The Smoky Shadows of Dollywood

by angeliska on August 12, 2012

It has been a dream of mine to visit Dollywood for a long, long time now – and today, I can happily say that my wish has been finally been fulfilled! What’s even more amazing is that my experience exploring the wonders of Dollywood was even more lovely and fun than I ever could’ve imagined. I’m not super into mega-insane amusement parks, really. Even Disney I could really mostly take or leave, as the rampant commercialism and consumerism combined with waiting in long cattle-chute lines in the hot sun and overpriced everything tends to gross me out. I’ll always gravitate towards the weird, creepy side-of-the-road carnivals and family circuses any day. But Dollywood for me is more about my deep and abiding love for the magic and marvel that is Dolly Parton than my desire to gobble candy-floss and trudge around in a sea of mooing humans (and their wailing and shrieking offspring). Wandering around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (the two towns flanking Dollywood), I began to become a tad concerned that my dreams of the idyllic butterfly haven I imagined Dollywood to be might really be a morass of tacky trinkets and miserable tourists shuffling around a shabby, faded theme-park. To be sure, there are tacky trinkets galore, but what charmed and surprised me most about Dollywood is how downright gorgeous the park itself is. I suppose that oughtn’t have been a revelation, given that it is nestled in the bosom of the Smoky Mountains, which are insanely beautiful, but truly – I think Dolly went the extra mile in making her domain as sweet and pleasant as possible.
I was reminded as soon as we walked in the gates of Tivoli Gardens, my grandfather’s favorite amusement park in Copenhagen. One of the many things that makes Tivoli so special is that it maintains a sweetness, an innocence that can be soothing to children and old folks alike in a world of entertainment that panders to adolescents (eternal and otherwise) who are obsessed with RAGING BLAZING MEGA MONSTER LAZER type amusements. Both Tivoli and Dollywood have quaint, pastel-painted faux-historic architecture (In D-wood’s case it’s faux-Victorian and old-tyme/hillbilly style) lushly landscaped with native trees, babbling brooks, and loads of lovely flowers growing everywhere you look. Tivoli has no neon to speak of (only specially dimmed fairy lightbulbs!), and no piped-in recorded music is allowed – only live bands playing everywhere! Tivoli also has one of the world’s only full-time pantomine theaters, which was the main draw for my Grampa – he loved Commedia dell’Arte. Sadly, we didn’t get to stay and see Dollywood at night, so I can’t say what the night-time lighting’s like, but you could hear Dolly singing pretty much everywhere you go – which is of course, as far as I’m concerned, incredibly excellent.
Big rock candy mountain!
“In the big rock candy mountains, there’s a land that’s fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes, and you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty, and the sun shines every day,
On the birds and bees and the cigarette trees,
the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings,
in the big rock candy mountains.”

