Dollywood Tips for Going to Dollywood This Summer

A few tips if you’re going to be coming through Sevierville this summer on the way to Dollywood.

Every summer, Pigeon Forge will see a number of motorists come through town on their way to Dollywood or Dollywood Splash Country. Visiting Dollywood is a must for anyone who visits the area! Here are a few of the best Dollywood tips for coupons, the best days to visit, what to wear, ways to save money and more! These top 10 tips will make your day at Dollywood one to remember:

1. Eat Before You Go to Dollywood

If you’re trying to save money on your trip to Dollywood this summer, try eating before you arrive. Whether that means eating breakfast or lunch, it will at least save you from spending the extra money at the park. Just plan to eat one meal at the park!

2. Take the Pigeon Forge Trolley to DollywoodPatriot Park in Pigeon Forge

Parking is $10 for a standard-sized vehicle and even more for RVs or anything larger. Trolleys are approximately .50 per person. And it takes you right up to the park entrance, so you don’t have to walk from your car or wait on a tram ride to the front entrance of the theme park. Park your vehicle at Patriot Park for free, then take the Dollywood trolley that runs every 15 minutes. The cost of the ride to Dollywood will save you a few dollars and a few extra steps, too!

3. Dollywood Provides Free Water

One of the best Dollywood tips is to remember that they provide free water. Plenty of water is a good thing if it’s one of those hot summer days.

4. Wear the Right Clothes

If you plan on riding lots of rides (especially the water rides), plan on wearing lightweight clothing that will dry quickly. Also remember to not dress too warmly if the weather is going to be hot on the summer day you choose to visit.

Young boy and girl smiling and riding a carousel together5. The Best Times to Visit Dollywood

The least busy days are during the middle of the week, typically Wednesdays and Thursdays. But if you don’t mind waiting in a few lines for rides, the weekends are also a lot of fun with a lot more people at the park!

6. Buy Your Tickets Before You Arrive

It’s as simple as that! You can click here to visit Dollywood’s website to purchase tickets or season passes before you arrive. If you plan to visit Dollywood more than once during a single season, then you’re definitely better off buying a season pass. It will end up being cheaper than purchasing multiple day passes each time you visit. Plus, you can upgrade to a Gold Pass for a small fee and receive a percentage off of purchases made within the park as well as free parking.

7. Dollywood Coupons: Where to Find Them

Everyone wants to know about Dollywood coupons and where to find them. Unfortunately, Dollywood doesn’t broker out discounts to third parties much like they once did, so discounts, if there are any, are few and far between. Local McDonald’s and Wendy’s restaurants are known to offer $5 off coupons for Dollywood or Dollywood Splash Country on occasion, especially in the summertime. It’s always easy to check there. You just have to purchase a beverage to get the coupon. It’s worth the few dollars of savings if they’re running that special when you’re in town!

If you liked this post, you’ll also like our other Dollywood tips for Dollywood’s A Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Fishing In Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains

Fishing In Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains

Anglers of all ages can enjoy both lake and stream fishing in Sevierville.

Douglas Lake is an ideal spot for fishing, camping and recreation. This 30,400 acre lake has 555 miles of shoreline and is nestled in the foothills of the Great Anglers in The Great Smoky Mountains Smoky Mountains. Over 2,000,000 visitors per year visit to enjoy Douglas Lake’s activities including: boating, picnicking, fishing, camping, swimming, bird watching and more. Douglas Lake has excellent bass and crappie fishing, in fact, the 2001 B.A.S.S. Masters MegaBucks Tournament was held there. The lake also maintains a population of a variety of bass, sauger, crappie, walleye, blue cat, flat head catfish, channel catfish and bluegill.

One of many tranquil creeks throughout Sevierville and the Smoky Mountains.

For more information on Douglas Lake, visit
http://www.tva.gov/sites/douglas.htm

Fishing License Requirements- Tennessee residents and non-residents over the age of 13 must have a valid Tennessee fishing license. A fishing license can be obtained online at https://www.tn.wildlifelicense.com/index.php or at local stores such as Wal-Mart. You cannot purchase a fishing license in the national park.

