Anyone from east Tennessee

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

I've got to know.

 

[longallsboy]

I've got to know.

No, I'm from the West Coast. But I have been to East Tennessee one time before, in April 2016. Went to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. Had a blast. Loved the kiddie rides. I have Classic Autism. I am in my mid 40s. I want to actually move to the Upstate region of South Carolina.

- longallsboy

 

[diapernh]

Not from TN, but i think it would be fun to do an ABDL event in gatlinburg

 

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

Not from TN, but i think it would be fun to do an ABDL event in gatlinburg

Your so right! I think the last one was 2016

 

[longallsboy]

Your so right! I think the last one was 2016

Never been to Gatlinburg. Just drove by through town with my parents. But it's close, like the next town over from Pigeon Forge. I've passed through Sevierville and Newport (in Cocke County), before. And I've been to Pigeon Forge, like I said. Dollywood and Pigeon Forge, I have to say, resembles from 1940 movie Pinocchio, Pleasure Island. In fact, there was an entertainment area / restaurant area called Pleasure Island in Pigeon Forge when I went there in 2016. Pigeon Forge is like a kiddie Las Vegas. Or Las Vegas, watered down. Candy shops, children's amusement rides similar to Dollywood's, even on the Parkway (the main drag in Pigeon Forge), comedy clubs, good clean fun. There's not that much alcohol either, although you could probably find some restaurants that offer beer or wine. But mostly Pigeon Forge is for kids. Pleasure Island 🏝️. I doubt that young children get turned into donkeys in Pigeon Forge though, LOL 😂😂. I live on the West Coast so it's harder to get to Dollywood as I need to take an airplane flight so I only been there once.

I don't think I really qualify as an adult baby since I really do not wear diapers at all. I just wanted to say that. I suppose there are a few ABs who might not wear diapers, I don't know. I do have childish / childlike interests, but that's more due to the fact that I have Classic Autism. Like, I like children's cartoons, certain children's clothing like long-alls and jon jons, T strap shoes, and kiddie rides in amusement parks (such as in Dollywood or Disneyland / Disney World).

But Pigeon Forge is amazing. My parents weren't as enthralled, but my mom has never really liked amusement parks at all. They were both already nearly 70 at that point already, so things are looked at different by people their age I'm sure. I never liked roller coasters though..I like more like the rides like Dumbo at Disneyland, or the Red Baron Airplane ride types. Sometimes at amusement parks I can't get on these kiddie rides because they have a MAXIMUM height limit and I'm almost 6 feet tall - nowhere near the 57 inch or 54 inch maximum in a lot of parks. That makes me sad. Dollywood is a hoot though as they allow all adults on ALL children's rides (as long as you can fit in the safety restraints, obviously). 💜😁

- longallsboy

 

[longallsboy]

Your so right! I think the last one was 2016

There was an AB event in Gatlinburg in 2016? That's when I went to Pigeon Forge with my parents, in April 2016. I don't drive because of my Autism and my ADHD, and I can't concentrate on the road driving past 20-25 minutes. I do have a driver's license, but it's nearly worthless.

- longallsboy

 

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

I live in maryville it's one town away I grew up going there. Its fun as I'll get out.. I fell you on the autism I've got Aspergers it's hard to stay focused but I try

 

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

For me autism it's like trying to defuse a bomb and then oh I forgot about that pizza in the oven let me get that boom

 

[longallsboy]

For me autism it's like trying to defuse a bomb and then oh I forgot about that pizza in the oven let me get that boom

Sheesh, there are so many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders who are adult babies. It's not a majority of ABs, but proportional to the percentage of people with Autism relative to normal people (Autistic people make up around 1% of the population), it's definitely overrepresentation.....but I wonder why that is so. If you count the Autistic people who are not totally adult babies, who have childhood leanings but don't necessarily wear diapers, I think there are much more. Like I don't wear diapers, but I'm like a child in many ways - some past college instructors have thought that I act emotionally and socially like a 4 year old or even less. I have several friends who are have ASD who have childhood leanings or inclinations but aren't ABs. Is there a reason for that. Maybe we get bullied too much by others? Maybe because a lot of people with Autism and ADHD as older children or teens have friends or peers who are young children or much younger than them, we stay more like a child?

I knew a mom that was from the Church of Latter Day Saints [eg. Mormon] from the internet who lived in North Carolina, in the Central Piedmont area, that later moved back to Kentucky where she was from. I met on her on a parenting board, I think she wrote something in response to my liking pacifiers. This was around 2005 or 2006. She had two sons in their 20s. Both had ASD. The older son had more severe Autism and his IQ was lower, but actually he was pretty smart in some ways. He wore a diaper because he was incontinent. More talkative than his younger brother though. The younger brother was more higher functioning, near normal intelligence, but he was an adult baby and wore diapers because he liked it, not because he needed to.

