October 22: After a quick survey of the river, we left the marina as the river looked clear of fog. However, as soon as we rounded the bend we encountered a thick blanket of fog. So it was time to rely on the radar and GPS. We slowed down to a crawl and stayed glued to our instruments for a good hour until the fog cleared. We had planned to anchor out this night but decided to press on further to Goose Pond Marina. It made for a long day but we arrived before dark. We met up with fellow Loopers on Last Chance and enjoyed good food at the local restaurant on the river.
October 23: We left with Last Chance this morning so that we could lock through the last Lock between here and Chattanooga together. We were fortunate to lock straight through with no wait. This will be the last lock that we will have to lock up. Locking up is much harder than locking down due to the turbulence when the lock is filling.
This section of the river has high cliffs and deep water.
We had a short run today and anchored at the base of the Little Cedar Mountain. We were the only boat in a beautiful, quiet spot surrounded by cliffs and fall foliage on all sides.
October 24: The last leg of our journey up to Chattanooga was made on a glorious sunny fall day. This stretch of the river is known as the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee". It certainly lived up to its name. The mountains drop steeply into the river which is very narrow in places. The river also twists and turns as it snakes through the mountains making for a very scenic ride even though one must pay close attention to any commercial river traffic.
We had a short run today and anchored at the base of the Little Cedar Mountain. We were the only boat in a beautiful, quiet spot surrounded by cliffs and fall foliage on all sides.
October 24: The last leg of our journey up to Chattanooga was made on a glorious sunny fall day. This stretch of the river is known as the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee". It certainly lived up to its name. The mountains drop steeply into the river which is very narrow in places. The river also twists and turns as it snakes through the mountains making for a very scenic ride even though one must pay close attention to any commercial river traffic.
River views.
Our home for the next few days in downtown Chattanooga.
October 24-27: Chattanooga: There is so much to do and see in Chattanooga. Our first order of business was to hop aboard the free downtown electric buses to get an overview of the city. We decided to rent a car and play tourist for a few days. Our first stop was Lookout Mountain which was the site of a major battle during the Civil War. The mountain is 2,000 feet above the river. It was on these slopes that the Confederate and Union troops clashed in what has become known as the "Battle above the Clouds." In the early morning of November 24, 1863, Union troops used the cover of thick fog to scale the mountain and engage the Confederate forces that were holding the mountain top.
Views of the Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain. It is easy to see the strategic value of holding the mountain and Chattanooga as an important rail and river connection for the South.
October 24-27: Chattanooga: There is so much to do and see in Chattanooga. Our first order of business was to hop aboard the free downtown electric buses to get an overview of the city. We decided to rent a car and play tourist for a few days. Our first stop was Lookout Mountain which was the site of a major battle during the Civil War. The mountain is 2,000 feet above the river. It was on these slopes that the Confederate and Union troops clashed in what has become known as the "Battle above the Clouds." In the early morning of November 24, 1863, Union troops used the cover of thick fog to scale the mountain and engage the Confederate forces that were holding the mountain top.
Views of the Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain. It is easy to see the strategic value of holding the mountain and Chattanooga as an important rail and river connection for the South.
This bend in the river is called the "Moccasin Bend".
Entrance to the Lookout Mountain Civil War Preserve.
Confederate Cannons positioned on the ridge.
Peace Memorial built by the State of New York.
Hungarian Spy on a secret mission to check out the rock formations.
Our next tourist destination: Ruby Falls. A local explorer, Leo Lambert, initiated the reopening of the Lockout Mountain Cave which had been closed during the construction of the railroad. During the excavation of an elevator shaft, Leo entered a small opening and spent 17 hours crawling the cave. His efforts were rewarded. He discovered a waterfall that is 1,120 feet underground. He named the Falls after his wife Ruby.
Today, tourists can take the elevator down to view geological art and of course the Ruby Falls.
Our next tourist destination: Ruby Falls. A local explorer, Leo Lambert, initiated the reopening of the Lockout Mountain Cave which had been closed during the construction of the railroad. During the excavation of an elevator shaft, Leo entered a small opening and spent 17 hours crawling the cave. His efforts were rewarded. He discovered a waterfall that is 1,120 feet underground. He named the Falls after his wife Ruby.
Today, tourists can take the elevator down to view geological art and of course the Ruby Falls.
The Onyx Column.
The Chandelier.
Ruby's Drapery.
Ruby Falls.
Other Attractions in Chattanooga include the riverfront walk. This bridge was a short walk from our boat.
The biggest attraction on the riverfront is the Tennessee Aquarium. At a cost of over $24 million, it is the world's largest freshwater aquarium.
Unique architecture of the Aquarium.
A series of stairs and escalators in the Aquarium follows the path of the Tennessee River from its origins in the mountains to the Gulf. Various other major rivers are featured from around the globe as well as the plant and wildlife that inhabit the rivers.
We fed these cute river otters. A definite favorite!
Multiple frogs from around the world were interesting-particularly the tiny, dwarf ones.
Glad he was behind the glass!
The city abounds with art focused on the river. The following depict the original Indian settlers relationship with the river.
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