Rock City--Lookout Mountain

Last week, on our way home from a wedding in Atlanta, I wanted to stop at Rock City on Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, TN. I had fond memories of going there with my family when I was young--many, many years ago. I especially remembered the swinging bridge which is suspended high above a gorge and sways when you walk on it. I also remembered Lovers Leap, from which you can see 7 states (on a clear day). Dad reminded me that I may have had this built up in my mind after fifty-some years, so it was a bit of a risk to pay the admission fee and begin the mile-long trek through the huge stone formations.

Amazingly, it was even better than I remembered and proved to be a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. Near the end of the trail, we went underground into Mother Goose Village where all of the nursery rhymes are depicted with carved figures illustrating the verses. The story of how this whole place came to be is also an intriguing one.

We later rode the world's steepest incline railway for a mile up the side of the mountain. The grade near the top is 72%, and we could look down at the ground below through the windows in the top of the car. One woman wouldn't uncover her eyes during the whole trip up and down, but we found it to be incredibly beautiful. Rock City and the surrounding area proved to be a great "rest area" on the long trip home.