Touring Dolly Parton’s home on wheels
Dolly Parton's "Home on Wheels" can be toured when you visit Dollywood. (Leslie Kelly)
Dollywood was an absolute blast! And one of the highlights of this awesome theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., was the opportunity to take a walk through Dolly Parton's now-retired tour bus.
The Class A custom RV was full of all sorts of homey touches, from the family photos in the superstar's comfy bedroom to the cotton candy pink bathtub and the tea set decorated in her signature butterflies. So cute!
Because Dolly doesn't like tight spaces, plenty of mirrors were added around the RV to give it a roomier feeling.
The spacious kitchen looks as if it's seen a lot of fun gatherings around the table. Didn't realize until we visited that Dolly has her own cookbook, Dolly's Dixie Fixin's.
Only a few folks are allowed in for each five-minute tour, so it wasn't crowded. The guide gave us the quick rundown on the vehicle: She bought the bus in 1994 for $750,000, and her trusted manager, the late Don Warden, drove it for 15 years. She upgraded to a $2.4 million rig in 2010. The floor plan is similar, though the new bus has double slide-outs.
I'm giving Dollywood and its Dreamer-in-Chief a big round of applause for this very special attraction.