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Oh, God! Dollywood...


msoskil

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Thank you all for your responses. I'll take the camera, but point it mostly at my daughter. I'll probably try and get everyone to agree to the drive to Cades Cove one day. That sounds like everyone will enjoy it.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Michael,

I have taken some of my best photos in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. Drive to Cade's Vove before they open the drive through it. Be there before sunrise with a tripod and your camera. A graduated neutral density filter helps a lot. There is a drive (something like Foothill Drive) which usually has lovely wild flowers which can be photographed with a macro lens. If you drive up the mountains in the Park, sometimes you catch breathtaking sunsets, waterfalls, ice, old windmills, ... etc. Enjoy your trip.

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  • 1 month later...

I am the perfect person to answer this question. I grew up in Rhode Island and New York. We too were the beach and Disney World family. I married a Tennessean and we now live in Knoxville about an hour from the Smoky Mountains. We have 2 daughters ages 2 ? and 1 ? . This trip is going to better than you think. If you go there with an open mind, I am sure you will have a great time. I admit it is a very busy tourist area and some places can be a little cheesy. When my northern family comes to visit they are so looking forward to their trips to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. I will share with you some of their favorites. Of course all the woman love the shopping, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge have more outlet malls than you can count. The best by far is Tanger 5 Oaks http://www.tangeroutlet.com/centers/frameset.html?i=/centers/index.html?center=SEV. You could shop here for 2 days and still not hit all the stores. Take a break for lunch at Connors. If you are looking for a little Southern flare have dinner at the Old Mill restaurant in Pigeon Forge http://www.old-mill.com/ Gatlinburg is lovely (if you have every been to Lake Placid, New York it doesn?t look much different). It is a very quaint little town. In Gatlinburg you must go to the Ripley?s aquarium it was hit with everyone in my family. Behind the aquarium is a wonderful steak restaurant called the Peddler. My grandfather asks when we are going there as soon as he gets into Tennessee.

 

Ok now for Dollywood , I have only been there twice so I am hardly an expert. The first time we went, I thought of it as a Red Neck Disney World. Luckily my nieces got me to go again and I saw an entirely different view. It is far from Disney but it is actually a very nice park with great rides and shows. Your daughter will have a blast. My 2 year old LOVES the kids section. Bring a bathing suit for her to play in the water area inside the park. It sounds gross but try a fried Twinkie they are yummy.

 

The Knoxville Zoo has added an entire new are called Kids Cove My daughters LOVED it. If you are a member of any other zoo in PA check to see if they have any affiliation and you may not have to pay. We are members at the Knoxville Zoo and we can go to the Zoo In Providence RI with our Knox Zoo pass.

 

Overall it is a tourist area so you do FEEL like you are on vacation when you are there. Have a great time.

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