For thrill seekers and families, a trip to Dollywood is a must. With more than 30 musical shows each day and seven extreme rides, this park will keep you entertained all day long. Hardcore coaster fans will love the wooden Thunderhead for its old time feel, and kids will love the rustic theming and children's rides. Tickets are $53.65 for adults and $42.45 for kids ages 4 to 11 in 2009.
After a day at Dollywood, head over to the Dixie Stampede, a cowboy dinner show featuring horse tricks, magic and stunts. You and your "pardners" can chow down on homestyle grub in a four-course meal featuring pork loin, rotisserie chicken, biscuits, soup and vegetables as you participate in the interactive show that pits the North against the South. Showing twice daily, tickets are $41.99 in 2009 and include a pre-dinner show.
Try your hand at mining gems at Pigeon Forge's Gem Mine, where you can purchase a bucket of gravel and mine it in an old-fashioned water flume. Buckets range from $15 to $500, and you can have your gems cut and mounted into jewelry. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, learn more about the mining process at the free Rock and Fossil Museum.
One of the most unusual attractions is Hillbilly Golf, a Gatlinburg classic. Players ride a mine train up 300 feet where they can choose between two 18-hole miniature golf courses. In hillbilly style, the courses feature washtubs, outhouses and rain barrels in lieu of traditional golf hazards. Players advance down the winding course, and the view is just as special as the game.
Moving away from the commercial areas, Great Smoky Mountain National Park offers an outdoor haven for nature lovers, complete with waterfalls, rivers, valleys and beautiful vistas. Sprawling over a half million acres of protected forest, the park is home to black bears, river otter, wolves, elk, groundhogs and more than 200 types of birds. Camping is available at rates as low as $14 per night in 2009. Visitors to the park can fish, hike, cycle, raft, ride horses and even snow ski in the winter. If you aren't physically able to enjoy the park on foot, take an auto tour using the available brochure. Otherwise, hit one of the 800 miles of trails to see the natural beauty of the park. Best of all, entry to the park is free due to legislation dating back to 1936.