Besides Douglas Lake, there are numerous streams and creeks to dip your line in throughout the Great Smoky Mountains. Most lie just outside towns like Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Townsend. Here is a list of a few of the closer creeks and streams:

  • Abrams Creek located at the western end of the National Park along the Abrams Falls trail in Cades Cove. Here is a good spot for trout and small-mouth bass fishing
  • Big Creek near I-40 at the northeastern end of the National Park. Also a great place for trout and small-mouth bass.
  • Douglas Lake bordering Sevierville, is great for fishing and boating, bass and crappie fishing.
  • Hazel Creek, located at the southern end of the National Park, is good for trout and small-mouth bass fishing.
  • Little River near I-40 at the northeastern end of the National Park – trout and small-mouth bass fishing.

If it’s flyfishing in the Great Smoky Mountains that’s more of your flavor, here is a link for anglers coming to the area. Gatlinburg also sponsors a trout tournament in the Smokies every year in the Spring featuring over $10,000 in cash and prizes. Townsend, just west of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, holds its annual Troutfest at the Townsend Visitors Center each spring featuring everything from flyfishing seminars to fly tying workshops.

If your looking for a place to stay in Sevierville, check out this list of Smoky Mountain cabins located just outside town and in close proximity to numerous streams and tributaries.

Avoiding Traffic In, and Around, Sevierville

Maneuvering your way around Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg while avoiding traffic.

If you’ve been to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, or Gatlinburg, in the past… oh… 20-plus years…. you’ve probably seen or even been a part of the large number of cars, trucks, trailers and campers that flock to the area on the weekends, during the holidays and in peak season. It can literally be a slow moving mess, and a headache for drivers. Here are just a few easy ways to avoid major traffic jams when you come to town:

  1. Try to avoid arriving in town between 3 pm and 7 pm on Friday. This is when the east coast travelers arrive in the area. If possible, arrive at your destination earlier rather than later.
  2. Leaving town between 10 am and 1 pm on Sunday should also be avoided. Stay for lunch if you can. The southbound side restaurants (if you’re traveling toward Gatlinburg from Sevierville and Pigeon Forge) will be less busy. Around 1 pm the traffic really starts to thin out.
  3. Of all the things to keep up with, keep up with the Pigeon Forge calendar of events for car shows. It can be quite a task to enjoy everything Sevierville and Pigeon Forge have to offer if you’re in town during a car show… unless of course that’s what you’re here for. During the Spring Rod Run, Shades of the Past, and the Fall Rod Run, the Parkway is packed with antiques hot rods, and basically any other car you can think of.
  4. Try taking the trolley when you’re in town, or walking. Sevierville and Gatlinburg are taken in a lot easier if you’re on foot and there are ample places to park throughout town.
  5. Plan things that are close together and easy to reach. There are places that have shopping, restaurants, and shows and entertainment all within walking distance. Plan accordingly to keep from having to actually get on the Parkway.

And these are just a few tips. Take a look at the links to the right and you might just find some secret, insider info! Samples: Alternate route to Dollywood and Shortcut to the Park From Pigeon Forge.

A Smoky Mountain Wedding in Sevierville

A Smoky Mountain wedding in Sevierville is the dream of many brides every year as they look for that perfect local in the Smokies.

A Smoky Mountain weddings in Sevierville is the dream of many brides every year. And it’s no wonder, Sevierville offers a picture perfect setting for every girl’s most important day. Most places, like the Wedding Chapel at The Preserv Resort, even offer expert wedding planners who are available to help you with every aspect of your big day. Whether it’s an outdoor wedding you want, a ceremony in a wedding chapel, or even a cabin in which to exchange vows privately, the opportunities are numerous.

There are many wedding packages and wedding receptions choose from, depending on your budget of course, as well as a wide range of honeymoon cabins to choose from. It’s really no wonder that Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains are widely known as the “Wedding Capital of the South”.

