My wife and I enjoyed a nice day today. We read the paper, had a big breakfast and then drove up to Sevier County and spent four hours at Dollywood. It only takes a little over an hour to get there and since we have season tickets, as we have for several years, we don't feel like we have to stay until closing. They add something new every year, and this year it was a sort of watergun shooting gallery. Two, two-story platforms face each other and they have hand-pumped water cannons mounted all along the rail. The targets are the kids on the other platform. They get gleefully soaked, screaming all the time. Next to that there is a walk-through fountain with little jets squirting straight up. More wet kids. WDTHSLTWIWAK?*
We saw a couple of shows. One was the heartsong show which is a pictorial/musical review of the place where Dolly Parton grew up. It has movies, slides, a live banjo picker, fake lightning and even a misty rain over the audience. There are lots of bird and cricket sounds. You don't really get wet and it is a very pleasant experience. WDTHSLTWHENIWAK?*
Then we went to their 1950's musical review. We've seen it every year for the last several years and it just keeps getting better. Presently there are 14 people on stage who sing and dance. It's one of those "Why don't we put on a show?" shows. It's narrated by an off-stage voice that is a good version of Wolf Man Jack. (I really miss WMJ, he was one of kind.) They do Elvis, Frankie, Bing, Perry, all of those 1950's quartets, Big Band Sounds, (nice trick with a six man band) Teresa Brewer, etc. I wonder why the talent scouts haven't found this place. There is a lot of talent there.
We didn't ride any rides, but we had lunch there. The food is always good. It was a nice day.
Howard
*Why Didn't They Have Stuff Like That When I Was A Kid?