RomanticSmokies.com debuts with a look at what's new for 2006 in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Gatlinburg, TN (PRWEB) February 22, 2006 -- RomanticSmokies.com, a new online travel guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, announces what’s new in the popular resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The more than 11 million annual visitors to the area will have more reasons to return, whether it’s for one of many new attractions at Dollywood theme park, shopping and entertainment at the Belle Island Village, or enjoying one of the new festivals.
Dollywood theme park officially opens the 2006 season of entertainment with the Dolly Parade through the center of Pigeon Forge on April 7 with Dolly Parton as the grand marshal. This season will bring the new $6.5 million Timber Tower. The first and only ride of its kind in North America, Timber Tower will stand 65 feet tall upon a base that measures 26 feet in diameter. The exciting 2.5-minute ride experience features dual rotation both from the tower and the ride vehicle. Situated in the middle of a 5,100-square-foot pond, Timber Tower takes passengers high into the air where the ride vehicle rotates nine times per minute as it makes its way to the top of the tower. Once there, the tower begins a side-to-side swinging motion, allowing the ride vehicle to topple multiple times in various directions at a 60-degree angle, appearing to splash riders into the water below. Along with Timber Tower comes a variety of lumber camp-themed activities. Hungry Thunderhead Gap guests can visit Lumbercamp, a new themed, 150-person capacity restaurant.
Two new shows arrive for the 2006 season. Dreamland Drive-In spotlights the nostalgic music of the ‘50s and ‘60s at the park’s Pines Theatre beginning May 13. Dollywood’s Babes in Toyland, their most elaborate stage production ever, will overflow with the season’s best-loved holiday music along with dazzling special effects on November 4-December 31.
Next door at Dollywood’s Splash Country, thrills are on the rise with the addition of Fire Tower Falls, two 70-foot-tall twin free-fall speed slides, which will become the park’s tallest and fastest slides. The launch pad for Fire Tower Falls will be situated on the Mountain Waves wave pool deck. Each of the slides’ 280-foot tracks will propel riders through the tree tops on a journey that ends adjacent to the neighboring Bear Mountain Fire Tower™. The high-speed slide requires a 140-foot water-filled lane which catches riders, bringing the fast-action experience to an end with a major splash.
Just a few miles from Dollywood, the new Belle Island Village will feature Pigeon Forge's most exciting and unique retail shopping environment with the feel of a bustling Old South river town. Shoppers can look forward to browsing specialty shops and watching local artists and craftsmen as they create their masterpieces. Retail at Belle Island will include locally oriented handmade crafts, art and collectibles. Each shop will be unique, entertaining and intended to capture the history of Eastern Tennessee craftsmanship. Belle Island Village will include three major attractions: The Knoxville Zoo’s Otter Cove, Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum and Darrell Waltrip’s Racing Experience!
Known for its many festivals and events throughout the year, Gatlinburg has added Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales for June 9 through August 12. Visitors strolling the busy downtown Gatlinburg this summer will be entertainment by mini-performances each evening by costumed musical performers, storytellers and artisans portraying various time periods from the 1800s to today. Nearly a dozen acts involve the audience as they each perform in simultaneous ten-minute performances throughout the night.
For more information on these additions and many other attractions in the area, visit the new online travel directory for couples at RomanticSmokies.com. The site features a complete guide to romantic getaways in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with guides to auto tours, hiking and popular Cades Cove. Other guides on the site include attractions, shopping, crafts and theaters in Cherokee, North Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee. Their top 20 “Cheap Dates” demonstrates that romance doesn’t have to cost a bundle, and visitors to the site can take advantage of big savings with their online booking for many of the Pigeon Forge hotels and Gatlinburg hotels.
# # #
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q291cC1TdW1tLUhhbGYtU3F1YS1IYWxmLVplcm8=
|
