Electerik

If you passed this on the streets of Gatlinburg, you might be forgiven for thinking, "Ugh, this looks bad." But you would be oh so wrong. For, in fact, it is The Greatest Thing Ever. But that's nothing compared to the escaped gorilla who was being shipped to or from the Congo, wide awake, via subway! If you like cheesy WTF, then you owe it to yourself to experience Earthquake The Ride. The earthquake strikes! And suddenly there's another train on the track! It's heading right for you! And also, there's a barrel of acid! The train moves forward and back, and the seats tilt backward and forward. It's not violent or painful, though (surprisingly). The train holds eight people, in four rows of two, and the track is about twice the length of the train. The sign behind these simulated guests says, "An actual ride." Sure, yes, you experience an earthquake while riding a subway train. But aren't those elements common to nearly every ride, when you really think about it? Earthquake The Ride - an experience completely unlike anything you can do at USF.

Woo-hoo, obscure park! I wonder how SeaWorld feels about this place? Thanks for the TR, Robb!

Next up, Gatlinburg's Space Needle. The mark of quality. Let's get the heck out of here. I push the button. Oh. How do you suppose that sign got there? Is it the downtown area stretching back towards Pigeon Forge? No...? Misty not being a chicken. Let's see what she's pointing at. The Sky Lift attraction. Ober Gatlinburg's tram coming back into the station. Looking down Historic Nature Trail (traffic light 8). That's kinda cool. The observation deck is pretty bare, and oh so ghetto, but the views are nice. Riding up to the top. But we want to go up--preferably, fast. The building that surrounds base of the tower houses an arcade. The entrance and ticket booth. The price for adults is $7.25 (but, as with almost everything in the area, locals get a substantial discount). Standing 407-feet tall, this observation tower offers spectacular views of downtown Gatlinburg.

^ Why certainly! http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=4rc29f&s=5 It's 1600 x 1200. That's as big as I take 'em, since I never end up cropping much anyway.

I remember hearing about those bumper cars when they were first announced. Don't think I've ever seen any photos before now, though. Seems like a really cool idea. Awesome photos, as always.

That was so bad I think you gave me cancer. /TPR is a democracy now? //The thread has "mysterious" right in the title. ///I think one is going to SFNO!

