A Romantic Evening and a Fountain of Fun

We are always on the lookout for fun places to spend some time and things to do when we are traveling. It is always fun to discover something new and or exciting. It is even more fun when it is an attraction that is free. In a previous post, I wrote about just such a place. To revisit that post, you can go here. In that post I wrote about The Island at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and an evening my husband and I spent there last Fall.

The Island is steadily evolving and changing with lots of new shops, eateries and entertainment.  Paula Deene is slated to open a fabulous restaurant there this year and a four star hotel and restaurant, Margaritaville Hotel and Restaurant, is nearing completion and scheduled to open this summer. The first floor of the resort will be home to many new shops and the second floor will have some 132 guest rooms.

As we did in the Fall, we timed our visit to The Island so as to watch the progress of things as the sun went down and the lights came up, because that is when it is most exciting. We walked around for a while, touring some of the shops and buying a few items. My husband purchased a University of South Carolina themed tumbler from here:

Tervis Shop at The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

This above shop opened since our last visit. You might have heard of the Tervis brand and their shops have a vast array of specialized items, including themed tumblers. I am planning to personalize my husband's tumbler with his initials using my Cricut machine. Look to the upper left corner of the photo and you can see one of the balconies in the Margaritaville resort.

Though it was a tad cloudy when we arrived it was very pleasant strolling along the main thoroughfare as I snapped some photos of some of the restaurants, shops and entertainment spots in the complex.

The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

A Restaurant at The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

Each to his or her own taste. The mix of shops, boutiques and stores will be somewhat diverse when construction is complete. Here is one of the shops that will be opening in the Fall of this year (2014).

Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine Distillery Coming to The Island Shops in the Fall of 2014

Surrounded by the shops and boutiques located on the first floor is the centerpiece of the Margaritaville Restaurant and Hotel. It is The Fountain at The Island.  What a spectacular centerpiece it is! I went a little camera crazy as the evening progressed and I had a difficult time trying to decide which photos to post here. The following picture is a just a portion of the hotel and fountain plaza.

The Fountain at The Island at Dusk in Pigeon Forge, TN

As you can see, there are handy rocking chairs placed along the sides all around the fountain. You can also see the balconies outside the rooms where guests will be able to view the activities all around The Island and witness the awesome dancing frenzy that takes place at The Fountain at The Island after dark. There is also an awesome view of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel from the hotel and from The Fountain Plaza! The area where The Fountain is located was not visible to the public at the time of our last visit and we were quite impressed with The Fountain when we first arrived. As night gradually fell upon the place we found it to be an awe inspiring mix that tantalized the senses of sight, sound and touch. The fountain "performs" a dance in sync with the music of each song. The music that accompanies this fountain is diverse in genre, ranging from classical to rock and much more.

The Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge, TN

The following is how I would describe the experience. The Fountain seems to awaken and begins to come alive with colors that become more visible and vivid with the approaching dusk.

The Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge, TN

There are hues of pink and ocean greens and blues.

Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge

A bit of red and orange (some fire) join the others in the dance and we can feel the romantic and somewhat chilly kiss of an evening breeze on our cheeks. As the dance continues, the movement of the water is hypnotizing as we follow its gracefully orchestrated twists and turns, moving with the rhythm and beat of the music as Old Black Magic is playing and things are spinning "round, round, round." We slowly make our way around the perimeter of this fabulous stage, not wanting to miss any aspect of this extravaganza of water and lights.

The Fountain at The Island Swirls with the Rhythm of the Music

The dance is enchanting!

The Smoky Mountain Wheel at The Island in Pigeon Forge

A breeze begins to stir again as the fluid spires appear as arms reaching up to the sky in this graceful and most splendid ballet and we can feel the spray of the cool mist.

The Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge

The Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge, TN

Once again, the air becomes still and another performance begins. The colors are much more saturated now as darkness approaches.

The Fountain at The Island in Pigeon Forge, TN

The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

The Island at Pigeon Forge, TN

It was a beautiful date night experience and we would have liked to have stayed all night, but had to be on our way. We decided to stay through only one more performance of the fountain. I felt compelled to record an amateur video of the event. It is now on my Youtube channel. You can watch the video, if you care to do so, which would please me greatly. I think it will give you a better idea as to what a mesmerizing experience The Fountain at The Island is. The song is Volcano by Jimmy Buffett. How fun is that! Looking through the lens, in spite of the cool night mountain night air, with the addition of the fire effects, this performance by The Fountain made me feel like I could have been standing next to a molten inferno.

Please overlook my obvious inexperience and the fact that it is recorded by my little camera(not a video camera) and the video and audio could definitely be of better quality and I would have edited out the very end where I got a shot of the pavement when I forgot to stop recording(duh)! Please go here if you would like to watch the short video.

The Island is such a fun and romantic place to visit and there is no admission fee to stroll around or to sit in a rocking chair and watch the ever changing lights of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and be mesmerized by a really good "song and dance" routine performed nightly by The Fountain.

I hope you enjoyed this attraction that has now been added to our list of "must visit" again and again places. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and check things out!