Pigeon Forge

 Did you know that Tennessee is officially divided into three areas?  West, Middle and East.  Our time in Middle Tennessee had come to an end and we moved on to East Tennessee to see what we could see.

So, destination - Pigeon Forge, TN.   First, the weird name.  The city is next to the Little Pigeon River, which takes its name from the flocks of passenger pigeons that frequented its banks when settlers first arrived, and the iron forge that used to be there.  I know it sounds corny, but I love Dolly Parton's voice and have heard about this place for ages. So I wanted to see for myself what all the to-do was about.  From songs and interviews, I expected Pigeon Forge to be a wide spot in the road, maybe with a few tourist shops along the lines of Breckenridge or Estes Park, maybe.  Boy, was I wrong!

I've been to Branson, Missouri but Pigeon Forge is all that and more.  I can't count the number of dinner theaters, mini-golf courses, go cart tracks, "outlet" malls, amusement rides, restaurants and themed shopping venues that line the main drag, each one more elaborate and imaginative than the last.

The Christmas Place - all things Christmas

Hatfields and McCoys Dinner Theater

They had a pen full of goats in front of this building.

Pigeon Forge Opry

Dinner shows 2 - 3 time a day.

The Titanic

The back side had an iceberg and the front of the ship looked like it was moving in water.

Wonderworld 

My eyes popped out of my head when I saw this for the first time - a totally upside down building!  It's some sort of indoor amusement park for children, I think.

Wax Museum

The back side of this looked like a New York City street scape.

Mel's Diner, where we enjoyed a banana split!  This place was packed no matter what time of the day or night we drove by.

Even chain restaurants get into the themed decor!

s

And, towering above the entire city...

One of many, many giant crosses we have seen, not just in Pigeon Forge, but across the south.

If you were a family with a couple of kids, this place would absolutely break you!  In addition to dinner shows ranging from barnyard comedy to biblical reenactments, there is every kind of amusement ride or thrill activity you can imagine.  And the prices?  We saw one advertisement for 10 rides for $45.  

We rode on The Wheel, a giant luxury Ferris wheel in the center of town.  We chose to do it at night to see the lights and, in spite of the fact that I'm terrified of heights, it was fun.

Here's The Wheel lit up at night. The shooting fountains are choreographed to music and there are 200 Adirondack-type rocking chairs in which to sit a spell and people watch and listen.

Interior of The Wheel cars.  Each car was individually air conditioned.

The view from the top in one direction.

As a vacation destination, Pigeon Forge and the surrounding area literally has something for everyone.  In my opinion, it amounted to sensory overload, but, then again, I'm old!  I'm glad I've "been there, done that" and have the experience in my memory banks.  Of course, you can't go to Pigeon Forge without visiting Dollywood and that's coming soon.

Until next time...

Cruisin' the Caribbean - Jamaica, mon!

We've spent a good deal of time in Jamaica in the past, but on the western coast of the island near the town of Negril. So we were excited to see a different part of the country.  The city of Falmouth is on Jamaica's north shore and is known as one of the Caribbeans'  best preserved Georgian towns.  The current-day port has only been in existence for about 4 years so everything is new and reminded me a bit of a Disney village.

Port of Falmouth

Upon leaving the port area, just across a narrow road, lies a real Jamaican town, with its colorful buildings and busy streets.

People going about their day in Falmouth.

Gotta love a city that paints its buildings so brightly!

Johnny Law likes to write tickets even in the Caribbean!

Typical Jamaican road.  As in other parts of Jamaica, the drivers drive on the left side with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.  Most of the ride was spent holding my breath!

There were a lot of shore excursions to pick from and we finally settled on one that would give us a view of the town, a visit to an old church and a modern day school and a stop at a plantation.  

Stock photo of St. Peter's Anglican church.  

The interior was interesting, but what I found most compelling were the grave markers on the grounds, some dating back to the 1700s. 

 Also, there were graveyard dogs sleeping on the tombs!

Stock photo of a school.  I don't know what happened to the pictures I took inside the school but this is similar.

The children were adorable and naturally posed for pictures.

The children all wore matching uniforms and were very interactive, wanting to have photos taken, giving hugs all around and performing a couple of songs before we left.  They were the sweetest things and, for me, it was the first time in a long time I got to hold little ones!

The final stop on our tour was at a sugar estate.  This was the stop we had most anticipated and it was definitely a let down.  Nothing of the original estate remains with the exception of some artifacts found on the grounds.

Entrance to the estate

Spanish pottery pieces

Sugar cane boiling cauldron

Our tour guide, however, was very engaging and gave a lot of information about the sugar industry, the flora and fauna around us and the evolution of Jamaica from enslaved sugar producer to the tourist mecca it is today.

Our guide, standing in a guango tree.  This tree was used by early Jamaicans for everything from furniture to cattle fodder.

l

"Captain Jack" demonstrated tree climbing (in bare feet, no less!) to harvest a breadfruit.

A native cotton tree, commonly used for building dugout canoes.

In-progress reproduction mill that will be used as an information center.

We also were treated to a variety of Jamaican foods which included jerk chicken, mango, breadfruit, sugar cane, pineapple, yellow yams and, of course, Jamaican rum!  Did you know that pineapple originated in Jamaica and was exported to be planted in Hawaii?

Picture of the tour we didn't take, bamboo rafting down the Martha Brae river!  Next time, maybe?

As with all the shore excursions, our time was too soon up and the ship called.  But this stop reminded me of how much I love Jamaica.  The people are truly friendly and welcoming and the relaxing vibe is country-wide.  I hope a return visit is in my future!

Until next time...