May Day, May Day! It’s a Dollywood getaway!
Russ and I hadn’t been to Dollywood for several years. The last time I went, I had gained so much weight, I no longer fit on the roller coasters. Since that has always been my favorite part, the park lost its luster for me.
When I was preparing for bariatric surgery last Summer, all the doctors and specialists kept asking me what my goals were for the surgery, meaning what numbers did I want to get down to. I had no numeric goals. All of my goals were things I wanted to be able to do. And topping the list was riding the roller coasters again at Dollywood.
That day, I rode and rode. I had such a great time! I rode Lightning Rod, which I will not do again, lol! Not because the track was scary. I loved the loops, the drops, etc. What I hated was the absence of a harness restraint. With only a lap bar holding me in place, my butt lifted up – frequently – and higher than I was comfortable with, and I really felt like I was going to fly out of the coaster, which made for a really not-so-fun time. Tennessee Tornado and Wild Eagle were my favorite coasters of the day. Both of these really make me happy, great turns, loops, drops, excellent adventures! Russ did ride Blazing Fury with me, which is just a fun little coaster. I rode with my sunglasses on and was surprised what a difference that made in the little drops on it. That absence of visuals made a real impact. I highly suggest it to anyone looking for a little extra oomph on this classic Dollywood ride.
My favorite ride of the day, though, was the Drop Line. Oh. My. Goodness! The Drop Line is a 200-foot drop tower that takes you up over the park for the best views you can imagine, then plummets downward at nearly 80 mph. I tried to scream, but all I could get out was, “Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!” Russ sat safely on the ground watching me and holding all my loose articles like a champ. I would definitely ride this ride over and over again. (In fact, I think now I could maybe handle a bungee jump. I feel like the principle is the same, minus the bouncing back. That freefall feeling is definitely something I enjoyed!)
Russ and I rode a couple of water rides together, including the River Rampage where, yes, we DID get wet (the sign doesn’t lie). Then we rode the log flume ride a couple of times, too. We took in a couple of shows – the Hall Sisters from North Carolina were excellent, by the way! The show about Dolly’s life was good, too, but honestly, I thought the Hall Sisters were way more talented.
After walking around about 5-6 miles at the end of the day, Russ decided he’d had enough fun (and seen me have enough fun) that we upgraded to season passes. I’m looking forward to more great days of roller coaster fun and hanging out with my sweetheart and other Dolly-loving friends. Can’t wait to see the Christmas lights this year, too, which will be up until our anniversary.
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