Wherein we detail our enjoyment of all the strange and wonderful tourist attractions in the place we used live. We did everything, so you don't have to. Introduction and Dollywood's Festival of Nations - Page 1 Space Needle - Page 1 Earthquake The Ride - Page 1 Hillbilly Golf - Page 1 Sky Lift - Page 2 Dixie Stampede - Page 2 Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride - Page 2 Old MacDonald's Farm Mini Golf - Page 3 Wild WaterDome (Wilderness at the Smokies) - Page 4 Newfound Gap & Clingman's Dome (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) - Page 4 The 24th Annual Dolly Parton Homecoming Parade - Page 5 Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - Page 6 Ober Gatlinburg - Page 7 Dollywood's Kids Fest - Page 7 Smoky Mountain Fantasy Golf - Page 7 The Incredible Christmas Place - Page 9 Cades Cove (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) - Page 9 World's Fair Park & The Sunsphere (Knoxville) - Page 10 Hauntings - Page 11 Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum - Page 12 Blindshot Barnaby's Circus Golf - 13 Dollywood's Splash Country - Page 13 World of Illusions - Page 14 The Flying Horse Grill - Page 16 Adventure Golf - Page 16 The Knoxville Zoo - Page 16 Fort Fun / Old Gatlinburg Golf & Games - Page 17 MagiQuest - Page 18 Forbidden Caverns - Page 19 Red Rooster Pancake House - Page 20 Lazerport - Page 20 Motor Nature Trail (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) - Page 21 Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure Golf - Page 22 Sevier County Fair - Page 22 Parrot Mountain - Page 23 Gatlinburg's Mysterious Mansion - Page 24 Sir Goony's (Knoxville) - Page 24 Dollywood in Summer - Page 25 The Apple Barn - Page 26 WonderWorks - Page 27 Ripley's Haunted Adventure - Page 27 Black Bear Jamboree - Page 28 Cooter's - Page 28 Dinosaur Walk Museum - Page 29 Hollywood Wax Museum - Page 29 Walden's Landing / Firehouse Golf - Page 32 Dollywood's National Gospel & Harvest Celebration - Page 33 The Old Mill - Page 35 Davy Crockett Mini Golf - Page 36 Guinness Book of Records - Page 37 Hollywood Star Cars Museum - Page 38 Dollywood in the Snow - Page 39 20th Annual Winterfest Kick Off / Patriot Park - Page 40 Trolley Tour of Lights - Page 41 The 12 Days of Christmas - Page 42 Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas - Page 42 Rainforest Adventures - Page 44 Treasure Quest Miniature Golf - Page 45 Smoky Mountain Knife Works - Page 45 Gator Golf / The Track - Page 47 Tennessee Museum of Aviation - Page 48 The Alamo Steakhouse - Page 48 Dragon's Lair Fantasy Golf / Nascar Speedpark - Page 48 Scenic Helicopter Tours - Page 49 Rocky Top Finale - Page 49 And pretty enough to hang on your wall. Bye-bye (for now) from Dollywood. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more Smoky Mountain Adventures! I have no idea how this won so many Golden Tickets…but it is pretty good. (The) Thunderhead's entrance and exit. All of the rides in Timber Canyon. From left to right: Mystery Mine, Lumberjack Lifts, Thunderhead, and Timber Tower. Hey, it’s me! I’m a lumberjack! Mystery Mine’s first outdoor section. A "River Battle" in full swing. If you know anyone that likes to make beaver jokes, bring them here immediately. Sounds dangerous. I’ll just put my camera down there instead.... And now back to lame photos. The only way this could be better is if Dolly Parton was riding in the front seat with Burt Reynolds. This is the world’s smoothest Arrow multi-looper, The Tennessee Tornado. And I am about to show you the best picture I’ve ever taken of it. Misty demonstrates her unique butt-drying technique. …and yes, part water ride. Blazing Fury - part dark ride, part rollercoaster... Forget the church. How many parks have a guitar and dulcimer store?? This photo pretty much sums of my feelings about Tennessee. It only has one drop, but it's a pretty good one. I almost never skip this one. One of Dollywood’s patented sloping walkways and the entrance to Daredevil Falls. This is a craftsman. He is crafting. And now to Craftsman’s Valley. ...and a wet ride down. It's a long walk up... But it’s also home to a ride my spellchecker doesn’t like one bit, The Mountain Slidewinder. Dreamland Forest is largely a play area. Hydrangea is a genus of about 70-75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. (See how it ties in to the Festival of Nations?) Does this mean the park is going to be busy today? Inside Dolly's tour bus. (Which was so exciting that I became a being of pure energy.) "Adventures in Imagination" is pretty much the Dolly section of Dollywood. I broke the horn by pushing it too much. We rode separately the first time. Misty got “Going to the Chapel” on her radio. I got “Flying Purple People Eater.” But at least that one is in a whole 50's-themed area of the park. Red's Diner--because it’s actually a law that every park in the US must have a 50’s-themed diner. Oh crap. That doesn't look good. Bring on the water rides. First up, Smoky Mountain Rampage. Even though I’ve been visiting Dollywood pretty steadily for four or five years now, and despite the fact that they aren’t adding anything major this season--for some reason, the park has just really grown on me this year. Smisty won a frog. Notice anything odd about this photo? (Or rather, with what’s going on in the photo?) The Country Fair area is home to most of the park’s flat rides and games of skill. Luckily, Dollywood has lots of other fun stuff to keep one occupied. And, apart from a few flags here and there, that’s about it for Festival of Nations. According to Dollywood, this is Asian food. Whatever, it looked good. These guys are about it, as far as street performers go. Where previous years saw loads of street performers, shops, crafts, and outdoor displays throughout the entire right side of the park, this year it’s pretty much limited to just the front section. This year’s version seemed a bit scaled back, though. Dollywood starts its season with Festival of Nations. ...and, of course, Dollywood! Plus, more mini golf than you can shake a putter at… …and all the restaurants, shops, dinner theaters, and other attractions that go along with it. Nestled at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we’re within easy walking distance of the area’s main drag… Hi, I'm Erik. This is my girlfriend, fiancee, and companion friendy thing, Smisty (TPR screen name: speedmetal). And this is our house in the heart of beautiful Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

^ That's what the original quote I was agreeing with was all about: Have rides that everyone can enjoy together, instead of trying to appeal to families by adding a bunch of (just) kiddie rides. Pretty much what Disneyland was founded on.

