Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

The Inn at Apple Valley Sevierville Review

By Leave a Comment

Back in June, my mom and I stayed two nights at The Inn at Apple Valley in Sevierville. So, I thought I would write a review of it.

The Inn at Apple Valley

The Inn at Apple Valley

The Inn at Apple Valley is now a member of the Ascend Collection of Choice Hotels. This means it has extra touches that makes it nicer than a standard Choice Hotel. It’s in the same category as the Graystone Lodge I stayed at in May. Both of them have been recently updated and offer a free breakfast. This location was previously the Comfort Inn Apple Valley but the name changed after the refurbishment.

Double Queen

All of the rooms in this hotel are considered suites due to their size. We stayed in a standard room, which we preferred. This came with two chairs and ottomans in addition to the beds. We also had a view of the orchard from the balcony. The Superior rooms appear to have a sleeper sofa and a view of the parkway or outdoor pool. Personally, we preferred a view of the orchard and the chairs. However, it’s nice to have options, particularly for larger families.

You can tell that the hotel recently underwent a refurbishment as all of the furniture looks newer. However, we did have an issue with the shower not draining properly. We never did notify the front desk though. We just handled it ourselves. The free breakfast was a nice perk that we enjoyed one morning of our stay. However, it was a busy breakfast with lots of folks partaking.

Pros

  • Affordable – This was a last minute trip and we encountered lots of elevated room prices. Thankfully, this was $202/night.
  • Good location – It’s about middle of the strip on the main drag. It’s not far from anything in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville.
  • Spacious rooms – It appears that every room here is a suite, so you get extra space compared to other hotels.
  • Recently updated – The beds were pretty comfortable and the furnishings were in great shape.
  • Free breakfast – We enjoyed the waffle maker that created an imprint of an apple on it.
  • Extra sink – There’s an additional sink and mirror outside the bathroom. That was useful for both of us getting ready.
  • Free apple cider – There’s free apple cider at breakfast and in the lobby!

Cons

  • Heater in bathroom fan – I’m not sure why, but they added a heater inside the bathroom fan. Unfortunately, you can’t run one without the other. That wasn’t ideal for a hot summer day.
  • Tub drainage issue – It was a slow draining tub and you ended up standing in water.

Is the Inn at Apple Valley worth it?

There’s a lot to like at The Inn at Apple Valley and it’s easy to see why it’s a popular place. It’s got affordable rooms with free breakfast. Plus, it’s been recently updated. Overall, it’s a solid choice.

Bush’s Beans Visitor Center Guide

By Leave a Comment

Back in June, my mom and I visited Bush’s Beans Visitor Center for the first time. So, I thought I would provide a little guide/review of that experience.

Bush's Beans Visitor Center

Bush’s Beans Visitor Center

Just before you get to the Sevierville, TN exit (coming from Virginia), you can take an exit to visit Chestnut Hill. It looks to be an rather desolate exit without much to see. However, the exit sign promises a Bush’s Beans Visitor Center and Cafe can be found here. If you keep driving, you will eventually find a little out of the way experience that the whole family can enjoy!

Museum

You can easily spend an hour or two at the museum. You learn about the Bush family and the creation of the company. There’s even a short video showing their factory and how the beans are canned. My mom really enjoyed that since she has experience working in a factory. I enjoy learning about how things work. So, it was a hit with both of us. It reminded us a little bit of the Charleston Tea Garden Tour we did a few months prior.

The museum also has some information on their marketing over the years and where their beans come from. There’s even an interactive display showing the different varieties of products you can purchase from Bush’s.

Gift Shop

As with any good museum (or theme park attraction), you end the experience in the gift shop! This one is a great gift shop though. There’s all kinds of Bush’s beans and other products to be had here. They are also pretty affordable too. Following that there’s lots of Bush’s/beans/Duke merchandise to look at. My mom ended up purchasing a Duke (as in the dog) Christmas ornament and a t-shirt.

However, I was impressed with their little kitchen themed area. They had several other non-branded items. My mom and I were influenced to purchase a kitchen dish rag because another woman was getting an armload of them. She said they really were the best she’s ever had! I think it’s a really good dish rag and it’s fun to wash our dishes while remembering our trip to Bush’s.

Bush’s Family Cafe

While we really liked the museum and gift shop, the real star here is the Cafe! Yum! While it’s a tiny restaurant that can get loud, it has good food. We had to wait 15-20 minutes for a seat and ended up being placed at the dessert bar. There was a loud youth baseball team that added to the noise. However, once they left, it was much quieter.

Everyone is given a free sample of Bush’s product when they eat here. We were lucky enough to try the Rustic Tuscany Chickpeas. We both ate the entire sample they gave us and had no complaints. For an entree, my mom got the Bush’s Chili Pie. It looked like a taco salad to me. She said it was “so good.” Everything in it looked fresh and tasty, but I didn’t try it.

