Erik & Misty's Smoky Mountain Adventures

^ How does $40 a person sound?

Do you have utinsils here? - Yes.

How many animitronic scenes are there? - There are two sets of bears, one on each side of the stage. They mostly just talk and/or interact with the director between costume changes, but don't move much. The rest of the time, they're in shadow or covered by movie screens. I recall them having about 6-8 short "scenes."

Would this be a fun place to suprise someone for dinner? - I think that depends on how much you like this someone. At the very least, they'd better have a high tolerance for cheese.

Bless your hearts for doing all this. Love it. - Thanks. We're having fun doing it.

Only 5 year olds can play lazer tag? What?

No matter how cheesy these attractions are, it looks like you guys had a great time!

That show looks horrible. I could see it in a theme park but not by itself.

This year, construction began on a huge new retail and lodging complex near the entrance to Gatlinburg (from Pigeon Forge). Several older motels and shops were torn down to make room for this new "Gateway Gatlinburg" project, including (*gasp*) Cooter's Garage.

But, as I'm sure you're well aware, you can't keep them Duke boys down. The folks that owned Cooter's pocketed the money they got from the buyout, and went and bought Camp Thunder (an indoor mini-golf and go-carts complex near the center of town), rechristening it Cooter's.

This is the greatest t-shirt I have ever seen.

Cooter's has definitely lost some of its charm, but there's more there to do now. And, personally, I think it's well-worth a visit just to see that t-shirt in person.

I didn't buy it, though. I couldn't. Because I would wear it EVERY DAY and Misty would leave me.

But if she ever does, you'll find me at Cooter's.

And now, back downstairs to the main gift shop area.

The last hole was pretty cool. Actually, it really isn't a bad course overall. Just...odd.

Yes, it's laundry day here in the national park, and a fine day for mini-golfing.

"Makin' his way the only way he know how, but that's just a little bit more than the law will allow."

That last photo had Misty in it, by the way. (Sorry, I was on a roll there.)

Combine these slightly at-odds themes with a general "I'm playing mini-golf in someone's attic" feel, and you have one seriously messed up course.

And it still sort of is--except with a Dukes of Hazzard overlay.

This indoor mini-golf course used to be themed to the GSM National Park.

Wait...since when do the Dukes follow the rules??

Yee-haw!

The General Lee is still here, but now it's indoors.

Awesome!

Ooh, ooh, what's in the case??

Just inside the main entrance.

Go, Smisty, go! Enos is right on your tail!

And this is what it looks like now.

This is what it used to look like.

That mini-golf course totally looks like it was built in someone's attic or in their backyard. Very cool!

Patrick "mini-golf enthusiast" Jeffers

Oh. My. God.

I lived and died for Dukes of Hazzard, when I was 12!

I had NO idea Cooter was a 2-term Congressman! AWESOME!

This is a cheesy tourist trap I could totally get into!

Dinosaur Walk Museum is another "probably never would have gone if it wasn't for this thread" attraction that turned out to be mildly awesome.

Okay, yes, the Dinosaur Walk Museum is small. And yes, the dinos are just figures (as opposed to animatronics or something). But all the figures and displays are very well-maintained, and the place has a lot of nice little touches.

Two thumbs up (and one magnet acquired).

Does it help if you know that this book was making a dinosaur noise as I took the photo?

Look, Trilobites!

The gift shop entrance/exit.

"I am a--! Dude, what the hell am I??"

A short film about archeologists plays near the exit.

"You know...this place would make a great mini golf course."

Another Tyrannosaurus and a swimming cow-asaurus.

Smisty searches for fossils.

Admit it: You've always wanted to walk under an Apatosaurus. (Or, if you want to make dinosaur enthusiasts mad, a "Brontosaurus.")

Speaking of humans, here are some skulls.

If you wanna look more human, surround yourself with dinosaurs.

"Don't mind me. I'm just enjoying some wall for lunch (even though I'm a herbivore)."

"Hello, I am a terrifying sea creature."

Raptor dude says, "Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago...if you're a godless atheist."

The first big display is this giant crocodile versus a T-Rex.

The table on the left has crayons and coloring pages of dinosaurs.

Regular price is $9.95 for adults and $6.95 for kids 4-18(!)

It looks small and potentially underwhelming from the outside.

It's located near traffic light #1 in Pigeon Forge.

I had a lot of fun that day. I didn't think the Dino Museum was going to be any good, but it surprised me. I'm glad we went.

Thanks for the report on the Dino Walk. I wasn't sure if it was for me and I see it really wasn't.

I love your reports though. I look forward to each one.

Oh man i would have loved the dinosaur museum if it had been there when I was a kid. Thanks for the pictures. As a side note I've been to both Cooters in Nashville and Gatlinburg.

I just want to reiterate my love for this thread. I had missed a few updates so I just went back and reread a few pages.

I loved the look on Misty's face during the Bear show. It looks horrendously bad and thus awesome in its own right.

Thanks, y'all.

^^ Hmmm? I didn't know there was one in Nashville. I just assumed no place but Gatlinburg could possibly have one!

Speaking of Gatlinburg....

As a child, I visited the Movieland Wax Museum, down the street from Knott's Berry Farm, once, and was bored out of my mind. And that was my entire wax museum experience, until: Hollywood Wax Museum.

Norman Bates doesn't think you'll ever guess right. But I do. In fact, the first person to guess all four of the above people correctly will win a special prize!

I don't know what that prize is yet, but there is at least a small chance that it will be awesome!

