Ruby Falls/Rock City (pics heavy)

This holiday weekend Echo and I escaped on a road trip to Tennessee. It is rare to have three whole days off together so we took advantage and took off. The drive was a beautiful 6 and a half hour trek through some lovely mountains. Echo was so tired I told him he could sleep in the car on the way there but he said no way; he would miss too much. There were three thing drawing me to the Lookout Mountain area in Chattanooga, TN.

First was Ruby Falls:

The falls are located inside of Lookout Mountain. We had to wait in a long line to purchase tickets. Then we waited in another line to go on the elevator down to the cave. Then we waited in the cave while other groups ahead of us went. Then we watched a video of the history while waiting to actually start our walk. Echo and I had the misfortune of being near the end of the pack stuck between some Indian folk who were talking very loudly and a man and son who were disrespectful to the cave and paused so often to take mundane pictures that we all feel behind the single filed group. Because of this I could not hear what our guide was explaining. Just had to keep a look out for things along the way on our own. Lucky they posted signs by most formations.

Didn’t get to hear the explanation for why this was growing here but I am sure it has something to do with the light they brought into the cave and the wet conditions.

Turtle is on the face rock surface going up. Cute, right?

This is Ruby Falls, it was named after the wife of one of the men who found it. The color lights have been added for effect.

This is the highest inside free falling commercial waterfall in this country. They have yet to discover the source of the water.

The light show was set to music and on a timer so I could not get all the pictures I wanted as promised by our tour guide. I think we had less than five minutes and we had a very large group of people in the room.

A little shelf of water mirroring its roof.

Cave humor.

View from tower on top. I believe this is Chattanooga, TN.

The second attraction was Rock City:

Yes there are lots of rocks, but also bridges, gardens, a waterfall, view of 7 states, and fairy tale characters in a cave in black light. This was my favorite part of the trip.

I am standing in the Needles Eye passageway. Good thing that bolder is too wi

de or I could be crushed.

A knome working hard.

Knome village.

Flowers add just the right touch of color. 🙂

I thought this was a cool landscape idea. Might pass this photo off to our designers for some fresh ideas.

Creative recycling. I like it.

A different kind of habitat.

Lover’s Leap.

That is me up on that sky bridge.

This is the waterfall across from me.

Of course they didn’t put a billboard or anything to mark them, you just judge by millage. Technically Lookout Mountain is in Georgia but it is closest to Chattanooga Tenn so that is how most people find it.

Nice of them to put that platform out there.

This path was called Fat Man’s Squeeze.

Pretty deer.

A pretty remarkable site.

This 1000 ton rock is balancing on the rock beside me….I am helping to hold it.

Echo and I walked across this wood and rope bridge properly named the Swing-along-bridge. Personally I liked its movement as we walked.

Nature inspired art work.

<span style="background-color: rgb(153, 204, 255)

;”>Witch’s face rock.

Did I mention the trail through Rock City is called the Enchanted Trail and this is the start of the magic caves.

This is a waterfall/wishing well. Erie colors if you ask me.

All along inside the cave were little window pockets with black lite fairy tale scenes inside. Echo said I was taking to many pictures because I was getting them all. I won’t post all of them but this one was my favorite.

The final reason for choosing Chattanooga was the Zipstream areal adventure course. They did not allow cameras on the course so I couldn’t get the kind of pictures I wanted but they did take our picture as we traversed the zip line…which we had to pay for if we wanted.

One more check off the bucket list. Sad thing is it didn’t excite me. I don’t even remember feeling anything great while doing it. There was a moment I thought my shirt was up and my whole belly was sticking out for the camera-that was not such a good feeling, but it was all in my head. Didn’t want to hold on with both hands but that is how they wanted it done. Maybe the energy didn’t build because we had to wait so long at each platform for those people in front of us to finish a challenge and were being nudged forward by those behind us. Sort of took the fun out of it.

Echo snapped this shot of the Blue Ridge Mountains (at least I think that is which ones they are) on the way home.

n