When we wondered how we were going to get around that big mountain ahead, we drove through a sizable tunnel on this stretch of the interstate. You wouldn't be seeing that in Oklahoma!
The winding section of I-40 brought us to a new state for the motor home--Tennessee, "The Volunteer State."
We exited I-40 and headed south towards our next destination in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We had heard about the traffic here, and it did not disappoint. You might notice that the traffic light is green. But all the brake lights are still glowing red because the traffic is backed up through the next stop light ahead of us.
Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are maxed out on tourists during this week following the Independence Day holiday. Most are here to see the touristy attractions such as the Hollywood wax museum, or Ripley's Believe It or Not. There are miniature golf courses, go carts, and restaurants of every kind lining this stretch of the parkway through town. We had to drive by all the attractions to get to our campground on the south side of town.
We had a nice stay in Walden's Creek Campground, even though the RVs are parked side-by-side and end-to-end to make the best use of its limited acreage in prime proximity to all the tourist fun in Pigeon Forge.
We learned the back roads to get around Pigeon Forge to avoid the always-crowded parkway. We also learned that most of the musical shows and tourist attractions are pricey. So when we visited a store with a sign out front proclaiming "Discount Tickets," we found the best way to enjoy an affordable vacation in Pigeon Forge. Yes, we signed up to hear the sales pitch at the Wyndham Resort. Now we have more time than money, and there was no pressure to buy a membership into their resort when we explained that we had our own rolling vacation condo. Along with about twenty other couples, we patiently listened to their two-hour presentation and toured the new Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville presidential suite. In exchange for our time, we got an American Express cash card that would more than cover our tickets to Dollywood. They also threw in a gift card for a nice meal downtown, and two tickets to the Sky Wheel.
We visited the 200-foot ferris wheel on a Saturday night, when it was lit up.
This was also the time that the lines were the longest, and the parking and traffic were crazy. We were amazed that so many people would pay $15 per person to make several rotations on this giant ferris wheel.
The 42 glass enclosed cars are very comfortable, with good air-conditioning on this warm evening.
And the views from the top are really nice. We could see all the way to the end of the Pigeon Forge Parkway.
It would have been beautiful to see the Smoky Mountains from this height on a clear day. But it was still interesting to take a picture straight down from the top at night. All those little dots 200 feet below are people.
The Sky Wheel ride is at "The Island" in Pigeon Forge. It's a pedestrian area filled with shops, restaurants, rides, and games. This is where we came for our Wyndham sales pitch, and you can see the hotel swimming pool in the bottom left hand corner of the picture taken from the sky.
The ropes course and zip lines were very popular that evening, even though one trip through the course costs $20. But for an extra $5, this attraction ends with a plunge from the highest level as you step off the scaffolding at the top right.
But our favorite attraction was free. There is a large water feature that hosts a musical light and fountain show every half hour.
It's not as spectacular during the day, but it was really fun to watch at night with all its changing colors.
The colors changed and the fountains pulsed in sync with the music being played. There are rocking chairs and adirondack chairs surrounding the water, so it's a comfortable place to sit and enjoy the view at the island. It was fun to see the colors of the sky wheel reflected in the watery mirror of the lake.
Later, we would return to "The Island" to use our free restaurant gift card. After the nice meal, we even had enough money left over from the gift certificate for a dessert--hot skillet chocolate chip cookie sundae. As many calories as we consumed, it's a good thing we walked to Timberwood Restaurant and back this day.
It's not as crowded or as festive during the day, but "The Island" is still a very fun place to hang out in Pigeon Forge. Faced with all the crazy traffic, our first impressions of this little tourist town weren't great. But it's beginning to grow on us as we join the thousands of other people that vacation here.
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