Pigeon Forge Offers Visitors Best of Both Worlds

The wooden door of the Old Mill creaks open to reveal the gloomy interior of a 177-year-old building. The air is filled with flour dust as the huge water-powered French granite stones grind grain into flour and meal.

Time seems to have stood still and the same can almost be said for a shopping mall nearby. Here a bakery, creamery, pottery and craft shop offer handicrafts and tasty gifts such as homemade cake and marmalade made to recipes handed down over the generations.

The give-away is the trendy T-shirt worn by 24-year-old miller Ryan Matthews, which shows that this old mill in Pigeon Forge on the edge of the Smoky Mountains, has entered the 21st century. Matthews has seen his home village turn into a magnet for visitors.

'When I was small, this was nothing but cornfields,' he said, pointing into the distance where the Smoky Mountains touch the sky. They are part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which boasts 9 million visitors a year or more than any other such park in the United States.
The highest summit is Clingman's Dome, which stands at 2,025 metres. Pigeon Forge is the gateway to this natural habitat, an elongated community strung out along a six-lane highway route called the Parkway. All the attractions are here, ranging from restaurants to shopping centers and amusement arcades.

The valley used to rely on agriculture for its income and the surrounding mountains were relentlessly exploited for their reserves of coal and lumber.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the peaks were almost completely devoid of trees. Erosion triggered landslides and it was not until 1920 that the battle began to save these idyllic surroundings from disaster.

When there was nothing left to chop down, the lumberjacks moved on and the state began buying up the land owned by the mountain crofters. In 1934, the area along the border with North Carolina was proclaimed a US National Park and Pigeon Forge began its ascendancy.
Neighbouring Knoxville hosted the Expo or World Fair in 1982 and triggered a big influx of tourists in the process. It was a blessing for this impoverished region and attracted many investors.

An estimated 11 million visitors pour along the Parkway every year, says Leon Downey who is in charge of tourism. The hotels are affordable and the unspoilt landscape of the Smokies is just around the corner.

'People love the contrast,' says Downey who points out that many who come here end up seeing most of the National Park from behind a car windshield since they try to take in all the other attractions during a short vacation.

There are big dippers on every corner in Pigeon Forge and the chain of restaurants along highway 441 stretches for five kilometres. Drivers only need to pull off the road to enjoy all the fun of the fair and all they can eat to go with it.

'The program has been specifically designed for families and to appeal to the various generations,' said Deborah Fee Newsom whose company maintains a number of stages in Pigeon Forge where shows are regularly hosted.

Her latest innovation is a magician. Terry Evanswood saws his assistant in two before pronouncing: 'God made his dream come true.' By doing so, he shows that this area belongs firmly to the so-called 'Bible Belt' where citizens are devout Christians and proud of it.
Country singer Dolly Parton appears on stage here with the star- spangled banner at her side. Parton grew up in difficult circumstances in the little town of Locust Ridge as one of a family of 14. Today the 62-year-old is a superstar and has tried hard to give her former homeland a helping hand.

In 1986, she transformed what used to be known as 'Silver Dollar City' into a theme park called 'Dollywood.' She also brought the horse stunt revue 'Dixie Stampede' to Pigeon Forge. This indoor extravaganza of beating hooves complete with four-course meal sees mounted riders re-enact scenes from the US civil war three times a day in front of an audience of 1,400 people.

Visitors who long to get away from the crowds can seek sanctuary in the wilderness of the park. A network of paths for backpackers stretches for more than 1,300 kilometres through an area which has been extensively reforested.

Signs warn visitors to be on guard against bears roaming the region. 'There are about two bears to the mile,' said John LaFevre, a local hiker. 'But the black bears tend to be shy and keep away from people just as long as they pick up their garbage behind them.'

The only visitors' lodge in the park is to be found on the peak of Mount Leconte. The accommodation is highly sought-after and those who want to stay here have to book months, if not years, in advance to secure a bed.

The ascent takes three hours via narrow paths, across small bridges and through a rock-hewn tunnel. From halfway up, the view stretches for miles across the valleys of the Smokies and suddenly Pigeon Forge seems a very long way off.

Information courtesy of Monsters & Critics

Zorb Smoky Mountains Rolls into Pigeon Forge

Folks are finding themselves head over heels for a new attraction in Pigeon Forge that brings a little bit of New Zealand to the Smoky Mountains. After years of delays, Zorb Smoky Mountains, which challenges the brave and foolhardy to hop in giant ball and bounce down a mountainside, finally opened at the end of October.

The idea of Zorb is certainly unique and Pigeon Forge is playing host to its first location in North America. The attraction, born in New Zealand, offers several options and courses for riders, who are suspended inside a hollow ball inside a larger air-filled ball. Those with the courage to face the mountain can opt to be harnessed into the ball (the Zorb folks call it a Zorbit ride), meaning they will turn over and over just as the ball does, or they can take a Zydro ride, in which the Zorb ball is filled with water. One to three people can enjoy the Zydro ride, which keeps riders suspended at the bottom of the ball in cool water in summer and warm water in winter.

