Advertisement
I made a leisurely departure from River Country Campground in Gadsden AL on June 15, 2016 as the drive to Holiday Travel Park in Chattanooga TN was only about 90 miles and 1 ½ hours. That’s less than I usually target, but these days I prefer less rather than more – “shot six times by a .44, no Les, no more.” That epitaph is on the tombstone of Lester Moore in, where else, Tombstone AZ. I had heard about a hootenanny in Chattanooga and was looking forward to it with mixed emotions. First, the traffic and parking is usually an enormous hassle. Second, they usually are a lot of fun once the walk through the entry gate is accomplished. Over ninety bands were slated for the
Chattanooga Riverbend Music Festivalf from Friday, June 10 through Saturday, June 18. Of the ninety-plus, I had heard of only five, none of which fit into my genre powerhouse – country. Two of those, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Ambrosia, performed before I arrived and the other three, REO Speedwagon, Salt N Pepa and 38 Special, didn’t appeal enough for me to fight the crowds AND stay up past my bedtime. Even on the weekends, the earliest scheduled
starting time was 5:00 PM. Oh well, so I saved my money and my blood pressure as it might have been affected by the traffic and the parking.
As is standard when the weather cooperates, Thursday found me hitting the road. This time I was off to
Cherohala Skyway which has one terminus in Tellico Plains TN. I prefer taking the speedier route in the morning and the leisurely return route in the late morning and afternoon. That way I can abort the trip any time my endurance, the weather or nightfall deems it necessary. When I reached the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center in Tellico Plains, I learned that the actual national scenic byway travels eastwardly instead of southerly. I was somewhat disappointed and briefly considered “heading east, old man” only to come to my senses and realized that driving the skyway some other day was the more prudent course of action. There were several southbound scenic options (as designated by Rand-McNally), so I headed back in the direction of Chattanooga. It was one of those scenic routes I had mistaken for the Cherohala Skyway. The route I selected is scenic; however, I guess I’m pretty spoiled after spending so
An Extensive Array Of Civil War-Era Weapons Is On Display
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Fort Oglethorpe GAmuch time in the Rockies, and I’m sure it would have been much more scenic if I could have devoted 100 percent of my time to sightseeing vs. spending 80 percent negotiating curves.
Schoolless Saturday found me heading to the
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park in nearby Fort Oglethorpe GA. Indeed, Chattanooga’s southern border is the Georgia state line. The
Battle of Chickamauga, was the first major battle of the Civil War that was fought in Georgia, was fought September 18–20, 1863 and marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign. The battle was the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater and produced the second highest number of casualties in the war, exceeded only by the Battle of Gettysburg. Fought between the Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg, the battle was named for Chickamauga Creek, which meanders near the battlefield.
The
Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863 which occurred in the same zip code as the Battle of Chickamauga. Following the defeat of Rosecrans as noted above, Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee besieged
Rosecrans and his men by occupying key high terrain around Chattanooga. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had recently been given command of Union forces in the West. Significant reinforcements began to arrive in Chattanooga with him from Mississippi and from the Eastern Theater. On October 19,1863, Grant removed Rosecrans from his command of the Army of the Cumberland and replaced him with Major General George Henry Thomas. After opening a supply line (the "Cracker Line") to feed his starving men and animals, Grant's army fought off a Confederate counterattack at the Battle of Wauhatchie on October 28–29, 1863.
On November 23, the Army of the Cumberland advanced from the fortifications around Chattanooga to seize the minor high ground at Orchard Knob while elements of the Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman maneuvered to launch a surprise attack against Bragg's right flank on Missionary Ridge. On November 24, Sherman's men crossed the Tennessee River in the morning and by the afternoon had advanced to occupy high ground at the northern end of Missionary Ridge. That same day, Eastern Theater troops under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker defeated the Confederates in the Battle of Lookout Mountain. The
Most Of The Field Placards Delineate Unit And Commanding Officer
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Fort Oglethorpe GA next day, Hooker’s troops began a movement toward Bragg's left flank at Rossville. On November 25, Sherman's attack on Bragg's right flank made little progress. Hoping to distract Bragg's attention, Grant ordered Thomas's army to advance in the center of his line to the base of Missionary Ridge. A combination of misunderstood orders and the pressure of the tactical situation caused Thomas's men to surge to the top of Missionary Ridge, routing the Army of Tennessee, which retreated to Dalton GA where it successfully fought off the Union pursuit at the Battle of Ringgold Gap. Bragg's defeat eliminated the last significant Confederate control of Tennessee and opened the door to an invasion of the Deep South – Sherman's Atlanta Campaign of 1864.
At the conclusion of the war, emotions ran the gamut from anger which accompanied defeat to sorrow at the lost comrades, friends and relatives to relief that the bloodshed was over. Confederate and Union veterans alike formed service organizations to find comradeship within a brotherhood of like-experienced men. These organizations, like the United Confederate Veterans Association and the Union’s Grand Army of the Republic, became vehicles for the reconciliation of over twenty years of growing animosity between
Most Of The Monuments Are To Small Units, Such As Companies
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Fort Oglethorpe GA the two sections of the country which had led to the Civil War. In 1889, Union veterans of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland planned its reunion in Chattanooga and extended an olive branch to their Southern brethren by inviting them to a barbeque at Crawfish Spring GA – the current Chickamauga GA. Veterans from both sides, some now Congressmen and Senators, agreed that a National Park should be created to honor the fallen. So was born the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, the first of its kind in the United States. Thereafter, they worked together to identify the location and movement of units and erected markers to document those memories for posterity. Therefore, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park is probably the most accurately documented battlefield of the Civil War.
