After lunch, we headed back to Jukebox Junction to look around a little more, mostly because DS had seen a tow truck that, although blue, he proclaimed was Mater!
While I made a pit stop, DH took him over to what we were planning to do next, the Rockin' Roadway. There was a stationary car in front that DS of course had to pretend to drive, and he proclaimed he was driving Finn McMissile.
When we got in line, we found out it is a strict 2 to a car, so only one of us could ride with DS. DH decided to go in the car ahead of us so he could take pictures of myself and DS behind him. I let DS drive, and he loved it!
When we came off Rockin' Roadway, it was almost 1 pm so we decided to try and catch the next train. We sat at the station for a few minutes after boarding waiting for the train to depart. They made an announcement that there is a cord you can pull for medical emergencies to stop the train, but not to pull it if ashes or cinders get in your eye because although painful, it's not an emergency. Uhhhh, okay, that made me a little nervous!
The train was a nice 20 minute ride that DS enjoyed, although he didn't love how loud the whistle was. And I'm happy to say none of us got anything in our eyes, although DS and I did get particularly dirty on our faces from the ashes or smoke or something.
When we came off the train, DS saw the carousel across the way and asked for another ride, so we went on that. He didn't want to ride a horse, though, he wanted to ride the rooster (or chicken, as he said).
Since we were right there by the Country Fair and DS really hadn't gotten to ride much that day, we decided to give the kiddie rides another go. First up, DH took him on the mini-coaster for a couple of times, then I brought him on the "Magical Flying Elephants" (aka Fake Dumbos).
We didn't go on this but I like the picture
We tried to go on the Lemon Drop, a teacup style ride, but it wasn't functioning. So we went back over to the little duck and pig rides DS had ridden the night before, and he wanted to ride them again. He picked a blue duck "like Donald," then had the pig ride to himself. Every time he would pass us, he'd say, "A flyin' piggy!" It was so cute!
After those two, he rode the last kiddy ride, the Busy Bees, which was a smaller version of Dumbo and went up and down by itself. I was a little nervous about how he'd do on that one since the elephants going up had made him a little nervous and he had to ride this one alone. But he insisted so I let him go on it, and he loved it!
After that, DS was way past the point where he usually takes a nap, so we hoped walking him around in the stroller that he would fall asleep in it while we switched off for the last two roller coasters. No luck, he never did fall asleep in the stroller! But we switched off riding Blazing Fury anyway. I was excited about this one as it was promoted as an indoor roller coaster. I was expecting something like The Mummy. Boy was I wrong! I should have known when DH came out and I asked him how it was and his response was, "I'll let you see for yourself." It was the LAMEST THING EVER. I don't know how they can even call that a roller coaster! Most of it, you are just riding through slowly, and every time you think you are picking up speed and something exciting is going to happen, you slow down again. The most thrilling part at the end was a big dip in the track, but that was it. What a waste!
DH went on the last coaster in the park, the Tennessee Tornado, a steel coaster with lots of inversions. When he came off he said it had rattled him around too much and given him a headache, so I decided to skip it.
DH wanted to go back to Timber Canyon to ride Mystery Mine and Thunderhead again. We stopped on the way at the gift shop by Wild Eagle to buy a shirt I had seen and wanted that said "Be an Eagle, Not a Chicken" on the back with the Wild Eagle emblem on the front and DH got a t-shirt that had all 5 coasters on it showing he had ridden them all.
While he took another spin on the coasters, I took DS back to the playground where he played with another little girl who was already over there with her dad. She was just a little older than him and VERY friendly. He was staying away from her at first and acting shy, but eventually he warmed up and they had a great time playing together. So cute to watch him interact with another kid his age! He doesn't get to do that much, except at daycare and then I'm not around to see it.
Once DH met up with us, we were about ready to leave. But I really wanted to check out the Bakery and see about getting a slice of the 10 lb apple pie!
The slice of apple pie is on the top shelf of the case, and it's HUGE! I ended up not getting it because I knew DH wouldn't share it with me and I didn't want to eat the whole thing myself even if it took a couple days.
We also stopped in the candy shop, which had all kinds of delicious treats!
A whole wall of fruit butters!
To exit the park, you have to walk through their huge giftshop, the Emporium.
We took one last opportunity to souvenir shop and ended up getting a Dollywood Express magnet, a t-shirt for DS with the Dollywood Express on it, and a postcard for his collection. None of the adult shirts were much to look at, so we didn't get anything else for ourselves.
Since DS had not napped in the stroller, you can bet as soon as we got in the car, he passed out in his car seat for the ride home!
We were still so full from the buffet lunch and a whole week of eating out that we headed back to the resort for some pb&j sandwiches with chips in the room while we watched Wreck-It Ralph. After a long day, DS went to bed a little early and DH and I relaxed in our room and watched Grey's Anatomy before going to bed ourselves.
UP NEXT: Last day!