Just like I said in yesterday’s blog today we headed back into Dollywood. As we roughly knew the layout of the park from our three hours there yesterday we decided our first point of call was to see “family and friends” of Dolly perform. These three guys with their bass, banjo and guitar played country hits (them just knowing Dolly had the crowd on their side).
We then headed to ride the steam train which gives you a tour of the After our gentle start to the morning we were ready to hit the roller coasters (if we weren’t fully awake yet we soon would be). The three coasters we went on were all super fast and real thrill seekers, the first had a double loop to look like a butterfly (Dolly’s motif), the Mystery Mine had a vertical lift and drop in the dark but my fave was the wooden coaster - the Thunderhead, which was voted best wooden coaster in the world in 2005 and 2006. Why is it the wooden ones are so terrifying??
Oli went on Adventure Mountain, basically a giant adult climbing frame, where you have a safety harness and make your way over rope ladders, past waterfalls, over obstacles, all while a hundred feet in the air. A typical boy's thing, so I chose to sit in the sun and watch Oli play Tarzan! 
We’ve been on loads including ones at Disney and recently Busch Gardens but never did I feel as scared as I did on this one, sure I put my arms in the air and laughed but for a moment I did think I was gonna die! Although the other two coasters went upside down this one was the only one to have a seatbelt as well as the safety bar. Even with the seatbelt I was flying out of my seat as we bumped up and down at such speed – my boobs even popped out of my vest – luckily the roller coaster photo didn’t capture it!
A few more attractions and gift shops and 3 root beers later it was time to leave Dollywood for good but not the Dolly theme. While in the park yesterday we noticed adverts for a dinner/show called Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede so called up to make a reservation for today. The price includes a four course meal, show, pre show, souvenir boot-shaped mug – bargain! The theatre was huge and in the round, surrounded by wooden seating banks with wooden benches to eat on. The arena floor was sand. We were in the front row and were fully embracing the sprit of it. 
The show is the North verses the South and as we were in the South we chose to sit on the appropriate side. We bought flags and were cheering and booing the North side. The entertainment was great, a mixture of old American types of singing, dancing, horse riding, lassoing etc. The costumes are great fun and both the North and South performers are dressed in different uniforms and when they compete in challenges you cheer for your side. 
As and when sides wins a task like log chopping or horse racing that side get a flag (whichever side has the most flags at the end of the show wins) I presumed this would be a fix but no as they also gets members of the audience from both the North and South sides to compete in different games like chasing chickens and throwing horse shoes….even if a bit of me still thought this was a fix then that was put to rest when they did the pig race and miniature pony race – don’t think they could get the animals to fix it! I think the most amazing thing (and there were some really amazing things) was when a heard of real life buffalo came charging out – like I said we were in the front row and I was slightly unnerved as I didn’t think the wooden barrier between us and the pit look high or strong enough!
The food was yummy, everyone got a small roast chicken to themselves but no cutlery – we were told this is how the settlers did it so this is how we were gonna do it…started to wish we could just have toasted marshmallows instead! It was a close contest but the our South beat the North – yeehaa, we cheered so loud that anyone would have thought we were actually AmericansJ
Back on the ranch…I mean RV we once more set off to another destination (just like the settlers before they found their perfect location!) We drove for two hours and crossed the border from J&O
Ps. We are in bear country so on the look out for grizzly bears…as long as we don’t get eaten…bound to eat me the fat one first!!
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