Tonight on the Bringing Up Bates season two finale, "Hello Dollywood"...
- Lawson and the rest of the Bates family are invited to perform at Dollywood's bluegrass festival.
- Brandon flies in from Chicago, and Alyssa and John fly in from Florida for this unique opportunity…and a short vacation. Chad’s mom, Tammy, and two of his siblings, Abby and Johnny, also come along.
- “I’m just hoping that the family takes it as serious as I do,” says Lawson. “And in normal Bates style, we practiced about twice.”
- By the time the family gets on the road and completes the hour drive to Pigeon Forge, Nathan is already there with Alyssa and John, and everyone is eager to hold Allie Jane.
- “We’ve got grandbabies at every stage,” says Gil. “It’s like the good old days again.”
- The clan is shocked when they see their accommodations: a beautiful, four-story, Bates-sized “cabin.”
- “It was not a cabin up in the mountains, it was a palace up in the mountains,” says Lawson. The cabin, called “It’s Got It All,” definitely lives up to it’s name…and then some.
- Kelly calls a family meeting to lay down some ground rules. The mom of 19 is very cautious when it comes to heights, but she comes by it honestly. When Isaiah was a toddler, he was leaning against a railing, which gave way and sent him falling several stories. “It was a very traumatic, scary event,” shares Nathan.
- The kids especially enjoy the elevator, which, according to Kelly, the family broke after just a few hours. “We didn’t break it,” corrects Gil. “It just quit working while we were there.”
- On the first night, the Bates watch the Dixie Stampede, which is one of the family’s favorite live shows. After it’s over, the clan heads backstage to meet a trick rider, who promises to come out to the house and teach Trace a few skills.
- The following day, the Bates head to the Dollywood theme park. During their first ride, the FireChaser Express, poor Callie completely freaks out and even tries to climb out of her seat while it’s moving.
- Kelly, who is afraid of heights, has not been on a rollercoaster in years, but Gil convinces her to join him on the Wild Eagle. Her reaction is similar to Callie’s, although she doesn’t try to escape while the ride is in motion.
- When it comes time for the performance and Lawson sees the size of the crowd, he organizes a last minute practice. A rainstorm passes through just before the Bates are scheduled to go on stage, but the crowd returns, and the show turns out well.
- To introduce Lawson's Pork Rinds song, Carlin says: "My brother Lawson is going to sing a song for you called Pork Rinds, and this is kind of why he doesn't have a girl. So, let's hear it Lawson!"
- “That had to have been probably one of the [most fun] trips that we’ve ever taken,” says Kelly.
