Travelogue: Thursday at Dollywood

After another buffet breakfast--where I turned to remind a child not to spill any water and the child spilled an entire glass of water on the floor before I had finished my sentence--we walked around the grounds of the resort. We had anticipated being completely rained out on Thursday and were so pleased that we faced only a damp, grey day in the high 50s. It would be so enjoyable to utilize more of the amenities of the resort in a month other than January! There was an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, fire pits (where the resort hosts events, like roasting s'mores), various gazebos and rocking chair seating areas, and a playground.

We headed into the park for a full day of rides and activities!

The complimentary trolley ride every 15 minutes

Our little family nest!

The Wild Eagle

We enjoyed walking along Craftsman's Valley, which is the area of the park with the leather maker, blacksmith, candle makers, glassblowers, and so forth.

Candles that look like dessert

The children enjoyed dipping their own candles.

Some of the rides had testing seats to make sure the rider is going to fit properly, and sweet three-year-old Thomas was satisfied with sitting in these seats when he was not big enough to actually go on the ride.

We really enjoyed the portion of the park that looks just like a darling 1950s downtown.

There are beautiful cricks, creeks, streams, and rivers running throughout the theme park and all over Pigeon Forge.

The Dollywood theme park is so clean that we could not spot any trash, not so much as a popcorn kernel. Chris and I wanted to throw a piece of trash on the ground and then hide to wait for maintenance workers to appear from somewhere as if by magic and whisk it up--but we never dared!

During David's nap, a child requested we ride the Dollywood Express again, so that seemed like good timing.

Unfortunately, both John and I experienced the forewarned possibility of a "hot cinder in the eye!" We were both very grateful that we could blink it out ourselves instead of having to endure it through the ride and then go to the First Aid station for an extraction . . . "of the cinder, not of your eyeball!" as the train master jokes before each ride.

Riding on the train

Thomas thought the tea cups were scary.

Before

During

After

We ate dinner as a family at the 1950s diner in the park--spilling two whole drinks this time--as we'd been doing for most of our meals, and then it was my turn to take the three youngest back to the hotel room so Chris could take the older children to see "Christmas in the Smokies."

While waiting for the trolley to arrive, Joseph (almost 6) struck up conversation with an elderly gentleman. After a while of amiable conversation, the gentleman noticed Thomas in my stroller and then David in my Ergo, and he remarked with amazement that Joseph was one of three brothers. When the gentleman was informed that there were, in fact, three others, he actually corrected Joseph and said, "No, that can't be right because that would mean your mom has six children!"

In great earnestness, Joseph replied respectfully, "Actually, with my mom and dad, there are eight of us."

It was a funny moment, to be sure! Joseph then broached conversation on the ten-minute trolley ride with two teenagers who had their noses in their iPhones but were magnetically drawn into human conversation. They ended up laughing and talking, and then drawing their own Mom across the aisle into the talk. Would that we would all set down our iPhones more often!

I experienced more misadventure back at the room, where I discovered that somebody--probably Housekeeping Staff--had accidentally shut one of the doors adjoining our three rooms into a suite. I texted Chris at the show only to learn that he had the room key to that locked-out room, which is where the boys would be sleeping. I was forced to call the front desk, asking them to send somebody to enter that room from the hall and open the adjoining door. Unfortunately, the security person who was sent discovered that we had locked the night latch (equivalent of a deadbolt), so he had to send for a person from Maintenance to bring the special tool to break into the room. All the while, you mothers reading can envision the scene that I had three very tired boys, a baby crying because he was so tired, and a stressed-out mama who secretly ate the last of the salt water taffy by way of coping.

Bedtime sure went easier on the second night as everyone was completely exhausted. I even managed to get boys ages 5, 3, and 1 to fall asleep in the same bedroom by myself without a second adult to help.