Reflections of Dolly

This morning we came back to Dollywood for a bit, but as it turns out, we stayed a bit longer than originally planned.  I think the original thought was to catch a show, perhaps, and then maybe a ride that Madison didn't get to do with Mommy yesterday.  But the weather was nice, and Mommy was feeling better today, so we made up for some lost time yesterday and did a few more things that we missed out on yesterday, and that was pretty nice.

I love the fact that upon arriving, the first thing we did was go into the bakery for a look-see.  The thing about season passes is that you're able to do that, walking in and just looking around at scenery and taking your time about things.  It would be nice one time to sit in those rocking chairs towards the back, the Rocking Chair Union, and sit for a spell.

Today was that sort of day, with us leaving the bakery and walking over to a favorite store of Mommy and Madison's, one that they like to look around at, one filled with all kinds of girl things, like clothing and jewelry.  Daddy stepped outside and took some pictures, including this one here.

It's a reflection of Dolly in a puddle from the rain last night.  It was interesting to see right there in the concrete, a bit surreal, actually.

Everything in the whole park is decorated so nice.  This old 50's town even had some great storefront windows filled with items that had a Christmas or December theme.

When the girls got out, we returned to Red's Diner there to get ourselves something to eat.  We used our mugs and got a few things to eat, filling our tummies before heading out again.

Close by is the museum that's right there, so we looked around inside that again.  Madison wanted to see the coat of many colors once more, but there is a whole lot more to see there of course.

We made our way in, took a few photos and saw the jedi hologram Dolly, and then shortly after that there was the coat of many colors again.  Madison posed for a picture beside it.

There's a lot to see and read there in the museum.  We typically spend quite a bit of time in there, just looking around and seeing new things.

You can see Mommy and Madison here reading something on the wall.  There was a new area too, one dedicated to the charity set up to help those who lost their homes in that terrible forest fire a few years ago.

After this, we were over to the ride that we came here for.  Madison likes this ride a lot, and Mommy does too - they were riding it together, although the line for the ride was pretty substantial.  Daddy waited nearby in a waiting area that was in the shade, a nice spot to just sit and relax.  Finally, as you can see above, Mommy and Madison got on board, and they had a great time going up... and down.

It's not quite a huge free fall, but it's a nice ride nonetheless.  Madison is a little fearful of heights, so this - for now - is as far as we go up.  She sort of has this idea of her maximum height to go up, and this ride pretty much reaches that altitude.

Afterwards, we did one other ride today, and this one is traditional, of course.  It's Dumbo!

Or, it's Dollywood's version of Dumbo.  Flying elephants are a popular ride - the line for this one was long too.  All three of us waited in line for this one, and it was a nice, long ride going up... and down... and round and round...

It was fun, of course!  Getting off the elephants, we looked at the clock and saw that we had time to head over to a show, the one called "Christmas in the Smokies."  We walked over towards the area where the show was, and the line was ginormous!  But we got in line nevertheless, and we got into the show, despite the warnings that we "might not make it in."  

As for the show itself, it was really, really good.  The singers were extremely talented, and there were a few new Christmas songs that were very moving.  A song sung by Gabriel, Mary and Joseph was one of our favorites, but there were plenty of other classics as well, along with period costumes and a very nice set.  

When the show was done, we made our way back to the Christmas shop nearby, and sure enough, there was the ornament we were looking for, a small coat of many colors.  We found it in the shop right away, a nice souvenir of our Christmas in the Smokies.

Afterwards, the plan was to leave, but there was this other show we missed yesterday, and we just barely got into this one too, timing it perfectly really.  

It was called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and it was nice.  We liked the other production better, but this one was worth seeing as well.  The shows here are so great though - all of these have a Christmas theme to them, so I imagine when things start up again in the spring there'll be shows of a different kind playing, which will be great to see.

After this show, it was definitely time to leave.  We stopped to get some candy and fudge, and also our official cards for the season passes.  But after that... it took forever to leave.  The trams were infrequent, the crowds leaving were huge, and the traffic in Pigeon Forge was immense.  It's the holiday season, and that's all you can say. 

We left late, and Daddy drove home in darkness - and rain - but we made it safely, and before midnight.  It was a long drive, but listening to all kinds of podcasts helped, and it was an easy drive once we got out of Pigeon Forge.  

It was a nice trip overall, our Christmas getaway.  It was a Smoky Mountain Christmas, and we'll be sure to do it again... maybe next year!