Christopher Jay

Notes from the road, day 5 #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Interview with Rob Berk & guided tour of Past Times Arcade (Girard OH), January 2026 YouTube video by S1ckH4ndsRBN

Completely forgot to mention this yesterday (lots of Dolly Parton & driving)...

...but my interview and guided tour with Rob Berk of Past Times Arcade and Pinball Expo is now live on my YouTube channel.

It would mean a lot if you could check it out. Thanks!

#pinball #arcade

youtu.be/vE8E0RdbreU

Facade for Arcadia at the Gatlinburg Space Needle.

Win Big. That's the focal point. That's it. At least upstairs...

Downstairs is the pinball lounge (and Guitar Hero with more comfy chairs). Here's the games that work (and two that don't). Bond 60 and JP LE are nice finds.

...and here's all the games that don't. Womp womp. Also each game is "8 gold" to play, which comes out to about $2 per game. Yikes.

Day 4, stop 6. Last and final stop for the evening. Arcadia at the Gatlinburg Space Needle. The entire base of the building is an arcade, plus there's pinball in the basement. It's a mixed bag though... #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Is it Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, or is it Ripley's Super Fun Zone!? The world may never know.

The usual suspects.

Even more of the usual suspects.

A 20 Year Reunion cab was the most unexpected thing here, and that's saying something. No Ripley pinball like at the OCMD location, unless it's inside the museum itself.

Day 4, stop 5. Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, Gatlinburg, TN. Believe it or not, this one has a whole ass arcade in it. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Nice facade for Arcade City.

Like I said, more of the usual suspects.

Even more of the... wait, what's that I see?

Two Stern pros? And they both have free credits on them? Score!

Day 4, stop 4. In Gatlinburg to finish off the day. Arcade City, Gatlinburg outpost. Much of the same as the Pigeon Forge location, but a few actual pinball machines here. Plus, free credits! Yay! #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Exterior of Tiebreakers at night.

Games on the floor at Tiebreakers.

Clawcade section at Tiebreakers.

Star Wars: Fall of the Empire LE next to Monster Ball Smash N Win.

Day 4, stop 3. Tiebreakers, Johnson City, TN. In the same strip mall as Neon Moon. It's very Dave & Buster's-ish but they have a clawcade section and an honest to goodness Stern LE pin out there. #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!

Exterior of Neon Moon.

An absolutely wild collection of limited edition Stern machines along this wall.

Even more LEs from Stern and other manufacturers.

Legitimately this might be the nicest copy of Iron Maiden I've ever played in my life, and the score reflects that. More than double my previous best from the pro. FTP on the LE, no less.

Day 4, stop 2. Neon Moon, Johnson City, TN. Dollywood may not have Dolly Parton pinball, but this place does. As well as just about EVERY Stern LE to date. Wild. Amazing pinball stop. Love it! #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

The Dollywood sign in front of the Palace Theater.

Crowds making a mad rush for the back of the park.

Big Bear Mountain was my one and only ride of the day. A fantastic family roller coaster that's long, fast, and mostly low to the ground. Gives me Hagrid vibes without all the trickery.

As mentioned, the Dollywood Arcade underneath Tennessee Tornado.

After the insanity that was yesterday, today has been much slower paced overall. Only two stops so far. Day 4, stop 1; Dollywood. Not so much an arcade stop, though there IS an arcade under Tennessee Tornado. It was so crowded. 4.5 hrs and I only did one ride. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Notes from the road, day 4; aka the Dollywood edition. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

The last time I stayed here was pre-Covid. I don't really remember exactly what was here, but I'm 99% it wasn't just claws.

It says game room right there. It must be good, right?

Legit nice for an Econo Lodge. The rooms are cozy too.

We got ducks in the parking lot just chilling in a puddle. Some Canada geese came over and tried to start shit with them. I chased them off. Fuck those geese.

The aforementioned game room. And on THAT note, good night!

Day 3, stop 15. The final stop for the day, really. Econo Lodge. Does this even count? I mean, they have a game room. I use that term loosely though because it's just claws. At least it's not Kiddleton again.

Last stop for the day. Tomorrow? Bring on Dollywood! #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay exterior. Also a blimp pirate ship on top of the building.

The arcade section at Sky Pirates.

The other side of the arcade section.

Hey mermaid, heyyyyy.

Day 3, stop 14. Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay Mini Golf. Advertising a BRAND NEW ARCADE! very proudly on the screen facing the highway. A lot more of the same. But also, mermaids! #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Sign at Blake Jones Fun Center. It is OPEN.

High score on Space Invaders Frenzy. Still couldn't get the bonus, it was set at a ridiculous 45000.

Exit from the black light mini golf course.

Miscellaneous games on the floor here.

Day 3, stop 13. Either Blake Jones Fun Center or Space Race Adventures Arcade depending upon who you choose to believe. Small place, cheap games, looks like a cool mini golf course. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Entrance to the arcade at Fast Tracks.

Destined for the junk yard if they can't figure it out. They say it went down two weeks ago. The fact that it's the only game without a card reader on it has determined that's a lie.

Segaposting, part the first.

Segaposting, part the second.

Day 3, stop 12. Fast Tracks, Pigeon Forge. One pin, not currently working, added to @pinballmap.com anyway in case that changes in the future. Double dose of Segaposting otherwise. #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Facade of Three Bears. Jesus saves... you cash on your tchotchkes apparently.

