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Day 2: November 19, 2004 |
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Day 2: November 19, 2004 |
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Like that guy coming off of the desert and eating a cracker to make sure
he REALLY enjoyed that first drink, I started the day on that divided TEN
lane that circles Atlanta. I wasn't quite as bad as I feared but that's
still a lot of traffic. Outbound traffic lightened slightly as I moved on
to US-41 but I wasn't on good old two lane until near Cassville. With the
exception of the roads inside Stone Mountain Park, I believe this is the
first two lane road I've been on since US-29 near Royston.
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Vergil's Antique Reproductions, just south of Adairsville, looks
interesting and could even be educational but I didn't stop today. I did
stop at the South 41 Diner for breakfast. Good food and hospitality. The
two old but nondescript motels are also in Adairsville.
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In Calhoun, I grabbed a picture of the Gordon county courthouse and of a
used car lot. The small high-peaked building must have been a gas station
in an earlier life.
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More old motels. The first two are part of the cluster around the I-75
crossing near Damascus. The Peach State is just south of Dalton. There is
evidence that neon tubes once lit the sign but they're gone now. The
motel itself still looks pretty solid. I believe that US-41 is now signed
to bypass Dalton but I made an effort to go though the town on a recent
alignment. As you can guess from the number of Dalton photos I've posted,
it seems I could have saved that effort with little regret.
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The Catoosa county courthouse in Ringgold and, at the north edge of
town, the Dixie Motel. I'm guessing that there are guest units in the
main building and there are several stone cabins that are almost cute.
There are five single units like the one pictured. Three stand by
themselves and the other two are connected by a wooden structure that
may have been an addition. Another building is the size of two of the
single cabins and looks as if a pair of them were glued together. My
guess is that it was built to provide a larger option to travelers and
used the same plans as the singles executed twice. It even has the two
front doors where you would expect. When I sorted pictures at the end of
the day, this was the place where I most regretted not doing some more
investigation. Much (maybe all) of the neon appears to be intact and the
"VACANCY" sign was actually lit. Maybe this place is still
operating.
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Two familiar phrases associated with Chattanooga are "See Rock
City" and "Ride the Incline". I had not done either and
wanted to correct that today. Following signs, I found the incline first.
The incline first opened in 1895 and uses cables to pull cars up an down
the side of Lookout Mountain. I was lucky? to get a space on the next car
up with fifty some sixth graders and their chaperones. Being the last to
board, I sat (no standing allowed) on the floor where a seat had gone
missing. That meant visibility on the way up was severely limited but it
was offset by a literal train load of school aged enthusiasm. Those
chaperones weren't dumb (They're teachers!) so the students were not
allowed off the car at the top. The dozen or so people ready to head down
were surprised but not upset when they were told they would have to wait
for another car.
Above the car level, there are two observation decks that provide great views of Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In the middle of those colorful trees, the two cars can be seen passing at the midpoint which is the only place which accommodates both cars. For the rest of the route, the cars share a middle rail. Below the cars, some of the workings can be viewed behind glass. The electric motor is rather new but the wheels behind it have been there for 100+ years. The cables are replaced every three years. That last picture was taken as I waited in an un-crowded car for the descent. |
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From the incline station, it was a fairly short drive to the Georgia side
of the mountain and Rock City. Real two-lane with real views. Despite
seeing it advertised on many many barns and even reading through a
brochure or two, I was not entirely sure what I would find. I handed over
the $12.95 admission thinking there was no way I would get my money's
worth by walking around some rocks. Wrong! This place is cool. Of course,
it's in a great spot and has what, in 1823, missionary David Butrick
called "a citadel of rocks". But, Garnet and Frieda Carter added
to that to create a unique wonderland with rock lined paths leading
through it. Freida gathered over 400 plant varieties here so it's also an
impressive garden. Then there's the view. I couldn't "See 7 States
from Rock City" today but I don't doubt that it is possible. The
attraction opened in 1932 and it still has what I perceive as the flavor
of that time. The wonders are natural. The Carters just provided paths
through them.
In addition to the natural wonders, the section called Fairyland Caverns contains a number of Jessie Schmidt dioramas. These first appeared in 1947 and in 1964, Schmidt added Mother Goose Village. This is a collection of some three dozen (my guess) black-lighted fairy tale scenes. It was damp and misty when I arrived and conditions had worsened by the time I left. I knew this, of course, since most of Rock City can seem like a roofless cave. The mist had become real rain by the time I headed down the mountain, ignoring the now foggy views, eyes on the winding road. |
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At the top of the incline, I learned of a brewery in town and that's
where I headed for dinner. The
Big River Grille
& Brewing Works operates in Nashville and Orlando in addition to
Chattanooga. Both the grilling and brewing were excellent.
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