WE SLEPT ON A BATTLEFIELD!

A good day for us is about 200 miles, so going to Elko to Twin Oaks RV (190 miles from GCS) was fine. Our friends, Ray and Louise also arrived and we decided a nice quiet evening would be best for all of us to get ready for the next day.

We arrived at Holiday Trav-L-Park in Chattanooga (232 miles)mid-afternoon and just enjoyed the beauty of the park, opened in 1972 by the Holiday Inn owners - and is still under ownership by the same people today.

Over a 100 years ago, men fought and died where the park is located. In the SW corner of the park there is a monument placed by some of the men of that regiment who became famous for fighting in the Chattanooga area.

This is definitely a town you say "we've got to come back" ... so much to see and do, so we had to make some choices. So we're here for 2 days and then head north.
We've seen signs all our life about "SEE ROCK CITY" and "LOVER's LEAP", so we did, and cowabunga. Hope the pictures are louder than words, because I just couldn't describe it. For more than 65 years, this attraction, with its 145 foot natural waterfall and caverns deep inside Lookout Mountain, draw visitors just like us. While it was during the Civil War that claims of being able to "See Seven States" surfaced, it took a visionary promoter to spread that message to the world. Garnet Carter, the owner at that time, invented "Tom Thumb Miniature Golf".



Moving right along, we decided to go round trip on the "World's Steepest Passenger Railway" that begins in St. Elmo, TN and takes you up to the top of Lookout Mountain at a breathtaking grade of 72.7% near the top. On a clear day you can see over 100 miles to the Smokies! Since this has been in operation since 1895, we felt it was pretty safe.

A trip to Chattanooga wouldn't be complete without visiting the hallowed grounds of Chickamauga National Military battlefield, about 3 miles from our park. The battles for Chattanooga changed the outcome of the Civil War. About 15,000 Union soldiers advanced against a Brigade of about 1,300 Confederate soldiers on Lookout Mountain. It was the beginning of the end for the South - the next spring, Sherman used Chattanooga for his base as he started his march to Atlanta and the sea.