I said I wanted to go someplace new, but no one seemed to hear me. Odd.
Instead, I heard an entire speech from my kin about how Michael could only take one day off from work, and where else could we go in such a short amount of time, and what if we stayed at Dolly's swanky DreamMore Resort to make it feel like we hadn't already been to Dollywood 46 times this year, and he would plan an extra special activity for us, and we could eat at that restaurant we've never been able to get in to, and Kitty really needed to try her hand at Magiquest again, and why wouldn't I just go along with the crowd?
Sigh. Do you see what I have to deal with? You can guess that I was outvoted.
But, despite my lukewarm desire to patronize Pigeon Forge again, we actually ended up having a splendid time together. I suppose this proves that it doesn't matter where we go, it's the being together that makes everything joyous.
And joyous it was. We began our adventures by seeing a show at Bays Mountain Planetarium and riding a carousel.
And then the next day we hit the open road. On that day, it was FREEZING cold outside. It was so cold that after mere moments outside, we shuffled into the gift shop to purchase extra scarves, gloves, and sweatpants for Kitty. The best part was that we paid gift shop prices. But at least we were warm!
At one point we were huddled around an outdoor heater with a few other people. I must have looked ridiculously frozen because one of the guys asked if we were from Florida. When I said I grew up in Idaho, he laughed and said I was a pretty wimpy Idahoan.
Yes, yes I am.
Dollywood was aglow with Christmas lights and displays that put us in the holiday spirit by the time we exited. We drank hot chocolate and wassail, did the bumper cars, watched a Christmas play, and rode the coal-fired steam engine. Since we were guests at the resort, we were even able to avoid the crowded parking lot and take a trolley back to our room instead. Avoiding the walk in the cold was exquisite.
The DreamMore resort was beautiful. They had live piano music in the lobby, an enormous Christmas tree, and an arcade in the basement. Kitty even had her own bunk bed to sleep on with bedding that zipped her in like a cocoon. Splendid!
The next day Kitty was able to defeat the Goblin King at Magiquest and we did our very special activity of a helicopter ride. It was my first time in a helicopter. I had a little motion sickness but overall I enjoyed it immensely. And Kitty was the co-pilot!
We ended our weekend at the place where we always end our Pigeon Forge weekends: at the Relic Room. It's a rock and crystal heaven for Kitty.
Alright, I'll go ahead and say it: being at Dollywood for our 20th anniversary was fun. It wasn't no Caribbean island, but it was still a good time.
Here's to 20 years!
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