It is often said that if people from Washington Parish take a vacation, no matter how far the destination, it is likely they will run into someone they know from home. This is especially true of the Great Smoky Mountains, a popular vacation spot for many locals.
If they happen to go to Dollywood, there is a high probability that they will run into Mike and Betty Gill or Dale and Margie Parker. The Gills and the Parkers work at Dollywood Theme Park and spend much of their time living in their recreational vehicles in the Smoky Mountains. Prior to retirement, Mike Gill was the Agency Manager at Washington Parish Farm Bureau for 37 years while his wife Betty was Senior Vice President for Parish National Bank at the Franklinton Branch for 38 years. They have been married for 17 years and together have four children and five grandchildren.
Dale Parker is retired military and a semi-retired pastor. Margie was a teacher/administrator for 37 years. They have been married for 27 years and together have four children, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
The Gills and Parkers have always enjoyed traveling, seeing the country, and meeting new people. It was Mike and Betty who discovered Workamping in 2014 at a seminar by Workamper News in Heber Springs, Arkansas. At the time Mike was nearing retirement, and they were searching for life after each had spent nearly 40 years raising a family and going to work each day. They learned about Dollywood's work opportunities for retired people from the seminar. The Gills shared this with the Parkers, who used Workamper.com to research other jobs as well.
Both couples park their motorhomes at campgrounds in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where Dollywood is located. They normally work three days a week and primarily in food service. Margie Parker explained that they have a set number of hours per week that they don't want to exceed. They never work on Sunday so that they can attend church.
Dale also helps part-time at the campground where they stay, so they get the RV site at a reduced cost.
Both couples work in catering events where outside companies bring their employees and families to Dollywood for the day and enjoy a buffet style meal. Mike and Betty then work in other areas of the park as needed.
Betty fondly recalls a story of Mike working at the Smores booth. He encountered a two-year-old child whose mother said had never smiled or made any expressions or talked. Mike took the child out of the stroller and began his "magic." As he cooked Smores, he gave the child high-fives and fist bumps and then placed his straw hat on the child's head. He witnessed a miracle when the child looked up at mom and gave her the biggest smile for the first time. Mike received a Grand Champion Blue Ribbon Award and was honored at a banquet where he also was given a cash prize and an autographed picture of park owner Dolly Parton.
Betty also reports to have had guests step up and say, "You're a Christian, aren't you?" as well as a supervisor bringing a co-worker to her to have prayer. The Gills are most proud of the fact that they work in a Christian environment. It makes perfect sense that their favorite area of the expansive Dollywood Theme Park is the small church located in the Craftsman's Valley section. Betty states, "It is beautiful and just sitting inside is a spiritual experience."
Beyond the personal satisfaction both couples receive from helping guests and meeting new people, Dollywood probably has the most employee perks of any other employer in the expansive area of the Smoky Mountains. Workers don't pay for any entertainment in the Smoky Mountains or at worst pay a reduced price for tickets. This gives both of the Franklinton couples the opportunity to enjoy a "working vacation in east Tennessee and western North Carolina."
Likely one of the questions they hear most is "Have you ever met Dolly Parton?" The Parkers have seen her in parades, but the Gills, who have worked in Mrs. Parton's organization longer, have had their group photos taken with the country music icon and see her when she conducts their "town meeting" at the park.
On days off, both couples spend time outdoors. The Gills enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, zip lining, whitewater rafting and indoor activities usually revolve around the other shows and attractions in the area. They highly recommend Motown, Country Tonite, and Array of Memories. They believe the best hike in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is at Tremont, located not far from Gatlinburg on the Little River Road which also leads to Cades Cove. The Parkers especially enjoy biking through the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop on Wednesdays when no cars are allowed and having a picnic. This area is full of wildlife, wildflowers, and some of the National Park's most beautiful scenery.
They also enjoy hiking with their friends and pushing each other to go "just one more half-mile." Some of their favorite trails in the Smokies are the Little River Trail at Elkmont and the West Prong Trail at Tremont. For folks who have never visited the area, both the Gills and the Parkers agree that some must-sees are Cades Cove, Clingman's Dome, snd the "across the mountain" road from Tennessee into Cherokee, North Carolina where the Trail of Tears drama "Unto These Hills" is performed in the evenings from mid-May until late into August.
Outside of the national park area, The Island in Pigeon Forge deserves a visit as does the Parkers' favorite show at the Comedy Barn. The Gills believe some of the best eating in the area is Aunt Granny's Restaurant in Dollywood. They also have worked there so they are a tad bit biased. The Parkers love to eat at PawPaw's Catfish Kitchen in Wears Valley where they can get a little taste of home amid LSU, Saints, and Cajun décor. They also enjoy Best Italian Restaurant and Crockett's Breakfast Camp in Gatlinburg.
For Margie and Dale, the 2023 season is over for them at Dollywood, and they have returned to their home in Franklinton for the rest of the summer and fall. They will fill their days now visiting their children and spending time with the ones they miss most, their grandchildren. Both are disappointed that Margie is having some health issues, and they have been unable to travel on to the West where they have worked in West Yellowstone and twice in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Their parttime RV life has seen them travel to Yellowstone, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Northern California, and the Oregon Coast.
Their advice to any couple who wishes to embark on an RV adventure is to love each other and like one another's company. Also, be adventurous, flexible, and unafraid to get off the beaten path.
Mike and Betty's motorhome is usually parked in Pigeon Forge at Claboughs Campground. Mike went to RV tech school and can fix most problems that pop up with their motorhome. They find their way home to Washington Parish fairly often but are pleased to spend their spare time developing recently purchased property on English Mountain. They are installing RV sites and building a tiny home with the intention of one day building their real retirement cabin. One of their fondest RVing adventures has taken them up the East Coast through 20 states in 30 days to Maine and Vermont. They found apps called Gypsy and Just Ahead that do guided tours through satellite straight to their motorhome radio. Just Ahead is all national parks. Their advice to those who may want to try motorhome living is, "You better like the person you are with. It works great when you marry your best friend." Betty also added that they miss their family and friends in Louisiana, but every day is an adventure, and they love their RV life and putting down roots in east Tennessee. They give all the glory to God for the opportunity. After a recent week-long visit to Franklinton, Betty posted a picture on social media of Mike driving north on Interstate 59. Her explanation was simply, "The mountains are calling, and we must go."