That having been said to the Civil War scholar, most of the battlefield markers are of interest to those scholars and not to the general public. There are interesting memorials that have been erected by numerous states to honor native sons; however, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park probably has the fewest number of monuments of any of the major battlefield sites I have seen
in my travels and is probably the most complex battlefield to understand that I have encountered. The introductory movie at the NPS visitor center really did not address the conflicts – indeed, the movie is not even mentioned on the NPS web site. This is probably one of the poorest organized NPS facilities I have visited. That having been said, it’s a piece of important American history and demands your attention.
On Sunday, Happy Father’s Day, I headed for
Rock City Gardens in Chattanooga. As is the case in many tourist-rich destinations, attractions are packaged together. Rock City Gardens also has an “Annual Pass – Get your Rock City Annual Pass for less than the cost of two 1-day general admission tickets.” Now the ever-experienced traveler, what that says to me is, “There is a very real possibility you will not return in the next 12 months – at least not more than once!” At any rate, Rock City is partnered with two attractions I had on my A-List, so I went ahead and bought the package (which reduced the admission cost for Rock City to about 50%!o(MISSING)f the regular asking price).
I arrived only to exclaim, “What’s going
No Strollers, Please
Rock City Gardens - Chattanooga TN on? Y’all are supposed to be on the patio drinking beer and grilling on Father’s Day!” It was packed, but I had already made the drive up some very narrow, steep, windy roads, so I decided I might as well attend rather than defer to another day. Inside wasn’t as cramped as the parking lot, but it wasn’t a good day for promotional photography either. I stepped up the pace but was about one minute late for the start of the “Birds of Prey” show which was quite enjoyable but not spectacular. I looked at the attraction map and saw that there is a logical progression through the labyrinth of rock formations, some natural and some fabricated. I’ll let the pictures speak for the institution; however, I will recommend this attraction for those with children old enough to be able to look at a diorama and surmise that it is Humpty Dumpty, the Three Blind Mice, Cinderella or Jack in the Beanstalk. It’s really not for the very young and is NOT stroller or papoose-carrier friendly. Oh yes, it turned out to be better than I had expected. That’s always a plus.
The temperature was pushing the 90-degree mark,
This, A 1948 Chevrolet With A 515 Holmes
International Towing & Recovery Museum - Chattanooga TN and I was ready for some air conditioning, so I headed for the
International Towing & Recovery Museum also in Chattanooga. If it’s unusual, Uncle Larry probably will find it. When I was a kid, it seemed every wrecker driver I knew personally or saw at a red light was chomping on the stub of a ratty old cigar. Glen, Big Ed – all of them! I’ll include photographs that might resurrect a memory for an oldster. The International Towing & Recovery Museum is not for most, but if you are attracted to the unusual…. The museum is very well done and has lots of toys and ancillary automobile service equipment on display and a Hall of Fame which made no connection with me.
I got a relatively early start to avoid the sweltering heat and stifling humidity as I rode the
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway in Chattanooga – well, the neighborhood of town for the lower terminus is Saint Elmo while the upper terminus is in, ta-dah, Lookout Mountain TN. Was the town named for the mountain or … the chicken or the egg? As we just learned boys and girls, Lookout Mountain, the Incline’s home, played a pivotal role in the Civil War. The
three-day conflict that took place on the face of Lookout Mountain from the foothills to just below the top of the mountain would later become known to locals as the "Battle Above the Clouds." Following the Civil War, more and more tourists flocked to the sites of these famous battles; however, the two-dollar, four-hour buggy ride up Lookout Mountain to attractions such as Whiteside Park, the Natural Bridge and Lula Lake prevented many citizens from enjoying the mountain’s natural beauty and rich history.
During the railroad boom of the 1880's, a luxury hotel resort was developed on the mountaintop that was serviced by a simple narrow gauge railway. In November of 1895, a new, broader gauge passenger railway simply known as "The Incline" opened to easily whisk residents and visitors up and down the steepest part of Lookout Mountain. Built by John Crass and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway Company, “The Incline” is a technical marvel that, at its extreme, reaches an incline of 72.7% making it one of the steepest passenger railways in the world. The original coal-burning steam engines were replaced by two 100-horsepower electric motors in 1911, but other than that the railway hasn’t changed very
There’s A View Through The Ceiling!
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway - Chattanooga TN much in more than 100 years of operation.
