Evan was on spring break again while I had an extended weekend, so we decided to hit the road while we had the chance! I got off work and we headed to Chattanooga, TN. We got there with enough time to explore Rock City. This was so neat and amazing! I loved walking the trails, seeing the views from the mountain top, and seeing the waterfalls (which were dyed green for St. Patrick's Day). There is a small gift shop area when you first walk in. There is also a restaurant towards the back of the trails. We got pictures from the top where you can see seven states at once (Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama). We walked the giant swinging bridge. We walked through Fairyland Caverns and 'Fat Man's Squeeze'.
In the morning after we brushed the snow off the car, we went to Ruby Falls, a 145 foot waterfall inside Lookout Mountain. There are some Civil War sites on this mountain, but unfortunately we didn't have time to stop at these on this trip. We were the only ones on the tour, so we got a personalized experience for Ruby Falls! Some of the paths were a little treacherous for my foot, but we were able to make it through! We loved learning about the different rock formations and how they were created. They had names like 'Dragon's Foot' and 'Steak and Potatoes'.
Our next stop was the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel. They had many trains outside that guests can sleep in, but it was too cold this weekend for that! We walked around and took pictures of this historic hotel.
We visited the Chattanooga Aquarium. We had heard great things about this aquarium, so we decided we had to check it out. There are two separate buildings, one for fresh water fish and one for salt water fish. We thought this was such a neat idea to show how the different bodies of water allow for different fish. The center of the building was one giant aquarium with ramps for each level. Each time you finished a floor, it would lead you back to the center of the building and down another ramp to another level. We loved seeing the 'monster' river fish! After the Georgia Aquarium, I think this one has been our second favorite!
Our next stop was down to see Papa Ronnie again! We didn't have a lot of time this trip, but we spent most of our time just playing games at the house and of course, eating good seafood! Since it was a little cooler outside, I spent time taking pictures around the yard. Papa even got to Facetime with Sylas! We got to meet a new cousin, Steve Nall Jr, and his daughter. I was so excited to meet new family members from this side of my tree. Steve was so sweet and so excited to meet new people as well. I took him a box of photos and papers that belonged to his dad, grandma, and great grandpa. Unfortunately, this would be the only time we got to meet Steven. He passed away in a boating accident one year later.
We drove home through Leake County to visit the library and cemetery for some genealogy research. This was another great visit for us to cherish visiting with family!
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