We drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee on Saturday (7-20-2019) for a week of hiking in the Appalachian Mountains. The forecast called for overcast and deluges. The skies were gloomy but the rain failed to amount to much. By Tuesday, the weather was perfect for woods wandering.
We broke up the 7-hour drive with a hike to Waterrock Knob off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Sylva, NC. The trail to the peak was lush and filled with pretty surprises.
Waterrock Knob is the highest peak in the Plott Balsams Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains Province and the 16th highest mountain in the Eastern United States.
We stayed in our first Airbnb on the south side of Chattanooga where the city is revitalizing their tattered warehouse district. Regentrification was in full swing with lots of eclectic eateries and boutique businesses moving into renovated, brick structures.
Signal Point on Signal Mountain is northwest and just a few minutes from downtown Chattanooga. This vantage point was heavily used during the Civil War to track troop and supply movements into and out of the important hub of transportation. It overlooks the Tennessee River that snakes through the city.
We hiked the nearby Rainbow Lake Trail. The tree in the middle of the bridge where we started was a sign that our walk would not go exactly as planned.
Almost every description I read about this hike described the trail as “very rocky.”
The dam was built on Middle Creek in 1916. I assume Rainbow Lake is somewhere on the other side.
Karen is not fond of swinging bridges and this 100-footer was no exception. It was part of a 2.3 mile loop we hiked around Rainbow Lake. The forest was dense, the rock formations magnificent and we never saw a drop of Rainbow Lake.
On the drive down from Signal Mountain we passed the Spaceship House. it’s For Sale if you’re interested.
No trip to Chattanooga would be complete without visiting the Tennessee Aquarium. Over 12,000 animals of 800 different species are housed in two huge buildings called The River Journey and Ocean Journey.
Ocean Journey is 60,000 square feet, ten stories and has 700,000 gallons of tankage. The Aquarium is the gem of Chattanooga’s downtown redevelopment.
River Journey is 130,000 square feet, twelve stories and holds 400,000 gallons in its tanks. It follows a raindrop from the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.
The fish are fantastic, but the exotic, aquatic species, like this 4-eyed, Chinese turtle, made the experience more memorable.
A new lock is being constructed on the Tennessee River just east of the Aquarium. Above the dam is the massive Chickamauga Lake that stretches 58.9 miles to Watts Bar Dam. The river connects to other major waterways downstream that make it possible to take a boat to the Gulf of Mexico.
Eight miles from downtown Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain rises from the corners of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. We road the Incline Railway which bills itself as, “America’s Most Amazing Mile.” Two cable cars traverse a 72.7% grade making it the steepest passenger railway in the world. At the top on a clear day, you can see over 100 miles.
On the backside of Lookout Mountain is Sunset Rock. This is a popular spot for locals with only 10 parking spaces that require patience to use.
The parking hassle is well worth the spectacular vista at the end of a short trail.
We were quite taken with Chattanooga and the beautiful area that surrounds it, but our vacation was far from over at this point. On Wednesday (7-24-19) we set out for Alpine Helen, Georgia to look for waterfalls and soak up a bit of German culture and beer.