Making old memories new again

I’ve been to Cleveland, Ohio and Cleveland, Tennessee, but not Cleveland, South Carolina.

When Rhonda and I were discussing where to take a road trip this summer, she wanted to visit Pretty Place. Nestled on Stone Mountain overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pretty Place is the site of Fred W. Symmes Chapel, an open-air chapel with wooden pews with a wooden cross that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It was beautiful and breathtaking. There is no cost to visit the chapel and a donation of $5 per car is suggested. We took numerous photos and took in the views. We stayed in nearby Flat Rock, North Carolina and dined at Binion’s Roadhouse, which has been serving steaks at the same location for five decades. The meal and venue took you back to an era when a steakhouse resembled a saloon.

We also visited Dairi-0 in Flat Rock, a restaurant with 11 franchise locations in North Carolina. The food featured burgers, hot dogs, soups, salads, and ice cream treats. Rhonda had tomato soup and grilled cheese, while I ordered a BLT and sweet potato fries and topped it off with a hot fudge cake and strawberry shortcake.

Our trip also featured our mainstay in the Mountains, Pigeon Forge, where we visited Dollywood for the first time in more than a decade. The changes were impressive and the Dolly Parton Experience at the entrance featured exhibits from a “Songteller” to “Behind the Seams” to “Precious Memories.” My favorite was Dolly’s Home on Wheels personalized Tour Bus, that gave us a glimpse of her life on the road.

Since our last visit to Dollywood, Big Bear Mountain, FireChaser Express, Lightning Rod, the Wild Eagle and DragonFlier roller coasters have been added to the list of atractions. Big Bear Mountain was my personal favorite of the new coasters, followed by Lightning Rod, Firechaser Express, Wild Eagle and DragonFlier. The Big Bear Mountain is the park’s longest coaster, while the FireChaser provided a front and backward ride.

The longest wait we had that day, was to get on the Blazing Fury, an indoor roller coaster that has been out-running the indoor fire since I was a kid. It’s a ride that continues to survive the times. We also took a ride on the Dollywood Express, which is always a treat.

It was a fun-filled day at Dollywood that made old memories new again.