Please note: HatetoFly is disqualified.

Okay, now somebody guess before I look stupid(er).

David Caruso says, "I don't know who that chick is!"

Who the hell is this supposed to be?

Aw.

Now, this would normally be the end of the report--but this time, I have something special in mind to wrap things up with. Yes, it's time to play....

Who The Hell Is That Supposed To Be?

And as you walk back down, you're invited back into the gift shop. Weird.

Okay, so the museum is a one-way walk along the top level of this shopping plaza (on the right), that dumps you out up here.

The yellow brick exit path (and a really scary-looking Dorothy.)

"I do not like being next to the restroom."

Seriously? Were the hobbits' feet like that in the movies??

Actually, I'd rather have the one in the middle. Less waxy.

"Wouldn't you rather have me?" asks super creepy-hot Brittany.

Look, it's Johnny Knoxville.

James Bond apparently had a rough night.

The horror of Charlie's Angels! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Um...you guys know that Hellboy is a good guy, right?

I had to pass, as I expected a baby to be in there.

"No problem. We will sculpt you a better one." (As demonstrated in this not-creepy-at-all photo.)

"Zorro hates fat women."

"I shall shoot my tiny lower self in the knee."

I actually had to borrow Misty's sunglasses in order to look this goofy. (Not that she looks goofy in them. She looks great. Honey...? Oh, crap.)

A very good likeness of the dude who played Keanu Reeves' girlfriend in The Matrix, don't you think?

"My penshil has never sheen shuch a dishgusting dishplay of faggotry!"

"Take me, Matt Damon!"

See, they should have had the skeletal Black Pearl pirates. That would have been really cool.

"Spock, why did you let that guy operate the transporter?? Look what he did to my face!"

Jackie Chan attacks!

I get Angelina Jolie, Misty gets some old perv. Seems fair, right?

Where this wax museum kicks ass over my previous wax museum experience is that these guys actually encourage you to get right up to the wax figures and take wacky photos (though they do ask you not to actually touch the figures, of course).

I'm a little confused here. Am I a star, too?

The museum itself is entirely upstairs, above (unrelated) shops.

I honestly don't remember the prices. Somewhere in the $15 range, I think (though, as almost always, much cheaper for us, as locals).

Near traffic light #8 in Gatlinburg.

Just catching up on these updates today and all are on par with the usual fun and awesome.

Bummer about Cooter's and that Dukes shirt design looked VERY familiar...like wacko collage I made a year or two ago familiar.

Haven't done Riplye's Haunted Adventure, but really did enjoy Mysterious Mansion. We had more laughs and movie cliche moments than anything, but I'd definitely go back again.

Thanks for putting in the time at these other attractions. I too was curious about Wonderworks, Dinosaur Walk, etc. Those would still be fun to do.

Thought of you all at Apple Barn a few weeks ago while in Nashville. We stopped into Opry Mills so my girlfriend could get a couple apple-somethings and this thread came to mind.

Ok, back to topic, excellent job on being a defacto source on Pigeon Forge, etc attractions! Cheers my friend!

Oh my...

I am guessing that one is really Supposed to be Daniel Craig and not Caruso? I don't recall seeing Caruso without his sunglasses. Hehe. Those are bad, I have no idea on the others.

Hey, and I love your and Misty's Adventures. They are fun to follow.

"My penshil has never sheen shuch a dishgusting dishplay of faggotry!"

That combined with Connery's VERY accurate likeness made this my Caption of the Month.

Ooh I know I know.....Disqualified? WHAT?

I really enjoyed my visit to the wax museum. I didn't even want to go but my fiance dragged me in there and I was pleasantly surprised. We were also impressed with how they had the scenes set up so you could get in there and take some wacky pictures. And if my memory serves me right the admission was around 16 dollars a person and we used an online coupon good for like five dollars off admission.

Anyways glad you guys had a great time and thanks for sharing as always.

I checked out the wax museum last year and was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be lame but thankfully was wrong. Of course though the best part is the goofy pictures that are a result of the museum.

The last one is Steve Carrell from 40 YO Virgin, and the hot chick in the pink dress looks sort of like Kym Cattral

The last one is Steve Carrell from 40 YO Virgin, and the hot chick in the pink dress looks sort of like Kym Cattral

Nope, not Kim Cattrall--but you're right about Steve Carell!

Sorry, Meli, but Daniel Craig is incorrect. But thanks for guessing!

Anyway, brilinjo has the only correct answer so far. However, there are still three figures as yet unidentified.

Who The Hell Are They Supposed To Be???

Is the 1st one Keanu Reeves?

^ A lovely guess, but no. I'll give you a hint: He was both a music guy and an actor.

Still, I trust my point here is clear: What's the point of a wax museum if you can't recognize the (really famous) people in it?

Can I guess? Or would that be unfair.

Still, I trust my point here is clear: What's the point of a wax museum if you can't recognize the (really famous) people in it?

I agree I have watched a lot of the stuff that Steve Carrell has been in and had no clue that was him, until someone guessed it. Most of them are good, but not those last ones.

Madame Tussaud's in Las Vegas actually lets you get up and take pics with the wax figures, as well as touch them all you want.....but the Figures at the Hollywood Wax Museum look 100x better actually than Tussaud's.

The chick looks exactly like Miranda Richardson. And if it's not, they should change it, cause the figure looks more like her then any of the other figures do of their respective celebrities. Also the guy in that pic looks like a strange combination of Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig lol.