Entrance to the arcade upstairs. Includes a Ballzania machine that I've never seen in person before.

Old buddy Raptor Captor! Always love seeing this one.

Batman and Star Wars, two great tastes that taste great together.

Day 3, stop 11. Three Bears General Store, Pigeon Forge. Not as nuts as Country Junction but way more densely packed. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

The incredible jukebox facade of Rockin Raceway.

These lil guys are just the cutest!

Disco party tonight!

I appreciate them offering the sitting stools for all us old farts that used to play Guitar Hero. Robert Fripp mode engaged.

Day 3, stop 10. We did it chat. Double digits. Rockin Raceway, Pigeon Forge. No longer has a raceway. No longer has DDR. Still has records on the walls and disco balls hanging from the ceiling. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

T-Rex, giant wheel, and distillery. Pigeon Forge in a nutshell.

Arcade City's exterior facade.

Games inside Arcade City.

Apparently Margaritaville is the next town over from Flavortown.

Day 3, stop 9. Arcade City at The Island, Pigeon Forge. The Island is what happens when the city sees the local theme park doing well, and decides, you know what? EVERYTHING is a theme park now. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Bad weather cleared up nicely. Still cool but sunny at The Track.

Arcade games on the floor, including Transformers and... all the claw machines. Ever.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was a Round1!

Ok this Yzma and Kronk Loungefly is kinda everything tbh

Day 3, stop 8. Fat Daddy's Arcade at The Track, Pigeon Forge. Making a couple obvious jokes;

"Wow I didn't know they named an arcade after you hurr durr durrrrr"

"Fat Daddy? Looks more like Slim Pickings"

#arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Licensed Scooby-Doo mini golf.

Hanging out with the Scoobster. I swear my eyes are open.

Bonus stop, but no arcade; Scooby-Doo Mystery Putt. Right next door to Flavortown.

Posing with the mayor of Flavortown.

Flavortown is quite packed on a Thursday afternoon. Business is booming.

Custom reskin of the Wizard of Oz pusher. Because of course.

Two pins on site, both beat to hell and nigh-unplayable.

Day 3, stop 7. Downtown Flavortown, Pigeon Forge, TN. Yes, that's right: Guy Fieri has his own damn arcade. And his own damn custom skins of certain games. Pinch me. #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Window signage for Cooter's Museum.

The General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard TV show.

One bootleg multicade next to a rack of, um, postcards.

Sheriff backglass. Jungle/Wild Life playfield and instruction card. Not plugged in, and there isn't even an outlet anywhere near where they have it set up.

Day 3, stop 6. Cooter's Museum, Pigeon Forge, TN. These stops are getting weirder. This is a retail store/photo op dedicated to The Dukes of Hazzard. There's one multicade on free play, and one frankensteined pin in the corner that's not even plugged in. #arcade #pinball #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

The giant MagiQuest castle building on the Pigeon Forge Parkway.

Arcade games downstairs...

...the classic MagiQuest experience upstairs.

PUMP TO Activate Windows

Day 3, stop 5. The last original MagiQuest, Pigeon Forge, TN. Great Wolf updated all the rest of them, but this one still holds strong. Plus, there's an arcade on the ground floor. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Exterior of D&B in Sevierville.

The usual suspects.

Games on the floor at D&B, including the infrequently seen these days Waterfuls.

Back wall at D&B. Pac-Man Roller is fun!

Day 3, stop 4. (Already? It's not even 1.) Dave & Buster's back on it again in Sevierville, TN. A few older games here like Color Match & Waterfuls. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Entrance and steps to NASCAR SpeedPark.

Lots of redemption games and racers here.

I have NEVER seen this game before.

This is what I got from playing Rabbids for about 15 minutes. 1 swipe = 1 spin. 3 swipes = 9 spins. Yup, played this the entire time.

Day 3, stop 3. NASCAR SpeedPark, Pigeon Forge, TN. A small outdoor amusement park and go-kart place (there's LOTS of go-karts down here), but also a decent sized arcade section. #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Welcome to Pigeon Forge. Everything here is so extra. Next up I'm checking out a NASCAR themed arcade and later today I'll be checking out Guy Fieri's place, "Downtown Flavortown", because of course he owns and operates one here as well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Barn themed arcade!

Very picturesque mini golf course.

Miscellaneous arcade games inside, including the non-VR Kaiju Wars for the second time in less than an hour. Love the Holstein walls.

Seriously, this machine can go fuck itself. 6 claws simultaneously = 6 chances to lose six times as fast.

Day 3, stop 2. Ripley's Old MacDonald's Arcade. (or maybe Super Fun Zone according to online?) Mini golf course with a small arcade inside. First time coming across Big Six, and honestly, FUCK this machine. Cool place otherwise though with friendly staff! #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Tomorrow is opening day. I can't pass it up!

Selfie with the moose!

A view from upstairs. They have an indoor suspended coaster! Weight limit 200 lbs. Guess I'm not getting on that today.

Didn't I just see this at the NJAA Expo?

Hey, this one too!

Day 3, stop 1. Wilderness at the Smokies, Sevierville, TN. Massive indoor waterpark and arcade just outside of Pigeon Forge. Place is packed on a Thursday morning! #arcade #roadtrip #arcaderoadtrip

Big Boi & Dre Present...OutKast

Today's road listening. Not in Atlanta yet but getting closer.

open.spotify.com/album/5OJKj1...