Something my intrepid traveling companion Brettski and I talked about a lot during our time here was how much Dollywood/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg reminded us of Pleasure Island from Pinocchio. There’s something really strange about seeing people let loose in districts or areas ordained for pleasure and entertainment. Living in a tourist city like New Orleans, and increasingly now, Austin, this is something I’ve encountered a lot – though it’s always odd to be the tourist rather than the exasperated local. Having waded countless times through the sea of excess that is Bourbon Street, or to a slightly lesser degree, Austin’s 6th Street, I’ve encountered first-hand what happens when you give people license to debauch – provided that they do it in their designated and condoned-off zone, so as not to infect the rest of society with their racket and bawdiness. Seeing the same idea implemented up here, but sans sin, was very interesting. There’s not much alcohol served – very few bars or pubs, and even the naughty sex shops seem tame and oddly, family-friendly. Even the two-foot-tall plastic grenade shaped sippy cups normally reserved for high-octane daiquiris seem to only be filled with frozen lemonade. Kettle corn and old-time candy shops sling the drugs of choice here, and everyone just gets high on Aunt Granny’s homemade fudge and candy-apples instead. Wandering around with a crazy sugar buzz, gaping at Ripley’s wonders and shopping for magnets, t-shirts, country crafts and ridiculous knives seem to satisfy the need for bacchanal in the Appalachians. I guess there’s always moonshine for when the kids have been put to bed. Still, I keep thinking of those wild boys on Pleasure Island who were cursed and turned into donkeys as punishment for their indulgences – hee-hawing and braying in animal grunts of fear, doomed to slavery in circuses and sugar-mines. What happens when your buzz fades, when the hangover sets in and the credit card receipts and glossy unused coupons pile up? I remember riding my bicycle to work through the French Quarter in the mornings and seeing middle-aged secretaries from Ohio passed out drunk in the gutters with their sensible skirts riding up their pantyhosed trotters. What happens when the carnival is over, and we’ve said enough farewells to the flesh? Eventually the glamour peels away, the shine fades off the souvenirs, and the next big attraction is just another tatty shitpile with a for rent sign in the window. You see lots of these up here, right next to the latest, the brightest, the biggest, newest humdinger of a buffet/dinner-show/hotel-motel-resort-lodge/dino-mini golf course. The air-conditioned nightmare is here, and it is us.
My dream of finally having a gimme cap with a dolphin carrying a human skull in its mouth has become a reality!
Even though we had willingly joined the masses of mountain people on church outings, curious Amish families, and slow-moving rednecks chowing down on fried oreos and funnel cake, we felt like outsiders, observers from another planet – and in truth, we were. So, we felt compelled to don our versions of camouflage, though they probably ended up garnering us more confused looks than had we not . I was hoping to find the perfect trucker hat (or as my dad always called them, “gimme caps”. He wore one habitually through most of my childhood.) I’ve also been wishing, for a long time now, to find an airbrush artist who could make another of my wishes come true – to have a dolphin with a human skull in its mouth emblazoned on my person. I can’t explain the intense satisfaction that having this wish finally granted has brought to me. My only regret is that I didn’t ask for a narwhal. Maybe I’ll remedy that. Also, I think including my full name might make it even more special. Maybe on a tote bag.
My traveling companion Brett felt it necessary to represent Texan Jebus pride, since he's moving to Canada.
Brett is moving to Canada, and thought long and hard about what design and phrase would perfectly illustrate his innate Texanity to his new students and colleagues at the University of Toronto. I think “Guns for Jesus” pretty much says it, don’t you? Unfortunately, this statement did not bat many eyes in these parts.
I rode on a goat at Dollywood!
The very first thing we did upon arriving at Dollywood was ride the beautiful carousel. I got to ride on the goat! SUCCESS! So, basically, everything that happened after this was just gravy on top of my mashed potato sundae – with extra bacon bits.
Carousels can be extremely dangerous. Hold on tight, Brettski!
Carousels can be actually be extremely dangerous. Brett demonstrates proper safety measures.
My beautiful carousel goat!
What a beautiful steed!
Ride the wild seadragon!
The sea-dragon was truly exquisite – I must admit, I was torn.
Stern bunny means business.
Don’t mess with the bunny, man. Stern bunny means business.
Chasing Rainbows
The Dolly museum is, obviously, a place of intense magic. I barely took any photos in there, because I was just so overwhelmed by how wonderful Dolly Parton is. I’m pretty sure if I ever met her, I would just start crying. Once I just sat and stared at the cover of one of her records for an hour, in awe of how perfect she is. Of course, I feel the same way about Cher. Yes, I am a drag queen. No, I am not ashamed of my passion.
Dolly & two white kitties!
