I am impressed. It takes a lot for an attraction to impress me.
I have lived In the Smoky Mountains for the past 10 years. I have enjoyed many of the activities that are offered here. My family has attended about every show, shopped at every store, eaten at every restaurant, and so on.
One day last spring, I was looking for someplace to take my youth group from church for a special activity. I searched high and low. I asked around looking for a deal to do the usual laser tag or arcade evening when someone told me to look at the new water park on Highway 66.
I said we have several water parks and the kids and seen it all. I didn’t give it much more thought until we were driving out that way one evening after dinner when I decided to take a look at their facility. I was impressed. I don’t say that much, but I was impressed.
When I walked into the lobby, it was beautiful. Everything was decorated in the typical cabin/woods theme that most of the places here are decorated in, but the great part was the water park!
I walked into that huge place and my jaw dropped. It was like another world. There seemed to be a water park for days. It was all inside too!
There was this amazing slide that is like no other I have seen. When you are on Highway 66 heading into Pigeon Forge, look to the right and you will see that big orange and white tunnel thing. That is the big waterslide. When you ride this thing, you spin and spin around the tunnel and end up in the pool at the bottom.
The really cool part is when it’s nighttime. They have lights all over the outside of the slide, but when you are inside the tunnel, it’s dark. It’s pretty scary too. Nothing like I have ever done before.
Of course, they also had a wave pool, children’s sections, a big lazy river, a snack bar, and top of the line restroom and shower facilities. I went to the lobby and asked to see a hotel room. These too were impressive.
As a side note, I have never seen a thermostat like the ones they have in the rooms. Genius. You put your key in the thermostat and set your desired temperature. When you take your key out to leave the room, it shuts off. So if you are gone all day, the air isn’t wasted. I was really impressed. To think, someone thought of that. I wish I was that smart! Think about all the energy that is saved as well.
Another treat was walking around the corner and seeing a pottery place where you can pick and paint your own pottery. My wife and I love to do this and our little girl does too. We went in and talked to the people who worked there. They told us we didn’t even have to stay there to paint pottery!
By the time I was heading back to my car, I was looking at the people who were staying there. They were eating the restaurants, painting the pottery, walking to water park with their towels and books to read sitting on the lawn chairs. I was jealous—I wanted to be on vacation too!
I do this a lot living in a tourist town. When I am at the grocery store or out shopping, I see tourists and wish I was them! I know that’s stupid, but I really like vacation! Anyway, we ended up booking a room and taking some kids form church there for their graduation gift. It was a ball! We cooked in the room to save on meals and the kids played in the water for hours! It was so fun. As I am sure you can tell, I played in the water too!
If you are looking for a good time, I recommend Wilderness At The Smokies. You don’t have to stay there to participate in the water park. You can just go in and purchase a bracelet that is good for the entire day. Believe me, if you decide to go, you will be impressed too!