{"id":466,"date":"2011-04-02T13:07:38","date_gmt":"2011-04-02T17:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/?page_id=466"},"modified":"2011-04-02T13:07:38","modified_gmt":"2011-04-02T17:07:38","slug":"dollywood-tennessee","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/?page_id=466","title":{"rendered":"Dollywood – Tennessee"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dollywood!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By:\u00a0 Suz Pisano<\/em><\/p>\n

The world\u2019s reigning Applause Award winning theme park adds the Barnstormer, revives the popular Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival and debuts a Christmas ice skating show for guests visiting the Smoky Mountains in 2011.\u00a0 Nightwire just returned from a road trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and we totally recommend that you plan a trip to Dollywood and visit the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee!<\/p>\n

The Applause Award is the most prestigious award within the amusement and theme park industry, honors a park whose maagement, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with its foresight, originality and sound business development.\u00a0 The award is presented every other year by Liseberg amusement park located in Gothenberg, Sweden.\u00a0 Dollywood is like no where I\u2019ve ever been- we absolutely loved it there, so much so we are already planning our return trip for next year and can\u2019t wait to tell you why\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n

Dollywood is Southern hospitality at its finest.\u00a0 The Southern charm envelops you the moment you arrive.\u00a0 The atmosphere is electric, the shows are dazzling, the rides are thrilling, the food is great, and the shopping is surprisingly affordable!\u00a0 Dolly Parton purchased a small amusement park 25 years ago and literally turned the local economy around.\u00a0 She\u2019s a true champion for her people and everyone, absolutely everyone loves her!\u00a0 Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is now a destination with over 250,000 Dollywood season pass holders and visitors of all ages coming from near and far.\u00a0 Country charm is very attractive, even if you\u2019re not a fan of country music.\u00a0 We\u2019re fans of success and Dollywood is a shining example.<\/p>\n

The Barnstormer, Dollywood\u2019s newest family thrill ride, takes flight for the 2011 season.\u00a0 We were there for the kick-off and were excited to be some of the first to give it a try.\u00a0 Passengers are seated back-to-back on two giant pendulum arms that reach over 80 feet in the air.\u00a0 The journey to the treetops reaches a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour and 230 degrees of rotation.\u00a0 We loved it but I\u2019ll be the first to tell you that it\u2019s not for everyone!\u00a0 Dolly herself told us that she\u2019s scared of the new ride and would leave the riding up to us daredevils.\u00a0 Barnstormer is definitely an exciting and thrilling ride! Barnstormer is located in the Owens Farm area, a heartfelt tribute to her roots.\u00a0 To add to the authenticity of the farm area, Dolly partnered with the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.<\/p>\n

We really didn\u2019t know what to expect visiting Tennessee for the first time, but we were so excited to be going to Dollywood.\u00a0 Everyone we encountered was proud of their region and the surrounding Smoky Mountains.\u00a0 The country charm is authentic and people are very friendly, warm and genuine.\u00a0 The employees inside the park are helpful and really make you feel like you are their guest.\u00a0 The park is immaculate and the d\u00e9cor is fantastic.\u00a0 Dolly seemed to have spared no expense in getting these things right.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be amazed at the quality and talent of the craftspeople demonstrating their work throughout the park.\u00a0 The glassblowing set-up rivals the Pittsburgh Glass Center!\u00a0 I was totally fascinated by the train that travels through the park and the amount of theatres with so many choices and types of entertainment.\u00a0 We saw Samaia: Legend of the Caucasus, performed by a cast of singers & dancers from the Caucasus region of the Georgian Republic.\u00a0 Culture abounds throughout the Festival of Nations.<\/p>\n

Dollywood is also home to the South\u2019s largest festivals, Dollywood revives its popular Barbeque & Bluegrass festival August 19th<\/sup> through September 5th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Free concerts by the biggest names in Bluegrass get under way with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder August 19th<\/sup> & 20th<\/sup> with 2 shows a day.\u00a0 Kidsfest takes place June 17th<\/sup> til August 7th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The Festival of Nations kicks off the opening season & runs now until May 2nd<\/sup> featuring performers and craftspeople from all areas of the world.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dolly explained that \u201cWhen I think about all of the fascinating places my travels have taken me, my heart is always moved by the beautiful music and dance and what I\u2019ve learned about other cultures.\u00a0 My Festival of Nations celebrates the sights and sounds that unite us all, from the far corners of the world to right here in my Smoky Mountain home. \u201c<\/p>\n

Dollywood\u2019s season runs from March 26th<\/sup> through December 30th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Dollywood offers more than 40 rides and attractions; award-winning live entertainment featuring country, bluegrass, gospel & mountain music; and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region.\u00a0 It\u2019s a solid easy 8 hour drive from Pittsburgh, perfect for a road trip!\u00a0 For more information call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com.\u00a0 You can even find it on Facebook!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dollywood!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By:\u00a0 Suz Pisano The world\u2019s reigning Applause Award winning theme park adds the Barnstormer, revives the popular Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival and debuts a Christmas ice skating show for guests visiting the Smoky Mountains in 2011.\u00a0 Nightwire just returned from a road trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and we totally recommend that you plan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-466","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P8aPSh-7w","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":467,"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/466\/revisions\/467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nightwire.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}