Dolly Parton loves Tennessee and we can see why. It's beautiful, the people are friendly as can be and we seem to be here at the perfect time. Warm but not too hot, humid but bearable. The lush green of spring is at its peak.
We got out at a decent hour to enjoy our free breakfast (comes with the $29.95 room) at an enormous pancake house. Don't know what it is about pancake houses in the south but they are everywhere! Along with the Waffle House, Cracker Barrells and fudge places. Then we cruised Pigeon Forge and couldn't believe how big it is - goes for miles. Gatlinburg was relatively compact in comparison.
We took a scenic drive through the Smokies and found the hike we wanted to take was closed from recent storm damage. More scenic driving brought us to the Chimney Tops trailhead, two miles and 1800 feet up. Larry hiked it for exercise and I did the slow and steady routine. It was beautiful and the view from near the top was definitely worth it. The climb to the very top of the chimney was pretty much straight up a rock wall and only the young and foolish attempted it and not all made it.
Back in Pigeon Forge we cleaned up well and had an excellent dinner at the Old Mill Pottery Cafe. They actually had salads on the menu. Did you know mac and cheese is considered a vegetable in the South? I have it in writing!
Another drive through Pigeon Forge to be amazed by the block-long Nascar amusement park, a football-field sized replica of the Titanic attraction, a Ripley's Believe it Or Not museum housed in an upside down mansion, etc. etc. etc.
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