Tennessee Trip - Tourists in Chattanooga

Our drive continued from Iuka, Mississippi to Chattanooga, Tennessee via the Natchez Trace and Highway 64. I avoid the interstate highways whenever possible. I hate the big trucks and traffic, and it just seems less stressful to take a back road. Hwy. 64 isn't exactly a back road, but it's the way I chose to go. As we left Mississippi we encountered patches of heavy and moderate rain all the way to Chattanooga. I had planned to take a back road into the city, but because of the weather and darkness, I thought it safer to take I-24 for the last 20 or so miles into the city. Ten miles from town the traffic on the interstate came to a complete stop. We spent the last hour of our day-long drive in gridlock, within sight distance of our destination.




The Chattanoogan Hotel is a nice place in the middle of downtown. Since it was a holiday, there was hardly any traffic, and nobody at the bar. What a great end to a long day - chatting with the bartender while sampling microbrewery draft beer and appetizers.

The next day was spent doing what tourists do, seeing the cheesy attractions. Unless you're like us, children of the 50's and 60's with more curiosity and spending money than good sense, you will avoid Ruby Falls and Rock City. In the South during the 1960's, a traveler on the old highways could count on finding "See Rock City" painted on the side or roof of a barn along the way. (Follow this link if you'd like to know more http://www.two-lane.com/seerock.html ).

Neither of us had ever seen these legendary wonders, but we both had vivid memories of the roadside advertising. Now that mission is behind us, and we have a "See Rock City" birdhouse on the basketball goal post in the front of our home.


We had a great time, though. I was surprised at the number of Asian tourists, particularly Japanese. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Pictured below is Wifeunit capturing a rare moment - a Rock City Gnome, carelessly vulnerable to keen-eyed tourist photographers.

Here's a look at one of the breath-taking dioramas depicting one of the industrious "3 Little Pigs". There were lots of these Mother Goose/Fairy Tale characters around. It took us minutes to appreciate the beauty of it all.