hours early and not stopped so much going through the mountains. It was well worth it tho. We took an extended break just north of Macon after getting gas.
We got to Valdosta, Ga around 9:30. Of course we had to go to one of our other favorites: Fazoli's. They closed the one where we live so it's a treat to have when we come by this way. After our late dinner we continued on and got home about 11:30. What a long day! It wasn't so bad since we did all that stopping at the beginning through the mountains.
This was a great trip. I can't wait to return to the area and see even more that's available to do...when it's warmer. I would like to try the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster. That's definitely on my list of things to do next time.