I enjoyed a ride on the
Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire (there is another cog railroad on Pike’s Peak CO which I hope to ride next summer), so I had to take a ride on "The Incline" to see the difference. There is quite a difference. First, "The Incline" is pulled up the mountain by a cable while “The Cog” operates under its own power. Second, the 72.7%!g(MISSING)rade near the top of "The Incline" run is much steeper than anything on “The Cog” (average grade of over 25%!a(MISSING)nd a maximum grade of 37.41%!)(MISSING). Third, since "The Incline" has no propulsion system onboard, it is much quieter. Fourth, the trip on “The Cog” is much longer and much more expensive than “The Incline.” "The Incline" trip is neat and provides a great excuse to walk three blocks to the
Battles for Chattanooga Electric Map & Museum in Lookout Mountain.
This small museum is a definite must see for those who are interested in “connecting the dots” that, I felt, were left so disjointed at the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. From the web site. “Updated in 2016 to a new, digital projection-mapped show, guests visiting
The Audio Describes As The Lights Depict Troop Movements
Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center - Lookout Mountain TN Battles for Chattanooga will now be able to visualize Chattanooga’s Civil War history as the battles come to life in a digital panoramic display. The new show involves multimedia projection mapping with high color saturation, short-throw digital projectors, solid-state media players and 3-D modeling software. This one-of-a-kind storytelling experience uses the latest technology to bring to life the tumultuous battle days of one of our country’s greatest struggles fought here in November of 1863.” That’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo, but the presentation did a nice job of making sense of the battles for me. Unfortunately, I did not know that Point Park – site of the famous Battle Above the Clouds – is right next to the museum until after I had descended on “The Incline.” Now, YOU know.
The temperature was beginning to climb. How about a trip to
Ruby Falls, also in Chattanooga? The web site boasts, “No rain and always a nice 60 degrees at Ruby Falls!” Some of the cave is interesting unto itself, but the 145-foot underground waterfall is the main draw of this guided cave tour. Ruby Falls has been called one of the Ten Most Incredible Cave Waterfalls on Earth and is America's
deepest commercial cave and largest underground waterfall. The Ruby Falls out-and-back tour lasts 1 ¼ hours on average, is approximately 4/5 of a mile long (round trip) and is on a paved pathway with a couple of gradual slopes. There are approximately 35 stairs on the pathway, each paired in sets of 4-5 with handrails provided.
Ruby Falls Cave features many of the more well-known types of cave formations including stalactites and stalagmites, columns, draperies and flowstones. Many have been associated with other likenesses, i.e., Elephant’s Foot, and many are lighted with colored lights making a very unique and interesting exhibition. Once at Ruby Falls, the visitor is treated to an incredible light display synchronized to the accompanying music. The 4 to 5-minute presentation is very well done. Many heavily advertised attractions turn out to be snake oil. That is not the case with Ruby Falls. It is everything purported and then some.
I was motivated to visit the
National Medal of Honor Museum in Chattanooga for a couple of reasons. First, a man I had known since grade school was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Vietnam. Second, two company commanders of sister companies in my battalion
The Heroes Of Normandy Get Special Recognition
National Medal of Honor Museum - Chattanooga TN were awarded the Medal of Honor for their unrelated actions during a three-day engagement I had the dubious “honor” of attending during my time in Vietnam. I have asked on more than one occasion, what qualifies an institution as a “National” institution? Although this small museum, which is located in a storefront of a shopping mall, has some interesting artifacts and stories, the focus of those stories and artifacts is southern Tennessee, northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. In spite of the fact that there is a national electronic database for Medal of Honor recipients, the word “National” seriously aggrandizes the scope of this museum. Stop if you have extra time or need to shop for shoes anyway!
My final stop in Chattanooga was at, what else, a carousel! The
Coolidge Park & Carousel has more than just the 1894 Dentzel Carousel with its 52 hand carved animals, two calliope band organs and ornate gold leaf benches. There is a children’s’ fountain, wherein the child play was almost as entertaining as it was at the carousel, an amphitheater and a, ta dah, park. Coolidge Park & Carousel is a nice place to relax and let yourself become a kid-at-heart while the children have
I Chose The Ostrich For My Ride
Coolidge Park & Carousel - Chattanooga TN some good old-fashioned fun. Oh yes, while I was watching the folks enjoying a ride on the carousel, I struck up a conversation with a former Vietnam era Marine. A long story made short – his brother is a 20+-year Marine air traffic controller. My best friend, Gary, is a 20+-year Marine air traffic controller. We hypothesized they might know each other. As he was talking to his brother (who lives in Yuma AZ), I was talking to Gary (who lives in Mesa AZ), and, sure enough, they knew each other. Well, needless to say, we got them reconnected. It IS a very, very small world!
I had a really nice time in Chattanooga in spite of the heat and humidity. There is a wide diversity of attractions in the area so all visitors should have a pleasant experience – even if you don’t like tow trucks! There are numerous scenic drives in almost every direction and several waterfalls which I left for another day. Although Holiday Travel Park has a Chattanooga address, it technically is across the state line in Rossville GA, so I had to drive in city traffic to get to most of the attractions I
visited but never found the traffic a problem. Don’t ask me how the U.S. Postal Service let that anomaly slip through the cracks! I never felt my safety to be in jeopardy, found the folks I encountered to be pleasant and the drivers to be courteous. It was a very nice week.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.111s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 12; qc: 31; dbt: 0.0407s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
