We stayed in a 100+-years-old home on our April visit to Chattanooga. Our condo was gutted for remodeling and there was business to tend to. Our good friends from Miami, George and Mary-Pat rented a room upstairs and we had a wonderful visit.
Our first order of business was the maiden boat launch on Chickamauga Lake. We put in just above the dam on the Tennessee River and LyonsRoar got the introduction run on her new home waters.
LyonsRoar’s new, covered slip is just a walk across the parking lot and down some steps from our condo.
We revisited Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain with George and Mary-Pat. The one-mile, walk through the woods was a perfect start to a stellar day.
Glen Falls cuts through a giant boulder that obscures it from the main trail. It’s a short hike up stone steps and tight squeeze through a rock-formation cave, to reach the best viewing area.
We huddled up above the falls’ plunge pool for a picture. No guard rails or safety barriers on this bluff.
Glen Falls is not huge, but definitely has unique charm.
After our hike, we headed to the very top of Lookout Mountain to visit 10-acre, Point Park. Besides commanding views, this memorial park is full of Civil War history. Note, George had a Senior National Park Pass that got all four of us in with no additional fees.
Point Park has parking near the entrance and offers a lot of flat walking to the main lookouts. It tends to be very busy. Go early, if you don’t want to fight the crowds for viewing space and picture opportunities, like my peaceful protest to cannon fire.
There are trails leading down from the upper part of the park that offer spectacular views, but are a bit more challenging to reach. When we tired of exploring, we stopped for a picnic lunch on the lawn at the top.
Lookout Mountain provides a strategic advantage for surveillance. The Civil War battle to take it is known as “The Battle Above the Clouds.” The Tennessee river snakes around downtown Chattanooga in the distance.
We went for a quick, morning cruise before saying goodbye to George and Mary-Pat. We’re looking forward to the day when a six-hour drive won’t be needed to spend time in Chattanooga, TN.