Dolly in a black dress holding two white kitties is pretty goddamn fantastic.
Dolly Parton + Grace Jones = LOVE
But this photo is EVERYTHING. I mean! Dolly Parton + Grace Jones = LOVE FOREVER.
Dream boots!
I felt such a frisson of She-Ra inspired longing when I saw these babies. Silvery pink and rhinestones, man. Her boots really did it for me. So much so, that I couldn’t even deal with trying to document the rest of her insane wardrobe. But I did take more photos of her magic boots! I want them all, real bad. If her feet weren’t so goddamn tiny, I probably would have been arrested today for trying to do a serious shoe heist.
Doin' some shoppin' at Dolly's closet!
Yes, I had some shoppin’ to do at Dolly’s Closet…
Consuming Dolly kitsch!
Could I be restrained from consuming piles of Dolly kitsch? The answer is no. Do I love having Dolly’s face plastering on my (comparatively meager) bosoms and sipping tea out of my black glitter Dollywood mug? I don’t think I have to answer that one.
Animatronic talking buzzard tells lousy jokes.
The only bummer of the day was that the Mystery Mine was closed for repairs! I was very much looking forward to a ride that involved the ghosts of dead miners and an 85 foot drop into an abandoned mine shaft, but – I suppose this means that I’ll just have to return to Dollywood one day! Also, this animatronic talking buzzard told us really lousy jokes.
A beautiful day Dollywood!
I kind of just want to live at Dollywood. With Dolly. Forever. Can this be arranged?
It's so pretty here. I don't want to ever leave!
Pretty little streams like this run through the park, so walking around all day doesn’t feel like you’re in weird fun-land hell, ever. You can just sit in the shade and watch the butterflies flit around when you get tired of navigating through the crowds of strollers and people carrying stuffed bananas, stuffed banana peppers, stuffed traffic cones and life-size inflatable purple aliens.
Leafy seadragons are my favorite.
Also, when in Gatlinburg, I recommend Ripley’s Aquarium and the Haunted Adventure (even though that one didn’t quite live up to my dream spook-house expectations, sadly.) The aquarium is really quite good, and had a nice big tank of weedy and leafy seadragons, which are one of my major totem spirit animals. SO DREAMY.
Jellyfish friend!
Greetings, wee glowy jellyfish friend!
In another life, I wouldn't mind being a jellyfish for awhile.
In another life, I wouldn’t mind being a jellyfish for awhile.
Sea nettle ballgowns.
Or maybe just wearing a sea nettle ballgown. But only if I was immune to the stinging.
Labradorite shark eyes
Labradorite shark eyes. I wanted to pet her head, but could not. I did pet a giant stingray, though.
He felt very slimy.
World of Illusions wants you to know...
We really, really thought hard about going into the World of Illusions…
An Incredibly Mystifying Museum
In the end, we didn’t – but that just leaves another reason to return here one day!
Sometimes the mystery is better than the reality.
In closing, I would highly recommend a trip to Dollywood for both Dolly fans and amusement park enthusiasts. The rollercoasters were fantastically terrifying and exhilarating and gave us crazy shaky jelly legs. It felt good to be forcibly thrown back into my body – I’ve been living in my head so much lately. This adventure made me think a lot about being a child, and having a sense of naïveté about where and how all the cheap tacky junk I craved so intensely was made. Children are greedy, and always want the shiniest, the loudest, the mega-est. I feel like I’ve worked hard to keep my sense of wonder intact, but even at the age of seven, I remember being disgusted and frustrated by how fake and plastic Disneyland was. I feel lucky that I’ve gotten to explore places like Tivoli Gardens and Dollywood as an adult, and still get to enjoy the magic they provide. They aren’t perfect, by any means – but they do try harder to leave that sense of innocence and beauty intact. There’s an appreciation of nature, though I’m aware of the gargantuan waste and profligate destruction that these places cause. It’s a tough one. I think of the abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans – an empty behemoth left to rust and decay and become a playground only for nutrias and rag-tag tribes of lost boys and girls. What will become of all these places when our ecosystem and our economy can no longer sustain them? I can never see places like this without imagining their eventual ruins. It’s how my brain works. On a different note, I’ve also been thinking about some interesting articles I read a while back by a scholar who analyzes and studies Disneyland and amusement parks – they way the lines are designed, the rides themselves – very interesting. I think it was a she, and she wrote a really great piece about the Haunted Mansion that I really enjoyed. I reckon I can dig around Long Forgotten (an amazing UK blog dedicated to scholarly discussion regarding the Haunted Mansion!), but if anyone knows who I’m talking about, holler.
Also, I think this rundown from Buzzfeed is also more or less accurate:
The DOs And DONT’s Of Dollywood
Have you ever been to Dollywood? Did you love it as much as I did? SAY YES. No, really – I’d love to hear your stories (especially if you ever got to go back when it was first opened!) If not, what are your favorite bizarre tourist traps or roadside attractions? Do tell…!