I selected the bean burger for my entree. I don’t see it on the online menu, but it was on the menu at the Cafe and I highly recommend it. It wasn’t real spicy, but it had some spices in it. It was a pretty good sized patty with a good amount of moisture (not dry unlike some bean burgers I’ve had). In fact, it was probably the best bean burger I’ve ever had. I guess it makes sense that Bush’s makes a mean bean burger. Haha! I also got the fried apples for my side, which were also tasty!

The Chocolate Pinto Bean Pecan Pie

I couldn’t leave the Cafe without trying Bush’s Chocolate Pinto Bean Pecan Pie! My mom and another lady sitting to my left at the dessert bar thought I was crazy for ordering it. However, I am pleased to report that it was really good! It reminded me of a gooey brownie with nuts! I made my mom try a little bit and she agreed it was better than she thought it would be. They also have a non-chocolate Pinto Bean Pecan Pie as well as some other simpler pies that looked good. While seated at the dessert bar, we got to watch them prepare the brownies and they looked yummy!

Should you visit Bush’s Beans Visitor Center?

Bush’s Beans Visitor Center is a little ways out from Pigeon Forge. However, it’s not too far removed. Tip: Get gas before you arrive as the nearest gas station is a few miles away. The food is certainly worth a trip for anyone who likes beans or southern/country food. The museum is great for people who like to learn. The gift shop is interesting for anyone looking for a unique/cheap side dish to serve at dinner or anyone who wants a shirt that says they were there.

I’m fairly certain I’ll make a return visit here someday. I’d love to take my husband so he can try the pie. So, I think it’s worth a visit.

Dollywood Aunt Granny’s Restaurant Review

By Leave a Comment

Earlier this summer, my mom and I ate at Aunt Granny’s Restaurant while visiting Dollywood. As per usual, I thought I would provide a quick review of that experience.

Aunt Granny's Restaurant

Aunt Granny’s Restaurant

The most popular restaurant at Dollywood is Aunt Granny’s Restaurant. That’s because it’s an all you care to enjoy family style meal full of homecooked food! As of June 2025, it’s $27.99/adult before discounts, making it a pretty good deal as far as theme park dining goes.

Note: Prior to Covid, it was a buffet. However, it’s now all you care to eat served family style.

Also, fun fact: It’s named Aunt Granny’s because Dolly Parton has helped raise her nieces and nephews. So, they called her Aunt Granny. Eating here is supposed to be like visiting Aunt Granny Dolly’s.

The Main Course

The meal begins with drinks and cheddar biscuits! It was a hot day, so I got water. It was good, particularly if you are regular Walt Disney World visitor. No swamp water here. The cheddar biscuits were good and we were sad we weren’t hungry enough to eat them all.

For the main course, you are able to select three mains. My mom and I decided on herb baked chicken, fried chicken, and southern fried catfish. Unfortunately, we were both disappointed with the baked chicken as it was dry. However, the fried chicken was much better. The fried catfish was the surprise hit for me. I really enjoyed it.

The Sides

You are able to select four sides for the table to share. We went with carrots, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. The corn pudding was easily our least favorite. The mashed potatoes were our favorite. The carrots were pretty good also with the honey and herbs. The macaroni and cheese was good, but somewhat basic. Overall, the sides were tasty and filling.

The Dessert

Finally, everyone is allowed to select a dessert. During our visit, they had 9 different options! Our server was nice enough to entertain my specific questions about the different desserts before I made my selection. Being the family’s baker, I can be pretty picky about my desserts. Haha! My mom and I both ended up picking the dirt pudding. It was light, sweet, and the perfect option for a warm day as it didn’t sit on the stomach heavily. It was also great for our chocolate fix.

Is Aunt Granny’s worth it?

Theme park food is expensive. However, all you care to eat for $27.99 (before tips/taxes/discount) is pretty good! Plus, most of the food was really good. It was also nice to sit down in the air conditioning since the festival food booths required you to sit outside in the heat. This place often has a wait and I think it’s easy to see why. It’s reasonably priced for what you get. Plus, it’s better than most other theme park food.

Have you ever eaten here?

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour Review

By Leave a Comment

I’ve just returned from a quick visit to the Smoky Mountains with my mom, where we got to experience some of the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour!

Full Disclosure: Due to the weather messing up the tour, we will be receiving a refund for this tour. However, I think I have a good idea of what you can expect when you take this tour.

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

During my last visit to the park, I was able to do two tours: the Dolly Parton Experience and the I Will Always Love You Music Festival Tour. My mom thought those tours sounded like fun, so we booked one for this trip. We booked this tour online ahead of time and I was able to use my gold pass for a small discount. We paid $74/each plus taxes and fees.

The website listed a 8 PM start time, but also stated that I should check in before 6 PM. That’s so that they know you are actually there and so you know where to meet up with the group at 7:55 PM. You also receive your lanyard when you check in. I know the site also mentions receiving a TimeSaver at check-in, however we didn’t receive that.