The majority of people looking to get married in the Smokies are looking for a wedding chapel. Depending on the chapel, sometimes  an ordained minister is even included. Customize your own wedding to include such necessities as a bridal bouquet, wedding photography and flowers for the entire wedding group. Other options includewedding and reception music, a wedding cake, and even a limousine if that’s on your list. The Smokies have most any kind of wedding chapel you could think of from in town to behind a mountain stream. If you want a recommendation, try the newest Smoky Mountain wedding chapel at The Preserve Resort.

Tennessee Marriage License

Tennessee Residents: A Tennessee marriage license costs $45.00 upon completion of a 4-hour counseling session given by a qualified counselor or minister. Just present your certificate of completion when you apply for your license. It’s $105.00 if you don’t choose to go the counseling route. Same goes for out-of-state residents.

Sevier County License Locations:

Sevier County Courthouse
125 Court Avenue, Sevierville, TN – (865) 453-5502
Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Sevierville TN is home to more than a dozen wedding chapels. From log chapels and traditional southern chapels to a Victorian chapel and a handful of mountaintop chapels, there’s a little something to make anyone’s big day unique. Or, just say to heck with it and get married in the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Whatever it is you prefer, there are plenty of Sevierville lodging options that can accommodate both families and wedding parties alike. Consider a luxury cabin such as that at The Preserve Resort, which offers cabin rentals anywhere from 2 to 12 bedrooms for wedding groups and 1-bedroom luxury log cabins for honeymooners.

THE PRESERVE RESORT
Website: www.thepreserveresort.com
Phone: (866) 361-8439
The Preserve’s wedding facilities are simply the best in the Smoky Mountains area! Enjoy the beauty of the Smoky Mountains without having to travel from your mountain retreat. Cap off your wedding with a relaxing massage treatment right in the privacy and seclusion of your mountain home. Or try the swimming pool. The magnificent, outdoor pool provides a setting unlike any other, as you gaze out at a vista of blue-shaded mountain ranges. The Preserve’s wedding chapel is the newest and most exciting in the area. The chapel is a place the two of you, and your guests, will always remember. Plan your reception at our indoor or outdoor gathering place. All this . . . and the privacy and serenity of an exclusive mountain retreat. Located just 8 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Sevierville Fall Foliage (photos)

While most of us can enjoy the tail end of the fall color season this week, if you missed out here’s a collection of images shot around the Smoky Mountains the past couple of weeks showing the area’s fall splendor.

While most of us can enjoy the tail end of the fall color season this week, if you missed out here’s a collection of images shot around the Smoky Mountains the past couple of weeks showing Sevierville’s fall splendor. There’s still about a week left of peak season, so get down to Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains while you can to catch the beautiful colors of the Smokies.

Sugar Maple Cabins in Sevierville

Sugar Maple Cabins offers luxurious Sevierville Cabins, Gatlinburg Cabins and Pigeon Forge Cabins just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Believe us, everyone deserves a vacation and there’s no better place to stay in the Smokies than at a Sugar Maple Cabin complete with views, amenities, basically anything you could want while you’re away from home. The amenities are endless and unsurpassed. It all begins with the location. Sugar Maple offers Pigeon Forge Cabins in a resort-style setting and most are semi-secluded cabins. But they’re not all in Pigeon Forge, cabin rentals are available as well in Sugar Maple Cabin Rentals in Pigeon Forge TNSevierville, Wears Valley, and Gatlinburg, including Ski Mountain. And each are set against a spectacular mountain or city view like no other. It’s the setting for a perfect Smoky Mountain Vacation no matter what time of year.

Offering cabins that sleep 2-50, Sugar Maple Cabins has you covered whether you’re are wanting that perfect couples getaway or are planning a Smoky Mountain Family Reunion. Call anytime, Sugar Maple Cabins customer services lines are open 7 days a week.

Cabins feature hot tub(s), a washer and dryer, and a fully-equipped kitchen. What sets Sugar Maple Cabins Luxury Cabins apart from ordinary cabin companies are the upscale amenities including flat-screen HDTVs, DVD players, gaming systems, and Wireless Internet. Still not impressed? How about spending part of your vacation watching movies in a home theater room? Sugar Maple Cabins simply define luxury.

