September 29, 2012
 

Thanks to Hal Baker for loaning us his rental car so we could do all the touristy things here in Chattanooga.  Below are some highlights of the Incline Railway which is a mile high and ascends to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  It was originally built in 1895 and is the steepest in the world at 72.7%.  

We also drove to another area on Lookout Mountain, Georgia to Rock City.  This amazing city of magnificent gardens, caverns and rock formations is stunning.  From Lover's Leap at the top, you can see seven states:  Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.  It is one of America's Top 101 places to visit, according to National Geographic, USA 101.

Also nearby on Lookout Mountain is spectacular Ruby Falls.where you descend 260' by elevator to an unusual cave path through stalagmites and stalactites eventually leading to the incredible Ruby Falls.  Quoting from the brochure: "In 1928 Leo Lambert and a group of fellow explorers entered a small opening in a newly found cave in Lookout Mountain.  They spent 17 hours mostly crawling on their hands and knees exploring before hearing the sound of rushing water.  They were awestruck at the magnificent beauty of the waterfall they found inside the cave at its deepest point.  Leo named the falls in honor of his wife, Ruby." 

The walking tour takes you to a depth of 2,140' from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the cave.  We walked a half mile to the falls and a half mile back out via the same route.  It was quite chilly and I am quite claustrophobic.  It was stunning, but I was very glad to get outside where it was much warmer and to vacate the confines of the cave.  However, the Captain knows I get chilly and claustrophobic and kept me warm and peaceful and visiting Ruby Falls was an experience I'm so glad we've had.

Ruby Falls

Rock City

Rock City

Rock City

Ralph (afraid of heights) on the swing bridge Rock City

One of the many plaques in Rock City

This area of the Tennessee River is known as the Grand Canyon of the South

Waterfall in the gnome village, Rock City

One of the nursery rhymes in Rock City

A sad chapter in America's history

The world's steepest Incline Railway, Lookout Mountain, GA

Descending Lookout Mountain on the Incline Railway

A car ascending Lookout Mountain on the Incline Railway

Rock City celebrates 80 years

Beautiful gardens in Rock City, Lookout Mountain, GA

At Lover's Leap in Rock City, you can see seen states

Flags of the seven states

Traveling from Guild to Chattanooga, TN

Ralph going down into one of the caverns in Rock City

Inside Fairyland at Rock City, all the nursery rhymes are represented -- by a German artist

Rock formations in Ruby Falls

Ralph in front of the waterfall at Ruby Falls

Celeste in front of the waterfall at Ruby Falls

Stalagmites at Ruby's falls -- stalagmites rise from the floor of caves and stalactites form from the ceilings of caves

Stalagmites in Ruby Falls