04/09/2022 - Today’s forecast called for temps in the 40’s with patches of rain and graupel easing up by the afternoon. It was the perfect type of day to go to Dollywood and ride rides because there wouldn’t be any lines.

We all got bundled up and on our way around eleven. On the way up, we ate lunch at Popeye’s Chicken in Sevierville. We got to the park around one. 

Ella, Paige, and I tried to ride the Lighting Rod first, but they had it temporarily closed due to the weather. It was raining a bit. So we all headed back to ride the Barnstormer. This was Lydia’s “new” ride last time as she had just measured up for a new set of rides. Beth watched as we rode this one three times in a row. We never had to wait in line as the available seats matched or exceeded the riders each time. I sat next to Lydia each time and greatly enjoyed her giggles as we swung high into the air.

Next we headed to the back of the park and spilt into two groups. Beth and Paige wen to ride the Wild Eagle while Ella, Lydia, and I rode the Firechaser Express. One of the more popular rides in the park, it has wait times of at least thirty minutes on busy days, but once again, we were able to get right on. Then we even rode it again. There’s something particularly fun when your time on a ride lasts longer than the time you spend in line.

After that, Ella and I dropped off Lydia with Beth while Paige joined us to ride the Wild Eagle again. Beth and Lydia rode the Firechaser Express another time too. On the Wild Eagle, Ella and Paige sat next to each other. After our first ride, we got right back on for a second ride. By this time, the sun was peeking through the clouds, and it was quite the thrill to fly along the ridge as we rode.

Wildwood Grove was our next stop. We started by riding the Tree Swing. Paige and I ended up on one side facing Beth, Ella, and Lydia. This made for a fun ride as we got to watch each other while we rode. Next we rode the Dragon Flyer. Beth sat by herself in front of Lydia and me (or was it Paige?). The reason why I don’t remember is I noticed a cell phone down in the net beside Beth’s seat as our ride started. I wasn’t too afraid that it would fly out while we rode, but the thought did cross my mind. Once the ride ended, I went up and grabbed the phone. I flipped it open, and it was still working. I handed it off to a ride attendant as we exited.

We finished out our time in Wildwood Grove by riding the Mad Mockingbirds. Initially I was going to ride by myself, but at the last minute, Lydia said I could join her as long as she piloted. That sounded fun to me, and I walked back and got buckled in next to her. As per usual, Beth watched while we rode this one.

We closed out our day at the park by going back to the front to see if the Lighting Rod was running. It was, so Ella, Paige, and I got to ride it two times in a row. They’d only ever rode it one time before with me, so we greatly enjoyed the experience. Each time we rode, the attendant put us in the back two rows with the same single rider sitting next to me. That was exactly what we were going for, and since the attendant seemed to know the single rider, he was making sure he got the last row each time. That meant they intentionally put us back there much to our delight.

During our last ride on the Lighting Rod a bit of frozen precipitation started coming down. As we went down the first hill, graupel seemed to hover weightless around our heads. It was a magical sight.

While we were having fun on the Lighting Rod, Beth and Lydia experienced their own magical moments. First they rode the swings down in the County Fair area. Then they got on the bumper cars. Their were only ten cars filled with people during their ride, but one girl was too short to really push the pedal. So she ended up clogging up the ride a bit. After they finished, the attendant came out and asked if everyone wanted to ride again. There was no one else waiting, so that meant no one had to get off. Everyone heartily agreed to this arrangement. Plus the short girl’s grandmother came out to help her push the pedal so no more clogging up the track. Therefore, the second time meant a fun ride for everyone.

We all met up in the Emporium on the way out of the park. As Ella, Paige, and I were making our way in, we came upon two women playing a violin and guitar. It was a fun scene perhaps accommodated by the new layout in the Emporium and the lower number of park attendees. In a bit, Beth and Lydia found us, and we all looked around at merch for a bit. Then we were on our way home by half past five.

On the way home, Beth put in a to-go order for us at the Olive Garden. We got our usual of soup, salad, and breadsticks along with an order of spaghetti with a meatball for Paige. Back home we ate dinner. Then we closed out the evening watching Tennessee versus Missouri in baseball.

The game was a fun watch early on. The Vols hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to left field. We were all watching as this happened, and it was quite exciting for us to see together. I stayed up and watched the whole game while everyone else went to bed, and Beth watched a show up in our bedroom.

One thing I was thinking of throughout the day was how much fun Beth and I have with our girls. When we do things together, we very much love entering into their worlds. At Dollywood today, it was so much fun to love them as their parents and also join in with them much like we were their age.