See Rock City

We were back at Rock City today, and it was actually a pretty quick trip up here to Tennessee, much faster than the trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  We made just one stop on the way up here, and yes, that was Buc-ee's.  But we only got gas there - we'll make a more involved stop there on the way back home later on.  Meanwhile, our drive was pretty uneventful.  We were listening to the news from Lake Wobegon on the way up, some archived material from 1983 I think.  We've been collecting the archives, and they're perfect for these longer drives, these stories that really help pass the time.  When we got super close, we plugged in a Dan Lundrum CD from so long ago when Mom and I were at Rock City and we saw the artist with his hammered dulcimer.  We played that again, just because we actually got this CD at Rock City.

Anyway, we arrived, and the weather was perfect for us.  We had planned on doing this tomorrow, but the threat of rain was such that we thought to go ahead and visit now.  And it was perfect, as there were really not that many people there.  Here's a LOT of pictures from today, starting with Maddie's pictures, then some from Joey, and then finally the last bit are largely from my phone...

Pumpkins and decorations were all over Rock City

Maddie took these using the big camera, instead of her cell phone.

Bridges wind over paths in tight chasms below.

Not many people here today!

Lover's Leap.  We didn't leap.

Flags from the seven states you can see from the lookout

See Rock City on a barn below

Live music at the overlook

Red doors guide the way.

You could see far, including all the storms rolling around us.  We stayed dry though!

Entering Fairylale Caverns now... into the blacklight!

Nice picture of Maddie and Mom.

Resting after a long visit.

We looked about in the gift shop, and yes, we bought a garden gnome!  We already have a Christmas ornament from Rock City, and our birdhouse seems to be doing okay, so the next logical thing was a garden gnome.  He looks great!

It was a nice time there.  The temperature was warm in the sun, but a breeze came up with a storm and that storm missed us where we were - we were able to see it from the viewpoint though, watching the rain hit Chattanooga while we were enjoying a lot of time just resting.  At the viewpoint, we got some drinks and snacks, and just sat there in the shade overlooking that seven-state viewpoint.

The Fairyland Caverns were always a little old school for me, but I actually turned the corner on those and now really appreciate the artistry of each one.  Plus, with these cameras available, we were able to take some nice pictures in the dark areas.  We had that entire area to ourselves today, alone in the dark with all the different stories.  It was nice and cool in there too.

Oh, and the famous Fat Man's Squeeze was a fun little trip too!

And guess who was along with us?  That's right, it was Joey the Porg.  Here are a few pictures of Joey below as he kept us company through Rock City.

So I mentioned that Maddie had the nice camera, which left me with a cellphone to snap pictures with.  It did a pretty decent job!

Maddie and a huge garden gnome.

A nice family picture at the start of the trail.

The rock bridge!

Nice colors!  Fall is here, although the temperature didn't seem to think that.

We just spent a good bit of time here, relaxing and enjoying the view.

We love this sculpture.  It reminds us of something from "Lord of the Rings" for some reason...

It's like the Old Man on the Mountain face.

There was a tiny museum along the trail, with artwork from over the years at Rock City.

Here we go!

This was before the gnomes dug too deep and awakened Balrog.

Maddie's wristband glows too!

Gift shop items - lots of axolotls!

We headed down the mountain after this and checked into our hotel, where we are now.  Tonight we had dinner at a Cracker Barrel nearby, and we actually have some good leftovers for breakfast tomorrow - grilled chicken and biscuits for breakfast!  The meal was nice, and a tradition in Tennessee:  Cracker Barrel is one of those places we usually go to on those Tennessee trips.

Afterwards, we were back at the hotel, and ready to settle down.  We watched "Coco," and read for a bit from our book.  We said our prayers, and got to sleep, ready for another fun day tomorrow!