Friday night we went to Dolly Parton's fun and raucous Dixie Stampede dinner show. Before the main show, we were entertained in the bar by three banjo pickin', guitar and base strumming, fiddle playing singers. Their high energy country music really got us clapping our hands and tapping our toes while enjoying our "cocktails" (juice in a plastic cup shaped like a cowboy boot).
After the warm-up show, we were ushered into a large arena. Long tables and benches were set up in tiers around the arena where we ate our dinner and watched the show. During short breaks in the show, our server walked in front of the long table heaping our plates with a small WHOLE roasted chicken, slice of smoked pork loin, baked potato, buttery biscuit, and apple turnover, which we ate with our hands (no eating utensils provided), and drank our soup from the bowl, and drank our drinks from a mason jar. While eating our finger-lickin' good vittles, performers were singing, doing horseback trick riding and racing, logging competitions, and they even had pig and chicken races. During racing competitions, the audience was encouraged to hoot and holler, or stomp your feet if you mouth was full of food. Hee Haw! We had a great time.
DOLLYWOOD
The next day, we visited the Dollywood theme park. We didn't see Dolly at the park, although we heard she was there as it was opening day of the 9 month season the park is open. This happy place has something for everyone. There are several in-door and out-door "thee-A-ters" in the park with performances of singing, dancing, and comedy scheduled throughout the day. Amusement rides range from the Merry-Go-Round, to the heart stopping Screaming Eagle. The only ride we took was on the train pulled by a coal fueled steam engine. A huge black cloud of soot and ash would spew from the smoke stack as the train departed the station and rattled down the tracks.
Dolly's singing, and Country and Blue Grass music fill the streets that meander through the themed areas of the park where shops sell just about any trinket or Dolly souvenir
you could want. This place is a dieters (me and Jim) nightmare; there is no shortage of restaurants and food stands. The restaurants (some "all you can eat") offer southern fried chicken, ham & beans, buttery biscuits, BBQ, Mac & Cheese, burgers, fries, and pie. Smaller food stands sell ice cream, hot dogs, corn dogs, fries, buttered popcorn, deep-fried funnel cakes, fudge, and cinnamon rolls. We resisted those tempting treats and aromas and found a chicken fajita salad for lunch at PaPaws. Frankly, I have never seen so many obese and morbidly obese people together in one place at one time. Not only were many adults grossly overweight, but a lot of the kids were too. I guess that's what eatin' all that good ol' southern cookin' will do ta y'all.
The day at Dollywood was funner than a monkey swinging from a tree eating a banana. We can see why so many people love to go there.
The lady singing, wearing the white blouse, is Dolly Parton's cousin, Debbie. Two of the performers in this group were Dolly's cousins and her Uncle Bill also sang and played the guitar.
OK, you should see the black smoke and soot spewing out of the train. Here's a shot from the train as we were pulling out of the station.
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