General Manager Eric Evans equates the ride to a hot tub on wheels, saying "It's the best hot tub you'll ever roll in."

Assistant General Manager Winston Burbage offers a different comparison to describe the ride."It's like being in a big washing machine, except you don't spin," Burbage says. "The first time you ride, it is completely different than you can possibly imagine."

The attraction's opening came with some fan fair, as both "Good Morning America" and "The Today Show" are featured segments on it. "This has been great for us," General Manager Eric Evans aid. "A lot of our business will come from word-of-mouth referrals, but the publicity is nice. We expect to do a big marketing campaign soon, but we think our best advertisement will be from people going home and telling all their friends about how much fun this is."

It seems that sort of individual marketing campaign may be successful for Zorb, though it's stuck in a field off the little-traveled Sugar Hollow Road. So far nearly fifty people have taken a ride, all of them reporting they had a ball at the spherical attraction, Evans said.

"The response has really been amazing," he said. "We've had some major delays, but all of our first customers have said it's one of the most fun things they've ever done. There's really nothing else like it."

Information courtesy of The Mountain Press

SwiftWater Run new ride at Dollywood's Splash Country

Dollywood's Splash Country announces SwiftWater Run, the newest ride addition, will open in May at the 35-acre water adventure park located in Pigeon Forge, TN.

"I was looking for something that would set folks to spinning, and that's just what my SwiftWater Run will do," Dolly Parton said. "This ride's got a few twists and turns and spins, but that's all I'm gonna tell until next May."

A tubing bowl ride, SwiftWater Run offers double or single passenger tubes that take passengers through a 54-inch diameter tunnel that propels them into a large bowl feature. After multiple revolutions, passengers the encounter a corkscrew before navigating a downward chute that plunges into the landing pool.

A $1 million investment, SwiftWater Run will be located amid the water slide complex that includes Mountain Scream and Mountain Twist.

Dollywood's Splash Country is located adjacent to Dollywood. The park operates from mid-May through mid-September.

Spring into the Smoky Mountains

Spring is a reason for celebration in the Smoky Mountains. The area is wrapped in nature’s glow, with an abundance of greenery and flowers all around. It’s the perfect time to visit because the weather is nice and the Smoky Mountain shows start their new season of entertaining productions. Springtime in the Smokies is a vacation worth discovering!

The beauty of nature in full bloom inspired the popular Springfest, which is a Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg event showcasing three months of family fun. Some of the events included are: A Mountain Quiltfest, the annual StringTime in the Smokies, The Dolly Parade, The Spring Grand Rod Run, and Dollywood's Festival of Nations. There are plenty of things to do in the Smoky Mountains…all we need is you!

Several new attractions are opening this year. New attractions in Pigeon Forge include the Zorb, a peculiar invention that allows riders to experience thrilling speeds and waterworks in a translucent plastic sphere. This Smoky Mountain attraction will be the first of its kind in the United States. Dollywood is adding the Mystery Mine, a roller coaster whose theme is an abandoned coal mine. The 1,811 foot-track zooms along, plunging passengers through hair-rising drops that lead into the dark recesses of the mine. Dollywood is also opening The Cascades in 2007 at their Splash Country Water Park. The Cascades, an 8,000-sq.-ft. lagoon-style pool, features more than 25 interactive elements, including four slides. New Pigeon Forge shows include magician Terry Evanswood at the Magic Beyond Belief Theater, the Mulan show, Patty Waszak Show, and the Smoky Mountain Opry. Three major additions to the Pigeon Forge entertainment scene will celebrate their first full year of operation in 2007. Wonderworks, an entertainment complex for the mind; Helicopter Whirl’d Adventures, an attraction devoted to aviation; and The Miracle, a production that follows the life of Jesus Christ.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is an outdoor paradise that is perfect for a spring vacation. There are numerous outdoor activities in Gatlinburg that make for an excellent getaway. White water rafting is a popular sport in the Smokies because the Pigeon River has some of the best white water rapids around. Camping in Gatlinburg is also a favorite activity for visitors. Since Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Smokies, it’s a great location for easy access to the abundant outdoor recreation found in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg festivals also heat up during the spring season. Gatlinburg’s Ribfest & Wings is a festive downtown event featuring over 30 vendors, delicious food, entertainment and fireworks. The 57th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, Monday, April 23 through Sunday, April 29, is another great event, especially for hikers and nature lovers who love to see delicate wildflowers in bloom. This seven day program features over 150 hiking tours, lectures and motor excursions. Other events include Gatlinburg’s Scottish Festival & Games and Gatlinburg’s Fine Arts Festival. Golfing in Gatlinburg is another favorite pastime for visitors because the courses combine the natural beauty of the area with challenging holes fun for all golfers.

Vacationing in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg during the spring season allows visitors to experience great entertainment and the great outdoors in one great location. Make your Smoky Mountain reservations today and discover what you’ve been missing in beautiful Tennessee.