^ You're right (at least in my case). I guess it was wrong of me to assume that people with children would prefer to ride something they and the child could enjoy together.

Quoted for truth. But the kiddie rides are cheaper, so they try to fake it.

Here's a little something extra for all of your fans. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Smoky_Mountain_Rampage_n8m7[/coastertube]

^ I'm liking the names. Except that the Journey song is actually called "Wheel in the Sky." /Unless there's some other "Wheels in the Sky" song I'm not familiar with.

Sorry. I just found this sentence really funny for some reason. /Like two dogs looking at each other trying to figure out how to work the doorknob.

I see your point. And yet, you can only judge what you see. I certainly wouldn't give a park a pass because they were busy (what matters is how they handle it), and I wouldn't not give a park credit just because they were slow. The original poster didn't without any of those details when they made their judgement. There's nothing wrong with comparing apples to oranges if you're upfront about the fact that you're doing it.

Dammit, Chuck, you stole my idea! Er...except not for Virginia. Anyway, I think an ongoing thread for this sort of thing makes a lot more sense than, "Here are all the places I'm going to visit this year." And I do so enjoy your BGE updates.

Thanks for the TR! Were they really stacking 3 trains on the world's longest wooden coaster? Because that's amazing.

The green coaster? Dude, you can have any opinion you want, but if you're going to talk like the GP, you'll have to hand in your enthusiast card.

I tend to keep things loose. I already went down to Orlando for a few days. Next up will probably be Cedar Point, Indiana Beach, and maybe Holiday World (just before Memorial weekend). After that, I'm not too sure. King's Island and the Columbus Zoo/Jungle Jack's Landing will probably happen some time this year. Possibly Kentucky Kingdom or Carowinds. I have a friend in Vegas, so I may try to put something together with a quick jaunt over to Disneyland and KBF. And I'm going to go to Ghost Town in the Sky just as soon as they get Cliffhanger open. (So...never. )

I love the Trip Report Archive, but I don't look at it nearly as often as the Park Index--simply because it's not really organized like the Index is. Still, I'll sometimes check it out the way I sometimes listen to the radio instead of a CD--because I don't want to know what's going to come on next. I try to look at every Photo TR that gets posted on the main forum, just out of curiosity. But I have to admit that I tend to give up once I see the comment, "This one's really blurry, but I'm posting it anyways." /The beauty of digital cameras is that you can take chances. But I don't need to see every chance you took!

Hyper with splashdown at KBF, with the station replacing KBT/KOD and the bulk of the ride running over and out past Bigfoot Rapids. /There, I said it. //Book it. Done.

I don't think they post any kind of schedule. My impression is that she's not there all that much (anymore). Since Dollywood doesn't have a proper new attraction opening this year, your best bet might be to aim at (or around) this: Dolly Parade. Just my impressions from living here for the last few years. I don't claim to be an expert. But I've never seen her at Dollywood, just going randomly (but with some frequency).

Aw...my honey is officially a nerd!

I don't disagree, per se. But I think the decline in RRC is at least partially related to the rise of TPR. The ability for any user to post photos here is huge. As an analogy: RRC is radio, and TPR is television. Don't get me wrong: Robb (with Elissa) has done lots of other cool stuff since then, but I only used to check out TPR for their updates occasionally (about the same amount I used to check Negative-G). And while I'm sure all this bandwidth costs them an arm and a leg, by opening it up for everyone to post photos, they've grown from a site where you can see two (admittedly well-traveled) enthusiasts' adventures to a site where you can see hundreds and hundreds of folks' theme park trips. And, by doing so, they've not only made RRC largely irrelevant, but quite possibly ACE, as well. (Though I'm certainly not trying to imply that any of that was intentional on their part.) /The only ones still on RRC are people who just personally dislike Robb. //No, really. Go look at it. Robb is all they talk about!

Okay, cool. I guess that's kind of what I was thinking it might be. Thanks so much!

You've got a few nice photos in there. Thanks for the TR. And, if I may so bold: The Resizing Photos Thread