The Dixie Stampede

Picture taken by Jared Withington at Dollywood (another of Dolly Parton's attractions in Pigeon Forge) near the Dixie Stampede

I love the Dixie Stampede.  Yes, it's kind of cheesy and expensive.  It's also a lot of fun and guaranteed to bring out your Southern Pride (especially if--like me--you are actually from the South).  It's also great family entertainment.  My kids LOVED it and I'd definitely bring them back.

If you've never heard of the Dixie Stampede, it's basically a dinner/entertainment extravaganza with horse stunts, musical numbers, and more.

The Dixie Stampede is essentially a dinner theater, and serves southern country cooking.  For examples of the type of food served at the Dixie Stampede or to cook your own Dixie meal, check out one of Dolly's cook books, like this one: Dolly's Dixie Fixin's: Love, Laughter and Lots of Good Food.

Click here to read my article about The Dixie Stampede (Pigeon Forge, TN location).
To book tickets or find out more, visit the official Dixie Stampede website.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies (Gatlinburg, TN)

I love aquariums, and my favorite aquarium that I've visited is Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.  It's peaceful, interesting, full of fun family features, and generally offers a great day out.  This is one of the best attractions in Gatlinburg (other than the beautiful landscape).


To find out more about Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, click here to read an article (by me) about them, or click here to visit their official website.

T.G.I. Friday's (Gatlinburg, TN)

The Smoky Mountains are a beautiful area, and the National Park and surrounding towns are a popular tourist spot.  One of the main touristy towns near The Smokies is Gatlinburg.  One of the restaurants in Gatlinburg's is a branch of the restaurant chain T.G.I. Friday's.

In my experience, the restaurant is easily accessible and fairly family friendly.  The food is edible but not particularly good, and kind of pricey.  Also, although the service is better than I anticipated, the restaurant itself is in need of a good cleaning.

To visit the official T.G.I. Friday's website, click here.
To read more about my experience at the Gatlinburg, TN location of T.G.I. Friday's, click here.