Sugar Maple offers nearly 200 cabins from a perfect romantic getaway for 2 to a beautiful Smoky Mountain lodge that sleeps 50. Your choice is simple: You can stay in an ordinary cabin or you can stay in extraordinary luxury with Sugar Maple Cabins.

Visit the website and book online at:
http://www.sugarmaplecabins.com
Or
Visit Sugar Maple Cabins on Facebook to see reviews, testimonials, and guest feedback! Sugar Maple Cabins Reviews on Facebook

We’ve Got Everything You Need on Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Too!

Visit our sister sites – Inside Gatlinburg and Inside Pigeon Forge

Plan Your Pigeon Forge Vacation Get Gatlinburg Vacation Tips

Coming to the Sevierville area this winter and wanting to make it over to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg too? Our sister sites, Inside Gatlinburg and Inside Pigeon Forge, will help you sort out that end of your trip once you get there, and let you in on coupons and discounts available for area attractions.

Inside Gatlinburg and Inside Pigeon Forge, like Inside Sevierville, feature reviews, tips, discounts, and other information about Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. You’ll find articles featuring some great tips for planning a fall visit to catch the leaves in their peak color, or a winter trip to ski at Ober Gatlinburg. If you plan to visit Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, be sure to check out these sites for the latest vacation tips!

A Brief History of Sevierville

According to early history records, by the 18th century, the Cherokee Indian tribe were the only native people living permanently in Tennessee. The Cherokee had claimed all the eastern, as well as central portions of the state as their hunting grounds in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were also said to refer to themselves the “Principal People.” Many still believe that they were a detached Iroquoian tribe. Included in this tribe were some of the Native Americans John Sevier fought in order to protect European settlers in and around Sevierville.

A well known Tennessean, Sequoyah (Sequoia) was born in 1776 to a Cherokee mother and a father who was a Virginia fur trader.  Sequoyah went on to develop the Cherokee alphabet in 1821 and by the early 19th century the Cherokee had become the first and only literate Native American tribe in existence. Today, the Cherokee language is the second most widely used Native American language.

Sevierville (Severe ville) is named after John Sevier, one of the most famous figures in the history of Tennessee. Sevier was a frontiersman, soldier, war hero and politician who served under George Washington in the American Revolution and became renowned for his role in the battle of King’s Mountain.

In 1785, he became the first governor of the State of Franklin – a new state that had been carved out of the land around Watauga. Later, Franklin became part of North Carolina and John Sevier was accused of treason for resisting the annexation.

When the State of Tennessee was formed in 1796, Sevier became its first governor, serving from 1796 until 1801 and again from 1803 until 1809. Later, he served as a state senator from 1809 until 1811 and was a member of the US House of Representatives in 1811.
Nicknamed “Nolichucky Jack” for his exploits along the Nolichucky River, Sevier died in Georgia during a boundary negotiation with Creek Indians in 1815.

Sevierville is located in an area that known by many as the true birthplace of country music. But now, many authorities consider the songs of the southern mountaineers to be the only true folk music ever produced by the European immigrants to America and they hearken back to the British ballads of the 18th century pioneers.

English Musicologist, Cecil Sharp, said in Smoky Mountain Country by North Callahan that he was tremendously taken with the [Southern Mountaineers] themselves, their strong character, their individuality, the isolation and its affects upon them and their music. The mountain people were sheltered by rugged mountains from the rest of the world and by this very condition, he concluded, they had retained in all its purity the most lyrical folk music in the world.

Even today, music inspired by the Smoky Mountains is recognized the world over. The most prolific and well known musician to come from Sevierville is country music legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton. One of 12 children born in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Dolly has remained faithful to her mountain roots, even as her international fame continued to grow. After opening her Dollywood theme park, which helps preserve mountain music and crafts while creating jobs for area residents, she also began the Dollywood Foundation, which funds many charities in the region including the Books from Birth program.