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In Dolly’s Footsteps: New Self-Guided Walking Tour in Downtown Sevierville

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There is a new, self-guided walking tour in downtown Sevierville that features places where Dolly spent time when she was a child. Created by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and local historian, Carroll McMahan, this free experience takes you to nine locations that were important hometown spots for Dolly, with stories, photos, and videos that can be uploaded to your cell phone at each location.

Here are the nine stops on the In Dolly’s Footsteps self guided walking tour.

  • Dolly Parton Statue (125 Court Avenue)
  • The original Red’s Cafe (119 Court Avenue)
  • Carr Dry Goods Co. (140 Court Avenue)
  • Temple Milling Company (106 Bruce Street)
  • Raymond’s Shoe Store (110 Bruce Street)
  • Easy Way Five and Dime Store (137 Bruce Street)
  • Kilpatrick’s Drug Store (139/159 Bruce Street)
  • Old Post Office (167 Bruce Street)
  • The Pines Theater (230 Court Avenue) where Dolly had her first paying performance.

First, start at the Sevier County Courthouse and find the Dolly statue. Next, find the granite and bronze square on the sidewalk and find the QR code on a white card in front of you.

Next, open your mobile device and press the yellow box found at the bottom of the QR code box to open the presentation. Then, scroll to read and listen to items that interest you in the tour.
Screenshot of the webpage that opens in your phone.
Screenshot of a video of Dolly herself that you can watch during the tour .

Look for the granite and bronze markers to find the QR codes.

I may not have found the QR code for one of the spots until a lady called it to my attention. Can you see it? I like this location!

I didn’t know all of the locations downtown in Dolly’s early life so I used the addresses above to guide me. It is quite easy to take the tour and go at your own pace. Sundays are a very quiet and peaceful day to do this tour and parking is plentiful

As an appropriate end to the tour, I sure many visitors will return to the statue of Dolly Parton for a final look and photo.

Dolly Parton was a beloved artist and philanthropist in this area so this new experience honors her in a unique way. The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, Carroll McMahan, and all those involved in the Walking in Dolly’s Footsteps self-guided tour have created an extraordinary experience for visitors and locals to learn more about Dolly Parton. I was very impressed and will bring friends to see it as well as recommend it to everyone.

From this tour, you can see where Dolly Parton was out and about in Sevierville.

See you at the statue.

Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort

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A while back, I was driving home from the REI store when I realized that I was across the street from the entrance of the Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort. Being a local, I may never stay there so I decided to go and take a peek and maybe see my friend Heidi in the coffee shop. Five minutes later, I was walking into the new resort at Dollywood. Here are the beautiful things that I saw during my quick trip to see the new Dollywood Heartsong Hotel and Resort.

There is a spectacular view when you walk into the front door of the Heartsong Hotel and Resort.

A beautiful photo of Dolly Parton in the entrance area.

Outdoor areas have multiple fire pits and seating areas. Very inviting.

I imagine that this outdoor area is pretty spectacular at night.

There are several lounges for relaxation and meeting friends.

The Acoustic Lobby was the most interesting place on the ground floor and I was attracted to the colors.

Same room, better view!

There is memorabilia in this room that requires some time to examine to appreciate it.

Things to do and open spaces to enjoy relaxing days.

The indoor pool looked rather large through the window and the gift shop had all kinds of amenities.

The coffee shop had a wide variety of treats, snacks, and things to tide you over until meal time.

Pretty things on the walls.

If I get a chance to stay overnight at the Heartsong Lodge and Resort then I will certainly do so because it is a relaxing, inviting place in the Smoky Mountains.