Having chosen not to have children, my little-people, interaction tools are limited. Our four-year-old grand-nephew Wayne came for a brief visit with his parents Colby and Jessica, immersing me in “Wayne’s World.” I commend Colby and Jessica for their parenting skills. Raising a smart, active, young boy is hard. They are doing a fantastic job
Aunt Karen organized the itinerary and we started off with a visit to Rock City Gardens. It’s six miles from Chattanooga and just over the Georgia state line.
Perched on Lookout Mountain, Rock City is a maze of ancient rock formations, beautiful gardens filled with hundreds of native plant species, a broad view of 7 states and whimsical displays of classical, children’s stories. We did our part helping to hold up the precarious “Balanced Rock.”
Ms. Jessica confronted her dislike of heights when we crossed this long, swinging bridge. There was never a moment that she did not have a firm grip on the handrails.
Jessica was having no part of venturing out onto the ledge-platform for a view of the tall precipice below.
Behind Colby, Jessica and Wayne, High Falls plunges 140 feet from the side of the cliff into a sparkling pool.
Built in 1895, The Incline Railway bills itself as “America’s Most Amazing Mile.” Rising from the base of Lookout Mountain, the funicular is the world’s steepest passenger railway. Yet another, fun experience for Ms. Jessica.
The interactive play fountain in Coolidge Park offered a chance to mount turtles, lions, elephants and horses, while cooling down in the dancing waters’ mist.
Sitting on a stationary animal by a fountain is one thing, but riding a giraffe on the 1894, Dentzel Carousel in Coolidge Park was a lot more fun.
We ended our long, play day with a boat ride on Chickamauga Lake. Wayne took his turn at steering very seriously and did a good job.
I was a little worried about the pending visit by a small child, but Colby and Jessica were unflappable while managing our time in Wayne’s World. We had a lot of fun.