The Tour

As I stated above, unfortunately the weather ruined a good chunk of this tour. Typically, you are supposed to have a bit of a tour of Wilderness Pass before heading over to Wildwood Grove. We spent much of this time hiding out from the weather. However, we did walk over to FireChaser Express where the guides told us about its creation. The ride wasn’t running due to the weather, however you usually get to skip the line to ride it after they tell you about it.

From there, we received a complimentary snack. We were all given a deep fried s’more. There doesn’t appear to be any substitutions for this snack, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences. The deep fried s’more was good. It reminded me of a marshmallow filled funnel cake with chocolate sauce.

After that snack, we walked over to Wildwood Grove. While we didn’t get to hear much about the newest ride, Big Bear Mountain, we did get a chance to ride it as soon as it opened back up from the weather. Our tour guide led us over to skip the line and everyone who wanted to was able to ride it. We were also given the chance to ride it a second time with skipping the line. Once was enough for my mom and I though. So, we all just stood around waiting for those other folks to ride again.

I believe somewhere around here you are supposed to receive a festival beverage – a icee/slushee beverage of some sort. We didn’t get a chance to get those though. We also missed the dance party, which I think was cancelled due to the weather. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment of all came when they cancelled the drones and simply showed the fireworks. We did have a reserved area to stand in and watch the show from. However, we missed the beginning of the show and it was really short. I imagine this would be much more worth it with the drone portion of the show.

Is the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour worth it?

While I know that we are receiving a refund for this experience, I don’t know that the whole tour is worth $74/79. It’s nice to learn about the park and to skip the lines. The added snack and beverage is great too. However, it’s a pricey addition to your park day. I think maybe they should just give TimeSaver passes to those rides to be used during the park day. Then, have you meet up at the reserved viewing area where they have the snack and beverage. That would make more sense to me.

If you are concerned about crowds for the drone/fireworks show or really want to ride the two included rides, it might be worth the price. If you are on a tight budget, you can probably skip this one.

Also, I just want to stress that our tour guides were awesome! They made the best of a less than ideal situation with the weather not cooperating. They also advocated for us to get refunds due to the weather issues. So, if you book a tour, just know that you are in good hands!

Dolly Parton Experience Tour at Dollywood Review

By Leave a Comment

One of the things I was able to do on my recent solo trip to Dollywood was the Dolly Parton Experience Tour! I haven’t seen any online reviews for this tour either, so I thought I would publish an overview and review for anyone considering it.

Dolly Parton Experience Tour

Dolly Parton Experience Tour

As I stated in my I Will Always Love You Tour review, I did two tours on the same day. This is the other tour I did. It began at 11 AM. Unfortunately, I was unable to fully utilize the Golden Hour time in the park due to needing to arrive early for the tour (10:45 AM). So, just something to keep in mind if you plan on doing both in one morning.

This tour is cheaper than the other tour by $20. It’s priced at $59/person, with discounts available for passholders. It includes a lanyard (seen in the post image above), an hour long guided tour of the Dolly Parton Experience area of the park, and reserved seating for the Heidi Parton’s Kin and Friends show.

The Tour

The tour was supposed to be me and another family. However, the other family never showed up. So, I was lucky enough to get a one-on-one tour of the new Dolly Parton Experience area of the park!

The tour started off with some general info on the designing of the park, starting with Juxebox Junction being themed to Dolly’s childhood. Did you know that they re-created Red’s Drive-In because that’s where Dolly had her first taste of fast food? Wasting no time, we moved over to the Songteller building. Opened last year, it does an amazing and engaging job of telling Dolly’s life story. I was very impressed with the work they have done here. The use of technology to tell her story in different rooms was cool. I will definitely be re-visiting it to slow down and look more closely at the things located here.

Next up, we walked over to Behind the Seams. This building houses some of Dolly’s clothing and accessories. Supposedly, they switch out the items here periodically. So, you should be able to make return visits and see different items showcased. I thought it was really cool to see some of her clothing up close. She’s much smaller than I imagined!

Then, we walked over to enjoy some of the Precious Memories video in the DreamSong theater. Lastly, we visited Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels, which is an old tour bus of hers. I had been in it once before, but it’s still cool to see. Plus, we were able to skip the line to go on it.

The tour also includes reserved seating to a later showing of Heidi Parton’s Kin and Friends show (or another show in the DreamSong theater if it’s not available). I think that’s a great touch and lovely way to wrap this experience up!

Is the Dolly Parton Experience Tour worth it?

Even though I was the only person on the tour, it was still a pretty quickly paced one hour tour. I didn’t really get a chance to stop and take photos or to look at the clothing/artifacts on the tour. I plan to go back to take a slower look at the stuff in the buildings. The tour was great for additional information on the park’s design and about Dolly. It’s perfect for Dollywood/theme park/Dolly Parton fans! I don’t know that children would enjoy it. Also, we were up walking for the entire hour. So, you need to be able to be mobile for that length of time. Overall, I really enjoyed this tour and think it’s worth the time and money if you like learning about the park or Dolly.