Dolly Parton’s tourbus can accommodate up to eight people and comes with tickets to the park.

WAKING up in Dolly Parton’s bed is something many have dreamt of but only a lucky few have achieved – until recently.

That’s set to change with the unveiling of a new superstar sleepover experience on board Dolly’s treasured “home on wheels”The stunning Great Smoky Mountains in Eastern Tennessee are the location of.

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Checking into Dolly’s customised 45-foot motorhome, parked at the entrance to her luxurious, family-friendly DreamMore Resort, I find the bed practically still warm, as the Smoky Mountain Songbird only flew the nest a matter of weeks ago.

The singer used the bus constantly from 2010 right up until March 2022, wearing a groove into America’s highways and byways as her driver clocked up 360,000 miles on the dashboard.

Dolly, also known by the Iron Butterfly, was nicknamed the coach hero “gypsy wagon”We commissioned artists to create beautiful murals that are folky and colorful on every surface. They also added intricate beadwork, gems, and other details.

The engines have slowed down and very little has changed. In honor of the year Dollywood opened its doors to thrill-seekers, the Dolly Suite 1986 was renamed to that name.

Stepping on board as the country legend’s greatest hits serenade you over the speakers, it’s pure, unadulterated showbiz.

Tantalisingly displayed behind glass cabinet, a selection her razzle dazzle sequinned stagewear, skyscraper Louboutin heels, and a selection cloud-grazing hair wigs twinkle under spotlights. “the higher the hair, the closer to God”.

But I want to find Dolly Parton the real Dolly. So, I make my way to the back and leave the public view behind. The spiritual star has made a private sanctuary of contemplation for me.

Separated by a sliding door, Dolly’s self-sufficient den has a fridge, freezer and microwave within arm’s reach of her sumptuous fuchsia velvet bed, for easy snacking while writing albums such as Backwoods Barbie on the road.

The singer would sit at the foot of her bed and flip down to hold her Bible. On the other side, a patchy carpet was the place where she would lounge nightly before looking into the mirror.

There’s even a dinky, Dolly-sized bathtub where the Queen of Country unwound with a post-show soak. These personal touches make this an unforgettable experience for fans.

Even though guests can book in for two-night stays, it comes at a steep price.

The £8,500 package includes a private dining experience, tickets to Dolly’s Pigeon Forge dinner shows, the Dollywood theme park and an additional four-person hotel room at the DreamMore resort — should you feel generous enough to invite your friends and family along — plus Dolly-approved merchandise and a tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a bubblegum-pink jeep.

That evening, Mark Galvin, Dolly’s personal chef, sets up a hefty BBQ and delivers a seemingly endless carousel of southern comfort food.

There’s stone soup, made just as Dolly’s mama once cooked it, lip-smacking ribs in a secret sauce, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken with a side of creamy mac ’n’ cheese.

Just when I feel I can eat no more, the grand finale arrives — banana pudding made to Dolly’s own recipe, eaten before the roaring fire pit as fireworks from nearby Dollywood explode in the sky — a fitting climax to a culinary showstopper of an evening.

The next morning, I travel along winding mountain roads towards Sevierville, where Dolly was born.

At her newly opened Shine Girl moonshine (whiskey) distillery, Dolly’s niece Danielle Parton — who bears a striking resemblance to her famous relative — invites me to pull up a barstool.

Surrounded by hot pink moonshine cocktails, Danielle leans back in her chair as she fondly reminisces about time spent on her aunt’s legendary tour wagons.

“I guess I had my bus legs from a young age”This is the name of the master distiller and pilot.

“Aunt Granny” — Dolly’s nickname within her family — “would take us all over the place”You can find it in all corners of the USA. “When I was in the third grade, she packed up all the nieces and nephews and took us on a bus tour of Hawaii. She must’ve lost her mind!”Danielle smiles warmly

Bid Danielle farewell, and I depart for Dollywood.

The park draws three million visitors annually and was recently voted America’s Best Amusement Park by Tripadvisor.

It’s easy to see why, as there’s something for everyone at this vast park nestled in the picturesque mountains, from rollercoasters and live music, to displays of local Appalachian crafts and warm loaves of cinnamon bread dripping in buttery sugar that are worth the transatlantic flight alone.

And while you may not be able to afford a night in Dolly’s bus, there’s modern, plush accommodation at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort from £55pp per night, based on two sharing.

As evening falls, I return to the tour bus to sink into the mountain of tasselled scatter cushions on Dolly’s bed, drifting into a deep slumber under a sky of twinkling rhinestones, just as America’s sweetheart must have done countless times before me.

It’s the perfect conclusion to this most rock and roll of sleepovers.

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