Dolly Parton Went From a One-Room Cabin to a Smoky Mountains Empire

Travel Tales by AFAR

The Great Smoky Mountains have had an outsized impact on Dolly Parton—they shaped the way she grew up, influenced her music, and are the only place where she feels truly restored. Which is why she has spent her adult life giving back to the region, primarily through tourism. On this week's episode, we travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the unveiling of Dolly's new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort. She shares what makes the hotel special, what's coming next, and sits down with our journalist to talk about how travel has influenced her.

Don't miss these moments!

• 4:35: Dolly welcoming everyone to her hotel press conference
• 7:34: What's next for her tourism efforts
• 11:52: What Dolly looks for in a hotel (it might surprise you!)
• 14:11: How travel can be an education
• 17:33: Dolly sings Heartsong

Meet this week’s guest

• Dolly Parton. Need we say more?
• Elaine Glusac, a travel journalist who writes for the New York Times and AFAR.

Resources

• Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Learn more about Dolly’s new hotel, HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
• Read Dolly’s new book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.
• Listen to the song that inspired the name for the hotel, Heartsong.
• Follow Elaine on Instagram.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.

And a special thanks to our season four Travel Tales by AFAR sponsor, Avalon Waterways, who shares our belief in the transformative power of travel.

This year, you can follow us on Amazon Music!