Three Lazy Days for our 1st Stop in Tennessee
We’ve enjoyed visiting Chattanooga twice before, both times scurrying to see all that we could see. Not so much, this trip. Lots of time “just hanging out” and a Cave Tour at Racoon Mountain Caverns and Campground, where we’re camped. And we ventured out to Chattanooga one afternoon and Lookout Mountain, Georgia another.
Visits in Chattanooga TN & Lookout Mountain GA
- Crystal Palace Tour with Racoon Mountain Caverns, a walking tour through the first 1/4 mile of the cave system (we skipped the tour where you have to crawl.) The cave formations were cool and pretty with the colored lights, but new to us was the life in the cave…spiders & salamanders in addition to bats!
- Ranger Talk at Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (sort of #243-Revisit…we only went to the talk, having visited just about all the sites in 2024), about The Rise of Dragging Canoe. Dragging Canoe (ᏥᏳ ᎦᏅᏏᏂ, pronounced Tsiyu Gansini, c. 1738 – February 29, 1792) was a Cherokee chief who led a band of Cherokee warriors who resisted colonists and United States settlers in the Upper South, during and after the American Revolution. During that time, Dragging Canoe became the preeminent war leader among the Native Americans of the southeastern United States. He served as war chief of the group known as the Chickamauga Cherokee, from 1777 until his death in 1792.
- International Towing & Recovery Museum, which we first visited in 2013. Good news: there are lots more Tow Trucks and Wreckers added since then. Bad news: they are packed so tight, one can no longer walk around them.
- Rock City, which we also first visited during Octoberfest weekend, in 2013, with lots of people and music and dance entertainment. Yesterday, we had a quieter visit (similar weather, in the 70’s). It was fun to walk all the “magical trails“, looking for gnomes, checking out a cfew new things, and just having a pleasant afternoon. We ended our visit with a light dinner on the terrace from which you can see 7 states.
Entering Racoon Mountain Caverns Crystal Palace 
Unique, Crystal Caverns Cave Spider 
Racoon Mountain Caverns – Salamanders 
Racoon Mountain Caverns Reflecting Pool 
Ranger talking about the Rise of Dragging Canoe. He said this was the largest turnout he’d gotten for such a talk. Yes, that is Gail in purple in red chair to the right. 
1979 Chevrolet, World’s Fastest Wrecker 
At Rock City, did we actually see all seven states? 
Flags of the Seven States 
Rock City’s Lovers Leap, where the Cherokee maiden Nacoochee jumped after her family threw her Love, Chickasaw warrier Sautee, off of the cliff 
Rock City…3 of many gnomes 
Rock City, in Fairyland Caverns
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