Rock City, Ruby Falls, and More

Rock City is located on the top of Lookout Mountain and is actually just over the border into Georgia. The main feature is a 4,100-foot landscaped walking trail through various natural rock formations (there are also a couple places to eat, a gift shop, and some displays for the kids). The highlight of the trail is the top of "Lover’s Leap", where you can see seven different states on a clear day—-of course, the states all look about the same, so it’s difficult to tell exactly what you’ve seen.

There were a lot of people on the trail the day I went (a summer weekday morning), but it wasn’t unbearably crowded-—I was able to get most of the pictures I wanted without too many random people in them. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but I wouldn’t recommend bringing one unless it’s pretty well trained, as it’s fairly busy and the trail gets quite narrow at some points.

Although I think Rock City costs a bit more than it should to get into (currently $14.95 for an adult), it’s worth it to go at least once and see the spectacular views from the top. It really is a beautiful place, even though I usually prefer more natural areas to those that have been "enhanced" for tourists.

Hours and activities vary throughout the year, so check www.seerockcity.com for seasonal information.

Ruby Falls is the highest underground waterfall in the United States. It was discovered in 1928 by Leo Lambert while he was drilling a shaft to a lower known cave. (For more on the history of the cave, click here.) The original passageway from the shaft to the waterfall was only about two feet high, but it was expanded to give people enough space to walk upright (you may still have to duck occasionally, especially if you’re over 6 feet tall). Many other changes have also been made to the cave to provide a more dramatic experience for visitors—lights, railings, and signs have been added, as well as speakers that constantly play music or a narrator’s voice.

In my opinion, the cave would be better without all the extra enhancements. It’s starting to seem more like a man-made tourist attraction than a natural wonder. The first two things you do after stepping into the cave are to watch a video and have your picture taken. Something else that takes away from the tour is the huge number of people in each group. Most of my time in the cave was spent standing and waiting or following directly behind someone else. Unless you're at the front of the group you don’t have a chance to get a very good look at any of the rock formations.

Although I found the tour to be a little disappointing, the waterfall itself is pretty amazing. I consider Ruby Falls a sight worth seeing, and it can be a good destination on a rainy day since it’s underground and unaffected by weather (driving up the mountain in a thunderstorm, however, might not be such a pleasant experience).

The Ruby Falls website has all kinds of useful information, including hours, ticket prices, and directions.
If you’re into haunted houses and spooky stuff, you might want to check out the Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern, which takes place in October.

The cave system at Raccoon Mountain consists of over 5 ½ miles of underground passageways and has a multitude of cave formations. You can choose between taking a basic walking tour or going on a "Wild Cave Expedition." The walking tour (called the Crystal Palace Tour) takes you through about a quarter of a mile of the cave and lasts around 45 minutes. The Wild Cave Expeditions offer longer tours through undeveloped areas of the cave, which may require some crawling and climbing.

Raccoon Mountain is only a few minutes away from Lookout Mountain, but it’s not nearly as well known. I think this is an advantage, because the Raccoon Mountain Caverns are much less crowded than nearby Ruby Falls. Instead of being on a tour with 50 other people, you will probably be with only a few other people or possibly just your group. This is really nice, because you can stop whenever you want and easily ask your guide questions. Another advantage this cave has over Ruby Falls (in my opinion anyway) is that it is much more natural. Not much has been done to the main path—no signs or music here. There are lights along the main passage, but not in the areas on the wild cave tours.

Raccoon Mountain Caverns far surpassed my expectations. I went on the Crystal Palace Tour and I was much more impressed by this cave than the Ruby Falls cave. I was able to get a good luck at the many unique formations, including a "shield" which is pretty rare, plus a bat and a cave spider. The Crystal Palace room is huge (it’s the third largest room in the cave) and beautiful. I really enjoyed the walking tour and I would love to go back and go on one of the Wild Cave Expeditions. This is a perfect place to visit if you want to experience a beautiful natural cave without a crowd.

Reservations are not necessary for the Crystal Palace tour, but they are required for the Wild Cave Expeditions. To make a reservation call 800-823-2267, or for more information go to www.raccoonmountain.com.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo was the nickname given to an 1880 steam locomotive running between Chattanooga and Cincinnati and was made famous by a Glenn Miller Orchestra song in the 1940s (if you’d like to hear the song or see the words and music, click here). Today the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex is owned by Holiday Inn and functions as a hotel, gardens, and more. The Terminal Station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now the main lobby of the hotel, and the rail concourse is filled with gardens, historic train cars, and a working New Orleans trolley. This area is bordered by shops, restaurants, and a model railroad museum.

I have stayed at this hotel before (in a restored Victorian train car), which was a unique experience, but it’s a fun place to visit even if you’re not staying at the hotel. There’s no fee to get in (although you do have to pay for parking), so it’s a nice place to spend a couple hours wandering through the shops or getting something to eat from one of the restaurants. Be sure to allow some extra time if you want to visit the Model Railroad Museum, ride on the trolley, or go for a horse drawn carriage ride.

Visit www.choochoo.com for more information about the hotel, a list of shops and restaurants, and to learn about the history of the Choo Choo.