I know where Maryville is, kind of, by looking at a map. Never been there, but I do know where it is, because when I was visiting Pigeon Forge, I was scanning around the rental car radio and looking on the internet to see if I could find some sort of radio station that was playing oldies music. I love 1950s to 1970s oldies music and soft rock 1970s and 1980s songs too. I finally found a radio station playing oldies out of Maryville. I don't remember which station it was though. I listen to the radio or my Walkman frequently when I've gone on cross country trips by plane, when I get to my destination. Some stations even broadcast online by streaming audio so sometimes when I discover these stations on trips, I realize sometimes I can listen from home too, on the radio. I've listened to a radio station out of Sanford, North Carolina, outside of Raleigh that plays 50s to 80s oldies music for more than a decade online and even in the car when I visited that area!

I thought about going to ETSU (East Tennessee State) for a short time, but I like Clemson more. I'm a big Clemson Tigers football fan and I have several friends who are not autistic in Upstate South Carolina / Greenville / Spartanburg, and also some college professors at Clemson University. I have a bachelor degree in Geography so it would be going for a graduate degree if I went back to college. Thought of getting a master degree in U.S. History, although I probably still wouldn't be able to get a job. There are several universities I'm a fan of - and mostly in the South - like Alabama, Auburn, University of North Alabama, University of South Carolina, Clemson, NC State, Appalachian State, East Carolina, Louisiana Tech (in Ruston, Louisiana, 60 miles east of Shreveport), Georgia Southern. And definitely Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

- longallsboy

 

[longallsboy]

I live in maryville it's one town away I grew up going there. Its fun as I'll get out.. I fell you on the autism I've got Aspergers it's hard to stay focused but I try

Oh!! You live near Cades Cove! 💜💜😁 Never been there but I want to visit there! I've seen some photos on a Tennessee tourbook by Moon Publications (they make tour books for states, just like Lonely Planet does for different countries). I've seen photos and think Cades Cove is beautiful. I didn't see photos of it until maybe 2018, about 2 years after I went to Pigeon Forge. And apparently Maryville is close to Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport. I have a hat from them. I used to be an assistant co-host at my library's Preschooler Storytime until COVID happened and would show the 3 to 5 year olds different baseball caps from different places and about economy and attractions and what crops grew there, so I used the baseball caps as a item that I used to further Geography Awareness. I have many hats from different cities, towns, airports, golf courses, colleges, etc. I read books to the children occasionally and me and my now retired children's librarian friend (who is now in her mid 60s) led them singing and dancing to children's songs and thousands of different oldies songs, over 16 years 😁

- longallsboy

 

[longallsboy]

I live in maryville it's one town away I grew up going there. Its fun as I'll get out.. I fell you on the autism I've got Aspergers it's hard to stay focused but I try

A McGhee Tyson Airport hat

About staying focused : I know. Nonautistic 5 year olds in kindergarten have a longer attention span than me.

- longallsboy

 

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

Yeah mcghee tyson since 5 minutes down the road from me I hear the airplanes every night

 

[Johnnyboyeasttn]

Sorry hard to keep attention together my mind's like a vacuum cleaner with no bag on it I try to do everything at once and then it just blows right at the back LOL

 

[KnoxBaby]

I've got to know.

Maryville here as well

 

[MudPuppy]

Does northwestern NC count?

 

[longallsboy]

Does northwestern NC count?

What does Northwestern NC mean? I'm not from there, but I'm slightly curious as to what your definition of NW NC is, partly because I know NC and SC well. Would that be "High Country" as in like Boone where Appalachian State University is, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, or do you mean like North Wilkesboro in Wilkes County where William Oliver Swofford (1945-2000) aka "Oliver" who sang "Good Morning Starshine" in 1969 was from? Or do you mean like Cullowhee / Western Carolina University / Sylva / Bryson City? Harmon Den in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 near the Tennessee - North Carolina line?

I've heard of Boone referred to as High Country but I never heard of Northwestern NC.

- longallsboy

 

[adam]

There was an AB event in Gatlinburg in 2016? That's when I went to Pigeon Forge with my parents, in April 2016. I don't drive because of my Autism and my ADHD, and I can't concentrate on the road driving past 20-25 minutes. I do have a driver's license, but it's nearly worthless.

- longallsboy

It was sponsored by @Toddler69er and it seems like it was called babyfest or littlefest. I can't remember. I thought it was before 2016 though. Like 2005 or so. We stayed in a cabin up on a mountain above Dollywood. Then we spent a day at Dollywood.

 

[Mattswet]

I am in middle TN!

 

[MudPuppy]

What does Northwestern NC mean? I'm not from there, but I'm slightly curious as to what your definition of NW NC is, partly because I know NC and SC well. Would that be "High Country" as in like Boone where Appalachian State University is, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, or do you mean like North Wilkesboro in Wilkes County where William Oliver Swofford (1945-2000) aka "Oliver" who sang "Good Morning Starshine" in 1969 was from? Or do you mean like Cullowhee / Western Carolina University / Sylva / Bryson City? Harmon Den in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 near the Tennessee - North Carolina line?

I've heard of Boone referred to as High Country but I never heard of Northwestern NC.

- longallsboy

Up in the mountains: Boone, West Jefferson, Sparta. Spend a lot of time there. Get to Wilkesboro to mountain bike.

 

[Ashton84]

On the other side of Bristol on the Virginia side.