Pigeon Forge, TN

For those of you thinking about investing in Pigeon Forge real estate or Sevierville real estate, getting close to Dollywood might be a very good thing!

I know it's really hard to get those who think climbing LeCont backwards in snow is a good afternoons relaxation to believe it, but Dollywood brings a lot to our community! And more than just traffic!

25 years ago, Dollywood was the old Silver Dollar City where my sisters and I came to mine gold and gems, and just look at her now! This year Dollywood was Tennessee's number 1 attraction, and won the top award in the amusement park industry-- the Applause Award from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. The award is given every two years, and Disney and Universal have received the award in past years. In giving the award, the extraordinary friendliness of the staff and cleanliness of the park combined with a dedicated leadership committed to family values was cited.

As Dollywood continues to grow and develop, so does it's group of return visitors. Cabins for sale in the area do very well in rental income. In addition, Dollywood itself has opened it's own overnight rental company "Dollywood Vacations" that feature the cabins for sale in Starr Crest Resort. It's a good time to invest in Pegeon Forge!

It's Monday morning and snowing (again).... I am supposed to be working but it's so beatuiful and quiet that I keep getting distracted. Probably not the smartest thing to put all the bird feeders outside my office window:)

I never had feeders til we came back to Tennessee this time and now I am an addicted watcher-- my own Red Breasted Woodpecker arrived for breakfast early today!

Looking for your own winter retreat for bird watching, fire-sitting, book reading, skiing, mountain hiking or outlet shopping? Try www.JaneTerrell.com -- the best website for All of the MLS listings!

Dollywood is a big attraction in Tennessee and is celebrating 25 years of greatness.  It is awesome to look back at the history of this amazing 150 acre place and see what has been accomplished over the past years.  Today, Dollywood includes roller coasters, live bands and music, educational festivals, local cuisine, and the great culture of Tennessee living.  This theme park is located in the midst of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, not far from the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg. 

Dollywood initially began back in 1961.  It was created to educate the public of the Civil War by letting tourists ride a train, called the "Rebel Railroad".  There were numerous activities to do including an old time saloon, Civil War reenactments, a blacksmith shop and even a gift store that looked like an old general store.  Later on, the theme of the park changed to the Wild West rather than the Civil War.

In 1970, owner of the Cleveland Browns, Art Modell, bought the area and expanded the entertainment through the park.  He added the first log flume and many smaller and popular rides that would attract the public.  A few years later, in 1976, a guy by the name of Pete Herschend (an already successful theme park owner from Missouri) purchased the park and changed the name to ‘Silver Dollar City, Tennessee'.  He completely renovated the park and created most of what the park includes today.  The park went through numerous changes but it only grew and more and more people were coming to see what was happening.  

In 1986, Dolly Parton bought the theme park and renamed the place as ‘Dollywood'.  Her keen sense of music and talent increased attendance as well.  She brought a new atmosphere to Dollywood and added more attractions.  When the park opened the year of 1986, the attendance was through the roof and has only increased as the years have come and gone.

Today, Dollywood is still thriving with almost 1.5 million visitors annually.  This park has done an excellent job to capture the East Tennessee feel and the culture that has made this area rich.  It is exciting to think of what this park has been through and see how far it has come.  25 years does not seem like a long time and this park has grown exponentially over that time.

February 14th marked the 8th annual Cure Finders Valentine's Dinner and Dance to help fund research for Cystic Fibrosis. The past few years, Brooke and I have been volunteers to the dance and charity event located at the Convention Center next to the Music Road Hotel in Pigeon Forge. Each year it has been a positive experience seeing our local community get together and help donate funds for the research of Cystic Fibrosis. It is dear to our hearts as Brooke's boss at the City of Sevierville, Jim Deanda, has two kids (Callie and Cale) with Cystic Fibrosis.

This year, I had two clients to work with on Valentine's Day and the day of the event, so I was a bit worried how I was going to fit it all into my schedule. I met with one client at 8:00 am which is pretty early to show property around here - the rental office at Sherwood Forest Resort where I was to show him a couple cabins was closed, but luckily there was someone there early that gave us access to the gated community. Once I had finished with the first client at around 11:00 I had another couple to show cabins. After looking at several cabins in various communities I was then able to head over and change into my suit to attend the dinner/dance. Brooke had been there since noon help setting up for the event, so I felt bad not being able to assist with setup, but glad to make it nonetheless.

The event was attended by several groups, businesses, and individuals in our area - including our local US Congressman, Phil Roe as well as local Senators. I distinctly remember meeting Congressman David Davis in previous years of the event, so apparently it has become a tradition of our representatives to attend the function.

Being Valentine's Day, Brooke and I had decided our exchange of gifts this year would be to bid on a silent auction item that we thought each other would like. We ended up winning a couple auction items that went to help fund additional research to Cystic Fibrosis. She ended up getting a pair of sterling silver black onyx earrings and she won a Robert Tino painting of Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt autographed by both for me! I tried to make up for me arriving late by helping disassemble things for the event - we ended up leaving at about 1:30 am!

Gary Woods Photography is a regular at the event and is kind enough to donate his time and skill to taking photos of people at the event and mailing them to the attendees. Last year the photo of Brooke and I turned out great and we look forward to ours again this year!

It was great to see even in these difficult economic times people extending a hand to help such an important cause! We will definitely be back next year for the 9th annual event and I encourage anyone else able to make it to attend as well! The Cure Finders Cystic Fibrosis Foundation also holds a sporting clays tournament along with a motorcycle ride sponsored by Harley-Davidson each year as well, so make sure not to miss those events either!
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