Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024

 Viewing the solar eclipse in Bloomington IN

Not my photo compilation, but the best one I've seen to represent the eclipse.

We drove through Kentucky

and got to stop at a Buccee's!

on our way to Bloomington.

Cherry Blossom time!

Bloomington did a great job of advertising eclipse information.

Our hotel room looked onto the walking trail with the Captain Janeway statue!

There are so many great touches-I love the folks that put this together.

The town put on many celebrations, the big one was at the stadium, but there were little ones in parks and at the science museum.

We just went to our friends' parents backyard.

He made this great viewer so we tracked the sun

before 

and after the eclipse.

Their fur friend was a cute addition to the day.

The freakiest thing for me was the 360 degree sunset. Next time (!) maybe we should find a spot on top of a hill to maximize the sunset viewing.

Such much info on this great viewing lens

A lovely souvenir.

We didn't go to the big stadium event, but we did go the concert.

The concert was so good!  They played Holst's The Planets and projected video associated with each planet.

William Shatner!  Showed up unannounced and rambled for a bit about his upcoming project.

A final souvenir-thanks Heather!

Dollywood, April 2024

The biggest attraction in Pigeon Forge is Dollywood!  It has been on my list for decades, so glad we finally visited!!

The steam train doesn't pass many interesting sites, so it is all Dad jokes all the time-I loved it!  We heard that the afternoon line is tremendously long, so we did it first thing.

Loved the unconventional horses on the carousel.

Dollywood has a couple of delightful craft areas.  They highlight the master crafters

and let you make your own.  The blacksmith was sold out in the first hour.

Eagle sanctuary, doesn't get more patriotic than that!

The landscaping was well cared for and we just caught the tulips.

Great coaster!  

One of the walkways passes the Lumberjack graveyard-I love these side entertainments!

Replica of Dolly's childhood home!  I can't think of another place that has all this pulled together so well.

We were there! And boy did we eat the festival food!  Next time we have to come in the summer and hit the water park too.

These are the bologna burnt ends.  I've never seen these before, glad I tried them.

Now that is food innovation!

Pigeon Forge, April 2024

Before the Solar Eclipse, we did a road trip from Charlotte NC, through Ashland, to Pigeon Forge.

Pigeon Forge is tiny, but packed!  The Island area is nothing but tourist attractions, fun for a day.

We stayed right there at the Margaritaville hotel.

They are a chain, and usually at beach locations, giant rooms and laminate floor that is easy for sand removal.

The beachy vibe at the Margaritaville hotel is strong.

The Zorb!  I love this so much!!  Of all the tourist things to do, this is the best.

This is the straight shot run.  You don't bounce around as much, instead you go faster.

So much fun!!

We stayed one night at The Way back hotel.  

The pool bar is an airstream and all the decorations that era.

Super cute styling in the lobby.  Definitely enjoyed our stay.

One night we stayed at one of Dolly's hotels.  Nice live music and activities throughout the day.

All the food was excellent, even deep fried deviled eggs.

We drove over the the fancier spa hotel to peek around.

Lovely touches everywhere.

Need a dining experience?  There are plenty around, but we opted for 

Pirates!

This gets you the best seats-worth it!  The food was quite good, especially considering they served about 500 plates, all at the same time.  I would love to have a back stage tour of the kitchen.

The performances were top tier-acrobats, sword fights, comedy and animal shows (ducks!).  At home now I love my pirate cup souvenir!