Chattanooga Calling
As Chattanooga faded in the rear window we looked forward to wending our way along roads with the randomly curated country song playlist blaring. Smokey Mountains here we come & all aboard for Pigeon Forge.
Night was closing in by the time we got there but there was just enough time to dye my hair neon orange by the side of the van before the sun finally set.
Next day we caught the shuttle from the RV park to Dollywood for a day out trying to figure out if Dolly really does. I know who Dolly is or at least I thought I did.
However I couldn’t help but be moved by the grim tale of her early years or be impressed that someone who had built such an impressive empire still gives generously to those who don’t have.
Whether you do or don’t like her or her music I feel that its quite something to be able to connect with your roots & give books to kids who would otherwise go without. Maybe we could all be a little inclined to do a bit more of ‘what Dolly would do’.
Dollywood for the uninformed is a giant theme park with rides & activities that you would normally expect to find along with some you might not. Use the link below to view a brief glimpse of one of the more tame rides in Dollywood.
It was interesting to learn about the childhood of Dolly Parton & look around one of her former tour buses.
The site was in full Halloween mode so having neon orange hair sort of didn’t look out of place in fact many probably thought I had dyed it for that reason.
It wasn’t long after the death of Queen Elizabeth II so on discovering our English origins we were showered with deepest condolences. This I found uniquely strange.
While it’s true I had actually attended a royal garden part at Buckingham Palace many years ago I was certainly not on close terms with the family. So whilst one might feel sad at the death of a person I cant honestly say I felt any degree of personal grief as I did not know her.
It actually started to get awkward as it went on as we were also grilled on other aspects of current royal family life which I really know nothing about. Bit of a disconnect really as many of the American folk we encountered seemed to think we would have some sort of insider knowledge & seemed shocked that we weren’t that bothered.
We walked our socks off around the park, rode the steam train & ate nice food. I did indulge in a pink cord jacket in the Dolly Shop & its proved a useful wardrobe addition.