8 comments

Good lord, I adore you MORE now. Is that even legal?

by Dusty Paik on August 12, 2012 at 2:23 am. Reply #

oh my yes! I can’t drive under a mammoth highway overpass without imagining it covered in ivy and crumbling into disrepair, with post-apocalyptic tribespeople congregating beneath it for rituals.
I know people have been frowning on disaster-porn lately but I just love photos of beautiful old things crumbling into entropy.

by rachel on August 12, 2012 at 6:50 am. Reply #

You are the poster child for UNCOMMON OBJECTS….lucky me that Linda P shared you…great musings

by Tom Green on August 12, 2012 at 6:55 am. Reply #

Hi! I am glad Dollywood is cool! Next time I go to Knox for my busy raving schedule (ha) I’ll make a point to try and fit Dolly in *before* I try (and fail) t0 stay up all night. Trying to go after some party hasn’t really happened yet. Also obsessed with all theme parks, big and small. Done some real time at Disney and am obsessed with all the…everything there. Details, rules, underbelly, masses. I keep going back even though it creeps me out. Nostalgiacore always gets me. As for roadside attractions, hands down my favorite is the Garden of Eden in Lucas, KS. Jaw-dropping. If you ever end up on the long drive through KS, it is a must. Enjoy your travels!

by alanna on August 13, 2012 at 1:43 pm. Reply #

We missed Dolly by 5 minutes at our local Mexican restaurant recently. Devastating. Apparently it is her favourite in Los Angeles, and she calls in often for early dinner. 😉
I’ve always hated Disneyland too, once was ample sufficiency for me.

by Emma on August 13, 2012 at 3:05 pm. Reply #

Hi! I am a resident of Tennessee and I hold season tickets all of the time. I can tell you anything you want to know about Dollywood! I have visited it hundreds of times. I can even tell you about the grand opening of Dollywood. I was there!! E-mail me and tell me what you want to know about it, and if you are still interested in learning about it through someone eyes that has practically lived there!! If you are interested, we will exchange phone numbers, and I will talk to you whenever you want to know anything about Dollywood! Just let me know! Hopefully, will be talking to you very soon!!!! Sincerely, Bea

by Beatrice T Seymour on January 1, 2015 at 9:48 pm. Reply #

Oops, sorry! I didn’t finish my email preferences before I sent it to you. I had to come right back and email you again so I could put in my preferences!

by Beatrice T Seymour on January 1, 2015 at 9:52 pm. Reply #

Hi there!! I am 43 years old and I have higher functioning Classic Autism (a developmental disability). I am emotionally and socially like a 4 1/2 – 5 year old. I LOVE Pigeon Forge and Dollywood!! I’ve only been at Dollywood one time, in April 2016, and I loved every minute of it. And you were mentioning how Pigeon Forge reminds you of Pleasure Island in the movie Pinocchio. That is the EXACT thought I had when I was there. I was thinking that Pigeon Forge, with it’s candy shops, rides for children, comedy clubs, and other fun things reminds me of Pleasure Island. I doubt little boys turn into donkeys at Pigeon Forge, though!! LOL. However, you don’t have to even go to Dollywood to see how fun Pigeon Forge is. Just on the main drag (The Parkway) there is so much fun there in itself!! Pigeon Forge reminds me of a cleaned up version of Las Vegas – a kiddie Las Vegas – a fun place to go for children – without the prostitutes, the gambling, the alcohol and drinking, etc. Just good clean fun!!! I would highly recommend anyone to go to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood, especially if they are a child at heart or if they have “Peter Pan Syndrome” or if they are developmentally disabld and have the thought processes of a little kid. Perfect place to go!! Strange thing, I am not a liker of roller coasters – in fact, I’m downright scared of riding on roller coasters (I rode on them with my dad when I was a younger kid, but always hated it). I don’t even like kiddie roller coasters. The two rides I thought were the most fun were in the Country Fair Section of Dollywood. One of them is the “Busy Bees”, which is sort of like Dumbo The Flying Elephant at Disneyland / Disney World, but using bees. It is a lot of fun. It’s primarily aimed toward young children (toddlers, preschoolers) but adults can also ride on it (you have to sit in the rear seat though). It is a little difficult getting on if you are a larger adult and sort of a squeeze, but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT, on every level. I had lots of fun on that ride. And also, there’s the Lucky Ducky ride – with ducks going in a circle – that is a lot of fun too. Plus, there’s also a ride like the Busy Bees that is larger called the Amazing Flying Elephants. That is fun too. I have been to quite a few amusement parks, and Dollywood is one of very few that actually allow adults to ride on “kiddie” rides. I had such a great time at Dollywood. I want to go back there again soon. I visit Upstate South Carolina (Greenville / Spartanburg area) fairly often, once a year to once every 2 years, and I think next time I go visit the Greenville area, I think I’m going to go back to Dollywood. Absolutely love it!! You really made me laugh comparing Pigeon Forge to Pleasure Island. I loved Pinocchio actually, and I think Alexander the donkey is the cutest thing. Although my favorite Disney movies are probably Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, and the Fox and The Hound. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks Pigeon Forge sounds like Pleasure Island!! I’m an assistant volunteer at Preschooler Storytime for 3-5 year olds at my local library and have been for 15 consecutive years. Take care!! – Codi Preston D. from San Jose, California

by Codi Preston D. on November 22, 2019 at 2:56 am. Reply #

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