See the Smokies in all their Splendor with Scenic Helicopter Tours

Scenic Helicopter Tours is the top Pigeon Forge attraction to go to see the Smokies in their entire splendor. With a variety of scenic tours to choose from, guests leave satisfied and awed by their helicopter tour. Take my word, as I recently went on my very first helicopter ride with Scenic Helicopters and can’t say enough about the wonderful experience.

After arriving at the Scenic Helicopter Tour headquarters in Sevierville, I was greeted by friendly staff that told me about the tour I had chosen. I felt assured my experience would be safe and memorable, and soon after climbed into the front seat of the copter, adjusted my headphones that let me communicate and hear pilot Dan Haynes, and was off the ground. The initial lift is a unique moment, as before you know it you are flying above the ground you were just standing on.

I had chosen the Gatlinburg Tour, or Mountain Valley Tour, and it provided the perfect mix of scenic images from Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bluff Mountain and Tennessee Valley. It rained in a few short patches during my tour, forming a beautiful smoke over the mountains, creating a memory of the truly Great Smoky Mountains no other experience had been able to do. Credit has to be given to Dan Haynes, who navigated and narrated the trip with ease. Some of the most memorable moments include soaring over mountain tops into a vast valley down below, seeing the Smoky Mountains from the best vantage point you can imagine and the pure joy I felt my simply flying above it all. It is not an experience to be missed.

I recommend everyone make Scenic Helicopter Tours Pigeon Forge a part of their Pigeon Forge vacation experience.

Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge is Family Fun at its Best!

Dixie Stampede touts itself as the most fun place to eat in the Smokies, and after attending the show, I have to agree! From start to finish, the show features nonstop entertainment, including singing, dancing, trick riding, comedy and a friendly North and South rivalry that had me stampeding my feet in delight.

The show I attended officially started at 6pm, but be sure to get there early for the Carriage Room show opening act which begins at 5:15pm. Mountain Ruckus, the featured performers, pick and grin their way through some sing-a-long style tunes and a few other interesting ditties that got me ready for the main event.

The Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge tickets include a delicious feast, which is served promptly after the introduction of the armies and cavalries. I was seated in the North section and loudly cheered on my troops and cavalry as they were introduced. While the friendly North and South rivalry got started, I enjoyed a hot bowl of Dixie’s creamy vegetable soup, along with a yummy cheddar biscuit.

While enjoying the rest of my first course, I was awed by the roman riding and fiery hoop jump the skilled riders and horses performed, as well as the “Into the West” segment of the show which paid tribute to frontiersmen and Indians and featured “Sha-Kon-O-Hey,” written by Dolly Parton, as well as an amazing aerialist who gracefully soars high above the audience. The buffalo were a highlight of this segment of the show as well, as they stood their ground in the settlers-themed arena. Skeeter, the pesky and hilarious Dixie Stampede comedian, kept the show rolling with funny jokes, shenanigans and magic tricks too.

Before I knew it, the dinner bell rang and my plate was being piled high with a whole rotisserie chicken, pork loin, corn on the cob and herb-basted potato, all while more spectacular trick riding, comedy and a beautiful tribute to the South is performed. Not soon after, the competition begins between the North and the South, where horsemanship and other feats are tested. Some of the competition is also done between audience members, such as the chicken chase for little ones and horse shoes for the adults. Plus, Skeeter gets in on the rivalry as he hosts races between mini-horses and pigs. The audience was roaring with applause and stampeding thunder as they cheered on their respective side, a sure sign everyone was having a great time at the Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge.

As the show winded down, I dug into my flaky apple pastry and watched the Rumble in the Treetops salute to the North highlighting the skills of lumberjacks. From log climbing to sawing and chopping competitions, the lumberjacks raced from one event to the other as I cheered on the North. The very last event – Pass the Flag – includes the entire audience and during my visit, it sealed the win for the North! The show finale is a patriotic salute to America as riders and horses in luminous costumes perform to Dolly Parton’s “Color Me America.” It was the perfect way to end a night that truly was the most fun place to eat in Pigeon Forge.