ABC/Lou RoccoEven though Dolly Parton has created a beloved amusement park with Dollywood, she admits she doesn’t take advantage of the rides. However, she had a good reason.
The country legend recently expanded Dollywood with Wildwood Grove, a $37 million effort that features a new rollercoaster and 52-foot Wildwood Tree. But she tells New York Times that when visiting the park, she opts out of the thrill rides.
“I don’t ride the rides. I never have. I have a tendency to get motion sickness. Also, I’m a little bit chicken,” she admits. She then jokes, “With all my hair, I got so much to lose, like my wig or my shoes. I don’t like to get messed up. I’m gonna have some handsome man mess it up — I don’t want some ride doing it!”
The “Jolene” singer tells the Times that it was her pride in growing up in the Smoky Mountains as the inspiration for building the park in her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
“I knew this would be a wonderful business venture, but I also knew it would really bring a lot of joy and happiness and a lot of jobs, too. That was important to me,” she explains. “Growing up poor, I know how important it is to make a living. And take pride in it.”
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