Even when we’re traveling, Katie and I are always in the lookout for literary connections – we’ve been to charming historic towns, unusual houses, legendary locations, natural areas, volcanic landmarks, and the Shire! This summer, Katie visited Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and discovered Dolly’s fantastic literacy initiative, the Imagination Library. Take it away, Katie!
Steel Magnolias. “Jolene.” 9 to 5: The Musical. “Islands in the Stream.” Coat of Many Colors. What do all of these things have in common? The amazing Dolly Parton, of course! While she is most famous for her incredible music career, Dolly is also an author, actor, and founder of the most ticketed attraction in Tennessee, her theme park appropriately named Dollywood. Her proudest achievements, however, involve her philanthropic desire to give back to others, particularly in the area of literacy.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to instill a love of reading in children. Kids enrolled in the Imagination Library receive a new age appropriate book, free of charge, that is sent directly to their homes from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten. Dolly wanted children to experience the magic of books and be excited to read, regardless of where they lived or their family’s income. Since its humble beginnings, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has gifted over 250 million books. One in seven children under the age of five in the United States receive books from the Imagination Library!
The program became so successful in the United States that it expanded and is now available in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. Thanks to funding from Dolly and her community partners, over two million books are shipped each and every month to kids around the world!
Visit the Imagination Library to find a local program in your area and to learn more about this extraordinary resource. As Dolly says, “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.” We couldn’t agree more.
Our summer vacation to Tennessee was exactly what we needed this year. We spent a week with friends in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, finding cold mountain streams to go fishing and swimming, visiting as many barbecue restaurants as we could find, and staying up way too late looking for fireflies and shooting stars. Some of us were even lucky enough to see a black bear!
No trip to Pigeon Forge is complete without visiting Dollywood. We spent the first part of our day keeping cool at the Splash Country water park. Later in the afternoon, we dashed over to the theme park to ride ALL of the roller coasters. And eat a loaf of Dolly’s world famous cinnamon bread. Dollywood was fully decorated for the annual Summer Celebration with fun bright colored kites and umbrellas waving overhead, gorgeous flower arrangements, interactive fountains, and plenty of butterflies. Definitely stay until the park closes so you can watch the drone and fireworks show – it’s spectacular!
If you’re interested in further literary adventuring, pack your bags and check out this post. And just in case you’re wondering…yes, Katie did bring me back a little present from Dollywood. And yes, it is awesome!
Over the years, I have found myself in a number of interesting libraries and literary settings, but today I wanted to share one that is truly unique. The entire room…in fact the entire mansion is constructed of poured concrete. This unusual library is just one of the rooms in 
An “archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist, scholar and antiquarian,” Mercer had the home built between 1908-1912. It has over forty rooms, extensive grounds, a multitude of fireplaces, and a plethora of windows (including a little one I spotted embedded in a chimney!). The mansion’s exterior and frame was crafted exclusively from poured concrete. Much of the interior is concrete as well, including shelves, desks, chairs, even dressers!
The home tour was fascinating, but we were wholly unprepared for Mercer’s other building, a six-story castle (also made of reinforced concrete) that now serves as the 
Over the years, Jenn’s business has grown exponentially, culminating in a fantastic bakery that also serves delicious breakfasts. And now…she’s a children’s author! It took absolutely no convincing for me to photograph her happy busy eatery, and chat with her about this heartwarming story of baking and family.
Hi Jenn! Tell us a little about yourself!
